Editorial

Citation

Gregory, A. (2010), "Editorial", Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 14 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcom.2010.30714baa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Communication Management, Volume 14, Issue 2

The collection of papers in this edition of the Journal of Communication Management came from the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) conferences in Milan (2008) and Berlin (2009).

These conferences focused on the institutionalisation of Public Relations and new projects being undertaken by EUPRERA members. The richness and breadth of work presented at these conferences is just hinted at by this selection of papers.

Benita Steyn’s paper on enterprise strategy, which explores the role of corporate communication at the macro organisational level, is the first. It is a conceptual paper which examines how the corporate communication function can contribute to an organisation’s deliberations on its place in society. At the enterprise level, organisations consider their obligation to society and the expectations that societal stakeholders have of it. Organisation values, norms and standards are tested to see if they will gain support. Steyn’s conclusion is that of the Triple Bottom Line accountabilities that organisations find themselves subject to, corporate communications can make a significant contribution to the social (people) and environmental (planet) elements rather than the financial (profit) aspect.

Moving from the macro to the management levels, Howard Nothhaft’s paper outlines the results of an observational study in which he shadowed eight communication managers based in German companies. His conclusions are that communication is a second-order management function which not only coordinates organisational performance by planning, organising and controlling, but also institutionalises certain concerns in the organisation. Nothhaft concludes that by institutionalising concerns, communication management is more attuned to gaining influence rather than power.

Sven Hamrefors’ paper on communicative leadership summarises research done with a knowledge network created by the Swedish Public Relations Association. The purpose of the research was to define how communicators can contribute to organisational effectiveness by being involved in leadership. Four knowledge areas are identified as crucial; communication through processes, structures, social interaction and to and from the environment. These have to be complemented by four skills areas; system design, mediating, coaching and influencing. By embracing these knowledge and skills capabilities, communicators can demonstrate their worth as leaders.

While Nothhaft and Hamrefors speak about influence, Chiara Valentini explores in detail personalised networks of influence in public relations. Her study of journalists and practitioners explores their perceptions of the importance of personal networks of influence and found there was little difference between the two professions. Interestingly they both believed that strong professional skills were more important for career advancement: a view which provides a complementary perspective to that given by Nothhaft.

Finally, the paper by Valérie Carayol provides an overview of the public relations profession in France. While there have been previous studies, these have been fragmented, and decreasing in number. Her observation is that those conducted by professionals focus on skills and activities, while those by academics examine the profession, people and the reasoning behind actions in practice.

Carayol’s study reveals a growing interest in the contextualisation of public relations, particularly socio-political expectations of it and proposes a new perspective on the role of practitioners: that of social engineer. Seeking to explore why this is the case, the legitimisation of the profession is Carayol’s proposition.

All the papers in this issue of the Journal point to a profession that, although generally more comfortable with its role in organisations and society, it is still seeking to define and institutionalise that role. All the signs are that jurisdictional boundaries are not yet secured: legitimacy can still be challenged. However, its greater acceptance gives grounds for optimism. Headway is being made; there is evidence of institutionalisation maybe more slowly than would be desired, but nonetheless, a world where public relations is not recognised as a significant player on the organisational and societal stage is now unimaginable.

Anne GregoryEditor-in-Chief