The Role of Corporate Communications in Strategic

Management

Professor Leif ÅbergUniversity of Helsinki,

Department of CommunicationAmsterdam, April 1999

Elements

The Functions of Corporate Communications

Corporate Communications and Strategic Management

Communication and Change

”A group without goals is like a herd of mustangs galloping on a prairie.

There is speed, sure, but no direction.”

Erkki Tikkanen, a well-known Finnish manager, to the personnel of Labsystems Ltd.,

after having been called in to save this corporation from a crisis

(Strategic) ManagementIt is about directing the resourcesto direct, there has to be a directionresource= a potential that can be usedcan be used, but is not necessarily used

effectivelya direction, where to? To the future!But future is in the mind of the beholderkey concept: visioning, and sharing a common

vision

Group synergyA work group, in a synergic phase

produces new, creative solutions in a positive manner: the members enjoy being synergic

synergic processes make tacit knowledge and tacit skills to surface

”I accept this goal or task and I will give my best

to help to fulfill it.”

Vision has been internalized.

Conclusion:

When skilled and knowing people are getting motivated, the organization

should be able to direct the surfacing energy to a desired direction.

For this, a good strategy and enthusiastic communications are

needed!

Elements, again ...

The Functions of Corporate Communications

Corporate Communications and Strategic Management

Communication and ChangeAberg’s kite

Aberg’s pizza

Rowley’s and Roevens’ model of a ”good chaos”

Totalcommuni-cations

externalmarket-

ing

inter-nalmar-ket-ing

work instruct-ions

inductionto work

induction toorganization

internalPR &scanning

externalPR &

scanning

product/ sercivesprofile & surveyscoprporate/ manager profile & surveys

Externalsocial

networks

Internalgrapevine

Åberg’s Pizza

LEGITI- MACY

CORPORATE

CULTUREGROUP DYNAMICS

INDIVIDUAL DYNAMICS

B

USINESS

IDEA, M

ISSIO

N

STRATEGY

GROUP AND

TEAM GOALS

TASKS

COMMUNICATION

Åberg’s Kite

MANI-MANI-FESTAT-FESTAT-ION OFION OFVISIONVISION

SCAN-SCAN-NINGNING

COM-COM-MUNI-MUNI-CAT-CAT-INGINGCHAN-CHAN-GEGE

VISION

A dynamic model of organizational change

Revolution: VISION

Evolution: VALUES

Balance

Transformation

Control Chaos

Enhance Perturb

AttractExcite

Task centered change

Robin M. Rowley & Joseph J. Roevens:Organize with Chaos. Lint 1996