Communication management in The Netherlands
Section snippets
Methodology
This first large-scale study of communication management examined the departments, units, and people responsible for general communication management (i.e., internal and external corporate communication) or public relations and information (in Dutch called “Voorlichting”). The objective was to establish the extent to which this is a specialist field.7 Because this type of position is subject to a wide variety of job titles,8 and as no personalized lists are offered for sale, the questionnaire
Methodology
The second study under consideration here is an extension of the first, but in greater depth. It examined whether labor differentiation exists within the communication profession, and, if so, what tasks are carried out at what levels of responsibility.
The first research project was one of the stimuli that led the Professional Communication Association to more actively seek increased professionalization. One of its actions was to initiate research into job profiles within the profession. The
Conclusions and discussion
The research into communication management has thus far led to the following conclusions. Study 1 showed that in most organizations communication management is a part of job specialization, but a fairly marginal activity to which those with neither qualifications nor experience-based expertise are appointed. A “steering” role at the strategic level, which is considered important in the literature, is virtually never encountered.
Study 2 was carried out among organizations in which professionals
References (40)
- CERP,“Communication Management, The Role of Public Relations in Organizational Communication.” Proceedings of the...
- Betteke van Ruler, J. Stappers, B. Nillesen, and W. Evers, Communicatoren op de pijnbank. Een onderzoek naar de...
- See D. M. Dozier,“The Organizational Roles of Communications and Public Relations Practitioners,” in J. E. Grunig...
- G. Bentele, H. Steinmann, and A. Zerfass, (Hrgs.), Dialogorientierte Unternehmens Kommunikation,...
- R. L. Heath, Management of Corporate Communication (Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1994), p. vii; see also C. B. M. van...
- See for example F. W. Kleijn,“Interne communicatie wordt de trend,” Communicatie 1 (1995), p....
- For a full report of this research project, see Betteke van Ruler and Rob de Lange, Trendonderzoek Public Relations...
- Van Ruler et al. 1994, op....
- et al.
Nieuw perspectief voor de opleidingen communicatie en journalistiek
(1994) - H. de Jager and A. L. Mok, Grondbeginselen der sociologie, gezichtspunten en begrippen (Leiden: Stenfert Kroese,...