Corporate Communications Strategies Research Paper

Corporate Communications Strategies - Research Paper Example Since corporate communication is continually evolving, it is imperative the corporate communication strategies used by organizations be up to date, strategic and effective in meeting an organization’s strategic objectives. This research paper investigates the corporate communication strategies employed by organizations that focus on enhancing organizational corporate strategies and goals, and further evaluates the corporate communication functions and channels that enhance such strategies in communicating with different stakeholders such as employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, among others. Furthermore, the paper analyses the role and significance of corporate communication strategies focusing on corporate reputation, corporate identity and crisis management. 1.1 Corporate Communication Overview and Definition Hasanbegovic (2011, pp. 39) defines corporate communication as goal oriented activities which involve managing all external and internal communications within an organization, aimed at placing an organization in favorable light with its stakeholders. This definition is supported by Hawabhay, Abratt and Peters (2009, pp.12) who in their research note that corporate communication encompasses both external and internal communication channels that align organizational strategic objectives. Such communication need to be systematically integrated in order to prevent a fragmented and blurred image of the company. Various scholars have looked at the link between corporate communication and corporate strategy, concluding that organizations have the ability to develop a competitive advantage not only through the use of organizational resources effectively to achieve desired outcomes, but also through managing communication among different stakeholders in a company aimed at molding the perception and interpretations of the organizational stakeholders (Halliburton & Ziegfeld, 2009; Forman & Argenti, 2005; Hawabhay, Abratt, & Peters, 2009). Such commu nication also helps form long term relationships with the key stakeholders who shape the organisation’s reputation and image. Corporate communication strategies have mainly been linked to organization’s reputation building. Forman and Argenti (2005, pp. 248) makes this connection noting that the primary role of corporate communication is to develop and enhance the organization’s reputation, thereby creating a competitive advantage for the firm as the firm reduces the firm’s transactions. Corporate reputation defined as the ‘perceptual representation of the company that defines the overall appeal of the organization to the key stakeholders relative to other rival companies (Hasnbegovic, 2011, pp. 39), is clearly a central focus in any corporate communication strategy. From the above definition it can be noted that in order to develop and maintain a favorable corporate reputation, then corporate communications are directed at influencing the perceptio ns of different stakeholders on how an organization is viewed. This clearly implies therefore, that the central purpose of corporate communication function in an organization is to manage the impression of a company’s stakeholders on order to enhance the reputation of the