Mastering internal communication: Knowledge foundations and postgraduate education

Despite its importance to employee engagement and organisational effectiveness, little scholarly attention has been paid to internal communication education. Consequently there is a vacuum in guidance on particular knowledge required for effective internal communication practice. To tackle this gap, this empirical article analyses data collected in an online survey of communication professionals. The article contributes an empirically based specialist framework for internal communication knowledge, with components beyond those found in generalist frameworks

Perspectivas européias das relações públicas

This article presents the results of the EBOK (European Body of Knowledge) study, which involved 37 participants from 25 countries. The objective of the study was to verify whether there exists a genuinely European concept of public relations. The study examined five basic questions: the name used for public relations in the different European countries; the debate between the relationship and communication concepts; the formal parameters of public relations; public relations as an independent area of knowledge; the conceptual definition of public relations. The results of the EBOK study have led to an on-going debate regarding four characteristics that van Ruler and Vercic have named "European public relations", namely: reflexive; managerial; operational; educational.El artículo presenta los resultados del estudio EBOK (European Body of Knowledge), que contó con la participación de 37 investigadores de 25 países. El objetivo del estudio fue verificar si existe un auténtico concepto de relaciones públicas europeas. La investigación focalizó cinco puntos básicos: el nombre adoptado por la actividad de relaciones públicas en distintos países europeos, el debate entre los conceptos de relacionamiento y comunicación, los parámetros del área, las Relaciones Públicas como un área separada de las demás y su definición conceptual. Los resultados dieron origen a un debate que todavía sigue en curso y que ha llevado a la definición de cuatro características propias de las "Relaciones públicas europeas": reflexiva, gerencial, operacional y educacional.Este artigo apresenta o resultado do estudo EBOK (European Body of Knowledge), que envolveu mais de 37 participantes de 25 países, com o objetivo verificar se existe um conceito autenticamente europeu de relações públicas. A pesquisa examinou cinco questões básicas: o nome adotado pela atividade nos diferentes países da Europa, o debate entre os conceitos de relacionamento e comunicação, os parâmetros da área, Relações Públicas como área própria e a sua definição conceitual. Os resultados proporcionaram um debate que ainda segue em curso e que apontou quatro características do que os pesquisadores denominam "Relações públicas européias": reflexiva, gerencial, operacional e educacional

Collaboration and conflict between agencies and clients

Public relations agencies are an important part of the public relations industry, but their relations with client organizations are rarely studied. There is more literature and studies in agency-client relations in advertising than in public relations. This paper reviews literature and reports results of an empirical study into perceptions of public relations agencies and their clients on the reasons for their cooperation and sources of conflict between them. Results show that agencies misperceive reasons for which they are hired and the sources of conflict in the relationship. The paper offers several suggestions about how to tackle the problem: notwithstanding rebranding into consultancies and firms, public relations agencies-client relations should be studied as a particular example of a broader family of agency-client relations. Also agencies should study and strategically manage relations with their clients, while being realistic about client organization’s needs – sometimes they just need additional arms and legs

Strategic communication across borders: Country and age effects in the practice of communication professionals in Europe

In this research we investigated whether the perception of the importance of certain types of media, strategic issues, and excellence in the professional field of strategic communication in Europe differs across countries and across generations. Data were used from the 2007 (N = 1087) and 2016 (N = 2710) edition of the European Communication Monitor (ECM), an annual survey among strategic communication professionals in Europe. For the first time a basic two-level multilevel regression model was used to assess country effects and individual predictors (age, gender, education, position, and experience in the field) of media use (of mass media, owned media, social media, and interpersonal communication) and perceptions of the level of excellence of communication of the organisation. Country and generational effects on the perception of strategic issues for the field were analysed using chi-square tests. Results show that in 2016 country effects are significant for the perception of the importance of mass media and social media use, interpersonal communication, and strategic issues for the field. In 2007 no such country effects were found. These results suggest that the influence and the context of the country of residence of the strategic communication professional has increased between 2007 and 2016

Mapping local structural perturbations in the native state of stefin B (cystatin B) under amyloid forming conditions

Unlike a number of amyloid-forming proteins, stefins, and in particular stefin B (cystatin B) form amyloids under conditions where the native state predominates. In order to trigger oligomerization processes, the stability of the protein needs to be compromised, favoring structural re-arrangement however, accelerating fibril formation is not a simple function of protein stability. We report here on how optimal conditions for amyloid formation lead to the destabilization of dimeric and tetrameric states of the protein in favor of the monomer. Small, highly localized structural changes can be mapped out that allow us to visualize directly areas of the protein which eventually become responsible for triggering amyloid formation. These regions of the protein overlap with the Cu (II)-binding sites which we identify here for the first time. We hypothesize that in vivo modulators of amyloid formation may act similarly to painstakingly optimized solvent conditions developed in vitro. We discuss these data in the light of current structural models of stefin B amyloid fibrils based on H-exchange data, where the detachment of the helical part and the extension of loops were observed

How Communication and Control Processes Improve Quality

In order to achieve excellence, an organization should use two key instruments—quality and an effi cient and effective communication process amongst all employees—so it can attain quality management. This chapter aims to examine whether organizational communication and quality are interrelated, in order to answer the following question: Is it necessary to improve communication within an organization so that quality management can be effi ciently and effectively pursued? For this purpose, data were collected through the administration of a questionnaire to the staff of a Portuguese public organization. The fi ndings showed that, in this organization, communication among employees of various sectors is satisfactory and that there is mutual help between them in order to improve the organizational performance

Divided We Stand: Defying Hegemony in Global Public Relations and Practice?

The last decade has seen the world becoming increasingly complex. One way of dealing withcomplexity, according to Schwab (2010a), is to look for certainties or solutions that imposeorder by simplifying. The authors contend that this is a risk in public relations practiceand the academy. While recognizing their benefits they warn against attempts to produceglobal models which also seek to impose hegemony and argue for maintaining a diversitythat reflects reality. They take the cases of the UK and Singapore as respective exemplarswhere hegemony has arguably occurred and where it can still be resisted. They call for aprofessional and epistemological stand against hegemony