The value of corporate communications as a strategic management function to top management

Abstract

This mini dissertation reports on the findings from a study on Chief Executive Officers of dually listed companies which, measures the value they place on Corporate Communication professionals. Using the Hill and Knowlton quantitative framework, the study explicates the role Corporate Communication professionals play within the organisational context and identifies their strategic legitimacy. Much of the literature on the topic of strategic Corporate Communication asserts that this function is drastically marginalised and its value disputed within the inner circle of organisations. The literature states that Corporate Communication managers and strategists are expected to validate their presence within the top levels of management in organisations. CEOs of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and at least one other international stock exchange were surveyed. Findings include evidence of inconsistency and confusion on the part of CEOs, with regard to the understanding of Corporate Communication as a discipline and business function, as well as its location within the organisational structure. Further study is recommended to investigate the determinants of value within Corporate Communication for CEOs, to bridge the current strategic and knowledge gap.