Comunicazione per la trasparenza e valori guida

Abstract

The importance of clear communication, which is a necessary prerequisite of the existence and success of any firm, makes the question of the transparency essential. In this context “transparency” means that the audience must be able to understand the true identity of the firm. This identity is represented by the company’s processes. They are by nature intangible and invisible from an external point of view, therefore cannot be translated into a formal language and communicated to the audience. Moreover, the ambiguity caused by the tacit knowledge and the social complexity means that these processes can be communicated in an effective way only if they can be recalled in the minds of the audience. Therefore, some specific indicators represented by guide values are needed. A deductive approach is cited to show that the function of internal and external guidance, performed by the codified guide values, and the commitment of the company culture can successfully contribute to the transparency of the institutional communication, especially in the firms whose history reinforces their values throughout the time. Finally, the study focuses on the link between the kind of change (incremental or radical) of the guide values and the impact on the perception (immediate or delayed) of the transparency.