Media Convergence and Convergence Strategies in Human Resource Management

Abstract

Media management is a central element of Human Resource Management (HRM) with increasing relevance. On one side, it is obvious that most HR activities have connections to media. More and more HRM activities need a communication strategy for internal and external audiences. There are many typical questions in this context: how can companies transport their employer brands? How can companies find a global language policy? Why is a company the employer of choice? How can the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) proposition be communicated to employees? On the other side, media management in general and media management research in particular have long dealt with the hot topic of media convergence, which is understood as the convergence of content, technologies, markets, and services. The interesting question is how these developments influence media management within HRM. In this article, we use the CUBE formula as a heuristic framework to discuss media management and strategy convergences in the field of HRM. Related to content, usability, branding, and emotion, the article looks at the objects manifesting in these four aspects, describes the observable convergences, and proposes strategies as to how far convergence should be sought. The article closes with media implications for research, practice, and teaching.