Chief Communication Officers Research Articles

5 questions with: Carrie Phillips of University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Carrie Phillips is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Phillips has a Doctorate in Education from Texas Tech University. Prior to her role at UA Little Rock, she spent more than a decade in marketing at Arkansas Tech University. Active in the industry and in her community, Carrie also serves on various boards and committees, including the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE), American Marketing Association, Higher Education Web Professionals, and the Boy Scouts of America. She's a frequent speaker on the higher ed conference circuit.

Strengthening Identity: The Impact of Upward Social Comparisons on the Leadership of Women CCOs

ABSTRACT Adopting social comparison theory (SCT), this study explores how upward social comparisons to equivalent or higher-ranked leaders influences the leadership styles of women Chief Communication Officers (CCOs). An in-depth interview methodology is utilized to learn from 15 women who currently serve or have recently served as a CCO. From these interviews, it was determined these women are using comparisons to other similar executive public relations leaders as informal sources to effectively evaluate, improve, and enhance their leadership. Theoretical and practical implications for women and leadership in public relations are also discussed.

Know How to Make the Media Work for You

Having a great relationship with the press is paramount in getting them to pay attention to your organization's events and programs. Building that relationship requires going the extra mile with your local media. Jennifer Hines, chief communications officer for Tyler ISD (Tyler, TX), says building a great relationship with the press simply comes down to making their lives easier. “Provide everything they need up front, and let them know what elements you will have available for the story. Also, when they are on location, help carry their equipment, open the door for them and ask about their family or interests,” she says. “We like to thank them on social media and share their story on our social media channels. We also hand out different stories to the various media outlets so they can be the only ones to have it first.” To help make it easy for the reporters, packets are given that include quick facts about the school district, says Hines. It also has a map with the locations of all Tyler ISD's campuses and facilities, abbreviations commonly used in the education industry, logos for each campus and media guidelines. “Because we are in a TV market where most reporters are fresh out of school, we found this was very helpful for them,” explains Hines. Making the media's lives easier also expands to how you craft your press releases. Hines says you'll get better responses from the media when you give them all the elements they need without leaving the newsroom. “We include all the details and quotes from more than one source,” she says. “We even add extra information at the bottom, including our social media handles, a web description for them to use when posting to the web, a list of keywords and even a social media headline. We also try to include a day and time for media availability with more than one person they can interview. We also will include any pictures, logos and videos.” Hines advises, when writing press releases, keep the length to one page, at most, a page and a half for extra pieces. After sending the press release, she says if you haven't heard from the media, reach out to them directly. “I've managed to get the cellphone numbers of key players so I can text them directly. I also make sure to have a good working relationship with the assignment editors, news directors, assistant news directors, editors and reporters. Every time I am on a story with a new reporter, I am intentional about getting their information and adding it to our media list.” Source: Jennifer Hines, Chief Communications Officer, Tyler ISD, Tyler, TX. Phone (903) 262-1064. Email: Jennifer.Hines@tylerisd.org. Website: tylerisd.org

The female chief communication officer: An exploration into her leadership traits

This study uses leadership theory, specifically leadership styles, to explore the leadership traits female Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) believe they exhibit. A qualitative, phenomenological design is used to conduct in-depth interviews with female CCOs for this exploration. This study found female CCOs believe they exhibit a combination of transactional (managerial) and transformational (relationship-building) leadership traits, as well as leadership traits that are not necessarily associated with either leadership style, such as being a constant learner and having humility. Additionally, these women identify these leadership traits as strengths or areas for improvement, emphasizing their desire to be effective leaders.

Grand Challenge Aims to Eradicate MH Stigma

Grand Challenge Aims to Eradicate MH Stigma

Public relations in the age of data: corporate perspectives on social media analytics (SMA)

PurposeThe aim of this study was to understand how public relations leaders view and use social media analytics (SMA) and the impact of SMA on the public relations function.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved in-depth interviews with chief communication officers (CCOs) from leading multinational corporate brands.FindingsThe findings revealed that although CCOs perceive social media analytics as strategically important to the advancement of public relations, the use of social media data is slowed by challenges associated with building SMA capacity.Theoretical and practical implications – The research extends public relations theory on public relations as a strategic management function and provides practical insights for building SMA capabilities.Originality/valueThe study is among the first to provide empirical evidence of how companies are using social media analytics to enhance public relations efforts.

The Triple Role of Communications in Agile Organizations

ABSTRACT This study presents the findings of multi-method research that explores the challenges and implications of the concept of agility for the field of strategic communication. Despite its omnipresence in business practice, research on agility in the domain of strategic communication is scarce. Thus, a four-step research process was conducted to link the interdisciplinary debate about agility to the field of strategic communication. First, a systematic literature review across various disciplines provided a comprehensive understanding of agility and its key dimensions. Second, several conceptual frameworks for agility were analyzed and the relevant aspects for strategic communication were synthesized. In the third step, the current impact of organizational agility on corporate communications was explored by conducting empirical in-depth interviews with chief communication officers and senior communication managers from 38 multinational companies. Finally, the theoretical, conceptual, and empirical insights were combined to develop a framework for the role of strategic communication in the context of organizational agility. The findings of this study suggest that communication departments need to: a) adopt their own structures and processes, accordingly; b) enhance organizational agility by enabling other departments; and c) communicate the agile transformation of their organization both internally and externally.

Recovering From the Houston Astros’ Sign-Stealing Scandal: A Case Study on Protecting a Professional Sport Organization’s Reputation Through Crisis Communication

In early 2020, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, announced the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal after months of investigation. It was one of the biggest scandals in baseball since the steroid era. After the fallout of this scandal, Major League Baseball’s reputation has suffered as stakeholders have increasingly lost faith in the organization’s ability to function ethically. This case study focuses on Manfred’s newly appointed Chief Communications Officer, Bhavna Krishnamurthy, who is tasked with repairing the organization’s reputation. The case presents a real-life incident as a backdrop to discuss crisis communication, particularly from a North American professional sport organization perspective.

Reputational intelligence: innovating brand management through social media data

PurposeCompanies are currently facing the challenge of understanding how their business is affected by the large volume of opinions continually generated by their stakeholders in social media regarding their intangible assets (experiences, emotions and attitudes). With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to present an innovative management model, named E2AB, to measure and analyse reputational intangibles from digital ecosystems and their impacts on tangible assets.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology applied was big data and business intelligence techniques. These methods were used in the computing process to obtain daily data from every asset guarantees that the model is validated with robust data. This model has been corroborated using data from the banking sector, specifically 402,383 net data inputs from the digital ecosystems.FindingsThis study illustrates the existence of a holistic influence of intangible assets over tangible assets. The findings demonstrate complex relationships between tangible and intangible assets, determined not only by the type of variable but also by its valence and intensity.Practical implicationsThese findings may help chief communication officers and general managers a better understanding of how intangible assets extracted from online users’ opinions are related to their organisation’s tangible assets plus a chance to find out about their impact and how to manage them for a practical and agile decision making in real time.Originality/valueIt is a pioneering work in establishing a model, which demonstrates transversal and holistic relationships between relational intangible and tangible assets of firms from digital ecosystems, using business intelligence techniques.

Worldcraft: Building Worlds One Project at a Time

AbstractOver the last decade, Copenhagen‐ and New York‐based architecture and urbanism firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has enjoyed a meteoric rise on the world stage. Daria Pahhota has presided over this as its Chief Communications Officer, heading the team that decides where, when and how the practice disseminates its news, messages and personality. Here she gives us a glimpse behind the scenes.

Insights from Industry Leaders: A Maturity Model for Strengthening Communication Measurement and Evaluation

ABSTRACT Much scholarship has been devoted to identifying barriers that prevent the advancement of communication measurement and evaluation. This research focuses on the characteristics, objectives, and practices of chief communication officers (CCOs) with successful measurement and evaluation programs. Three key dimensions of practice emerged from in-depth interviews: communication executives’ measurement practices and evaluation programs were used to adjust communication strategies; were aligned with other business units; and were integrated with business priority plans. Interviewees also focused on the ability of communication measurement practices and evaluation programs to provide insights for executives, to align communication with the work of other business units, and to connect the organization with the outside environment and stakeholders. This study extends strategic communication scholarship by discussing how overcoming barriers and advancing measurement and evaluation work relates to roles adopted by organizational leaders. This article also offers a preliminary, scalable maturity model that aids in the development, formalization, and optimization of strategic communication measurement and evaluation. This study demonstrates the capacity for communication evaluation to overcome perceived barriers, realize appropriate stature with organizations, and grow communication functions accordingly.

DuPont updates its iconic logo

DuPont has a new logo, which it will use when it separates from DowDuPont around June 1, 2019. The DuPont oval has been the company’s trademark since 1907. Barbara Pandos, chief communications officer of DowDuPont’s specialty products division, which will form the nucleus of the new company, says the logo will encapsulate the resurrected company’s brand. “It preserves the legacy shape of the iconic DuPont oval, which for more than a century has provided a seal of quality, performance, and trust,” she says. “But it will no longer be constrained by an elliptical border—signaling a collaborative and open flow of ideas and innovation.”

Communicating Agriculture and Nutrition: Opportunities for Agricultural Extension-Communication and Advisory Services in Nepal

Meeting the dual goal of improving income and enhancing the nutrition status of Nepal’s rural residents is the mandate of the Integrating Gender and Nutrition within Agricultural Extension Services (INGENAES) project, which is supported by the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Feed the Future initiative. A landscape study that provided an overview of Nepal’s agriculture and the status of the country’s agricultural extension system (AES) threshed out a primary target audience—rural women. How can they be reached with nutrition information through the existing AES? The landscape study also identified 11 organizations as INGENAES collaborators. What opportunities do they offer to advance INGENAES objectives? Following Rice and Foote’s (2001) systems-theoretical approach, this formative evaluation study drew from the insights of project and program managers and coordinators, communication officers, representatives of non-government organizations (NGOs), extension officers, and editors and journalists of farm publications who work in the intersection of agriculture and nutrition in Nepal. Data were gathered from a survey of the chief communication and/or extension officers of these 11 partner agencies. Additional data were collected from evaluation questionnaires completed by project managers and communication officers of 12 government and non-government agencies who participated in a seminar-workshop on how to improve gender and nutrition communication. These two methods brought to light opportunities that can be used to enhance the communication and/or extension of nutrition-enriched agricultural information, especially to rural women. Recommendations for future communications work are offered.

Creating business value through corporate communication

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a multi-step research project which explores concepts that explain communication value across different disciplines and builds a framework that identifies and systematizes communication goals linked to generic corporate goals.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review of work on value creation through communication, drawn from 815 publications in 36 international journals across several disciplines (public relations, marketing, management, etc.) and published from the year 2000 onward, the authors have developed a framework, named “Communication Value Circle.” The application of the framework was discussed with chief communication officers from global companies and was used during a communication alignment process in a global healthcare company.FindingsEmpirical surveys across several continents show that communication professionals use a multitude of rationales to explain the value of their work to top executives. These range from building reputation, brands and identity, to gaining thought leadership, boosting sales, motivating employees, preventing crises and listening to stakeholders. The researchers have identified four major value dimensions of communication (enabling operations, building intangibles, adjusting strategy, and ensuring flexibility). The framework encompasses 12 specific goals for communication that can be derived from corporate strategy.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework stimulates the debate on the diverse concepts of communication value, performance and measurement, and the need to integrate those approaches into theory and practice. Additional qualitative studies to verify the framework are proposed.Practical implicationsThe communication value circle can be used as a management tool for planning, evaluating, and revising strategic directions for communication in any corporation.Originality/valueExplaining the value of communication continues to be one of the most important challenges for professionals and scholars alike. This paper proposes a consistent explanation for the theory and practice of what constitutes corporate communication.

Structure of the public relations/communication department: Key findings from a global study

This paper reports on some of the core findings from a program of research focused on examining the structure of public relations/communication departments. It draws on a recent major global study that was sponsored by the former Research Foundation of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Analyzing the results from interviews with 26 Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) located in each of the five continents and from a survey sample of some 278 CCOs based in organizations headquartered across the globe, the study found quite notable variations in the type of departmental structures. No one dominant structural model emerged. In effect, each organization appeared to adopt a structural design to suit their individual circumstances, although there were nevertheless some reasonably common component functional elements within each department. CCOs identified those variables that they believed most influenced the design of the public relations department structure. While recognizing department structure is situation dependent, the evidence suggests that CCOs create hybrid structures unique to the circumstances. What was perhaps most surprising was that department structure did not appear to be strongly influenced by department size, other than in terms of the vertical structural design. In short, there do not appear to be any common formulas or prescribed solutions for how organizations should or do orchestrate the design of the public relations department structure, rather CCOs appear to be able to exercise a degree of latitude in determining what works best for them.

An Approach to Management Communication Pedagogy in MBA Education

This note provides a pedagogical overview of Management Communication for MBA education. Excerpt An APPROACH to Management Communication PEDAGOGY in MBA Education Management communication and corporate communication have changed dramatically in the last ten years. Corporations and organizations have become more complex; yet, the single biggest factors influencing management communication have been, externally, the explosion of business news, and internally, the very different working conditions of a highly competitive marketplace. Externally, communication in business was traditionally associated with public relations. The rise of consulting quickly pushed the envelope of communication culture in business, setting new standards of presentation, and the development of logical arguments applied to business problems. Internally, communication in business can be seen as the ways the practices of human resources are implemented, and how strategy becomes manifest. New technologies, such as the transparency of the Web, have resulted in an increasing visibility of communication in business. Increasingly, vice presidents of corporate communication and chief communication officers play a role in developing corporate strategy. The divide between internal and external communication has been replaced in more and more companies by an integrated function that communicates the strategy, values, and identity of an organization to its multiple stakeholders. A working definition of management communication can be stated as both the many communication-related activities within companies and the specific function of corporate communication. As Rosabeth Moss Kanter noted some time ago, managers spend most of their time communicating, often under a fair amount of uncertainty. Management communication continues to be the area of communication in business that centers on the individual manager's ability to be an effective communicator. The exclusive focus on writing and speaking skills, however, has evolved into a strategic approach set in real-world organizational contexts that directly prepare students for the demands placed on today's manager. A dazzling and often confusing array of communication choices and channels, from e-mail to teleconferences, from instant messaging on palm pilots, to multi-media presentation technology, faces the men and women who work in companies, where, as the cliche goes, the only constant is change. Change, by definition, raises the need for the ability to communicate persuasively. It is no coincidence that the most celebrated CEOs are often great communicators, individuals who not only articulate the company's strategy with precision, but also become the corporation's “story-teller-in-chief.” . . .

Board Moves on New Headquarters, Discusses National Event for 2016

Board Moves on New Headquarters, Discusses National Event for 2016

Global public relations and communication management: A European perspective

The article reviews the status of international public relations research and reports on a pan-European study into international communication practices in the corporate sector. It is based on a quantitative survey of 579 heads of corporate communication from 21 European countries and a semi-structured qualitative survey of 42 chief communication officers (CCOs) in large multinationals from 12 European countries. Results reveal that international public relations are a part of daily business for more than 90 percent of CCOs in Europe, with nearly a quarter of them dealing with 20 countries or more. Sensitivity to multiple cultures while preserving core identity and the ability to change is the main challenges, along with the language(s) problem where introduction of English as the business lingua franca is only a partial solution. Only about a half of CCOs reported solid structures for international public relations operations.

Today’s and tomorrow’s challenges in public relations: Comparing the views of chief communication officers and next generation leaders

Most public relations research is focused on communication processes and the instruments, strategies and objectives in use. Less is known about the men and women who are and will be responsible for managing strategic communication in organizations today and tomorrow. Their understanding of strategic communication is crucial for the perception of the profession by different stakeholders and substantially influences the economic success and social acceptance of companies. This study takes a close look at leaders shaping the professional field now and in the future. Qualitative interviews with 20 chief communication officers and 20 future leaders (Generation Y) in the same companies were conducted. Comparing the views, experiences and expectations of the two age groups helps to identify cognitive patterns, routes of development in practice as well as new areas for research.

New APA Logo Unifies Image of Psychiatry

Back to table of contents Next article Association NewsFull AccessNew APA Logo Unifies Image of PsychiatryMark MoranMark MoranSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:28 May 2015https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2015.6a14AbstractThe new design symbolizes contemporary psychiatry as a science of mind, brain, and body and will help to unify the image of APA and the profession for patients, families, and the wider public.A new APA logo signifying the leadership of the modern psychiatrist as a physician of mind, brain, and body was unveiled last month during the Opening Session of APA’s 2015 annual meeting in Toronto. The logo depicts the ancient serpent entwined–Rod of Asclepius—wielded in Greek mythology by the god Asclepius and associated with medicine and healing—superimposed over the image of two hemispheres of a human brain. The trademarked logo appears next to the words “American Psychiatric Association,” with the word “Psychiatric” in bold type; the tagline “Medical leadership for mind, brain and body” appears below the logo. The new logo graphically updates the image of psychiatry to express its expertise in biopsychosocial and integrated care in treating mind, brain, and body and provides a unifying “brand” to the Association by appearing on all of APA’s products.The logo and rebranding were approved by APA’s Board of Trustees at its March meeting at the recommendation of APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., and APA Chief Communications Officer Jason Young. At that meeting, Young told Trustees that many of APA’s departments, programs, and publications were using their own logos rather than the Benjamin Rush seal, which has served as APA’s de facto logo since 1921. The result has been a jumble of unrelated graphics that have led to confusion among members and the public about the identity of APA products and its advocacy achievements, he said. The seal features the profile of Benjamin Rush, M.D., who is considered the father of American psychiatry and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The seal will continue to be used for ceremonial purposes and some internal documents. To help the APA administration, district branches, and state associations adopt the new logo and the related material that support it (such as a color palette and type fonts), APA’s Office of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs has produced the document “APA Brand Guidelines.” The preface outlines the purpose of the new branding: “It’s an exciting time for our organization as we shape the future of mental health treatment. This means a change in our priorities as well as our visual brand. The American Psychiatric Association is leading the charge for better treatments, more acceptance, and stronger policies to improve the lives of those with mental illness.”“This guide contains everything you need to understand and use our brand system. By consistently adhering to our brand architecture, you will strengthen our collective presence and thus the cause.”Levin said the new branding will help to present a cohesive, consistent image of APA and psychiatry to members and the public. “I am confident the logo and rebranding will be a valuable service to our district branches and individual members by providing a unifying image for all of APA’s products,” Levin told Psychiatric News. “The APA Board of Trustees and leadership deliberated carefully with our consultants to come up with an image and tagline that convey to patients, families, and the wider public the expertise of the contemporary psychiatrist as a physician and healer of mind, brain, and body.” ■To view a video that reflects the values of modern psychiatry and their translation into the new logo, click here. ISSUES NewArchived