Corporate communication

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The term corporate communication generally includes organizational communication of profit-oriented organizations ( companies ). The term, which is vague in practice, is often used as a synonym with company - related PR work . However, it also includes internal communication and market communication .

Definition of terms and overlaps

There are different approaches to corporate communication within the communication, social and economic sciences. While corporate communication within communication science is differentiated into the equivalent sub-areas of public relations and marketing , marketing-oriented approaches subordinate public relations to marketing. In contrast, organizational theory and corporate management theory accentuate internal or external organizational communication .

The term corporate communications overlaps with the English corporate communications . This means a management function for communication in corporate management. The differentiation from business communication is also not clear. This term partly includes electronic business processes, partly it covers conducting discussions with employees, moderating meetings, negotiating with customers, suppliers and consultants or presenting projects and successes.

Corporate Communication Theories

Corporate communication according to Bruhn

Tighter communication conditions, a significant increase in the range of communication available and the information overload of recipients led to the development of concepts for integrated corporate communication .

Integrated corporate communication refers to the

  • temporal
  • formal and
  • content

Integration of all communication measures and instruments.

The integration is intended to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of corporate communication on the basis of a uniform data platform.

Corporate communication according to Lies

January Lies defined corporate communications (corporate communications) as part of the concept of corporate governance, with the help of perception management , the reputation imprinted (reputation).

Corporate communication according to Luhmann

Niklas Luhmann describes companies as social systems. Social systems produce communication as a space in which psychological systems appear as acting persons by participating in business decisions through topic-related contributions and self-descriptions, whereby the employees can incorporate their interests into corporate communication management. From this sociological-systems-theoretical perspective, corporate communication is not the sum of actions or socio-psychologically defined message transmissions, but rather describes operational units that produce meaning and that internally disseminate the structures and functions of their company through specified communication media, thereby setting themselves apart from their environment (external corporate communication) and try to sustainably secure their internal inventory (internal corporate communication). Companies that position themselves in the market for the future anchor the organization, structure and functions of their specific communication at the corporate management level, for example by installing a professional communication management system that continuously monitors, evaluates and optimizes the communication flows.

Corporate communication according to Zerfass

Ansgar Zerfaß understands corporate communication as all communicative actions of organizational members with which a contribution to the definition and fulfillment of tasks in profit-oriented business units is made.

The Zerfass model differentiates corporate communication into three areas:

  • organizational communication, which usually takes place in direct communication between the members of a company and also includes the entire process of service provision,
  • market communication, which deals with the coordination processes between suppliers, customers and competitors, and
  • public relations, which takes care of the company's integration into the socio-political environment and, above all, has the image in mind.

Study of corporate communication

The study of corporate communication under different names and with different focuses (corporate communication, communication management, organizational communication, public relations) is offered in German-speaking countries at various universities and technical colleges . The offers differ in terms of organization (full-time / part-time), degrees (Bachelor, Master), entry requirements and the lecturers involved.

Qualification opportunities are also offered in compact seminars (e.g. by the German Institute for Public Relations eV ), full- time courses (e.g. at the Journalist Academy ), part-time courses (e.g. via the German Press Academy ), in part-time courses (e.g. B. at the Leipzig School of Media and the University of Koblenz-Landau ) or as a distance learning course at various certified distance universities and schools.

literature

  • Berzler, Alexander (2009): Visual corporate communication . Contributions to the media and communication society . Studienverlag, Innsbruck, 2009 ( ISBN 978-3-7065-4773-4 )
  • Manfred Bruhn : Communication Policy . 3. Edition. Vahlen, Munich 2005.
  • Manfred Bruhn : Integrated corporate and brand communication. Strategic planning and operational implementation. Schäffer-Poeschel, Stuttgart 2009
  • Ulrike Buchholz, Susanne Knorre: Basics of internal corporate communication . Helios Media 2010.
  • Otto Hansmann: Communication. Practice - Aesthetics - Logic - Communication Management . Logos Verlag, Berlin 2014.
  • Dieter Herbst : practical handbook corporate communication . Cornelsen, Berlin 2003.
  • Karin Kirchner : Integrated corporate communication. Theoretical and empirical inventory and an analysis of large American companies . West German Publishing House, Stuttgart 2001.
  • Heinzpeter Lindroth: corporate communication . In: Gert Ueding (Hrsg.): Historical dictionary of rhetoric . Darmstadt: WBG 1992ff., Vol. 10 (2011), Col. 1332-1344.
  • Niklas Luhmann : Social Systems. Outline of a general theory. Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt / Main, 1987.
  • Claudia Mast : Corporate Communication. A guide. 8th, revised edition. UVK, Munich 2020, ISBN 978-3-8252-5480-3 .
  • Manfred Piwinger , Ansgar Zerfaß (Hrsg.): Handbuch Unternehmenskommunikation . Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 2007.
  • Beat F. Schmid , Boris Lyczek (ed.): Corporate communication . Communication management from the perspective of corporate management . Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 2006.
  • Franzisca Weder : organizational communication and PR . UTB, Stuttgart 2009.
  • Ansgar Zerfaß : corporate management and public relations. Foundation of a theory of corporate communication and public relations . Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1996 / 2nd edition. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften 2004.

Individual evidence

  1. a b corporate communication in the Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon
  2. Manfred Bruhn : Integrated corporate and brand communication. Strategic planning and operational implementation. Schäffer-Poeschel, Stuttgart 2009, cf. Pp. 1-35.
  3. Niklas Luhmann: Social Systems. Outline of a general theory. Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt / Main, 1987.
  4. ^ Luhmann: Die Individualität psychischer Systeme , in: Ders., Soziale Systeme .... (1987), pp. 346–376.
  5. : Ansgar Zerfaß : corporate management and public relations. Foundation of a theory of corporate communication and public relations. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1996, p. 287.
  6. : Ansgar Zerfaß : corporate management and public relations. Foundation of a theory of corporate communication and public relations. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1996, p. 289.