Cutlip & Center's Effective PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. Cutlip & Center'sEffectivePUBLIC RELATIONS PART II Foundations Chapter 9 Internal Relations and Employee Communication Tenth Edition

2. Study Guide After studying Chapter 9, you should be able to: • Define internal and employee communication as a part of the public relations function, using the basic elements of the definition of public relations. • Argue convincingly for the importance of the internal relations function. • Discuss the impact of organizational culture on internal communication. 9-1

3. Study Guide After studying Chapter 9, you should be able to: • Apply systems theory to internal relations. • Discuss some of the regulatory and business contexts for internal relations. • Explain the major purposes of employee communication. • Describe nonmediated and mediated means for communicating with internal publics. 9-2

4. Internal Relations As a part of the larger public relations function, the goal of internal relations is to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the employees on whom its success or failure depends. 9-3

5. Organizational Culture The sum total of shared values, symbols, meanings, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations that organize and integrate a group of people who work together. 9-4

6. Dimensions of Culture 1.Power-distance: Extent to which people see inequities as natural and expected. 2. Individualism: Extent to which people put their own needs ahead of the needs of the group. 3. Uncertainty avoidance: Extent to which people prefer structures that reduce their social anxiety. 4.Masculinity: Extent to which collective behavior tends toward traditional (or stereotypic) “masculine,” such as aggressiveness and independence. 9-5

7. Worldviews An asymmetrical worldview is one in which an organization’s goal is to get what it wants without having to change the way it does business internally. A symmetrical worldview incorporates the ideas of negotiation, conflict resolution, and compromise in an organization’s operating procedures. 9-6

8. Authoritarian Organizational Culture • Communication is structured and formalized • Decision making is centralized • Individuals are accountable • Work is routine and divided • Input from employees is not seen as vital to management. 9-7

9. Participative Organizational Culture • Dialogue and input are encouraged • Teamwork is valued • Collective accountability encourages teamwork • Innovation is encouraged and rewarded • Innovation ideas can come from any level of the organization 9-8

10. Goals of Employee Publications • Keeping employees informed of organization’s goals and strategy • Providing employees the information they need to do their jobs well • Encouraging employees to maintain standards of quality, efficiency, service and social responsibility • Recognizing employees’ achievement • Creating an opportunity for two-way communication to generate feedback, questions, concerns, etc. 9-9

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12. “Rules” of Employee Communication 1. Tell employees first 2. Tell the bad news along with the good news 3. Ensure timeliness 4. Tell employees about the subjects they consider important 5. Use media that the employees trust 9-11

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