Anne Gregory´s and Ronel Rensburg´s presentation at World Public Relations Forum.

1. World Public Relations Forum
New world, new
challenges: what and
how will communicators
contribute - governance
and management
Professors Anne Gregory and
Ronel Rensburg

2. Plan for the session
explore the phenomenon called
“governance” and the debate around it
revisit management
debate the “space” of the communication
professional in governance and
management
inject a little controversy...
…..and we need your input

3. What is corporate governance?
Corporate governance is concerned with
holding the balance between economic
and social goals and between individual
and communal goals … the aim is to align
as nearly as possible the interests of
individuals, corporations and society.
Sir Adrian Cadbury, Corporate Governance
Overview, 1999 World Bank

4. Business as “unusual”
changes in the current business environment forces an
evaluation of the direction in which communication
management as a practice and academic discipline is
developing …..globally
the most important issue that communication professionals
will have to manage is the imperative of non-financial
information in corporate accounting and reporting
non-financial disclosure addresses a wide range of issues
and interests. Organisations responding to the needs and
demands of the capital markets and society-based
institutions, are now reporting in greater depth on non-
financial issues (King Report)

5. The triple bottom-line
The most important non-financial issue will be
the triple bottom line, which embraces the
economic, environmental and social aspects
of an organization’s activities:
The economic aspect involves the well-known financial
aspects as well as the non-financial ones relevant to that
organization’s business.
The environmental aspects include the effect on the
environment of the product or services produced by the
organization.
The social aspects embrace values, ethics and the
reciprocal relationships with stakeholders other than just
the shareowners.

6. Communication management in
sustainability
Sustainable development
Organisational sustainability
Continuous improvement
Becoming the change we would like to see in the
world
Sustaining the theory, research and practice of
communication management

7. Governance: the debate so far
Organizations operating under the
stakeholder governance model
empower their board members,
elected officials and non-profit
organization leaders, to be directly
responsible for deciding and
implementing stakeholder
relationship policies

8. Governance and the
organisation
the communicative organization requires
timely information, knowledge and
understanding of economic, social,
environmental and legal developments, as
well as of its stakeholders’ expectations
….. to promptly identify and deal with the
opportunities and risks that can impact
the organization’s direction, action and
communication

9. What does this mean for public
relations/communication management
professionals?
participating in defining organisational values, principles,
strategies, policies and processes
applying social networking, research skills and tools to
interpret stakeholders’ and society’s expectations as a basis
for decisions.
delivering timely analysis and recommendations for an
effective governance of stakeholder relationships by
enhancing transparency, trustworthy behaviour, authentic
and verifiable representation, thus sustaining the
organization’s “licence to operate”
creating an internal listening culture, an open system that
allows the organisation to anticipate, adapt and respond.

10. From management to leadership
“The difference between mere
management and true leadership
is communication”
Sir Winston Churchill

11. Management: starting at the beginning
Management: the responsibility
delegated by board to senior
executives for getting people
to work together to achieve the
organisation’s strategic goals
in an effective and timely
manner.
In classical terms management
involves planning, organising,
resourcing, leading/directing
and controlling.

12. Thoughts along the way
organisational value is created through the quality of
relationships among network members - the educative,
consultative, contextual role (Muzi Falconi)
framing, developing and affirming the identity (what it
is), the image (what stakeholders think) and reputation
(what stakeholders say) of the organization –
stakeholder and contextual research (Muzi Falconi)
The communicative competence of the whole
organisation is an imperative which PR/Comms must lead
(Hamrefors)
The reflective strategist: outside perspectives in,
stakeholder advocate, issues manager, social
responsibility (Steyn)
Mediating the whole organisation through the
communication lens (Invernizzi)
Communicative or communicating? (Rensburg)

13. Where we are now…
The communicative organisation acts on
the principle that it is in the
organisation's interest to be sensitive
to the legitimate concerns of
stakeholders, balanced with wider
societal expectations. This requires
listening before making strategic and
operational decisions

14. Public relations and communication
management professionals…
inform and shape two-way
communication capability
communicate the value of the
organisation’s products/services
and relationships with
stakeholders… creating,
consolidating and developing its
financial, legal, relational and
operational capital
help to solve organisational issues
and lead on stakeholder
relationships

15. Over to you!
In your groups, 10 minutes discussion
and then your contributions please.
Half table to talk about governance and
half about management perspectives.
What are the differences and the links
between them?

16. Other things to think about.
The big picture issues
Organisational governance
and social responsibility
The issue of trust and how
to restore it
A new employee compact
Global shifts in power
What’s next in innovation?
Empowered stakeholders

17. Other things to think about
What does this mean for the
practitioner role?
How and where can we add value to our
organisations in the future?
If we are to be ready for the task what
new capabilities will we need to acquire?
Should we move away from the
terminology of “Public Relations”?
Should the term “publics” be substituted
by the term “stakeholders”?

18. Over to you!
What other Big picture issues do we
need to consider?
What value can we add to our
organisations?
What new capabilities will we need?
10 minutes please

19. Some thoughts: a pyramid of roles
Society
Corporate
Value Chain
Functional

20. Embedding responsibility where it lies
Board Executive
Society Corporate
ORGANISATION
Exec/Functional
Heads/Comms Comms function
Value chain Operational plans etc

21. Practitioner capabilities
New priorities and skills for which the Chief
Communications Officer must now assume a
leadership role :
translating the political, economic and social
environment for the organization
defining and instilling organisational values
building and managing stakeholder relationships
enabling the enterprise with “new media” skills
and tools
informing and managing corporate reputation
building and managing trust, in all its
dimensions.

22. Practitioner competencies
Strategy and Action People skills
Takes a strategic/long Understands others
term view Leads and supports
Investigates and analyses Persuades and
Makes decisions and acts influences
Involved in policymaking Consults and involves
Personal characteristics Manages strategic
Responsibility for alliances and
standards/ethical partnerships
Positive outlook Personal communication
Prepares thoroughly Networks
“Energy” Communicates
Listens

23. Your final thoughts?

24. Thank you!
“public sentiment is
everything….. with it nothing
can fail: without it nothing can
succeed”
Abraham Lincoln