Corporate Communication International, a centre for research in Corporate Communication at Baruch College, City University of New York started to conduct studies in 2000 to set a benchmark for the practice and trends in Corporate Communication among Fortune 1000 companies in the US. This was the beginning of a seven year research project on the practices and trends of Corporate Communication in the United States. Consequently, the study was replicated in 2006 in China and followed up in 2008. A similar study is also conducted in the European Union (2008/2009). In 2007/2008 this study was conducted in South Africa through the collaboration of Prof de Wet (University of Fort Hare), Dr Ilse Niemann-Stuweg and Corne Meintjes (Monash South Africa). The purpose of the South African benchmark study was to identify the corporate communication structures, practices, and trends of certain South African companies with the intention of answering the following questions:
- What is the role of corporate communication in the company?
- What functions do these companies include as part of their corporate communication tasks?
- To what extent does the company rely on outside agencies to implement its corporate communication functions?
- How does the company position itself in the changing socio-political and economic landscape?
Due to the nature and culture of business in South Africa it was decided to gather data through in-depth interviews with the most senior communicator in different organisations. The best-performing 500 South African companies were identified, based on the data provided by Fletcher’s study (2007). The study of Fletcher used criteria such as size, growth, profitability, and economic impact. For the purposes of the present study a total of 26 companies were selected from the three segments identified by Fletcher. The revised interview consists of 30 questions, which includes question pertaining to the unique South African context. The significance of this study is that it contributes to the body of knowledge in the practice of Corporate Communication in South Africa, viewed against the latest international trends and academic theory. The crux of the South African findings is that, before corporate communication is not embraced as a strategic function, and not merely a technical tool, it will never contribute to the strategic direction of the organization. Corporate Communication, when applied correctly, has the capacity to reach the entire stakeholder community on a strategic level to ensure unity of effort, the lack of which is one of the major failure factors in strategic implementation. What is therefore required is continuous learning and development of practitioners to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of communication as well as the appreciation of depth of strategic alignment made possible through corporate communication. Should you require any further details regarding the study, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Ilse Niemann-Struweg on 0823881103 / 011 950 4206 or on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
