Page 184 - Corporate Communication

Cornelissen-06.qxd 10/9/2004 9:05 AM Page 172

172 Corporate Communications in Practice

afforded to other management disciplines. In many organizations, communications is
still regarded as an afterthought, a duty for delegation or as a peripheral management
discipline.A central reason for why this has been the case is the stage of professional
development that many practitioners are still at, operating largely as technicians and
located in a peripheral department that may support but does not directly partici-
pate in management decision making.The importance of manager role enactment
was therefore discussed in the chapter, in terms of what it entails and what different
parties (e.g. higher education, professional associations, academics, senior managers)
can contribute in this process of professional development of practitioners into com-
munications managers. As it stands, the role of the communications manager is still
quite embryonic in many organizations across the globe, pointing the way towards
the future and towards further development in communications management.

Key terms

Body of knowledge Occupation
Certification Practitioner role
Code of ethics Problem-solving process facilitator
Communications facilitator Profession
Competence Professional association
Environmental scanning Professional standards
Expert prescriber Reflective practitioner
Issues management Skill
Licensing Technician
Manager Vocation

Notes

1
Mintzberg, H. (1994),‘Rounding out the manager’s job’, Sloan Management Review, 36 (1).
2
Katz, D., and Kahn, R.L. (1978), The Social Psychology of Organizations. New York:Wiley,
second edition, p. 1.
3
Broom, G.M. (1982), ‘A comparison of sex roles in public relations’, Public Relations
Review, 8 (3), 17–22.
4
Dozier, D.M., and Broom, G.M. (1995), ‘Evolution of the manager role in public rela-
tions practice’, Journal of Public Relations Research, 7, 3–26, p. 22.
5
Ibid. (1995), p. 5–6.
6
Toth, E.L., Serini, S.A.,Wright, D.K., and Emig,A.G. (1998),‘Trends in public relations
roles: 1990–1995’, Public Relations Review, 145–163; Moss, D.,Warnaby, G., and Newman,A.J.
(2000), ‘Public relations practitioner role enactment at the senior management level within
UK companies’, Journal of Public Relations Research,12 (4),277–307; Wrigley,B.J.(2002),‘Glass
ceiling? What glass ceiling? A qualitative study of how women view the glass ceiling in
public relations and communications management’, Journal of Public Relations Research, 14 (1),
27–55; Dozier, D.M. (1992),‘The organizational roles of communications and public relations