1. The Role of Corporate Communications in Strategic Management
Professor Leif Åberg
University of Helsinki, Department of Communication
Amsterdam, April 1999

2. Elements The Functions of Corporate Communications
Corporate Communications and Strategic Management
Communication and Change

3. ?

4. Knowledge
and skills !
Energy!
Direction !
Commitment !

5. There is speed, sure, but no direction.”
Energy!
”A group without goals is like a herd of mustangs galloping on a prairie.
There is speed, sure, but no direction.”
Erkki Tikkanen, a well-known Finnish manager, to the personnel of Labsystems Ltd., after having been called in to save this corporation from a crisis

6. (Strategic) Management
Direction !
It is about directing the resources
to direct, there has to be a direction
resource= a potential that can be used
can be used, but is not necessarily used effectively
a direction, where to? To the future!
But future is in the mind of the beholder
key concept: visioning, and sharing a common vision

7. Knowledge and skills ! Group synergy
A work group, in a synergic phase produces new, creative solutions in a positive manner: the members enjoy being synergic
synergic processes make tacit knowledge and tacit skills to surface

8. Vision has been internalized.
Commitment !
”I accept this goal or task and I will give my best to help to fulfill it.”
Vision has been internalized.

9. For this, a good strategy and enthusiastic communications are needed!
Conclusion:
When skilled and knowing people are getting motivated, the organization should be able to direct the surfacing energy to a desired direction.
For this, a good strategy and enthusiastic communications are needed!

10. Rowley’s and Roevens’ model of a ”good chaos”
Elements, again ...
Aberg’s pizza
The Functions of Corporate Communications
Corporate Communications and Strategic Management
Communication and Change
Aberg’s kite
Rowley’s and Roevens’ model of a ”good chaos”

11. Total communi- cations
Åberg’s Pizza
inter-
nal
mar-
ket-
ing
external
market-
ing
work
instruct- ions
product/ sercives profile & surveys
induction
to work
Total communi- cations
coprporate/ manager profile & surveys
induction to
organization
external
PR &
scanning
internal PR & scanning
External
social
networks
Internal grapevine

12. MANI- FESTAT- ION OF VISION
Åberg’s Kite
LEGITI- MACY
MANI- FESTAT- ION OF VISION
SCAN- NING
COM- MUNI- CAT- ING CHAN- GE
BUSINESS IDEA, MISSION
C O M M U N I C A T I O N
CORPORATE CULTURE
STRATEGY
GROUP AND TEAM GOALS
GROUP DYNAMICS
INDIVIDUAL DYNAMICS
TASKS

13. A dynamic model of organizational change
Revolution: VISION
Balance
Enhance
Perturb
Task centered change
Control
Chaos
Excite
Attract
Transformation
Evolution: VALUES
Robin M. Rowley & Joseph J. Roevens:
Organize with Chaos. Lint 1996