Students will be firstly introduced to the concept and the practice of corporate communication. The following topics will be examined: the nature of ‘corporate reputation’ and differences between corporate & brand image, impact of organisational culture on reputation and communications strategy, corporate communications tools e.g. face-to-face/lobbying, written communications, direct/indirect information delivery, social networks, etc., issues management, ‘latent’ publics, activism and political culture, consensus and co-orientation, financial PR and investor relations, internal communications, crisis management.
The latter topic, i.e. crisis management, will be covered in detail. Specifically, students will gain an understanding of the framework and tools necessary to develop the expertise and confidence to be prepared for a crisis. Through the discussion of the theoretical literature available on the field and the analysis of case studies, students will be asked to think strategically, develop robust proactive crisis plans and make recommendations to solve crisis-related business challenges. In addition to a general overview of the existing theory and scope, this module will address the various interactions that may be required between corporate leaders, the crisis management team, the communication experts and a full spectrum of key actors (relevant stakeholders, consumers, governmental agencies etc) involved in crisis management.
