Handbook of Corporate Communication and Public ... - Blogs Unpad

to achieve. Rich networks of contacts form a
primary resource for knowledge building.
But they cannot be assumed to provide lasting
effectiveness, and therefore should be
maintained and cultivated. The knowledge
management culture of the kind sought and
proposed for corporate communication
should encourage this maintenance as a natural
outcome of the adoption of the processes.
Corporate communicators need strategies
to sustain communication with stakeholders;
they need to track the development of networks
and register the resources in the form
of indexes of expertise; social networks need
to be treated as knowledge networks; for
longer-term productivity appropriate etiquette
should be followed and networks need to be
reinforced, steered and sometimes influenced.
Since many networks and contacts are maintained
electronically (which is convenient) the
fundamental value of personal and face-toface
communication must still be maintained.
Networks of contacts should not be taken for
granted; reciprocity is essential.
Strategy, policy and planning
Even the individual consultant can find value in
a more systematic approach to their information
and knowledge management. Personal
strategy is a valuable concept especially where
it helps maintain a conscious approach to
information needs, seeking and value. The
larger the group the greater the need for awareness
of the acts of individuals and a collective
strategy can encourage and support this.
In larger groups with access to professional
information support and management sound
strategy needs to be developed and should
provide a basis for identifying policies and
for planning information and knowledge
management.
Media and press relations and
practice
In public relations and public affairs the use of
media, press relations and practice are central
to the key processes. Within the strategic
vision, which is natural to and effective for
corporate communication, media and press
relations have a relative and practical importance
in a tactical setting. But a common
framework of information and knowledge
management could, if developed in the settings
of practice, serve both complementary
specialities to good effect.
Information mediated through PR techniques
and released to the audience has to
be of the highest standards of quality with
respect to source, attribution, currency, accuracy,
perspective, objectivity and so on. It can
observe these criteria and yet still be persuasive
by the way of crafting messages to meet
circumstances and audiences.
The better management of the knowledge
resource overall can assist in sourcing information,
give confidence that the base of information
used is unrivalled and ensure that the
messages produced are fit for the purpose
and robust enough to be defended should
they face dissent, contingency or crisis. Good
information is not just power but a source of
public confidence.
Resourcing information and
communication activities
In this context resourcing refers to the financial
and budgetary dimension. In the real
world of organizations the range of practice
and funding is wide. Once the essential goals
of information and knowledge strategy and
policy have been clarified the funding implications
can be considered. Information service
© 2004 Sandra Oliver for editorial matter and selection;
individual chapters, the contributors