Strategic communication by regulatory agencies as a form of reputation management: A strategic agenda

Abstract A recently emerging literature demonstrates that reputational concerns explain why regulatory agencies strategically communicate and engage with their manifold audience. We complement this literature by examining the potential of strategic communication as a reputational and regulatory strategy. Based on a reputational approach to public agencies, we assume agencies to strategically diversify between proactively or reactively engaging with public concerns raised by their audiences, depending on whether a core or evolving competency is at stake. We test these assumptions empirically by examining frame alignment between formal communication of the European Central Bank (ECB) and public concerns raised by ECB audiences. Our analysis yields two key findings. First, our findings indicate external frame alignment signaling a strategic reactive strategy by the ECB to diversify its timing in responding to concerns raised by its audiences. Second, we find a pattern of internal frame alignment between the ECB’s core competencies and evolving competencies, indicating strategic linkage of attention to various competencies. Our study demonstrates how analyzing an agency’s formal communication in tandem with public concerns of its audiences via machine learning techniques can significantly improve our understanding of agency responsiveness and yields significant insights into the democratic legitimacy of regulatory agencies.

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Research for strategic communication as a vehicle for reputation management

10.4324/9781003224297-12 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174-187

Author(s):

Isaac Mhute

Keyword(s):

Strategic Communication ◽

Reputation Management

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Trust research in public relations: an assessment of its conceptual, theoretical and methodological foundations

Corporate Communications An International Journal ◽

10.1108/ccij-01-2020-0030 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Chiara Valentini

Keyword(s):

Public Relations ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Central Element ◽

Strategic Communication ◽

Reputation Management ◽

Current Status ◽

Future Research ◽

Scientific Publications ◽

Conceptual Foundation ◽

Content Type

PurposeDuring the past few years, public trust in organisations, institutions and systems has decreased. Trust is an important antecedent not only for relationship-building but also for image and reputation management. This study aims to systematically review scientific publications on public relations and trust to explore the current status of trust research, including its conceptual definition, measurement and theorisation.Design/methodology/approachOnly English-language scientific papers published in key public relations journals were analysed. Titles, abstracts and keywords were searched with the terms “public relations” and/or “strategic communication” and/or “communication management” and “trust”, returning 254 discrete articles. Quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis were used to extract information.FindingsTrust research has limited methodological and intellectual diversity. Most studies have been published by North American scholars using surveys and interviews as the primary methods, and most are positioned within the public relations literature. One-third of papers do not use any specific theory to define trust, and about 13% of those in which trust is a central element do not refer to any conceptual foundation. The majority of papers are centred on professional and managerial problems, with limited discussion of publics/stakeholders' or societal problems.Originality/valueThis study offers important information about the development of trust research in public relations and sheds light on current knowledge gaps that can inform future research.

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Examining the prominence and congruence of organizational corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication in medical tourism provider websites

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights ◽

10.1108/jhti-06-2021-0136 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Alicia Mason ◽

Elizabeth Spencer ◽

Kaitlin Barnett ◽

Jaquelyn Bouchie

Keyword(s):

Corporate Social Responsibility ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Medical Tourism ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Strategic Communication ◽

Reputation Management ◽

Content Type ◽

Digital Platforms ◽

Csr Communication ◽

Corporate Social

PurposeThis study examines the prominence and congruence or “fit” between corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and medical tourism providers (MTPs). In doing so, this study seeks to understand the forms of CSR commonly used in the marketing of health-care services by international MTPs.Design/methodology/approachExploratory quantitative content analysis methods are used to examine CSR communication provided by MTPs. Descriptive statistics and analyses of variance are used to analyze the data.FindingsResults show that 22% of MTP websites provided CSR information. There was a high degree of congruence or “fit” between the MTPs and the CSR. Furthermore, each MTP averaged between three and six CSR engagements demonstrating a commitment to not only the practice of CSR but also the stakeholders and communities who benefit.Research limitations/implicationsThis analysis focused on organizational websites and did not examine CSR communications delivered through alternative media channels (e.g. digital platforms, promotional brochures, print advertising, etc.).Practical implicationsThis study adds to the CSR framework in the medical tourism context by discovering what forms of CSR are commonly used in the marketing and promotion of international health services and further analyzes the strategic communication techniques used to deliver these messages.Social implicationsCSR is argued to have direct impacts on employee satisfaction, investor relations and consumer behavior; therefore, current findings may contribute to the development of measurement tools for empirical studies that test relationships between the persuasiveness of CSR messages on the attitudes of medical tourists.Originality/valueResearch inquiries into the CSR strategic communication practices help to identify strengths and opportunities, while informing reputation management and relationship-building practices.

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