final dissertation pambuka

The place of corporate communication in the governance of higher institutions of learning in
Zimbabwe: The Case of Midlands State University.
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Takesure Pambuka R0825436H BSc (Hons) Media& Society Studies – May 2012 vii
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction.................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background to the study ........................................................................................................3
1.3. Statement of the Problem.....................................................................................................6
1.4. Research questions...............................................................................................................7
1.5. Justification of the study .......................................................................................................7
1.6. Research objectives ..............................................................................................................7
1.7. Assumptions.........................................................................................................................8
1.8. Delimitation of the study.......................................................................................................8
1.8. Limitations of the study.........................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK...................................................10
2.0. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................10
2.1. Definition of corporate communication................................................................................10
2.2. Corporate communication or corporate communication(s) ...................................................13
2.3. The roots of corporate communication. ...............................................................................14
2.4. Roles, place and organisation of the corporate communication function................................19
2.4.1. Roles and skills for corporate communication in organizations............................................20
2.5. Themes associatedwith corporate communication...............................................................23
2.5.3. Corporate reputation .......................................................................................................24
2.7. Theoretical framework ..........................................................................................................27
2.7.1. Agenda setting and gate-keeping theories.........................................................................27
2.7.2. Strategic management role and the excellence model of public relations............................29
2.7.3. The Press Agentry Model..................................................................................................31
2.7.4. Two-way asymmetrical.....................................................................................................31
2.7.5. The Two-way symmetrical model......................................................................................32
2.7.6. Lasswell’s model of communication..................................................................................33

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Takesure Pambuka R0825436H BSc (Hons) Media& Society Studies – May 2012 viii
2.7.7. Two-step flow theory of communication ...........................................................................33
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODS AND METHODOLOGY ...................................................................36
3.1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................36
3.2. Research design.....................................................................................................................37
3.2.1. Case study as research design...........................................................................................37
3.3. Sampling techniques...........................................................................................................38
3.3.1. Convenience Sampling......................................................................................................39
3.3.2. Purposeful Sampling.........................................................................................................40
3.3.3. Population.......................................................................................................................40
3.4. Research Methodology..........................................................................................................41
3.4.1. Qualitative and quantitative paradigms.............................................................................41
3.4.2. Quantitative Research......................................................................................................41
3.4.3. Qualitative Research ........................................................................................................42
3.4.4. Triangulation ...................................................................................................................43
3.5. Data collection techniques.....................................................................................................44
3.5.1. Interviews........................................................................................................................44
3.5.2. Questionnaires.................................................................................................................46
3.5.3. Participant Observation....................................................................................................46
3.5.4. Document analysis...........................................................................................................47
3.5.5. Descriptive Survey............................................................................................................49
3.6. Data analysis.........................................................................................................................50
3.6.1. Content Analysis ..............................................................................................................50
3.6.2. Thematic analysis.............................................................................................................50
3.6.3. Discourse Analysis............................................................................................................51
3.7. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................51
CHAPTER 4: ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS .........................................................................................52
4.0. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................52
4.1. Background of MSU ...............................................................................................................52
4.1.2. Location and campuses ....................................................................................................53

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Takesure Pambuka R0825436H BSc (Hons) Media& Society Studies – May 2012 ix
4.2. The University Vision, Mission, Core Values and symbols.....................................................53
4.2.2. Mission Statement...........................................................................................................53
4.3. Organogram/ Organizational Structure...................................................................................54
4.3. Linking communication to governance.................................................................................58
4.4. How departments link to meet organizational goals..............................................................60
4.4. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................61
CHAPTER 5: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA........................................................................62
5.1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................62
5.2. Response rate and nature of questions ................................................................................62
5.3. Organization of the communication function........................................................................64
5.3.1. Existing communication management activities.................................................................65
5.3.2. Degree of centralization of communications......................................................................68
5.4. IPR as the corporate communication function/department...................................................69
5.5. Management values the IPR as the corporate communication department............................72
5.6. Corporate communication has a place in the governance of MSU..........................................73
5.7. The need for quality assurance in communication taken for granted......................................75
5.8. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................77
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................78
6.1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................78
6.2. The context of Corporate Communication at MSU................................................................78
6.3. Summary of Findings/Conclusions........................................................................................79
6.4. Recommendations..............................................................................................................81
6.5. Recommendations for further research................................................................................82
6.7. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................82
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................83
Appendix 1....................................................................................................................................xi
Appendix 2..................................................................................................................................xiii
Appendix 3..................................................................................................................................xiv

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Takesure Pambuka R0825436H BSc (Hons) Media& Society Studies – May 2012 1
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
Communication has become the cornerstone of the success of many organisations in today’s
business world. This study contextualises the importance of communication to higher institutions
of learning in Zimbabwe. Corporate communication has been defined variously by different
scholars to describe a process whereby an organisation encodes, sends, receives and decodes
messages within its internal and external environment. This is because corporate communication
is grounded in communication theories. It is therefore imperative for this introduction to define
what communication is. ‘Communicate’ is closely related to the word ‘common.’
‘Communicate’ has its roots in the Latin verb ‘communicare’ which means ‘to share’, ‘to make
common’ which is also related to another Latin word, ‘communis’ meaning community
(Rosengren, 2000). So communicating is sharing or making things common in a community.
Community was described by Jankowski (2006) as relationships (ties) established between
individuals, groups or institutions. This view of community was echoed by Ledwith (2005: 32),
who calls it “a complex system of interrelationships woven across social differences, diverse
histories and cultures, and determined in the present by political and social trends.”
Baran (2008; 5) defines communication as “the process of creating shared meaning” which
suggests that communication is reciprocal as it involves all parties involved in creating and
sharing meaning. So communication is some kind of interaction that exists through exchange of
messages arising from the need for survival, co-operation, relationships and persuasion (Burton
and Dimbleby, 2007: 41). In this context, sharing implies an equitable division of what is being
shared, which is why communication should almost be naturally associated with a balanced, two-
way flow of information. This is in line with Watson and Hill’s (2006) view of communication
as a process which starts when:
a message is conceived by a sender, encoded [translated into a signal], transmitted via a particular
medium or channel to a receiver who then decodes it and interprets the message, returning a signal
in some way the message has or has not been understood.

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This is the nature of corporate communication which has been defined by various scholars to
refer to a function and a process of managing communication between an organisation and its
stakeholders.
Franklin, et al, (2009; 61), view ‘corporate communication’ as “the umbrella expression to
describe how an organisation talks to itself and to the outside world.” Argenti and Forman (2002;
4) also see corporate communication as a collection of the “corporation’s voice and the images it
projects of itself on a world populated by its various audiences.” This ‘corporation’s voice’
encompasses corporate reputation, corporate advertising and advocacy, employee
communications, investor relations, government relations, media management and crisis
communication. When defining corporate communication as, “ a framework in which various
communications specialists - working from a mutually established strategic framework – can
integrate their own communications effort”, van Riel (1992; xi) also talk of the organisation of
corporate communication as demarcating:
who should do what, and how to organize the communication processes and integrate all corporate
messages from a variety of specialized sources (marketing, public relations, investor relations,
CEO communications, etc).
The above definitions concur with Herle and Rustema’s definition of corporate communication
as “the management function within an organisation (profit or non-profit) which is responsible
for communication processes that are initiated from within the organisation and trying to
promote a sustainable interaction between the organisation and groups of the public in the
internal and external environment” (2005; 17).
It is Cornelisen’s (2004: 23) definition of corporate communication that combines all the above
definitions. He sees corporate communication as:
a management function that offers a framework and vocabulary for the effective coordination
of all means of communications with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining
favourable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent.

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This study looks into the ways corporate communication is understood and how it is applied at
the Midlands State University (MSU). It is a study into how planning, organization and
execution of strategic communication decisions are done at MSU. Major questions that this study
addresses are: Is communication at MSU considered a management function; Is there a
framework that clarifies roles of communication at the university; and if it exists what is the
vocabulary (manual/policy) is it based on and how are communications organized; how and from
which level of management are they coordinated. The purpose of this study is to locate where
corporate communication stands in the university system by looking at how it is organized.
1.1 Backgroundto the study
As a fourth year student; in coming up with a dissertation topic as a requirement for the
fulfilment of the Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Media and Society Studies, the
researcher has been looking at the competition that exists between institutions of higher
education in Zimbabwe and identified corporate communication as the means through which
universities in Zimbabwe articulate and express their corporate stories.
There has been a mushrooming of higher education institutions in Zimbabwe since 1990, be they
private or public. MSU joined a myriad of other tertiary education institutions that include long
established universities like the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in Harare, National University of
Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo, Solusi University in Bulawayo and Africa
University in Mutare. The establishment of MSU in 2000 was met with government economic
incapacities to fund public education due to economic structural adjustment programmes that
advocated reduction of government expenditure towards public education. Other universities that
were established contemporaneously with MSU are Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU),
Chinhoyi University of Technology, Catholic University, Women’s University of Africa and
more recently Lupane State University.
Such mushrooming of public and private universities, colleges and vocational training centres
took place amidst dire economic challenges facing the country which entails negative economic
and socio-political impact on the nation’s education sector (MSU Strategic Plan 2001-2015).

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Having considered this background, the researcher was prompted to investigate how these
institutions strive for continued existence given that there must be some competition for
recognition, donors, financial resources and best students, investors, affiliate colleges, and best
lecturers. Holmes (2003:14) says, “Though competition is now occurring on a widespread scale
between education providers, the concept of competition remains unacceptable for many
educators.” Holmes prefers the concept of differentiation on the basis of organisational culture.
The call for differentiation calls for these institutions to engage in some sort of talk, advocacy
and rhetoric. Thus the study is inspired to look at how one of these institutions is employing
communication in differentiating itself from the rest; be it with external environment or in its day
to day handling of stakeholders.
As one of many universities that has joined or has been joined by other universities, MSU
needed to strive for, and demonstrate, a differentiation to stakeholders; a sustainable
differentiation that sticks to people’s minds and this must be a result of a continuous process of
communicating with the university’s stakeholders.
Having worked for Midlands State University’s Information and Public Relations department for
a full year, the researcher learnt that the university system is run differently from small
companies because the structure of authority is formally decentralized to various academic and
administrative units and departments. Governance of the university rests on the authority of
committees. This means that governance of universities is more democratic. This structure of
governance prompted the researcher to dig deeper into the ways in which corporate
communication is organized in the whole governance structure of universities in Zimbabwe in
general and at Midlands State University in particular. It is therefore imperative for the
researcher to provide background insights into the governance system of the university as
practiced at MSU.
Universities carry out large amount of business through channels of communication and power is
decentralized. The committee system as an administrative tool has contributed to the

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effectiveness of the university system through promoting all the four elements of management: -
planning, control, motivation and coordination. Citing Eno-Ibanga’s article in Wilolud Online
Journals, (2008), Moodie and Eustance (1974), identified the uses of committees as (i)
exchanging views and information; (ii) recommending action; (iii) generating ideas; (iv) making
policy decisions. Given that the university system is diverse, and without a central system of
control, the study is motivated to find out how communication is harmonised within the whole
system to produce consistent messages. The study is inspired by the need to ascertain the design
and approach of the communication function and its contribution to strategic management of the
university.
The growing recognition of communication in organisational effectiveness has seen many
organisations internalising the communication function. In other organisations this is manifesting
through the setting up of marketing departments, public affairs departments, public relations and
corporate affairs (Cornelissen 2004). This has also seen the rise of Marketing Directors, PR
directors and managers as specialists appointed to represent organisations’ communications at
different levels. Corporate communication function is an attempt to integrate and co-ordinate all
communications of an organisation. In this case there should be an agreed stand towards
communication, between various sources of information in an organisation in order to come up
with a comprehensive communication strategy that produces consistent messages (van Riel
1992). The role of public relations and marketing will be considered. However, communication
at the institution takes place at various levels of management which do not necessarily involve
the IPR. So the major question that arises here is that; is there a communication manual or
training available to all staff to spell out how they should communicate in line with overall
communication strategy of the university.
According to Franklin (2009), the success of corporate communication rests in its integration
with the rest of business putting it on an equal footing with other lead departments. This means
establishing a department of communication at an organisation is not enough unless it commands
enough power to contribute to strategic decision making. Franklin (2009), argued, “The success

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of corporate communications strategy depends on where the communication function sits within
the organisation,” thus this study on the place of corporate communication in the governance of
education institutions with particular focus on higher institutions in Zimbabwe.
Upon joining the IPR in June 2010, the researcher and his colleagues drafted the communication
policy for MSU. The policy would provide grounds of communication by staff members. This policy
would act as a communication manual to staff at MSU. The purpose of the communication policy
was to advice all staff members on their roles in the corporate communication effort, because it spelt
out who should say what, to whom, when and how in order to achieve consistency in the institution’s
communication strategy. However, the policy took long to pass and until now (2012) it has not been
passed. Without a communications policy, the researcher wonders how the institution is linking its
communication objectives to corporate objectives. The need to look into this area of study was
reinforced when there existed inconsistencies in communication between the Registrar’s office and
the university security department regarding the use of laptops during lectures by students. In such a
situation one naturally wonders if the need for consistent communication has ever been taken
seriously by the management team if such instances of discord in communication arise.
1.3. Statement ofthe Problem
This study investigates how the corporate communication of higher education institutions is
organised within the governance system of universities. In this case, the study looks into the
treatment of Midlands State University integral communications at all levels of management and
how it contributes to strategies and activities of management. The value of corporate
communication depends on its place within the management of an organisation. How
communication is organised and qualifications of communication specialists, their roles and their
reporting relationship to management varies from organisation to organisation. This depends on
the size and nature of business an organisation is involved in. The university system is formally
organized and coordinated to meet academic and administrative goals and objectives. Therefore
the study of corporate communication at MSU is an effort to establish whether what is
happening in their communication function is ideal or it falls far short. Whether staff members are

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guided in their communications or they simply communicate the way they deem necessary at any
point of delivery especially, is what this study seeks to establish.
1.4. Researchquestions
1. What role in information dissemination and communication management is assigned to
the IPR department?
2. Does management value the importance of corporate communication?
3. Who are tasked to monitor corporate communication?
4. For the purposes of information regulation is there a communication manual/policy or
orientation or some sort of training to guide the day to day communication delivery of
MSU staff?
1.5. Justificationofthe study
This study will add knowledge to the field of corporate communication as an academic area in
that students and researchers may be interested in understanding how relevant are
communication theories to everyday business of an education institution. This study opens up
room for further research in the area of corporate communication for higher education in a Third
World country like Zimbabwe. The research is also worthy taking in that it outlines the need for
organisations to integrate their communications as well as carving communication policies to
avoid contradictions of information dissemination at different levels of management. In this case
the research is going to benefit communication specialists especially in universities. The
researcher who developed an interest in corporate communication is about to get into the world
of work, so the study provides room for him to understand more on corporate communication as
well as enlightening him with relevant information and skills of managing the communication
function of an organisation.
1.6. Researchobjectives
By the end of the study, the researcher must be able to:
 Show how the communication function is organized within the system of governance of
the university affairs.

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 Identify the contribution of corporate communication in the achievement of corporate
objectives at MSU
 Establish perceptions of the role and importance of corporate communication by the
university management team.
 Establish elements of existing communication practices at the institution.
1.7. Assumptions
 Education institutions do not have clear communication management policies that can
produce consistent rhetoric when communicating.
 The communication function is fragmented not integrated such that there is no co-
ordination of how and what to communicate at different levels of management.
 The role and contribution of corporate communication is not fully realized in higher
education.
 Communication practitioners and communication as a strategic management function are
undervalued, under-budgeted for, their input in decision making compromised.
1.8. Delimitationofthestudy
Though corporate communication is a broad topic in business, the study focuses on the place of
corporate communication in the management of a higher education institution in Zimbabwe
using the case of the Midlands State University. The intention of the study is to gain an
understanding of the contribution of corporate communication in the decision making process
and the general appreciation of its role by key decision makers at MSU. To demonstrate the link
between corporate communication and governance of the university, Information and Public
Relations department personnel are respondents to interviews together with the Registrar, the
Bursar, and the Librarian. Administrators of faculties and non-teaching units, Deans, Directors,
and heads of administrative units like Human Resources, Exams, Admissions, Central Records
and Registration as well as chairpersons, were also interviewed particularly focusing on the way
communication at all these levels is handled. Data was collected by analysing hard copy
documents like annual reports, magazines, brochures and manuals, speeches and events as well

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as electronic content on the website and Facebook generated between June 2010 and March
2012.
1.8. Limitationsof the study
Since the study is being undertaken during the final semester of the researcher, his attention was
being swayed by three modules done at the same time with the study. The researcher is only a
beginner, so may not be experienced in research. Moreover the researcher is constrained due to the
lack of financial resources for necessary travelling. One more challenge may come up when the
researcher fails to get all the information from the research population. Principal Officers and the
administrative staff who are the best people able to provide the researcher with relevant information,
are always in meetings and may not be readily available to provide the necessary information in
time. The official procedure that exists in collecting some of the information is a major difficulty
especially in collecting data from administrators and secretaries.
1.9. Chapter summary
This chapter has laid the basis of this study by giving a general understanding of what
communication is, its nature and its importance when it becomes a recognized activity at corporate
level. The chapter has also outlined the general boundaries of this study by clearly stating its focus,
assumptions, research questions and objectives. Further details on the definitions of key terms and
other major areas of this study are captured in the chapters that follow.

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CHAPTER 2:LITERATURE REVIEWANDTHEORETICALFRAMEWORK
2.0. Introduction
This chapter introduces the concept of corporate communication as it was defined and
understood by various authors. It is a review of scholarly articles, books, dissertations,
conference proceedings and other sources relevant to the field of corporate communication. A
summary and evaluation of the historical basis of corporate communication will be given. This
chapter also outlines and defines major concepts related to corporate communication. This will
be done through an overview of relevant literature.
2.1. Definitionofcorporatecommunication.
Corporate communication refers to the ways and processes in which an organisation creates its
messages for best possible interaction with its environment. Argenti and Forman (2002) define
corporate communication from three standpoints:
a) The voice and the images an organisation projects of itself to its various audiences.
b) A means and function of crafting an organisation’s messages. An organisation can get its
messages across to its stakeholders by means of meetings, interviews, speeches, reports,
image advertising and online communications to mention just but a few. The function in
many organisations appears in organisational charts as Corporate Communication
departments, Public Relations departments.
c) An attitude toward communication or a set of mental habits that employees internalize
for purposes of dealing with customers. (Argenti and Forman, 2002).
According to Argenti and Forman, corporate communication is made up of various elements that
include corporate reputation, corporate advertising and advocacy, employee communications,
investor relations, government relations, media management and crisis communications. It is
this collection of elements of corporate communication that Franklin, et al. (2009: 61) see as the
‘umbrella’ term that describes how an organisation “talks to itself and to the outside world.” The
definition and characteristics of corporate communication as outlined by Argenti and Forman

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shows that communication of an organisation can either be spread out or unified as long as there
exist an attitude of communication that establishes rapport between an organisation and its
audiences. In this case, if an organisation talks and presents images about itself, there is
corporate communication; if there is a unit or department set aside for the purposes of
communication as a function that appears on the organogram (organisational) structure, then
there is corporate communication and if an organisation imparts to its employees a defined
attitude of communicating and dealing with customers, then that organisation has corporate
communication.
Van Riel (1992) categorized corporate communication into three forms of communication by
organisations and these are: management communication, marketing communication and
organisational communication. Management communication involves the communication of
senior management with the internal and external stakeholders. According to van Riel,
management communication is necessary to create and maintain a shared vision of the
organisation, to establish and maintain trust in the organisation’s leadership, to initiate and
manage the process of change as well as to win support of external stakeholders. Marketing
communication, van Riel said, is a general expression describing, paid forms of “advertising,
sales promotions, direct mail, sponsorship, personal selling and other communications in the
promotional mix” of mainstream marketing. Organisational communication ranges from “public
relations, public affairs, investor relations, labour market communication, corporate advertising,
environmental and internal communication.” Though Argenti and Forman (2002) and van Riel
(1992) agree that corporate communication is made up of various aspects of communication
relevant to the running of organisations, it is important to note that most elements of what
Argenti and Forman referred to as corporate communication fall into the category of van Riel’s
‘organisational communication’. Moreover, van Riel includes Public relations as an element of
corporate communication, which is absent in Argenti and Forman’s characterisation of corporate
communication.

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Van Riel argued that corporate communication of an organisation is put in place if
communication specialists for the above forms and elements of communication establish ‘a
framework’ in which they work from ‘a mutually established strategic framework and ‘integrate
their communications input.’ In van Riel’s words, corporate communication is “an instrument of
management by means of which all consciously used forms of internal and external
communication are harmonised as effectively and efficiently as possible, so as to create a
favourable basis for relationships with the groups upon which the company is dependent” (1992:
26).
Van Riel’s definition calls for ‘an instrument’ of managing all communications by various
communicators of an organisation. This definition, though it recognizes that communication of
an organisation takes place at various levels, it denies a fragmented approach to communication
such that it calls for a well coordinated management framework of all communications. Very
much in line with van Riel’s definition are the definitions of Cornelissen (2004) and Herle and
Rustema (2005):
Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework and vocabulary for
effective coordination of all means of communications with the overall purpose of establishing
and maintaining favourable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organisation is
dependent (Cornelissen 2004:23).
Herle and Rustema (2005) provide the following definition:
Corporate communication is the management function within an organisation (profit or non-profit)
which is responsible for communication processes that are initiated from within the organisation
and trying to promote a sustainable interaction between the organisation and groups of the public
in the internal and external environment, (Herle and Rustema 2005; 17).
There are important elements in the above definitions. Corporate communication needs to be a
management function enabled to analyse and advise properly. This means that the
communication director or manager should know what is happening at an organisation.
Communication is a process; a multi-layered set of measures and steps necessarily taken to

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formulate the vocabulary and policy of communication within and outside the organisation. It
involves several steps; it is not an event but a process (Windahl, et al, 2009). Herle and Rustema
(2005) observed that corporate communication is initiated by an organisation which means that
an organisation should take a leading role in starting a communication activity. Therefore
communication initiated by the press without the input of communicators at the organisation
cannot be regarded as corporate communication. However, this is not to suggest that
communication is one-way because organisations often respond to events taking place in their
environments whenever they communicate.
The current study makes use of the term corporate communication to cover definitions by van
Riel (1992), Argenti & Forman’s (2002) and Cornelissen’s (2004) as well as Herle and Rustema
(2005) to establish how MSU has considered corporate communication as a management tool
and how the function is treated within management ranks. So products of communication at the
institution will be studied to try and establish the existence of management vocabulary as well as
determining whether the function contributes to decision making within the framework of
university governance.
Scholarship on corporate communication as outlined above has tried to emphasise the
importance of corporate communication in the successful running of organisations. However,
this need for a deeper understanding of corporate communication by different scholars has not
been complimented to demonstrate practical relevance for higher education institutions, which is
why it is necessary to focus research towards this direction.
2.2. Corporatecommunicationorcorporatecommunication(s)
Luontama (2009) sees the difference between ‘corporate communication’ and ‘corporate
communications’ not only as a matter of pronunciation but also as a conceptual difference.
Argenti & Forman (2002:4) provide definitions for both. They posit that ‘corporate
communication’ is a function, the processes and a theoretical basis upon which the overall
attitude toward communication within an organisation takes form. On the other hand they define
‘corporate communications as “...the products of communication; be they memos, letters,

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reports, Web sites, e-mails, speeches, or news releases” (Argenti & Forman 2002: 4).
Cornelissen (2004) used the term “communications” for the specific communications, which
Argenti & Forman (2002) preferred to call “corporate communications” or products of
communication. Van Riel also prefers to use corporate communication without an ‘s’ because it
is the one that denotes an integrated communication function while the one with an ‘s’ refers to
communication methods. Jackson (1987) as cited in van Riel, (1992) also goes for the one
without the final ‘s’ because it is associated with telecommunications specialists. This study
adopted corporate communication without an ‘s’ for the sake of clarity.
The same confusion is also characteristic in the use of ‘corporate’ communication when referring
to public and non-for-profit institutions. This is because the word ‘corporate’ has been
understood as the adjective linked to ‘corporations’. This created a tendency of associating
corporate communication with enterprises. However, the term ‘corporate’ should be taken in
connection to the Latin word, ‘corpus’, meaning ‘body’ or ‘relating to the whole’ corporare,
which emphasize a unified way of looking at ‘internal’ and ‘external’ communication disciplines
(Cornelissen (2004). This means that institutions; private enterprises, public organizations and
government institutions should communicate after strict analysis of the whole organisations’
situations.
2.3. The rootsofcorporatecommunication.
Harvard Business School Press (2006:4) cites Argenti referring to corporate communication as
“a new field of study”. Corporate communication is still an evolving concept and terminology
that is emerging prior to the “growing recognition by top management of communication as a
strategic resource in determining and achieving corporate goals and objectives” (Harvard
Business School Press, 2006:4). This new field of study is concerned with analysing the ways of
harnessing and coordinating various sources/elements of communication in an organisation so
that messages can be managed and consistency achieved (http://factoidz.com/corporate-
communication). Harvard Business School Press (2006:4) postulated that “what is today most
commonly called the corporate communication department has been in the past more often

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referred to as public relations or public affairs.” Thus (Steyn 2002) sees corporate
communication as a concept and a term used in practice to describe the management role of
‘public relations.’ It is against this background that a brief account of public relations is given in
order to show how it evolved in to corporate communication. A historical account of public
relations is provided in this study because in its history there are issues that concern us today in
corporate communication.
The origins, growth and development of public relations into corporate communication are
credited to Arthur Page, Paul Garrett, Ivy Ledbetter Lee and Edward L Bernays. These have been
described as fathers of corporate communication. Paul Garrett who was Vice President for Public
Relations at General Motors in 1931 believed that employees should come first in the
communication line of information and that communication with the public involves the use of
words and deeds with meanings they understand. The 1927 Vice President of Public Relations at
AT&T Arthur Page believed that communication is a management function with a voice in
senior executive team. Page also developed an ethical code for PR which still concerns corporate
communicators today. The ethical code includes:
a) Tell the truth
b) Prove it with your actions
c) Conduct public relations as if the company depends on it
d) Manage for tomorrow
e) Remain calm, patient and good humoured
Ivy Ledbetter Lee who died in 1934 is known for his contribution to corporate communication
and public relations management when he proposed the following:
 Business and industry alignment with the public interest is acting in a socially
responsible manner
 Counselling top management directly and only developing communication programs
supported by senior executives

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 Building a network of news contacts to maintain effective media relations
 Bringing internal and external communications to a ‘human level’ for all audiences.
(http://www.slideshare.net/9924927019/corporate-communication-2444333) accessed
on 11/02/2012.
Cornelissen (2004) argues that the best way to study corporate communication is to look at the
way in which the function has developed in companies. He said that in the 1970s,
communication practitioners employed the term public relations to describe communication with
stakeholders. The public relations function largely consisted of communication with the press.
When other stakeholders, internal and external to the company, started to demand more
information from the company, practitioners subsequently started to look at communication as
being more than just ‘public relations’. This is when the roots of the new corporate
communication function started to take hold. This new function came to incorporate a whole
range of specialized disciplines, including corporate design, corporate advertising, internal
communication to employees, issues and crisis management, media relations, investor relations,
change communication and public affairs (Cornelissen 2004). An important characteristic of the
new function is that it focuses on the organization as a whole and on the important task of how
an organization presents itself to all its key stakeholders, both internal and external. This
relationship is therefore based on the following definitions of ‘public relations’:
Public relations is a communication function of management through which organisations adapt
to, alter, or maintain their environment for the purpose of achieving organisational goals , (Long &
Hazelton 1987:6).
The Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA, 2000:41) defines public relations as:
The management, through communication, of perceptions and strategic relationships between an
organisation and its internal and external stakeholders.
There is a growing trend among university students to use corporate communication and public
relations interchangeably. Dolphin (2000) observed that emphasis of nomenclature varies with

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the country of origin. In the United Kingdom, but not in the United States, PR has become
debased. What used to trade under the name of PR is now known variously as: corporate affairs,
corporate communications, and public affairs. In line with this Herle and Rustema (2005) stated
that, it is ‘not done’ to talk about public relations especially in the northern, north western and
Central European countries because there, the term ‘conjures’ up images of ‘wheeling and
dealing’ or ‘spin doctoring’, influencing people instead of entering into an honest dialogue with
them.
In Zimbabwe, the politics of nomenclature is not serious as both public relations and corporate
communication are used to label departments responsible for communication within
organisations. This may be a result of the nature and development of the public relations
profession in Zimbabwe. Public relations companies are registered under the Zimbabwe Institute
of Public Relations (ZIPR), a professional body that is responsible for ethical conduct of
registered partners.
The major public relations consultants comprise MHPR Public Relations Consultants and Network
Public Relations. All are based in the capital city in Harare and ownership is still limited to a few
white people. Although this can be accredited to the political economy of Zimbabwe, the other
reason is that expertise in the field of public relations campaigns is still very low amongst the
blacks (Moyo, 2005).
Most studies conducted by Media and Society Studies students at the Midlands State University
focus on public relations in organisations, and most of them do not concentrate on the
communication aspect of education institutions but that of various companies. While these
studies have not used corporate communication as the basis of their studies, most of them used
the term in defining and examining the communication aspect as contained in the practice of PR.
Munemo (2009) looks at the role of PR and how it is being employed by Kadoma City Council
in establishing “cordial relations with Kadoma residents.” Munemo’s study aimed at “pointing
out that, the core aspect of all operations of an organization, are governed by effective public
relations” (2009:4).

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Shoko (2010:4), was motivated by the need to “explore the effectiveness of public relations
departments of universities in performing the roles they were established to carry out.” In his
study, Shoko considered public relations departments of MSU and Africa University as
“effective or not effective on the basis of how closely they align their objectives to the goals of
the entire institution.” While Shoko’s study gives a foundation to this current research regarding
the roles set for the Information and Public Relations department at MSU, the current study goes
further to investigate the value attached to these roles by senior management at the University.
Moreover this study will not only look at Public Relations, but will look at corporate
communication which is an emerging management function that integrates and provides the basis
for the coordination of all communications; a resource which if properly harnessed leads to the
success of corporate strategies (Steyn 2002).
Mbofana (2009) investigated the effectiveness of public relations department in the conduct of
corporate social responsibility (CSR) at Redcliff Municipality. Mbofana’s preoccupation urged
him to study CSR as an element of public relations, upon which, its successful conduct can be
useful in ascertaining the effectiveness of public relations. This study is not about public
relations as PR is one of the elements of corporate communication. The studies reviewed above
used the term public relations to express the communication function of organisations studied.
These studies and many others focused on elements of corporate communication like CSR, crisis
communication and media relations among many forms of human communication. The literature
reviewed also revealed that while an attempt on the role of public relations departments was
made, communication that took place outside public relations offices could not be investigated.
For the current study to thrive, the researcher decided to digress from the commonplace usage of
public relations to the use of corporate communication which according to Argenti (2006) should
be ‘pulled out’ of the tradition and be placed in the management studies. This study makes use of
the term corporate communication, fully aware of the historical links it shares with public
relations. It is in this vein that theoretical underpinnings for public relations are still relevant in
the study and practice of corporate communication. However one must note that corporate
communication seeks to “upgrade public relations, organizational communication and

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advertising into the level of scientific discipline quite removed from the level of a technical
function” where PR practitioners are seen as technicians and sometimes labelled as journalists
within organisations. Therefore the term and concept of ‘corporate communication’ is not a
rehash of public relations.
Moreover to simply look at the roles and effectiveness of public relations and its elements
without focusing on the attitudes with which the communication function and its personnel
confront from management teams within organisations, will be looking at the end of
communication without enough expression of the forces and contexts within which
communication takes place. Thus the current study will consider the roles and attitudes of
corporate communication as expressed by communicators and attitudes of both key management
and staff towards the communication function and how these attitudes are manifest in
communication output. In short the study seeks to establish the relationship between
communicators and management teams at MSU.
2.4. Roles,placeand organisationofthecorporatecommunicationfunction
Corporate communication as understood by van Riel (1992) is the total of marketing
communication, organizational communication and management communication. However it is
important to state that these forms of communication make an ideal corporate communication
framework if the various people who communicate at each level begin to work from a mutual
strategy adopted to streamline their communication activities. Corporate communication should
be corporate; that is to say all who communicate, no matter from which level, should focus, first
and foremost, on the problems of the organization as whole (corpus) and “only subsequently
should they look at implicit and explicit functions of communication with respect to contributing
to the achievement of the company’s objectives” (Van Riel 1992:21).

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2.4.1. Rolesandskillsforcorporate communicationinorganizations.
Van Riel summarised the responsibilities of corporate communication as follows:
 To develop initiatives in order to minimise non-function discrepancies between the
desired identity and the desired image, taking into account the interaction of ‘strategy-
image-identity’
 To flesh out the profile of the organisation behind the brand
 To indicate who should perform which tasks in the field of communication, to formulate
and execute effective procedures in order to facilitate decision making about matters
concerning communication.
Corporate communication is not just about drawing up advertisements and writing propaganda
but Dolphin (2000) suggests that the role of corporate communication departments in
organizations includes being a “planner, watchdog, catalyst, communicator, savant, stimulant,
advisor and confidant” to management. The corporate communicator is often described as a
boundary spanner, implying that he or she must have one leg in the organisation and the other
among the publics. He or she identifies the needs, interests and concerns of each stakeholder,
which he then uses to segment the various audiences. Further, the corporate communicator has to
represent the various interests of the publics to the organisation, and at the same time carry the
organisation’s message to the publics through lobbying, advocacy, community relations and
corporate citizenship. Seen from this perspective, the function of a corporate communicator is
necessary in strategy formulation and implementation of decisions.
As Cornelissen (2004) observes, corporate communication transcends the specialties of
individual communication practitioners (e.g., branding, media relations, investor relations, public
affairs, internal communication, etc.) and crosses these specialist boundaries to harness the
strategic interests of the organization at large. This means that communication is the organizing
principle behind many business decisions. After strategy formulation, it is the corporate
communicator who disseminates the organisational ‘strategic intent’ to the stakeholders

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Cornelissen (2004). This can be done through posters, speeches, annual reports, intranet, and
press releases, among others. For the corporate communicator to effectively pass on such
information, he or she must have writing, editing, presentation, public speaking and listening
skills.
In the following section theoretical framework, the various models and theories of
communication will be discussed to spell out some of the key roles and skills that may be handy
in the practice of corporate communication. However it is important to mention here that a
communication practitioner has to be aware of various types of communication each with its
dynamics and theories. The communication of an organisation is not only performed by the
communication officer, but also done by other people who deal with the public, from the
receptionist to the CEO. Therefore the corporate communicator has at his or her disposal a
number of communication models through which he or she can pass on information about the
organisation’s strategy.
2.4.2. Howotheruniversities applycorporatecommunication
According to Paola Catenaccio (2011), corporate communication for higher education
institutions covers roles in relationships with alumni, faculty and administration, students, and
the general public promoting the college image, recruiting students, and raising funds.
(http://www.lincom.unimi.it/deposito/02_a_linguistic_approach_to_corporate_communication.p
df, accessed on 12/02/2012). The University of Liverpool defined the role of corporate
communication at the university as to provide “a range of communications, marketing,
fundraising and alumni relations support services designed to help the University to achieve its
strategic goals” (http://www.liv.ac.uk/corpcomms/). The website also states that the department
responsible for communication is involved in raising the profile of the University internally and
externally, developing communication and media strategies that promote core University
activities. This includes management of corporate events and marketing communications
activities in order to build strong relationships with key institutional stakeholders.

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The department of Corporate Communication and Marketing (CC&M) at the University of
Pretoria (http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=5836) is responsible for the “marketing
of the University of Pretoria, as well as for internal and external communication with
stakeholders in support of the University’s endeavours of becoming a world-class teaching and
research tertiary institution”. The department is also responsible for creating and managing a
comprehensive and integrated strategic marketing communications programme that includes:
advertising, function and event-management, internal communication strategies, media liaison,
production of promotional materials and university-wide publications and stakeholder
relationship management.
It is the organisation of the corporate communication function at the Heriot-Watt University that
has most striking features (http://www.hw.ac.uk/ppr/index.htm). At Heriot-Watt University the
Corporate Communication Office is a division of Corporate Affairs and Management Services. It
is responsible for media management and public relations, university publications, monitoring
and commissioning University photography, providing general information and up-to-date news
about Heriot-Watt University, managing the corporate University website, and taking a leading
role in developing University web strategy, managing the University’s visual identity and brand.
Its role also involves co-ordinating major university events, co-ordinating community relations
activities, developing effective internal communications including distributing Heriot-Watt news
via the News and Events electronic Newsletter and staff magazine Network. Staff in this office
are also responsible for “providing professional support and guidance to members of the
University in their marketing, promotional and everyday workplace communications”, managing
corporate resources including exhibition, display, information and publicity materials. The
department has a comprehensive communication policy for staff members to communicate
effectively. Their communication policy outlines the following:
a) General complaints procedures providing a platform for members of the public to voice
their concerns about the university

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b) Corporate identity guidelines for members of the staff to know how best to engage and
respond to media services
c) Web guidelines
d) Visual identity procedures
e) The university brand guidelines which act as a communication toolkit to members of the
university staff providing the house style in all communications. The University Brand
Guidelines describe key themes, specific messaging guidelines and target audiences. The
policy also outlines best practices when communicating at and for the university by staff
members and students: tone of voice in verbal communication, effective words, writing
the brand, style guide including the use of brand elements like the logo, positioning of the
logo, corporate palette for staff and students, typefaces, photography guidelines, image
library, image use, web design and interface (http://www.hw.ac.uk).
2.5. Themesassociatedwithcorporatecommunication
Central to corporate communication are the following themes: corporate identity, corporate
strategy, corporate image, corporate reputation and communication strategy, mission, vision and
values of an organisation.
2.5.1 Corporateidentity
Corporate identity refers to the profile and values communicated by an organization over time
(Cornelissen 2004). Van Riel (1992:30) identified a number of definitions of corporate identity
by various scholars. Below are three of them:
Corporate identity is the strategically planned and operationally applied internal and external self-
presentation and behaviour of a company. It is based on an agreed company philosophy, long-term
company goals, and a particular desired image, combined with the will to utilise all instruments of
the company as one unit, both internally and externally, Birkigt and Stadler (1986)

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The definition above emphasises an ‘agreed’ organisational philosophy which suggests a strategy
of using all communication tools as a single unit to project an organisation to its stakeholders.
This definition concurs with the one given below:
Corporate identity is the sum of all methods of portrayal which the company uses to present itself
to [stakeholders] (Antonoff, 1985).
For most organisations, communication is that which they say to their environments through
spoken and written methods. However, corporate identity communications goes beyond that, it
includes non-verbal and other extra linguistic communications:
Corporate identity embodies, besides all visual expressions, also all non-visual expressions and
behaviour in the social, economic and political field (Henrion, 1980).
2.5.2. Corporateimage
This is the immediate set of associations of an individual in response to one or more signals or
messages from or about a particular organization at a single point in time. Healy (1969) contends
that the corporate image is not a possession of the company but rather the impression which exists in
the minds of other people.
Broomley (2001) defined a firm’s image as ‘the internal collective state of mind that underlies its
corporate communications efforts (successful or not) to present itself to others’. In contrast of
perspective and understanding, Whetten and Mackey (2002: 401) observe that an image is “that
organizational agents want their external stakeholders to understand and is most central, enduring
and distinctive about their organization.” Therefore image can be understood as an external not
internal element of the organization. It manifests itself through other people’s reactions to what the
organization does.
2.5.3. Corporatereputation
An individual’s collective representation of past images of an organization (induced through
either communication or past experiences) established over time. Companies have become very

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sensitive about their reputation. Reputation has more depth and is more involving, it is a
judgment from the market which needs to be preserved. Reputation signals that although the
company has many different stakeholders, each one reacting to a specific facet of the company
(as employee, as supplier, as financial investor, as client), they are all sensitive to the ability of
the company to meet the expectations of all its stakeholders. Marketing the reputation of the
name among other methods, the communication of the corporate brand is aimed at making the
company their first choice.
2.5.4. Stakeholders/ Publics
This refers to any group or individuals who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the
organization’s objectives. The word stakeholders can be interchangeably used as publics.
Cornelissen (2004) defines stakeholders as “persons or groups with legitimate interests in aspects
of corporate activity; and they are identified by these interests whether the corporation has any
direct economic interests in them or not.” In the same vein, Freeman cited in Cornelissen (2004),
identify stakeholders as “any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the
achievement of the organization’s purpose and objectives.” Grunig J.E (1992) who contends
that, “publics can refer to any group, with some common characteristics with which an
organization needs to communicate with.” Business Dictionary, (2007) defines a stakeholder as
“a person, group or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can
affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives, and policies”. For universities these
are students, government, captains of industry and commerce, other universities and affiliate
colleges.
2.5.5. Mission
This is an overriding purpose in line with the values or expectations of stakeholders. Philip
Kotler (1972:291) defines a company’s mission statement as “a broad statement that explains the
reason for the existence of the organization and should form the strategic plan.” In the vein
Cornelissen (ibid) points out that a mission is “a general expression of the overriding purpose of
the organization, which, ideally, is in line with the values and expectations of major stakeholders

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and concerned with the scope and boundaries of the organization.” For MSU these are provided
in chapter four.
2.5.6. Vision
Desired future state: the aspiration of the organization. A vision or a strategic intent is, as
Cornelissen (2004) notes, “the desired future state of the organization.” In other words a vision
espouses an overall aspiration and a general direction in which an organization wants to go as set
by senior management (dominant alliance). As a result it deserves the energies and commitment
of the members of an organization to actively work towards the same direction. (see chapter
four).
2.5.7. Corporateobjectivesandgoals
This refers to a precise statement of aims or purpose of a company. Strategies involve actions
and communications that are linked to objectives, and are often specified in terms of specific
organizational functions (e.g., finance operations, human resources, etc.).
2.5.8. Strategy
These are the ways or means in which the corporate objectives are to be achieved and put into
effect. Ac cited in Steyn (2002), Robert (1997:22) strategy could be seen as the thinking, the
logic behind the actions. Drucker (1954) as cited in Steyn (2002) sees it as an indication of an
organisation’s positioning for the future, deciding what should be done rather than how it should
be done. Strategy requires choices—deciding what particular kind of value an organisation wants
to deliver to whom. Communication strategies are planned efforts undertaken by corporate
communicators and management to address specific objectives of the organisations.
2.6. Governanceofinstitutionsoflearning
Merriam Webster dictionary describes governance as made up of “persons (or committees or
departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering...” The United Negro
College Fund (www.uncf.org) says governance:

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is the manner in which institutions organize themselves to manage and distribute their resources,
to resolve conflicts among competing actors and to effectively achieve their mission.
This concept is linked to corporate governance which is defined in the OECD Principles of
Corporate Governance which states that:
Corporate governance involves a set of relationships between a company’s management, its board,
its shareholders and other stakeholders. Corporate governance also provides the structure through
which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and
monitoring performance are determined.
Though governance and management are different with regard to private corporations, this
research will refer to governance of higher education to mean the organization of internal
governance composed of a council, a governing board, the university executive team,
administrative staff, senate, academic deans, department chairpersons, administrative and
specific committees and student representation as well as staff who are responsible for meeting
the organization’s objectives through delivery. Management and governance in post-secondary
institutions refers to the manner in which colleges and universities are organized and managed.
This involves developing and sustaining key relationships with multiple actors and stakeholders
and channelling everyone’s efforts towards a common goal. Though Kezar and Eckel (2004) see
university governance as a broader term that goes beyond internal management of campus this
research will treat governance as internal management and organization of university affairs
aiming at satisfying its various stakeholders.
2.7. Theoretical framework
2.7.1. Agendasettingandgate-keepingtheories
Agenda setting describes a powerful influence of the media; their ability to influence audiences
on what issues are important for discussion. David Manning White (1950) submits that agenda
setting refers to the power to give or withhold access of information to different voices in
society. Primary sketches of the theory were outlined by Walter Lippmann in his 1922

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archetypical topic, Public Opinion, with a chapter, “The World Outside and the Pictures in Our
Heads” in which he stressed the power of the media to present images to the public. McCombs
and Shaw who investigated presidential campaigns in USA in 1968, 1972 and 1976 focused on
two elements: awareness and information. Agenda-setting is the creation of public awareness
and concern of salient issues by the media where the media agenda becomes the agenda for the
public.
In line with agenda setting there comes the gate keeping theory, priming and framing of issues in
communication media. In this case it can be argued that the press and the media do not reflect
reality; they filter information through ‘gates’ and shape it in line with control and ownership as
well as contexts of communication resources. At the same time media concentration on some
issues and subjects while relegating others leads the public to perceive those issues as more
important than other issues. Cohen (1963: 45) stated “The press may not be successful much of
the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what
to think about.” Lazarsfield (1948) suggested that the theory describes the power of the media to
structure issues.
Using the agenda setting theory, corporate communication will enable an organization to define
and communicate who they are and what they believe in. It will enable them to honestly spot and
work to close the gaps between their beliefs and their performance. Corporate communicators
can use this theory to set the agenda for stakeholders while at the same time, mobilising their
opinions for strategic innovations. In the end, this makes an organization a better, more
successful one. Reputation is not an ‘asset’ in the traditional sense but an invaluable intangible
asset which cannot be owned by an organization. Reputation resides in the minds of a varied
collections of stakeholders and ‘influencers’ whose influence is based on direct customer
experiences, employee advocacy, direct and indirect communication (Eisenmann, 2005). An
institution can make use of the theories of agenda setting and gate keeping by giving priority to
information that best serve the corporate goals.

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This can only happen if the corporate communication function is part of the executive team so as
to come up with strategic messages that toe the line of strategic decisions. Simpson (2004) noted
that corporate communication is part of the ‘warp and weft of [an organization’s] life and who
we are.’ On university life, Simpson (2004:24) says:
Communication issues surround every discussion or decision that a university takes and obvious
problems arise when the agenda forgets to respect or understand its omnipresence.
Communications are much about what not to say as what to say, what to defer as much as what to
publicise, what to lobby for, and when to hold one’s tongue.
In this case communication is not a separate subject to be tacked on at the end as a tool but
should be included when setting the agenda or strategic decisions of an institution.
Communication goes with business; it manages the corporate story (Larse, 2000) as cited in
Gutierrez-Garcia (2008). Gutierrez-Garcia (2008) argues that corporate communication
practitioners help to shape the reality of an organization by influencing public opinion. This is
because an organization and stakeholders share a common public sphere (Gutierrez-Garcia,
2008). The company’s success depends, as a result, on adjustment to the expectation and
demands of publics.
2.7.2. Strategicmanagementroleandthe excellencemodel ofpublicrelations
As cited by Steyn (2002) Greene, Adam & Ebert (1985:536) define strategic management as:
a continuous process of thinking through the current mission of the organisation,
thinking through the current environmental conditions, and then combining these
elements by setting forth a guide for tomorrow’s decisions and results.
Strategic management focuses on strategic decisions which deal with the determination of
strategy, provide the definition of the business and the general relationship between the
organisation and its environment. A key concept in this process is ‘strategy’, the organisation’s
pre-selected means or approach to achieving its goals and objectives while coping with current
and future external conditions (Digman 1990 cited in Steyn 2002).The question of how relevant

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corporate communication is to the achievement of organizational goals is answered by Grunig’s
Excellence model of public relations. The model is made up of a number of elements such as
strategic management, the situational theory of publics, practitioner roles, the organisation of the
public relations function, and internal communication.
Strategic management perspective focuses on the participation of public relations executives in
strategic decision-making so that they can help manage the behaviour of organisations. While
strategic management theorists may treat strategic constituencies as a threat to organisational
performance, Van den Bosch and Van Riel, (1998) in Hubner (2007) view public relations as a
bridging, rather than a buffering, function—between stakeholders and the organisation by
linking them to management. The strategic management paradigm emphasises two-way
communication of many kinds to provide publics a voice in management decisions and to
facilitate dialogue between management and publics both before and after decisions are made.
This refers to a process of an organisation listening to its strategic environment through
environmental scanning. Some theorists argue that the problem with PR is its failure to prove
effectiveness and its value to top management; therefore PR practitioners need to engage in
research both to diagnose issues in the environment as well as monitoring and evaluating their
activities through continuous research. Corporate communication according to this perspective
refers to the process of mediation between top management or ‘dominant coalition’ (Grunig
2001) and stakeholders.
Cited in Hubner, (2007: 12), Grunig et al, (2002:11) states that “for public relations to be
excellent, public relations must be viewed as symmetrical, idealistic and critical, and
managerial.’ Writing on public relations strategic role Grunig (2002: 11) explains:
To be symmetrical means that organisations have the worldview that public relations practitioners
serve the interests of both sides of relationships while still advocating the interests of the
organisations.... To be idealistic and critical means that public relations practitioners have the
freedom to advocate the interests of publics to management and to criticize management decisions
that affect publics adversely. To be managerial means that public relations fulfils the managerial

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role of negotiating and mediating the conflict that occurs between management and strategic
publics.
This suggests a considerable autonomy for corporate communication departments.
Gerstein (2008) cites Girsky who says “If you want to know how a company communicates,
understand how it manages. If you want to know how a company manages, understand how it
communicates.” This suggests that the relationships of management and employees are central to
the organization’s ability to authentically tell its story and that internal communications are
external. The research is pinned on the assumption that brand communication must be consistent
and that management and its employees apart from products and services are the brand, thus the
institution’s values must find expression through service delivery which entails the use of
strategic communications.
2.7.3. ThePressAgentryModel
The Press Agentry model was propounded in the 1850’s by Barnum. He stated that PR activities
seek to attract the attention of the media and advocate for positive publicity for the organisation. In
this model, practice of corporate communication is done through seeking of media attention in
almost any way possible. It describes the propaganda element of PR. It is almost in line with the
propaganda model that seeks to persuade people’s personal opinions. Grunig (1989) observed that
those who practice the press agentry model believe that truth is not essential and the sole purpose is
to get favourable publicity from the media. It employs Agenda-Setting to make people focus on the
positive aspects of the organisation only and to influence the people’s personal opinions which
collectively amount to public opinion. Corporate communicators in organisations approach their
work using this model by way of press briefings and writing press releases to media outlets.
2.7.4. Two-wayasymmetrical
The two-way asymmetrical model uses research to develop messages that are likely to persuade
strategic publics to behave as the organization wants. The organization itself does not change its own
behaviour. This model has an element of feedback but is largely one way. Thus the model sees

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public relations as a dialogue dominated by the organization. As a result of the fact that the two-way
asymmetrical model uses scientific research on the attitudes of publics, it more often achieves its
objectives than do press agentry or public information models. This model works well with Herle &
Rustema’s definition of corporate communication as provided in the literature review above, which
puts the organisation as the sole initiator of communication. It also falls in the effects tradition of
communication and media theories.
2.7.5. TheTwo-waysymmetrical model
Grunig, 2002 suggests that excellent communication programs are anchored on two-way
symmetrical model of communication instead of press agentry, public information, or two-way
asymmetrical models. Two-way symmetrical model emphasises that corporate communicators try to
balance the interests of the organisation with those of the stakeholders through research. Research in
this case becomes an instrument of listening to stakeholders and communication with management
to manage issues and conflicts with strategic stakeholders. It uses the dialogical form of
communication. Apart from it being a better communication model that establishes sustainable
long-term relationships with stakeholders, Grunig argues that “symmetrical programmes generally
are conducted ethically than are other models.”
Basing on this model, corporate communicators engage in dialogue and negotiation with
stakeholders and management for the benefit of all. Unlike in other models mentioned above,
corporate communicators who operate within the parameters of two-way symmetrical models
become excellent in that they do not only function as information sources to the public, but also act
as a bridge that brings together stakeholders and management. Instead of telling the organisation’s
story only, this model provides that corporate communicators be responsible to stakeholders by not
manipulating them through pervasive organization-centric communication only, but to ethically and
socially seek their acceptance of the organisation’s innovations.
Guided by this model, this study will be effective as it seeks to establish if two-way communication
exists in activities of IPR at MSU in meeting communication objectives as well as contributing to the

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university’s effectiveness in both decision formulation and delivery. Two-way model will help the
researcher identify the importance of corporate communication and the nature of communication
strategies employed by corporate communicators at the institution. Existence of two-way
communication corroborates the link that is necessarily important between corporate communication
activities and management in organisations as (Grunig, Grunig and Dozier 2002: 4-5) contends:
Public relations managers who are part of the dominant coalition communicate the views of
publics to other senior managers, and they must communicate with publics to be able to do so.
They also communicate to other senior managers the likely consequences of policy decisions after
communicating with publics affected by the potential policy.
2.7.6. Lasswell’smodel ofcommunication
The model stresses that a source (sender) transmits information (a message) through a channel
(medium) to an audience on whom the message can have an effect. Lasswell’s model is
summarized in the question; who says what in which channel to whom with what effect. This
perspective on communication falls in the sender-message-channel-receiver paradigm. For the
purposes of this study, the model becomes handy in that, the researcher is enabled to study the
nature and status of the communicators at MSU, the type of messages they disseminate, the tools
or channels they use to get their messages across, the relevance of stakeholders addressed by
corporate communicators at each given time they communicate. While the model goes on to the
effects of communication, this study will only focus on the four first elements of the model.
2.7.7. Two-stepflowtheoryofcommunication
Cited in Windahl, Signitzer & Oslon ( 2009: 80) Rodgers 1987: 79 defines communication as “a
process in which participants create and share information with one another to reach a mutual
understanding.” The two step flow theory of communication was formulated by Lazarsfeld and
Kartz (1955) to explain how individuals receive information from the mass media and how
information moves from one point to the other within a communication context. The model
describes the process messages spread through the media and interpersonal channels from source
to receiver. Rodgers (1983) cited in Windahl (1996) identifies the two steps as composed of

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firstly the transfer of information from the source to the opinion leader and secondly as the
transfer of influence from the opinion leader to the opinion followers. The model posits that
audiences are social beings who communicate among themselves and are more or less influential
in many contexts. The theory informs this research in that corporate communication is a form of
planned communication which requires communication planners to take advantage of this model
by actively identifying the two steps and enlists support of opinion leaders who capture
messages, process them and disseminate them to opinion followers.
Cited in Windahl (1996) McCombs and Becker (1979) view the interaction between
interpersonal discussions and reception of mediated communication as cyclic in that people learn
about events or issues from the media and this stimulates them to discuss it with other people. De
Fleur (1962:262) as cited in Windahl, Signitzer & Oslon (2009: 83) describes the social context
in which such a model can work. He says:
An important information content or subject matter exists to which the opinion leader has greater
access than other [members in a social context]. By controlling the transmission and interpretation
of this information to the group he can influence decisions and consensus within the group
regarding the content.
What is important here is the communicator’s manipulation of the trust the audiences have in the
opinion leader. So the communication planner in most cases needs to strive for control over the
process by identifying and reaching opinion leaders. This theory also implies that the opinion
follower must be motivated to seek information from the opinion leader while the opinion leader
must find it worthwhile to provide such information. In the case of corporate communication, the
corporate communication department or PR Director may engage management staff to come up
with communication content, he/she identifies and gathers together opinion leaders representing
different sections of the organization; in a more interpersonal or face to face context and
provides information and urge them to spread it to colleagues and or their constituencies. The
point here is that at a university staff representing different units, faculties, divisions and
departments may be influenced with the institution’s brand values which they can use to

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influence their fellow, students, parents and even their friends when they discuss about work in
different settings. In an organizational setting the mass media refers to newsletters, pamphlets,
reports, websites, prospectuses, social media platforms, intranet facility, notice boards, memos,
emails and speeches among many other internal communications that seek to establish the
institutional brand image. The organization’s communications practitioners may use this to
inform opinion leaders (staff and management) and motivate them to further the University
communications.
Conclusion
This chapter defined corporate communication and laid boundaries of the usage of the term and
practice of corporate communication. The chapter also focused on the theories that explain the
factors that impact on the practice of corporate communication. Both the theoretical framework
and literature review helped to show how corporate communication theories and practice meet.
While the theoretical framework has outlined how corporate communication works, the literature
review has provided examples of the practice in other organisations including universities at
international and regional levels.

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CHAPTER 3:RESEARCH METHODS ANDMETHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
This chapter presents and discusses the means, methods and tools used in this study to achieve
research objectives and answer the questions raised in chapter one. It also explains how the data
presented herein was gathered. To get down to the practice of corporate communication at MSU,
the researcher had to work within a framework of research methodology and techniques. Some
of the objectives of this study were to show how the communication function is organized within
the system of governance of the university affairs and to establish perceptions of the role and
importance of corporate communication by the University management team.
Achieving these objectives and answering research questions was not just a theoretical exercise.
As much as there are a number of theoretical standpoints from which to approach corporate
communication, there is also a variety of research tools available to communication researchers.
Hilde Van den Bulck (2002: 55) observed, “using these tools...requires a certain methodological
rigour.” It is also important to note that different research topics require different research
methodologies and techniques and that “every research method has its own rules of the game,
which the ... researcher is required to follow” (Hilde Van den Bulck, 2002: 55). For this study to
produce acceptable data, this chapter provides the main tools central to communication research
stating their main approaches in respect to best practices and importance to the study.
Research can be approached from various paradigms depending on the field of research.
Scientific studies emphasise on empirical evidence and accuracy since the scientific paradigm
“aims at the best description of characteristics (ontology), methods and practices (praxiology),
and causes and consequences (epistemology) of phenomena for the purpose of prediction,
control and understanding” so as to benefit humanity and society (Hilde Van den Bulck (2002:
58). With particular regard to communication research, Melody and Mansell (1983) cited in
Hilde Van den Bulck (2002: 58), argue that emphasis “lie not with empirical evidence as such
but with decision as to what questions will be asked, what kind of data will be sought, how it will
be gathered, and to what use it will be put.” This shows differences in paradigms researchers can

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adopt for enquiry in particular fields of study. A paradigm according to Kuhn (1996) is
universally recognized scientific achievements that, for a time, provide model problems and
solutions for a community of researchers.” In other words it is a “worldview or conceptual model
shared by members of a scholarly community that determines how enquiry within the
community should be conducted” (Hilde Van den Bulck (2002: 58). Therefore paradigms serve
to provide the basis of how and what questions are worth asking as well as what kind of data are
required to provide ‘acceptable’ answers to research questions. This study considers a number of
paradigms that are relevant to communication research especially to understanding how
corporate communication works in higher institutions of learning in Zimbabwe.
3.2. Research design
Gray (2009:131) defines a research design as “the overarching plan for the collection,
measurement and analysis of data”. A research design therefore describes the purpose of the
study and the kinds of questions the research is addressing, the techniques to be used for
collecting data and the ways the data are going to be analysed. Green and Tull (2010) note that,
“a research design is the specification of methods and procedures for acquiring the information
needed. It is the over-all operational pattern or framework of the project that stipulates what
information is to be collected from which source by what procedures”
(www.managementparadise.com/forums/marketing-research/206790-definiton accessed on 26
February 2012). Research objectives and questions have been provided in chapter one.
3.2.1. Casestudyas researchdesign
In trying to understand and establish the place of corporate communication in the governance of
institutions of higher learning in Zimbabwe, the researcher used the case study of the Midlands
State University. A case study presents the analysis of a single unit which can be an event, an
organisation or an aspect of organisational function (Polonsky and Waller 2005). Yin (2003: 13)
defines the case study as:
...an empirical inquiry that:
 Investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when

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 The boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident
Yin (1994: 2-3) as cited in Polonsky and Waller (2005: 13) argues that the case study like the
current study “allows an investigation to retain holistic and meaningful characteristics of real-life
events such as ....organisational and managerial processes”. This type of study can use single
research methods or combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Taking the case study
of the Midlands State University in understanding how corporate communication is organised,
constituted and placed in universities is a powerful way of examining and “understanding the
dynamics present within single setting” (Eisenhardt 1989: 534) for the benefit of other
universities on whom the study can be generalized. Research involving a case study like this one
is built on in-depth interviews and document based analysis.
Case studies have been criticised for “rarely allowing generalizations to be made from specific cases
to the general population” and that they generate huge piles of data which allow researchers to make
interpretations they want (Jackson et al.; 2008). Yin (2002) cited in Jackson et al.; (2008:97)
suggests that to be overcome, shortcomings associated with case studies require, “clear designs
produced before any data is collected, and these designs should cover: the main questions or
propositions, the unit of analysis...and procedures of data interpretation” which this study has
already done in chapter one. A case study is a type of an exploratory research which involves
intensive study of related activities happening in real life contexts. Robson (1993) suggested that a
case study can be a way of developing detailed and intense knowledge of a single case or a number
of related cases. Its greatest strength is that it allows the researcher to concentrate on specific
situations. In this research the researcher looks at Midlands State University as the context of
corporate communication. A case study allows research findings to focus on a real setting and offers
solutions for the purpose of improving similar contexts elsewhere.
3.3. Samplingtechniques
Sampling can generally be seen as the inclusion and exclusion of items and variables necessary for
studying a research population. This can be done randomly or purposively to test a hypotheses using
a section or sections of the population under study. Adams (1989: 46) notes that sampling is done to

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create a “miniature replica of the population, reflecting the range of its characteristics” so as to
generate representative results with great accuracy, focus and at reduced costs. A sample is made up
of subjects who participate in the study representing the overall population. Best and Khan (1993)
argue that sampling is not a haphazard process but rather a deliberate way and means of selecting
subjects for the research. There are a number of sampling methods that can be employed to create a
representative population and results and these include snowballing, availability, convenience,
purposive, random and quota sampling. To get an understanding of how management groups and
operatives organize and treat overall communication in university the researcher needed to select a
case study (sample) organization and groups (samples) of employees and managers to interview. As
a result an understanding of techniques for selecting samples was necessary.
3.3.1. ConvenienceSampling
Convenience sampling is sometimes called accidental or opportunistic sampling. Higginbottom,
(2004: 15) cited in Koerber and Lonie McMichael (2008: 463) defined the convenience sample as
consisting of “participants who are readily available and easy to contact”. Saunders (2009: 241) call
it haphazard sampling because it involves selecting “haphazardly those cases that are easiest to
obtain” for a sample. This definition stresses ready availability such that it is “prone to bias and
influences...as the cases appear in the sample only because they are easy to obtain” Saunders (2009:
241). According to Koerber and Lonie McMichael (2008), the major “pitfall in using this technique
is that because the subject matter or population being studied is likely to be quite familiar, the
researcher might be tempted to generalize beyond this narrow population; a researcher using a
convenience sample, then, should be especially careful not to over-generalize.” For this study
convenient sampling has been particularly useful in that, the same close relationship between
researcher and research context that makes a sample convenient often grants the researcher a level of
access to and familiarity with the sample that guarantees a richness of data that could not be attained
if the sample were less familiar, and therefore less convenient, to the researcher Koerber and Lonie
McMichael (2008).

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3.3.2. Purposeful Sampling
This method involves the researcher selecting participants who possess certain traits or qualities. In
this sampling method the researcher uses own judgement to select cases that will best enable the
researcher to answer research questions and objectives. The guiding principle here is maximum
variation where researchers should seek to include people who represent the widest variety of
perspectives possible within the range specified by their purpose (Higginbottom, 2004: 17). The
disadvantage of purposeful sampling appears when the researcher come up with a sample that is
“not diverse enough to represent the variation known to exist in the population or phenomenon
being studied” Koerber and Lonie McMichael (2008:464).
In this case, to design a qualitative study to shed new light on the relationships of management
with corporate communicators and the organisational context in which interaction takes place, a
valid purposeful sample would include participants from both of these groups in order to draw
conclusions about interactions or relationships between them. Therefore, this study purposefully
tried to recruit both management and non-management employees with varying job descriptions,
levels of education and experience.
3.3.3. Population
Saunders et al. (2009: 212) note, “the full set of cases from which a sample is taken is called a
population.” Thus as Kumar (2011: 193) notes, sampling is “the process of selecting a few (a
sample) from a bigger group (the sampling population) to become the basis for estimating or
predicting the prevalence of an unknown piece of information, situation or outcome regarding the
bigger group.” This therefore means that a sample is a subgroup of the population the study is
interested in. In this case the target population are universities in Zimbabwe and MSU is the sample
in which management teams from top management to middle management, line management and
operatives will be interviewed to solicit their understanding and attitudes regarding corporate
communication of their institution. Public relations and human resources personnel were considered
separately as they are closely related to the roles of organisational communication and employee
communication.

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3.4. Research Methodology
Since this study “explores people’s experiences and their views or perspectives of these experiences”
(Gray 2009: 36), it is interpretive in that its aim is to understand the context of corporate
communication as a phenomenon in educational institutions of higher learning in Zimbabwe. This is
because “context is what defines the situation and makes what it is”; therefore this study is
predominantly qualitative. However, both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used in
gathering, presenting, analyzing and interpreting data. This means that the study will employ
triangulation. Borg and Gall (1989) argue that triangulation “refers to the strategy of using several
different kinds of data collection instruments such as tests, direct observation, interview and content
analysis to explore a single issue or problem.” Triangulation would be useful in this study since it is
a way of striding over the shortcomings of the qualitative and quantitative research dichotomy.
These designs were specifically chosen because they produce in-depth and comprehensive
information.
3.4.1. Qualitativeandquantitativeparadigms
‘Good’ communication research became a debate on whether quantitative or qualitative research
yields the best results. Arguments between scholars on this topic show stark differences between the
two paradigms. Hilde Van den Bulck (2002: 59) observe that the “differences can be situated at a
conceptual-theoretical, methodological and analytical level.” As is explained below, it is not the
differences that are important, but that these two paradigms can complement each other in yielding
best results of a single study.
3.4.2. QuantitativeResearch
Quantitative research paradigm falls into the positivist perspective which postulates that there is
“objective reality (social facts) out there that can be observed, measured, analysed and thus
understood” Hilde Van den Bulck (2002: 59). McNabb (2010: 16) notes that the basic “tenet of
positivism is that science must be objective, or value free: scientific knowledge should be based
upon what is observed, not on the opinion of the researcher.” This perspective emphasise on
“precise quantitative data” that are collected and analysed using surveys and statistics and
“rigorous, exact measures by carefully analysing numbers from measures” (Neumann, 2000: 66

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cited in McNabb 2010: 16). De-contextualization of social phenomena from socially specific
situations is central since outside variables are attributable to causal relations. The chief activity
of quantitative research is counting because researchers are convinced that facts can be measured
as accurately as possible. This is why quantitative research paradigm strongly follows
mathematical character with “black and white validity.” So there is heavy reliance on numerical
data and analysis whose tools are expected to “provide an exact value for anything we might
want to measure – a number we could all agree on” (Priest, 1996: 6 cited in Hilde Van den Bulck
(2002: 59).
The tools used in counting are obtrusive and controlled measurements, with data gathered
through surveys, case-control studies, statistical records, structured observations, content
analysis and other quantitative techniques (Oakley 2002: 26-27 as cited in McNabb 2010: 16).
Objectives of quantitative research as this study shows are “generalization, explanation and
prediction” which are also analysed quantitatively. Analysis of data is by means of statistical
analysis and the results can be shown on charts, trends and correlations graphs, pie charts and
tables.
3.4.3. QualitativeResearch
Qualitative research is premised in the interpretative perspective which argues that reality is
socially and culturally constructed. Its concern is grounded on meaning attribution and how the
social world is produced, experienced and interpreted. Qualitative methods, according to Hilde
Van den Bulck (2002, are meant to investigate and assess phenomena that can be easily
summarised. Qualitative methods were necessary in that the study aimed to explore, interpret,
and obtain a deeper understanding of corporate communication within the framework of
governance of an educational institution. Qualitative methods seek an understanding of a deeper
truth. They aim to "study things in their natural setting, attempting to make sense of, or interpret,
phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them," and they use "a holistic perspective
which preserves the complexities of human behaviour (Black 1994 and Denkin 1994). The tools
used to collect data through qualitative method are flexible and consider context in which data

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are generated aiming to produce ‘rich’ data (Manson 1996: 4 as cited in Hilde Van den Bulck,
2002: 59). Qualitative data analysis relies on interpretation and investigation of what “people do
and say without making heavy use of measurement or numerical analysis” (Hilde Van den
Bulck, ibid). Qualitative research, as this study seeks to achieve, “look for conclusions in the
form of consistent descriptions of how something works” (Hilde Van den Bulck 200: 59).
Qualitative research in communication studies like this borrow from different qualitative
paradigms like phenomenology, ethnography, cognitive anthropology, symbolic interactionism,
linguistic discourse analysis and semiotics while its tools of data collection are participant
observation, in-depth interviews, document analysis and semiotic analysis or content among
others.
3.4.4. Triangulation
As has already been alluded to earlier in this chapter, triangulation calls for the combination of
qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate, collect and analyze data in a single study.
Holborn (2004) notes that the two methods should not be seen as contradictory, but their
different approaches to data collection and analysis should be exploited and bring them together
to shed more light on any research topic. This meaning of triangulation is taken to include the
combined use of quantitative research and qualitative research to determine how far they arrive
at convergent findings. Triangulation is sometimes used to refer to all instances in which two or
more research methods are employed. Thus, it might be used to refer to multimethod research in
which a quantitative and a qualitative research method are combined to provide a more complete
set of findings than could be arrived at through the administration of one of the methods alone.
Triangulation also becomes handy in situations where researchers seek to ascertain validity and
reliability of their findings by cross-checking them with another method. Triangulation is an
attempt to stride over shortcomings associated with relying on one method.

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3.5. Data collection techniques
3.5.1. Interviews
This research made use of in-depth face-to-face interviews. David Dooley (2003) asserts that an
interview is the use of questions (structured and semi structured) to get answers. These have been
employed to gather data from senior management. Interviews with top executives seek to extract
their perceptions and attitudes towards the role of corporate communication on their activities and
the organization as a whole. Bayes (1983) found that interviews provide the researcher a chance to
dig deeper into the phenomenon and discover new and open new dimension of a problem under
study. Interviews enable the researcher to adjust or rephrase some of the questions to seek clarity.
Also this method was a faster method of data collection. Interviews were used to complement the
questionnaire. This is because there are some questions that needed to be clarified or answers that
needed more information from the respondent.
Though the use of interviews has been criticised for its potential to introduce the bias of the
researcher through the framing of questions and interpretation of responses, it is also crucial to note
that interviews have been useful for their appropriateness in “studying complex and sensitive areas
as the interviewer has the opportunity to prepare a respondent before asking sensitive questions and
to explain complex ones to respondents in person” (Kumar 2011, 149- 50). Through interviews it is
possible to “obtain in-depth information by probing.” So interviews become a preferred method of
data collection because this study requires in-depth information, which can be supplemented with
non-verbal reactions (Kumar 2011).
Elite interviews were conducted, in which the researcher sought out principal officers and executive
level management including head of public relations department. These were interviewed
individually. Interview guides were semi-structured seeking unanticipated attitudes, perceptions and
ideas. To justify this approach Rubin and Rubin (2005:134) as cited in Bowen (2008: 277) posit that
“richness means that your interviews contain many ideas and different themes, often including those
you did not anticipate when you began the study.” Topics included job responsibilities, experience,
reporting structure, communication within academic and administrative units, communication

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dilemmas, and decision making, marketing, financial reporting, communicating decisions, crisis
communication and change management. Participants were encouraged to use their own taxonomy
and experience in answering questions which in a way allowed the researcher to observe tone,
values and nomenclature used by participants.
Due to the time constraints of top management, elite interviews would not be easy to obtain but
produced valuable data addressing policy decisions including communication policy. Though there
are a lot of contestations over the category of “elite,” elite interviewees, as defined by Hertz and
Imber (1995), were deemed as such due to the executive status of management and in reporting to the
principal officers in the university. These interviews could take place in seminar rooms or in the
office at the participant’s place of employment. The researcher observed that most participants were
not interested in being recorded hence extensive note-taking by the researcher. Some participants
within the elite category used the opportunity to discuss the university’s commitment to media
relations given the amount of negative and unofficial communication that has in the past attracted
media attention surrounding scandals involving students and members of the university staff.
This study considered the in-depth interviewing approach, which, according to Johnson (2001: 106)
can generate “deep information and understanding”. As suggested by Hirsch (1995) cited in Bowen
(2008: 279), the interview guide was sent to participants before meeting to conduct the interview.
Sending questions ahead of time provided participants an opportunity to gain a level of comfort with
talking about decision making and governance issues. Moreover participants could think about their
answers and supporting examples before hand, thereby making the most of the interview time
(Yeager & Kram, 1995) cited in Bowen (2008).
The study purposively employs in-depth face to face interviews with principal officers; Registrar,
Librarian and the Bursar and other key management staff at the Midlands State University. The
interviews took the form of conversations. Open ended questions gave the researcher room to follow
up on answers left hanging in the Questionnaires.

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3.5.2. Questionnaires
Gray (2009) identifies questionnaires as “research tools through which people are asked to respond
to the same set of questions in a predetermined order.” These are used to collect primary data.
Collection of data using this method will see questions administered to the MSU management team,
from deans, directors, administrators and chairpersons of departments. Moreover, this also seeks to
find out overall treatment of communications in everyday service delivery to stakeholders. This
approach was taken on the premise that leadership and staff are considered as the epitome of the
university brand, who should have the correct knowledge, skills and organizational support to
deliver in line with the university culture and functional brand values. Thus they are better placed
for the researcher to establish the real value corporate communication commands at the institution.
In line with the two-step flow theory, staff members are opinion leaders who can relay information
about the university to workmates, subordinates, friends and relatives.
3.5.3. ParticipantObservation
This method involves the researcher "getting to know" the audience being studied by entering their
world and participating - either openly or secretly - in that world. This means you put yourself “in
the shoes" of the people you're studying in an attempt to experience events in the way they
experience them (www.sociology.org.uk 2003). Since organisations can be viewed as societies with
their own peculiar customs and practices, participant observation has become increasingly popular
in organisational research. Evered and Louis (2001) identify two different paradigms of
organisational research, the ‘inquiry from the outside’ and the ‘inquiry from the inside’, whereby the
former is characterised by the researcher’s detachment from the organizational setting, and the latter
is characterised by the personal involvement of the investigator in the setting under investigation.
The study makes use of this method to observe students and staff interacting in a natural setting. As
Meyers (2009: 139) points participant observation is “when you not only observe people doing
things, but you participate to some extent in these activities as well”. The researcher made use of the
experiences obtained and observed during a one year period spent as MSU PR practitioner and the
experiences as a student exposed to various university management structures. The data obtained
through this method will be interpreted to understand the value internal communication strategy to

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students and how this can impact on the organization’s reputation. Participant observation has been
useful to understand, through interaction and non-verbal communication, the commitment by
members of staff to communicate in line with standard communication strategy of the university.
This approach was particularly employed to observe secretaries, security officers and other
supporting staff interactions with students and visitors.
There are a number of disadvantages associated with participant observation. According to Saunders
et al., (2009: 299), “there can be high levels of role conflict for the researcher” for example,
workmate versus the researcher roles. Moreover closeness of the researcher to the situation being
observed can lead significant observer bias. However, it has also been noted that participant
observation is “good at explaining ‘what is going on’ in particular social situations (Saunders et al.,
2009: 299). Saunders (ibid) also noted that for research in organisations, participant observation is
particularly useful because it “affords the opportunity for the researcher to experience ‘for real’ the
emotions of those who are being researched.”
3.5.4. Documentanalysis
Altheide (1996: 2) as cited in Hilde Van den Bulck (2002: 92) notes that document analysis refers to
“an integrated and conceptually informed method, procedure, and technique for locating,
identifying, retrieving and analysing documents for their relevance, significance and meaning.” This
method collects data by the use of texts and documents as source materials. There are primary and
secondary sources of data. Primary sources are those that the researcher witnessed being delivered
for example speeches. Secondary sources are publications like newsletters, brochures, notice boards,
memos, emails, reports, journals, video, painting, pictures and press releases as well as other written,
visual and pictorial sources in print, electronic, or other `hard copy' form (Meyer 2009). In a
university setting apart from the ones mentioned above, documents studied include Yearbooks, End
of Year Reports; Vice Chancellor’s Update, Human Resources Staff Handbook, Strategic Business
Plans, The Varsity Updates and various other publications found in different departments and units.
This study used this method to collect data from across the university management communication
done through documents in archives including speeches. Documents studied served more than just

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historical record of the institution’s thoughts and actions, but also as independent expressions of
what corporate communication means and involves in a university context. Altheide (1996:2) cited
in Meyer (2009) argue in favour of use of documents in research by defining documents as “any
symbolic representation that can be recorded or retrieved for analysis”. One of the assumptions of
this study is: education institutions do not have clear communication management policies that can
produce consistent rhetoric when communicating. This study seeks to understand how
communication policy is expressed in documents produced at the university. As Tosh (1984: 56)
explains, documents are the staple diet of historical and policy research which can be looked at from
two standpoints:
First, how did the institution which generated the documents and records evolve over time, and
what was its function in the body politic? And second, how were these policies formulated and
executed?
As Hansen et al (1998), research on communication policies in organisations seeks to examine the
ways in which policies about communication are generated and implemented as well as how
communication as a whole is handled. For this study to thrive using documents, it is important to
describe a document as:
One which is drawn up or used in the course of an administrative or executive transaction
(whether public or private) of which itself formed a part; and subsequently preserved in their own
custody for their information by the person or persons responsible for that transaction and their
legitimate successors (Seldon and Pappworth, 1983: 234 as cited in Hilde Van den Bulck (2002:
91).
In short, documents are materials that that were produced as part of organisational communication.
These material provide a “rich source of (quasi-) direct information about policy direction on
communication. These include memos internal reports, background papers, annual reports, general
messages” like letters, directives and priorities between people within the institution and from
outside the institution (Hilde Van den Bulck 2002:91).
This method was used to find out the house styling of communications at the university through
written expressions in terms of recurring themes, important terms, and tone of messages, visual
display and use of images. At the same time the method will apply to the study of the agenda setting

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processes involved in the production of such documents. What are the key messages communicated
in the documents produced by the IPR and by other units? How and how often key management
voices appear in them? Were the messages consistent? Were they reinforcing same themes as those
in the institution’s mission, goals and its strategic constituencies? This method sought to interpret
the role of communication through the study of documents.
3.5.5. DescriptiveSurvey
A survey of the number of employees responsible for communication, their qualifications,
designations and roles would be done to establish the extent of commitment to corporate
communication. Descriptive surveys according to Gray (2009: 220) are designed to “measure the
characteristics of particular phenomena, either at a fixed point in time, or comparatively over time.”
This method was employed to measure ‘what is happening other than why it is happening’ in order
to identify the scale (rating) and nature of corporate communication as an instrument of management
at the Midlands State University. The survey was undertaken to “ascertain attitudes, values and
opinions by examining staff views on working practices.
While it is true that surveys take an inductive approach Gray (2009) argues that it would be wrong to
say that they are devoid of theory because reference to theories is necessary before the study is
embarked on. De Vaus (2002) cited in Gray (2009:220) argues that a good descriptive survey is built
on a sound theory. This study used a survey basing on the principal agent theory. This theory is an
integral component of the theory of the firm, and has been a particularly useful tool for
understanding the behaviour of individuals within the hierarch of organizations (Jensen & Meckling,
1991). Jensen and Meckling (1976: 308) cited in Napoli (2010: 208) describe the principal– agent
relationship as:
We define an agency relationship as a contract under which one or more persons (the principal[s])
engage another person (the agent) to perform some service on their behalf which involves
delegating some decision making authority to the agent. If both parties to the relationship are
utility maximizers there is good reason to believe that the agent will not always act in the best
interests of the principal. The principal can limit divergences from his interest by establishing
appropriate incentives for the agent and by incurring monitoring costs designed to limit the
aberrant activities of the agent.

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Napoli (2010) observes that in a hierarchical organization, agency problems can exist at any stage,
whether between management and employee or owners and management. The most important point
of the principal agent theory is that the principal will always seek to employ people who are
congruent to the purposes of their job descriptions and will always institute measures to guard
against divergence between his interest and those of the outside shareholders. The greatest agency
losses arise when the interests or values of the principal and agent diverge substantially and
information monitoring is costly. A survey to identify the work of communicators, their
qualifications and incentives and values, their number and how they are spread at the university
helped the researcher to understand how the university avoids ‘recruitment errors’ for the people
responsible for organising and managing corporate communication. This survey also targets
supporting staff like faculty and administrative administrators, secretaries, and the human resources
department because staffing decisions should be linked to organisational culture. As Cascio (1998)
notes staffing decisions are made after “employees have internalised the strategic intent and core
values of the enterprise,” which has far reaching implications for corporate communication.
3.6. Data analysis
This is the assembling, cleaning and examining of the data (Polonsky and Waller, 2005). This study
made use of content analysis, thematic analysis and discourse analysis. These are discussed below
but they will be used later in analysing data in chapter five.
3.6.1. ContentAnalysis
Content analysis is generally “text or visually based and focuses on analysing the frequency of
particular words or phrases or images” in documents, speech, adverts and other publications
(Polonsky and Waller 2005).
3.6.2. Thematicanalysis
This is where the researcher develops an idiosyncratic coding protocol (Polonsky and Waller 2005).
Coding the data thematically is useful in engaging with the collected material and seeks meanings,
connections and insights.

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3.6.3. DiscourseAnalysis
Discourse analysis focuses on how both spoken and written language is used in social settings.
Emphasis is on structure and organisation of language with particular attention on how participant’s
versions of events are constructed. Gray (2009) observes that unlike content analysis, discourse
analysis rejects the view that language is an innocent channel which simply reflects ‘reality’. This
study therefore analysed data collected through this method on the premise that language constructs
“do not emanate from the individuals as such, but are embedded in culturally and socially
constructed situations” inherent and inculcated through the institution’s culture. Studying the
usefulness of discourse analysis in communication research, Hilde Van den Bulck (2002: 85) cited
Fiske (1995: 14) who defines discourse as:
a language or system of representation that has developed socially in order to make and circulate a
coherent set of meanings about an important topic or area. These meanings serve the interests of
that section of society within which the discourse originates and which works ideological to
naturalize those meanings into common sense.
In the case of corporate communication, discourse becomes the story of reality as presented to us
through communication channels and messages send by an organisation. Discourse analysis comes
into play in the realisation that language in organisational reports and publications as well as
speeches on events shape communication in certain ways that are inevitable. This ‘constructedness’
of discourse comes with certain versions of reality that become institutionalised. This is what this
study; through discourse analysis tries to lay bare (Hilde Van den Bulck 2002).
3.7. Conclusion
The chapter highlighted the different techniques that were used by the researcher to gather
information for the study, determined to establish the place, organization, and importance of
corporate communication to an education institution like a university by paying attention to the roles
and practices of communication at MSU and the perceptions of management towards corporate
communication.

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CHAPTER 4:ORGANIZATIONALANALYSIS
4.0. Introduction
The chapter explores the organisation of Midlands State University (MSU). The chapter gives an
analysis of the institution’s background from the time it was established in 2000. An analysis of
the university’s visions, missions and objectives will be provided in order to locate them to the
study of corporate communication. The organisational structure and governance of the university
are done to find if the structure has influence on the way communication at the University is
handled. This will be done by linking corporate governance concepts to corporate
communication.
4.1. Background of MSU
Midlands State University is a state university established by the Midlands Sate University Act
of April 1999 (Chapter 25.21). The University was established as result of political lobbying by
the ZANU PF leaderships in the Midlands Province. Established in a developing nation, and in
2000 where political, social and economic challenges faced the country, MSU could require to
gain a competitive edge to penetrate the market so as to respond to the “rising need of skilled and
professional human resource capital” (MSU Strategic and Business Plan 2001-2015). Corporate
communication is one of the ways organisations consider for the realisation of organisational
goals such as Midlands State University’s Strategic Goal:
to build a university with ten faculties, 18 000 students, 900 teaching and 550 supporting staff,
with the requisite services and infrastructure by 2015 (Vice Chancellor’s Annual Report, 2011:7).
This Strategic Goal of the University meant the creation of employment to the nation and to the
Midlands Province and would contribute to national development as espoused in its Missions
Statement part of which reads, “to improve the performance of the economy through the
promotion of managerial skills and generation, dissemination and application of knowledge.”
Such an environment provides to the MSU, stakeholders and circumstances that need articulation
of goals, strategies, and achievements and challenges so as remain relevant in the public domain
and corporate communication becomes handy.

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4.1.2. Locationandcampuses
MSU is located in Gweru City in the Midlands Province operating on three other campuses, apart
from the former Gweru Teacher’s College, Batanai Campus and the former Tel-One Learning
Centre complex now Faculty of Commerce, Graduate School of Business and Faculty of Law
Campus. In 2010 MSU acquired Tel-One Training Centre which measures 188.6 hectares in
extent. Construction work for the expansion of the university to meet necessary requisite
physical structures started in 2004 with the Administration Block which was completed in 2011
and officially opened on the 2nd of December 2011. Construction work of the University,
according to the university leadership, “started against the background of the most crippling and
daunting economic environment which called for extraordinary initiatives” including effective
communication and marketing activities adopted for fundraising programmes of the University
(Vice Chancellor’s Annual Report, 2011: 10).
4.2. The UniversityVision, Mission, CoreValuesandsymbols.
4.2.1. Vision
To be a unique, development oriented pace-setting and stakeholder driven University that
produces innovative and enterprising graduates.
4.2.2. MissionStatement
 Committed to a culture of problem solving through quality research, teaching and training by a
means of flexible packaging, Work Related Learning and strategic partnerships with the
University stakeholders for the immediate and ultimate benefit of humanity.
 Commitment to the recruitment, motivation and retention of staff in an environment of a caring
institution.
 Commitment to the use of (ICT) Information Communication Technology and the virtual
classroom, as principal teaching and training modes of delivery and research.
 Commitment to gender equality in student admissions and staff recruitment policies.
 Commitment to enhance the quality of people’s lives through new ideas and skills for sustainable
utilization of resources.

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 Commitment to promotion of equality research through both taught and research post graduate
studies as means of generating new knowledge.
4.2.3. CoreValues
 Driven by honesty, integrity, hard work and passion for excellence tempered by self discipline
and care for others;
 Driven by sensitivity to gender equality and equity, needs of the disadvantaged, African culture
and devotion to self-sufficiency and professionalism.
(Adapted from the Midlands State University Strategic and Business Plans 2006)
In organisational communication these become principles upon which corporate communicators
formulate and direct communication strategies and policies that can be harmonised with the
strategic intent.
4.3. Organogram/ Organizational Structure
An Organogram, according to Arnold (1996), is “a description of a company’s structure; it is
presumably a truncation of an organization’s diagram.” At the same time Appleby (1982:6)
defines an organization as:
the framework of the management process whose purpose is to create an arrangement of positions
and responsibilities, through and by means of which an enterprise can carry out its work.
Therefore, an organizational structure can be defined as a drawing that gives the names and job
designations of all the staff in an organization or section, unit or a department showing how they
are connected to each other in an endeavour to achieve its overall objectives.
According to an online dictionary, the Business Dictionary.com, an organisational structure is:
a framework, typically hierarchical, within which an organization arranges its lines of authority
and communications, and allocates rights and duties. Organizational structure determines the
manner and extent to which roles, power, and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and
coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management.

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Any structure depends entirely on the organization's objectives and the strategy chosen to
achieve them. In a centralized structure, the decision making power is concentrated in the top
layer of the management and tight control is exercised over departments and divisions. In a
decentralized structure, the decision making power is distributed and the departments and
divisions have varying degrees of autonomy. An organizational chart illustrates the
organizational structure (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-
structure.html).
MSU is a state institution that like other state universities is headed by the Head of State, the
President of the Republic of Zimbabwe as the Chancellor who is deputized by the Vice-
Chancellor. Bellow the Vice-Chancellor, is the Pro-Vice Chancellor. Though the members of the
University Council and Senate are not indicated in the diagram below, they come in handy in the
governance of the institution. Two separate departments, the teaching and the non-teaching
sections also come in as represented by heads of faculties, divisions and units as shown in the
organogram below. Down the corporate ladder are chairpersons of academic departments and
directors of non-academic departments. From directors and heads of departments, there come
administrators. Then the secretaries come in for both teaching and non-teaching units
departments.
In short, the university management consists of:
a) The Vice Chancellor
b) One or more Pro-Vice Chancellors
c) Members of the University Council
d) The Senate
e) Teaching and non-teaching units
f) Students

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Takesure PambukaR0825436H BSc (Hons) Media& Society Studies – May 2012 56
Organogram/Organizational structure of MSU
Teaching Units
Non-teaching Units
Registrar
Bursar Librarian
Dean of StudentsDean- Science
& Technology
Dean-Faculty
of Arts
Dean
Commerce
Dean- Social
Sciences
Dean-NRM &
Agric
Dean
Law
Dean-
Education
Director-
WRL
Director-
Information & PR
Director-Works
& Estates
Chief Security
Officer
Director - ITS
Administrators
Secretaries
Chairpersons of Departments
VICE-CHANCELLOR
PRO-VICE CHANCELLOR
Director-Graduate
School of Business
leadership
Assistant to the VC
Director –
Cleaning Services
Fig 4.1

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Takesure PambukaR0825436H BSc Media& Society Studies – May 2012 57
The Senate is the highest academic body with the Vice-Chancellor as its chairperson.
Authority of senate covers all academic affairs, though powers to appoint committees are
shared with Council. The Senate under the university’s charter has the formal power to make
academic policy. To take meaningful decisions, the Senate creates certain committees.
Council is the governing body of the university. It is the official employer of all university
staff. Council has the authority to control and superintend policy decisions regarding finance
and property of the university. Employees at the university are expected to carry out Council
policies under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor (MSU, University Governance 2011,
p17). According to the MSU University Governance the Chancellor shall be the President of
Zimbabwe who is the “head of the University” and appoints the Vice-Chancellor who is the
“Chief Executive” and “the Chief Academic Officer” of the University. The Midlands State
University Act [Chapter 25:21] states that the Chancellor has the authority:
a) To preside over any assembly or meeting held by or under the authority of the University, and
b) Upon the recommendation of the Council and the Senate, to confer degrees, diplomas, certificates
and other awards and distinctions of the University and to withdraw or restore such awards.
The Chancellor is responsible for capping and conferring degrees of the MSU to graduates of
the University. Vice-Chancellor is responsible for the management of the University. Under
the Vice-Chancellor’s office is the office of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor responsible for
administration and academic affairs. The PVC is supported by the Registrar who is the chief
administrative officer of the university and is responsible to the Vice-chancellor for the day to
day administrative and academic work of the university. The Registrar is secretary to the
Council, Senate, congregation and convocation. Other principal officers are the Bursar and
the Librarian. The bursar is the chief financial officer of the university responsible to the
Vice-Chancellor for the day to day administration and control of financial affairs of the
university. The Librarian is responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the administration of the
university library and the coordination of the Library services in the university. These
Principal Officers including the Executive Dean of Students fall into the non-teaching units
which are mainly administrative. Others falling into this category are directors except for the
Director of Graduate School of Business Leadership (GSBL) who leads a teaching unit. In
the non-teaching units, there are other several functions that fall under registry, the bursar’s
department, library and the VC that do not appear in the organogram.

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Executive deans of faculties are followed by chairpersons in the teaching units. Faculties and
departments are involved in the actual teaching of students. Deans and chairpersons lead
lecturers in their respective areas and are also supposed to review curricula through
stakeholder engagement and necessary governing boards like the Academic Board, Faculty
and Departmental boards. Academic decisions are also executed through relevant
committees. Below the non-teaching and teaching units there are Administrators who are the
supporting staff and they are involved in the governance through servicing of respective
committees. Secretaries are also spread out in the university and mostly they are involved in
delivery of services to students as well as working for the ‘bosses’ for everyday contacts in
business.
It is important to state that most decisions from departments to faculties to Senate and
Council are made by committees. Ndu (1993) cited in Ebi G. Eno-Ibanga (Wilolud Online
Journals, 2008), observed that tertiary institutions like other formal organizations need human
beings to implement their programmes and achieve set goals. The university system is a
complex organization that requires participation through the committee system. MSU
Strategic and Business Plans document (2006) states:
The University is governed and administered through the committee system. This is a democratic
form of management that fosters the participation and involvement of all citizens of the University
community in their own governance.
4.3. Linkingcommunicationto governance
Gutierrez-Garcia (2008:4) notes that “both management and corporate communication fields,
scholars seem to converge on one idea: how to manage mutually beneficial relationships
between the company and its constituencies.” This concept relates to the need by
organisations to operate in the realm of “stakeholders’ expectations and necessities in order to
gain competitive advantage and to adapt to a demanding environment” (Gutierrez-Garcia
2008:4). As at MSU being “stakeholder-driven” means the need to consider the business
environment in relation to the nature of stakeholders, their information needs, views and
input all of which constitute what Sparkes, (2003: 3) as cited in Gutierrez-Garcia (2008:4)
calls “the economics of reputation”. It is in line with this view that organisations need to
manage the public dimension for the sake of establishing sustaining relations (Bowen 1997,
www.emeraldinsight.com/1363-254X.htm).

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In a university principal officers and several other managing staff like deans and directors
would need to deal with specific and various stakeholder demands by including them into the
management decision making process. Each member of the University management team is
supposed to perform duties that are separate and different from each other. The Admissions
Department for example is involved in the admission of students; who are the major
customers of the University. This specific type of stakeholders also becomes relevant to
chairpersons and deans who are involved in the selection process.
As an illustration of corporate communication in terms of communication line, the
Admissions department falls under the Registry. It is the Admissions department that
communicates to prospective students by advertising vacancies in various programmes. The
information regarding programmes on offer in specific departments and faculties comes from
deans to chairpersons and lastly to the Admissions department for external communication.
The admissions office receives feedback from stakeholders in terms of applications. The
Admissions department forwards applications to deans through departmental Chairpersons
for short-listing. Selection is done through selection committees in faculties and departments
who do the short-listing of students. As shown in the organogram, deans get the
communication on the number of students to be enrolled from the Registrar who would have
communication from the Vice-Chancellor. After the short-listing the names are sent to the
Admissions department who then communicate with successful applicants through the media.
Consequently as suggested by Post & Carroll, (2006: 133) cited in Gutierrez-Garcia (2008:4)
“taken as a whole, this network of relationships constitutes a ‘governance system’ for the
modern corporation.” What becomes important to management in organisations are
“reputational risks and opportunities that corporate responsibility brings, and for these
companies aligning corporate behaviour with stakeholder expectations is an ongoing business
priority” (Dawkins, 2004: 108).
Corporate communication becomes a critical component of a governance system in engaging
stakeholders for social support and trust in business (Bandsuch, 2008). In this case what
becomes crucial is the institutionalization of the communication practice at MSU in the name
of the Information and Public Relations (IPR) department. However, the institutionalisation
of the communication practice alone is not enough especially in a big and a democratically
run organisation like MSU where communication takes place at every stage of business and
service delivery. What becomes striking to study therefore is the link that exists in such a

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situation where management is spread out. As shown in the organogram above, the line of
command of the IPR is linked with the Vice-Chancellor’s Office. But it is not the only one
that carries out business with the University’s stakeholders; thus the need to explore the place
of corporate communication in the governance of an institution of higher learning; which
may be a different case if theoretical underpinnings of corporate communication were to be
applied.
4.4. Howdepartments linkto meet organizationalgoals
All departments and divisions at the Midlands State University are dependent on each other.
This means that their work has been separated according to functions in a whole premise of
achieving the overall common goal of the MSU; achievement academic excellence through
the pursuit of the objectives set in the vision, missions and strategic plan of the institution.
While the academic units are directly in the business of delivery and dissemination of
knowledge to the students, that is the main reason for the existence of MSU, they cannot do
this without the insurmountable complimentary roles played by the non-teaching units. The
IPR, the ITS department, the Work Related Learning office, the Works and Estates
department all work directly with VC to inform and advice in the management and
governance of the institution through provision of requisite functions about and around the
institution.
The Bursar’s department is very handy to all other functionaries in the university in the sense
that students pay their tuition fees and ancillaries through this department. At the same time
money for research, books, projects and programs of all other departments is obtained from
the bursary. Registry recruits students, register students and superintend the provision of
necessary modules by coming up with regulations that guide students’ academic conduct. The
library make sure that research and acquisition of knowledge and dissemination is possible
through acquiring necessary reading material both hard copies and electronic. Thus the
management of the knowledge base contributes to the very goal of any academic setting like
MSU. Division of Student Affairs comes in handy in the management of students’ welfare at
the institution. The division provides health services, accommodation, food and development
projects to students. This division ensures that students are incorporated into management
committees of the university and that of the Zimbabwean and international communities.

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All these units further meet and discuss issues in various committees that run day to day
affairs at the institution. Both academic and non-academic functionaries meet in Council and
Senate meetings that look into both governance of the institution and delivery of services to
stakeholders. Academic Board meetings also provide a strategic platform for dialogue of
various faculties and departments.
To communicate in order to achieve goals MSU uses memorandums, intranet and notices as
tools of internal communication.
Functions of these units are separated and defined as Key Result Areas that are reviewed and
measured from time to time Result Based Management meetings.
4.4. Conclusion
The chapter has analysed MSU as an organisation where corporate communication as a
phenomenon has been investigated to ascertain its nature, status or place in the management
of an education institution. Organisations vary and communication theories cannot be applied
wholesomely which is why it is necessary to look at ways it is taking shape in education
sector.

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CHAPTER 5:PRESENTATION ANDANALYSIS OF DATA
5.1. Introduction
This chapter presents the data that has been generated to establish the place and status of
corporate communication in the governance of an institution of higher learning in Zimbabwe.
Following the link between corporate governance and corporate communication as
demonstrated in chapter four, the data gathered and presented herein was an attempt to
establish elements of existing communication practices at the Midlands State University, to
show how communication as a function of management is organized within the system of
governance of the University and to identify the contribution of corporate communication in
strategic planning at MSU as well as to establish perceptions of the role and importance of
the corporate communication function by the University management team.
As has already been alluded to in chapter three, the data presented herein was gathered
through a triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods. These include face to face
interviews, use of questionnaires, document study and observations. As such triangulation has
been employed in presenting and analysing data through, content analysis and discourse
analysis. Quantitative visual representations of findings in the form of tables, graphs, pie
charts and other illustrations have been supported by qualitative ‘thick descriptions’ that have
been directly quoted from the interviews, documents and observations.
5.2. Responserateand nature ofquestions
One set of questionnaire was used and thirty (30) were administered across top administrative
and academic management staff. The rate of return of survey questionnaires was 86.7 per
cent. Respondents, as indicated in chapter three were MSU top management staff including
three out of five principal officers, heads of PR and HR, Deans, Directors, Chairpersons of
departments and other heads of non-teaching staff. The majority of respondents identified
themselves as ‘senior’ responsible for communication in one way or the other and that most
of them were responsible to the most senior management like the VC and the PVC. Table 5.1
below is a representation of the population sample breakdown and response rate to each
category.

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Table 5.1: Shows the sampled population and the return rate of questionnaires
Description ofrespondent Number of questionnaires
administered
Number of questionnaires
returned
Return rate
Registry 4 3 75%
Assistant to the VC 1 1 100%
Librarian 1 1 100%
Bursary 3 2 67%
Public Relations 2 2 100%
Students Affairs 3 3 100%
International students 1 1 100%
Deans 5 5 100%
Chairpersons 10 8 80%
TOTAL 30 26 86.66
These respondents were relevant as this study also set out to identify which internal and
external stakeholders top management staff thought were relevant, for the purposes of
building the institution's reputation through service delivery in their domains.
To solicit relevant information, the questionnaire focused on communication activities, nature
of responsibilities and distribution of communication roles of each management unit,
communication management, and attitudes and perceptions towards corporate
communications by the management team. In a bid to establish the place/status of corporate
communication in the management of the university, this study considered examining the
coordination and integration of communication activities.

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5.3. Organizationofthe communicationfunction
This study also sought to frame the basic organization of corporate communication by
understanding the structure of the communications function by examining the breadth and
width of involvement of different units of management in their communications. General
communication activities (elements) of various units in the university were sought so as to
understand who does what in the communication functions. Corporate communication
involves three main forms of communication: management communication, marketing and
organisational communication, so functional management domains as indicated in table 5.1
above were asked to indicate which ones are they responsible for. Figure 5.1 below
summarises responses.
Fig 5.1: Distribution of communication roles
Most units agreed that they are involved in communication in one way or the other. Most of
them said that they communicate directly in the university through memos, emails and
notices as well as meetings mainly directed to staff within and sometimes across departments
or units. Of the 26 questionnaires returned sixteen (62%) respondents indicated that they are
responsible for management communication with respect to running their units. This is done
for every day running of the University to announce events, developments, to follow up on
progress reports and to announce new policies and operations. Director of Works and Estates
for example said:
My work requires me to communicate every time with workers in my department, service
suppliers and engineers who performinfrastructural maintenance and construction on behalf of the
University.
62%
30.80%
7.70%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Management Communication Management + Marketing
Communication
Marketing + Management +
Organisational Communication

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This shows a great flexibility in terms of communication of units in the university.
Eight (30.8%) responses have shown that some heads of units are responsible for both
management and marketing communication. Falling into this category are the registry units
like Academic Affairs, University Secretariat, Human Resources and Admissions. The
Librarian, Deans, Student Affairs and chairpersons said that their jobs require them to involve
in both management and marketing communication. The Dean of the faculty of Natural
Resources Management and Agriculture said that he is responsible for communication as
dean to control, direct and manage staff in the faculty. This therefore shows that almost all
heads of departments are responsible for employee relations. The MSU University
Governance (2011:46) suggests the marketing communication role of deans in the university
by way of:
developing and maintaining relations with alumni of his Faculty and with other organizations and
persons, with a view to enriching the academic programmes offered by his Faculty; establish links
and partnerships with industry, commerce, professional establishment and informal sectors in
order to support student internships, sandwich modules and work related learning; undertaking
fundraising to support teaching and research in the Faculty; co-operating with other Faculties,
agencies and entities to further the programmes and projects of his Faculty; maintain an overview
of the Faculty’s quality assurance.
Only the Registrar and the Information and Public Relations Office indicated that they are
responsible for organisational communication together with marketing and management
communication. These units indicated that they work in cohort with the Vice Chancellor’s
office to harmonise communication of the whole institution to both internal and external
stakeholders. However, the researcher observed that the varied nature of management
domains within the university creates a situation where various management personnel are
communicators who communicate with external and internal target groups, which is taking
place outside the scope of ‘conventional’ and ‘institutionalised’ communication departments.
5.3.1. Existingcommunicationmanagementactivities
Respondents were also asked to indicate the elements and activities of communication where
the University strives to manage. This study also sought to establish existing elements of
corporate communication and this would be established by examining how top management
teams are dividing communication activities so as to achieve corporate objectives as well as
building the reputation of the university. Respondents were asked to indicate communication

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areas they are responsible for from the following; Media Monitoring, Media Relations, Social
Responsibility, Government Relations, Employee Relations, Investor Relations, Event PR
Management, Financial Reporting, Alumni Relations, Students Experience, International
Students Relations, Fundraising, Internal Relations, External Relations, University
Publications, Risk or Crisis Communication, Student Recruitment, Donor Relations
(Sponsorship), Investor Relations, Affiliates Relations, Event Management, Supplier
Communications, Switchboard, University directions and labelling.
As has been summarised in the table 5.2 below, responses suggest that the university’s
communications activities are complex with 92 per cent respondents indicating that they are
involved in one or more possible communication areas listed below. Responses have also
shown that there are zero percent of responses responsible for social responsibility
communications and government relations. The weak presence of the two becomes a striking
finding in that it suggests their relegation from the communication portfolios. However, one
respondent interviewed stated that these communication activities take place but not as stated
in the list.
Despite the diverse nature of functional management units/domains, only 3.8 per cent of the
respondents report that they are responsible for supplier communication. The 3.8 per cent
distribution of respondents has also been reported in such communication areas as Media
Monitoring, Media Relations, Financial Reporting, Fundraising, Internal Relations, External
Relations, Donor Relations (Sponsorship), and Affiliates Relations, Event Management,
Switchboard, University directions and labelling. This serves to show that the university has
tried to create organizational structures responsible for these communication activities.
However these communications are placed in different units with IPR responsible for media
relations and monitoring, fundraising communications, advertising, internal and external
relations as well as event management.
The study has also shown that Affiliate/Associate relations are located under the Registrar
with financial reporting under the Bursar while the Chaplain under Student Affairs manages
student donor relations. The Works and Estates Department is responsible for
communications to do with university signposting. The University Secretariat takes care of
the reception areas and switchboard. Though heads of units have direct command on human

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resources in their domains, it has been indicated that the Human Resources department which
falls under the Registry is responsible for employee relations.
Table 5.2: Showing communication activities and how they are distributed at MSU
Communication activity No. of units responsible Extent of distribution
among respondents
Media Monitoring 1 3.8%
Media Relations 1 3.8%
Social Responsibility 0 0%
Government Relations 0 0%
Employee Relations 1 1
Investor Relations 2 7.7%
Event Management 1 3.8%
Financial Reporting 1 3.8%
Alumni Relations 2 7.7%
Students Experience 18 69.2%
International Students Relations 3 11.5%
Fundraising 1 3.8%
Internal Relations 1 3.8%
External Relations 1 3.8%
University Publications 3 11.5%
Risk or Crisis Communication 2 7.7%
Student Recruitment 2 7.7%
Donor Relations (Sponsorship) 1 3.8%
Affiliates Relations 1 3.8%
Supplier Communications 26 100%
Switchboard 1 3.8%
University directions and labelling 1 3.8%
The remaining communication areas are variously shared by units. Communication to do
with students’ experience is spread out in the university as indicated by 69.2 per cent of

2012
respondents. Indications of communication activities done by more than one unit suggest a
considerable fragmentation of communication responsibilities within the University. The
consistent appearance of the IPR and Registrar’s departments in most responses is a logical
indication of their involvement in most communications in the University. As has been
indicated in table 5.2 above, persistence of the IPR and the Registrar’s office corroborate
their existence in the three forms of corporate communication; management communication,
marketing communication and organisational communication (van Riel 1992).
5.3.2. Degreeofcentralization ofcommunications
Narrowing down to establishing the nature of and place where corporate communication at
MSU is managed, the researcher asked respondents to indicate if there is a department that
manages the University’s communications. Figure 5.2 below is a visual representation of
responses.
Fig 5.2 shows the extent of centralization of Communications
25 respondents (96%) contended that there is a department that has a responsibility of
managing all communications in the university; however with slight variances in naming the
department. 4 percent indicated that there is no department that manages all communications
in the university, stating that “communication responsibility is dispersed throughout offices
of the university.” Respondents were divided as to which department is responsible for
managing the University’s communications. Four different responses arose as shown by the
graph below.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Yes No
Yes
No

2012
Fig 5.3: Variations in the nature of coordinating department
Referring to the department that manages all communications 4 percent of the respondents
stated that “ideally the VC’s office does that through the IPR office.” 11 percent pointed out
that the Registrar’s is the place where communications of the whole institution are controlled.
However 23 percent favoured the combination of the Registrar’s office and IPR department
as the centre of the University’s control of all expressions. The IPR department has been
mentioned by 62 percent of respondents as the department that manages communication in
the University. Though the variations illustrated above show inconsistencies of
management’s knowledge of how corporate communication is placed as a management
function, it is important to note that the appearance of the IPR in the other two variations and
its association with the VC and the Registrar shows that it is near the levers of power which
makes it possible for the IPR to be able to manage the communication portfolio of the
university using an integrated approach.
5.4. IPR as the corporatecommunicationfunction/department
As indicated above 62 percent of respondents suggested that the IPR is the department that
specifically exists for the communication portfolio in the university. The data presented
above has also shown that communication at MSU is not restricted to the IPR department.
Other functional management areas like the human resources management (HRM)
department for example, engage in communication as a tool for recruitment and retention of
12%
23%
4%
62%
Registar
PR and Registar
VC and PR
Infor and PR

2012
valuable personnel and employee relations through articulation of labour market values. The
Staff Handbook by MSU HRM department,
seeks to improve communication links between policy makers and the users at the functional
levels (p7).
The HRM example shows a general acceptance of the importance of communication in the
governance of the University by both non-teaching and teaching managers, who have also
indicated that they have embraced, full responsibility of management communication in their
domains. As one Director has indicated:
there is no way I can do my job without communication; I communicate every day the things
that are relevant with my job.
It is however important to note that these managers are specialists in other areas and not
communication; that is why the majority of respondents indicated that IPR department are
professional communicators at an organisational level.
The corporate communication domain of the IPR is spelt as one of key result areas of Result
Based Management under effective communication and marketing activities. The 2011 RBM
report stated the communication role of the IPR as to “Market the university as well as to
establish and maintain the goodwill and mutual understanding between Midlands State
University and its customers, partners and stakeholders through responsible communication.”
This character of the IPR suggests that marketing and public relations activities are carried
out, under one roof. The IPR is headed by the Director who reports to the Vice-Chancellor
(equivalent to CEO). The senior position of the head of corporate communications clearly
indicates the strategic importance of communications in the University. In an interview, the
director indicated that, in the IPR department, there are three full time administrators who
were recruited on the basis of their qualifications’ relevance to corporate communication.
Two administrators are graduates in Bachelor of Science in Media and Society Studies and
one is a graduate in English and Communications graduate. A close look at the recruitment of
the IPR personnel suggests a positive attitude of senior management towards communication
since all of them including interns have communication credentials.
Document analysis has shown that the job descriptions of the administrators in the IPR are
more of the same responsibilities with all of them expected to gather news for internal and

2012
external publications, conduct interviews for university publications and for journalists’
questions, write, and proofread and editing news articles for the Newsletter as well as
designing the University marketing tools like brochures, fliers, posters and creation of adverts
and providing editorial advice to most publications including promotional materials like
folders, t-shirts, compliment cards and Christmas cards among many others. Their work
becomes more of a routine media department.
A study of RBM reports has shown that the IPR is responsible for the following functions:
The functions of the IPR at MSU are interdepartmental, which means that it works with all
departments in different ways as summarized by the list of responsibilities below:
 To market the University in its entirety
 To promote the visibility of the institution by representing and organizing university
functions
 To organize, represent and showcase the institution’s degree programmes, products
and services at exhibitions and educational fairs.
 Work with the admissions department and faculty representatives in the recruitment
of undergraduate and post graduate students through attending career fairs and most
importantly by calling schools in the country to the Open day organized by the IPR.
Thus creating the institutions market presence as a degree awarding institution.
 Informs the public on events, achievements and upcoming events through the
university’s fortnightly Newsletter; that is management of the entire communication
portfolio at MSU.
 Media relations; that is working with the media and manage all print, electronic and
online media.
 Working in cohort with the Fundraising Committee to fundraise for the university’s
expansion projects.
 Working with the Information Technology Services Department on the continuous
review of the webpage content to facilitate access of updated information to
stakeholders as well as promoting feedback from them.
 Partnering the Students Affairs Division, Work-Related Department and Students
Records and Registration to organize the Professional Network.
 Establish and run the university promotional material shop as a viable Strategic
Business Unit that will be cost effective. (RBM Reports 2011 Key Result Area 11)

2012
In an interview, one of the senior staff member under the Bursar’s department has indicated
that; “we budget and allocate resources for communication purposes like we do to every
function in the university.”
However, observations have shown that some certain functions like Business Projects,
Cleaning Services have university vehicles while the IPR director does not have one. This is
non-verbal communication that expresses a certain attitude towards the head of the university
communication department. During his internship in the IPR from June 2010 to August 2011,
the researcher who was in contact with some members of management, observed that
allocation of resources to the IPR department was done grudgingly. What could be easily
allocated the was money for adverts managing a shop for selling souvenir and promotional
materials like jerseys, t-shirts and ball point pens with university symbols. This meant that
you would have to fight and convince them to understand the contribution and role of
communication. This attitude towards the IPR can be explained by one respondent’s view
that, “communication brings intangible results to the university, whose profit cannot be
measured like what can be done in other units.”
5.5. Managementvaluesthe IPR as the corporatecommunicationdepartment
Respondents were also asked to state the value of the department they mentioned as the
manager of all communications in the university and the responses were varied. The
following were some of them:
I am not allowed to ‘talk’ directly with the external world but can only “communicate our
messages through the University spokesperson who is the director of Information and Public
Relations.
Another one said; “it is not done to ‘talk’ to the press, unless through the Information and
Public Relations department- that is the university policy.”
This portrays the IPR as press agents (Grunig 1992) for the university management team.
This view has been expressed by another respondent under Registry who said; in terms of
advertising for example; “we can flight adverts in the media without the input of the IPR
unless we need them to help us in terms of design.”
He went further to state that, “we cannot be quoted in the media on behalf of the University
unless the Registrar and the IPR director know.”

2012
Respondents also expressed that this is done to ensure accuracy and consistence as well as
avoiding contradictions that may arise when some members of the university express their
personal opinions rather than the university’s perspective. One respondent said that the IPR is
there “for consistency of messages sent into the public domain as well as image management.”
The use of such terms as ‘image management’ by this particular respondent suggests the
valuable nature of corporate communication theories in the university’s governance. This is
what Cornellissen (2004:15) referred to as the ‘symbolic use’ of corporate communication
theory in the practice of communication management. Another respondent indicated that IPR
“maintains the good image of the University with the outside world.” Though at face value this
statement seems to relegate the corporate communication to external affairs; it can be noted
that every activity of an organisation intends to create value on the ‘outside world’ on which
the good image should be maintained. One faculty dean argued that the place of IPR in the
university governance is, “linking and informing internally and externally on vital university
activities.” The point of linking is vital at this moment as it is congruent with the concept of
‘boundary spanning’ role of corporate communicators. Moreover the ‘informing’ part of this
quotation treats the corporate communication function as the information conduit responsible
for establishing an informed public for decision makers.
We need a conscious inclusion of the professional use of communication by senior and line
managers as a tool for functional management and the PR director is responsible for that”, said
one respondent.
A Critical analysis of this statement suggests that those that are in other management functions
are not necessarily ‘professional’ communicators, but they need to know through IPR director,
its use as an instrument to direct their communications when they execute their duties. Below
the study shows how the IPR is involved in the governance of the university and their
involvement in decision making. This goes in hand with Dolphin’s (2000) conception of
corporate communication which suggests that the role of corporate communication
departments in organizations includes being a “planner, watchdog, catalyst, communicator,
savant, stimulant, advisor and confidant” to management
5.6. Corporatecommunicationhasaplaceinthe governanceofMSU
As has been mentioned in chapter four, the University is run democratically and power is
decentralized to committees that service various management units including the

2012
communication portfolio. Midlands State University 2012 University Diary outlines a number
of committees that run the university and for communication there is the Marketing and Public
Relations Committee, the Open Day Committee and Alumni Committee as well as Website
Committee.
The Marketing and Public Relations Committee, is a committee formed to direct
communication efforts by the IPR director. Its composition consists of the Marketing
Management Chairperson, Media and Society Studies Chairperson. Inclusion of these
chairpersons is a deliberate effort to fuse theoretical underpinnings of marketing and
communication into the practice of corporate communication at the university. This may be the
reason why they are expected to advise the IPR director on:
How to gather and disseminate information about the university both within and outside the
university and how to market the university locally, regional and internationally (MSU 2012
University Diary: 74).
The Registrar, Librarian, Bursar, Assistant to Vice-Chancellor and the director of IPR are other
members in the committee. The inclusion of principal officers in the committee shows a
commitment of top management to corporate communication.
Under the Marketing and Public Relations, there is the Branding Committee as a subcommittee
responsible for carrying out research of the university valuations by its different stakeholders.
In an interview, the IPR director said, “Research findings will help us direct our marketing and
communications efforts in line with expectations of the university stakeholders.” This is in line
with Grunig’s (2001) excellence model which states that excellent communication uses
research. In other words effective corporate communication is informed, guided and concluded
by research. Funding of the research by the University, also suggests their commitment to
include views of the stakeholders in strategic decision making which concurs with Grunig’s
(1992) strategic management model as outlined in chapter two.
According to the MSU 2012 University Diary, Alumni Committee is made up of the Registrar,
faculty representatives, Directors of IPR and ITS who are supposed:
To create a forum for building a foundation and sense of origin that fosters belonging and
confidence with the university as an institution of higher learning.

2012
This places identity at the centre of alumni relations which would help to;
Strengthen the reputation of the University through a market strategy of reputable market
performance for excellence by the University’s graduates (University Diary; 62).
Alumni relations would be supported by the publication of a regular Alumni Magazine. An
analysis of the above statements would show that reputation of the university is based on the
quality of its products (graduates) whose excellence and sense of belonging to the university
can help corporate communicators to establish a market competitive advantage.
The IPR director also sits in the following committees: the Associate/Affiliate, Community
Engagement through Scientific and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CESKI), Gender
Committee, Sports and Recreation Fundraising Committee, Public Private Partnership (PPP)
Committee and Quality Assurance Committee. The IPR as the corporate communication
department has a place in the governance in the university as the director’s role in these
committees are spelt out for example in the PPP committee, there is need to “convince all
stakeholders that the PPP projects are viable in the social services sector.” The director of IPR
believes that her department is a recognizable force in decision making and strategy
formulation of the university in that:
We are involved in strategic planning team as we sit in the Council which is the supreme
governing board, Senate and Academic Board; moreover we are part of the Result Based
Management (RBM) that shapes and reviews university strategy. The RBM is made up of top
management, the VC, PVC, Deans, and all heads of teaching and non-teaching units.
5.7. The needforqualityassuranceincommunication takenforgranted
The researcher also inquired of respondents the mechanisms available to the university for the
control and management of communication in different functions and service delivery to
customers. The study focused in particular on four types of mechanisms: communication
policy; control by committees; training workshops and each department and employee
communicate according to situation at hand. Of the 26 questionnaires returned only two (2)
indicated the existence of a communication policy while five (5) mentioned training
workshops. 14 respondents indicated management by committees arguing that “no one makes
unilateral decisions.” Two (2) said employees are free to deal with customers as they deem
necessary and three (3) respondents indicated both training workshops and committees as

2012
management frameworks for communication. Below is a pie chart, figure 5.3 summarising
these responses.
Figure 5.3: Mechanisms of ensuring communication quality in service delivery
Interviews were used to follow up on the findings indicated in Fig 5.3 and respondents stated
there is no written or formal document for communication guidelines to members of the
university staff but “they know that every university business is done through written
communication.” One respondent hinted that the communication policy was drafted in 2010
but argued that “progress on the communication policy is being stalled by those who fear that
their wings will be clipped.” An analysis of this statement suggests that there are clashes of
interests regarding communication roles in the University. This may be the problem facing
the passing of the communication policy. This situation suggests a lack of understanding of
what corporate communication entails in the University, or that some members of the
University management want to take advantage of the blurred definition of communication
roles that thrives in the absence of a communication policy.
Committees have predominated as ways of ensuring quality in communication. However, it is
important to state that not everyone sits in committees; only ‘bosses’ have access which
means those who are at service delivery level are left out. Director of the Graduate School of
Business Leadership said, “Sometime in 2010 we carried a Customer Care Workshop for
Administrative staff”, which may explain the 19 percent indication of training workshops.
This means that the workshop did not cover all staff members who may at times be involved
11%
19%
8%54%
8% Training Workshops and
Commitees
Training Workshops
Communications policy
Commiittees
Freewill

2012
in some communication with the university’s customers; that is; students and other
stakeholders. The 8 percent who indicated each department and employees communicate as
per situation may be to parallels with what the researcher observed during the study;
secretaries and security officers sometimes have ‘attitudes’ towards students, sometimes
treating them like they are not of value to the university. These are the people who are in
contact with students and visitors in the university most of the times; which means their
communications behaviour should not be in conflict with what professional communicators
want to project of the university. “If it is not checked”, one student who spent three days to
collect a transcript said, “they get us pissed off, the reason why people don’t want to join the
convocation; these are some bad experiences about this place.”
Observation has also shown that directions in the University are not clearly indicated with the
University reception areas difficult to locate especially for visitors. Asked about the attitudes
towards visitors to the University when there is no vehicle parking space reserved for them,
one respondent highlighted that, “we only cater for our principal officers and members of the
University Council; visitors park their cars on general car parks where our students and staff
members park their cars.”
Clear labels, maps and directions in an organisation are ‘communications’ (Cornelissen
2004), the lack of which indicates a negative attitude towards corporate communication.
5.8. Conclusion
The findings presented in this chapter were a result of data gathered through interviews,
questionnaires, institutional documents and observations. The findings were presented and
analysed thematically and through visual representations of pie charts, graphs and tables.

2012
CHAPTER 6:CONCLUSIONS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS
6.1. Introduction
In chapter two of this study some theoretical underpinnings and factors influencing corporate
communication were outlined. This study has also shown the link between corporate
communication and good corporate governance. An overview of the main ideas in the literature
review, as well as the main findings in chapter five, provides the framework for conclusions
and recommendations. This chapter puts into context the concept of corporate communication
to the Midlands State University as a corporate entity.
6.2. The contextofCorporateCommunication atMSU
MSU is a degree awarding institution whose strategic vision between 2001 and 2015 is to
establish “a unique, pace setting and development oriented University” with the capacity to
“produce innovative and enterprising graduates.” To be able to do this the university has to be
“stakeholder driven.” To be stakeholder driven means the ability to deal with publics or
stakeholders. Dealing with stakeholders calls for a strategic model of corporate communication
which emphasises on the two-way communication model (Grunig, 1992). To be relevant to its
vision and several other missions and objectives as outlined in chapter four, communication
that is consistently nurtured in line with corporate identity values. This entails the need to
integrate all “communications from brochures to websites in tone, themes, visuals and logos”
(Cornellissen 2004: 24). As has been alluded to in chapter one the success of professional
corporate communicators depends on the place they have in the governance of an organisation.
The reputation of MSU is created by those who manage it through their behaviour towards the
expectations of stakeholders. In light of this, corporate communicators, could place themselves
as planners, organizers and facilitators- the eyes and ears and the voice; an additional voice to
that of the Vice-Chancellor and other senior managers.
Like individuals, organisations have distinct personalities, corporate personalities that
Haywood (2003:20) sees as “brand personality”:
Just as the personality of an individual can be defined and put in writing, in a curriculumvitae for
example, the personality of an organization should be capable of definition and description with
relevant aspects of the personalities, attributes and contributions of the senior managers clearly
supporting this corporate personality (Haywood (2003:20).

2012
Central to a university is the identification, presentation and management of communication
issues affecting management decision making about stakeholders; that is students, government,
students donors, prospective students, other universities, alumni, the community and investors
as well as captains of industry and commerce among many others.
In face of these stakeholders, the University needs to position itself as the centre of excellence
and this requires effective corporate communication especially through what management does
and says. This means that there is no future for professional communicators trying to promote
the brand if the bosses do not believe in it. This being the context in which corporate
communication finds itself at MSU, it is now important to turn to the purpose of this chapter;
conclusions on the place of corporate communication in the governance of MSU. Its place
could be established by the identification of people who communicate on behalf of the
University; their location in the governance structure; their reporting structure, responsibilities
and the value attached to it by the management staff. Another way of looking at the place of
corporate communication in the running of MSU was to establish its current status in terms of
practices, coordination and control mechanisms as well as looking at the resources and
specialties available to corporate communicators in the university.
6.3. Summaryof Findings/Conclusions
A university is made up of various units of management; among them non-teaching and
teaching units. These engage in communication of different types to address respective
stakeholders relevant to their functions. That is why the majority of the sampled management
claimed certain responsibilities over management and marketing communications. This makes
communication management complex because each one of them communicates differently to
suit departmental objectives. The study has shown that of the communication activities are not
run on a central level per se, but they are run by different divisions; for example the Division of
Student Affairs runs the Orientation of first year, first level students. Orientation is a corporate
event that invites students’ parents; which entails an articulate event management by
professional communicators. The Switchboard and the Reception areas for example are in
custody of the University Secretariat while students’ donors handled by the university
Chaplaincy. Thus it can be concluded corporate communication activities in the university are
complex, spread out and fragmented.

2012
Though, the study has indicated a fragmented approach to corporate communication at the
University, findings have also shown that MSU coordinates its communication in that it has a
department that manages communications at an organisational level. However, there were
differences in naming the responsible as suggestions indicated the Vice Chancellor’s office
through Information and Public Relations department as responsible. Others mentioned the
Registrar’s office as responsible while others favoured a combination of the IPR and the
Registrar. A majority of respondents indicated the IPR as the responsible department. Thus the
researcher concluded that the IPR department is the corporate communication department in
the university working under the Vice-Chancellor while working in cohort with the Registrar.
This means that the IPR is part of the ‘dominant alliance’ (Grunig, 2001). In this case this
researcher concluded that corporate communication is placed as a managerial framework for
managing all communications used by the University management to “build reputations
and relationships with stakeholders in its environment” (Cornelissen, 2004: 23). Despite the
existence of different divisions being responsible for certain communications activities, the
IPR which is the coordinating department of corporate communication at MSU exists as a
“managerial framework that goes above and beyond departmental boundaries” (Cornelissen,
2004: 23).
Staffing of the IPR has also shown that top management values corporate communication as it
is being led by a director with strategic management and corporate governance qualifications.
Under the Director, there are administrators; three of them with communication qualifications.
This makes the IPR important as other management functions like the HRM which is a positive
attitude towards corporate communication. An analysis of this leads to the conclusion that
corporate communication at MSU is treated as a specialist area that requires qualified
personnel; which nullifies the anyone-can-do-it attitude that normally characterise an attitude
towards corporate communication in other organisations.
It has also been established that currently MSU does not have a written communication policy
that could guide communication activities of management, administrators, secretaries and
security guards who are at liberty to use words of their choice when dealing with customers.
They have also not received customer care training from their respective departments and not
even from the IPR. Only management staff are being catered for which leads the researcher to
conclude that; the university views corporate communication from an elitist perspective
whereby quality of what can be said or cannot be said to students is not considered.

2012
6.4. Recommendations
The researcher also asked respondents ways that can be used to improve corporate
communication in the university and basing on the above findings and conclusions the
following were taken:
 Development of a corporate communications committee and policy that is clear and
elaborate to be able to stride all types of communication in the university.
 Ideally it should be under one domain for consistency sake. A situation where each
department entertains queries from outside can jeopardize and defeat the whole purpose
of corporate communication; to build reputable valuations of the university. Along with
this it may bring better platform of corporate communication if the IPR department is
fused with the office of the Assistant to the VC which is situated in the VC’s office.
This may help corporate communicators to access and ensure quality of communication
coming from the VC’s office.
 There is need to empower and ensure the autonomy of the corporate communication
function (IPR) for it to be able to the counsel of the management team. This enables the
corporate communication function to advise management to include views of
stakeholders in decision making.
 There is need to aligning strategic goals with communication goals. Since corporate
communication goes with business; it manages the corporate story (Holten Larse, 2000
as cited in Gutierrez-Garcia, 2008. Practitioners help to shape the reality of the
company. Company and stakeholders share a common public sphere. The company’s
success depends, as a result, on adjustment to the expectation and demands of publics,
not only in commercial sense, but in a general one.
 Related to the above, good corporate governance requires the management of complex
elements and, in the end, exact knowledge about what is taking place in the
environment. Communication managers become a catalyst that enables an
organisation’s executives to take stakeholder demands into account and adapt company
service to its publics. This calls for research to guide the formulation of communication
strategy, control, monitoring and evaluation of communication campaigns.

2012
 Since corporate communication is still growing and that its return on investment is not
measurable in terms of profit, practitioners need to prove through monitoring and
evaluation reports that they are the best manners of their departments in such a way that
the whole university depends on them.
6.5. Recommendationsforfurtherresearch
This research focussed on establishing the place of corporate communication in the governance
of an education institution and it constrained to MSU. It is recommended for researchers
intending to study corporate communication to carry a research of a similar nature looking at
more than two educational institutions with different commands of governance for example a
privately owned institution and a government owned institution. It may also interest
researchers to study the relationship between training and the development of the corporate
communication field in Zimbabwe. Another area of further research may be the need to
understand brand management techniques employed by universities and colleges in Zimbabwe.
6.7. Conclusion
This chapter provided conclusions and recommendations drawn from theoretical reflections of
corporate communication and from research findings. The call for the autonomy of the
corporate communication departments has been made. Like in profit making companies
corporate communication for higher education, is crucial to good governance of a university.

2012
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Nasarawa State University- Nigeria, available at http://www.wiloludjournal.com/pdf/
edures/2008/1-5.pdf
Gutierrez-Garcia, (2008), “Corporate Communication in Corporate Governance: Why Should
It Be Managed Strategically? The Spanish Case”, EUPRERA 2008 Congress,
Institutionalizing Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Milan, 16-18 October
2008, accessible at http://www.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Elena_Gutierrez-
Garcia.pdf
Kezar, A., Eckel, P. D. (2004), “Meeting Today’s Governance Challenges.” The Journal of
Higher Education: vol. 75, no. 4: 371-398, Ohio State University Press available at
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3838739 , accessed on 24 January 2012.
Kotler, P. and Mindak, W. (1978), The Journal of Marketing Vol 42 No.4, American
Marketing Society, (http://www.jstor.org/stable/1250080)
Napoli, P.M. (2010), Political Communication: A Principal-Agent Approach to the Study
of Media Organizations: Toward a Theory of the Media Firm,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/105846097199443, downloaded by: [INASP - ZIMBABWE ] On: 13
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/08/b-steyn-bled-2002-paper.pdf) accessed on 17 February 2012.
UNPUBLISHED WORKS
Mbofana, T.Y., (2009), An Investigation into the Effectiveness of Public Relations
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Municipality, Gweru, Midlands State University.
Munemo, S.T. (2009), The Role Public Relations at Kadoma City Council. How the City
Council Communicates to Establish Cordial Relations with Kadoma Residents, Gweru,
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Goals and Objectives: A comparative Analysis of the Practice of Public Relations at a
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UNIVERSITY DOCUMENTS
Midlands State University strategic plan 2001-2015: Executive Summary, MSU, Gweru.
Midlands State University Yearbook 2011- 2014
Vice Chancellor’s 2011 Annual Report
The Varsity Update January – April 2010
The Varsity Update January – April 2011
Midlands State University Strategic and Business Plans 2006 – 2015
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Relations”, http://books.google.co.zw/books?id=p1AK5TqOM-4C& printsec= front
cover&dq= The+Essentials+of+Corporate+Communications+ and+ Public+Relations ,
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http://factoidz.com/corporate-communication
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www.uncf.org

2012
Takesure PambukaR0825436H BSc Media& Society Studies – May 2012 xi
Appendix 1
QUESTIONNAIRE TO MANAGEMENT
My name is Takesure Pambuka, a Midlands State University student (R0825436H) writing a
dissertation study in line with corporate communication of higher education institutions using the
Midlands State University as a case study. This research has been approved by the Registrar and the
Media and Society Studies department at Midlands State University.
Information collected will be confidentially treated and used for the purpose of this study only.
Instructions
Fill or tick where applicable.
1.0.Section A: General Information
1.1. Department: …………………………………………………………………………
1.2. Period on Job :………………………………………………………………………….
2.0. Section B: Roles and Communication Activities
2.1. What is your role in information dissemination in your job? Tick the box with appropriate
response.
Management communication Marketing Communication Organisational Communication
2.2. The following are communication management activities. Which ones are you responsible
for as a department? Indicate by ticking appropriate boxes.
Employee Relations Financial Reporting Alumni Relations Students
Experience International Students Relations Fundraising Governments
Relations Media Relations Internal Relations External Relations
University Publications Social Responsibility Communication Risk or Crisis
Communication Student Recruitment Donor Relations(Sponsorship) Investor
Relations Affiliates Relations Event Management Advertising
Supplier Communications Switchboard University directions and labelling
2.3. Is there a department that manage all communication in the university?

2012
Takesure PambukaR0825436H BSc Media& Society Studies – May 2012 xii
Yes No
If yes name the department or office
......................................................................................................................................................
Do you think the department you mentioned above is valuable? Yes No
Why? ...........................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................
2.4. Which communication areas are organized on a centralized level?
Employee Relations Financial Reporting Alumni Relations Students
Experience International Students Relations Fundraising Governments
Relations Media Relations Internal Relations External Relations
University Publications Social Responsibility Communication Risk or Crisis
Communication Student Recruitment Donor Relations(Sponsorship) Investor
Relations Affiliates Relations Event Management Advertising
Supplier Communications Switchboard University directions and labelling
2.5. How are communication activities managed in the university? Indicate by ticking
appropriate boxes below.
Communication policy/ manual Through committees Training workshops
Each department and employee communicate according to situation at hand
2.6. Given any chance what can you suggest be changed in the way communication of the
university is handled to make it more satisfying, please indicate how.
………………………………………………………………………………............................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………......................................................
End of Questionnaire

2012
Takesure PambukaR0825436H BSc Media& Society Studies – May 2012 xiii
Appendix 2
INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR MANAGEMENT
1. Your job involves a lot of communication with people whom you deal with, how do
you send messages to and receive messages from them.
2. To who are your communications directed.
3. Do you communicate with the external stakeholders? If yes who are these.
4. Where in the university is your communication with the external stakeholders managed.
5. Are communications within the university are guided by a policy or a communication
manual.
6. How often do you receive training on effective communication as a manager?
7. How often do you provide for workshops to administrators and secretaries in your
department to communicate effectively with stakeholders within your domain as a
department?
8. What value is communication to your discharge of duties?
9. What is the role of the Information and Public Relations office in managing
communication in your department?

2012
Takesure PambukaR0825436H BSc Media& Society Studies – May 2012 xiv
Appendix 3
4059 Mkoba 10
Gwaai Street
Gweru Zimbabwe
Cell: +263 773 739972
Email: tpambuka@yahoo.com
19 March 2012
The Registrar
Midlands State University
P Bag 9055, Gweru
Dear Sir
RE: REQUEST TO CONDUCT RESEARCH STUDY
My name is Takesure Pambuka (R0825436H), a 4th year Media and Society Studies student. I
am a bona fide student interested in carrying out a research study at the Midlands State
University in line with the topic: The place of corporate communication in the governance of
higher institutions of learning in Zimbabwe.
I therefore seek your permission to administer a research questionnaire and to interview
members of the university management and staff. Information collected will be treated
confidentially and will be strictly used for academic purposes only.
I am looking forward to your consideration.
Yours sincerely
……………………………
Takesure Pambuka

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