Banking giant re-defines its communication mandate. Unusual survey technique determines new strategic communication planning for South African financial group.Applied organisational communication was identified as one of the primary tools in the extensive development process currently under way a process encompassing a total rethink re·think tr. & intr.v. re·thought , re·think·ing, re·thinks To reconsider (something) or to involve oneself in reconsideration. re on job levels, skills development, rewards packages and the way the organisation will position itself to meet future prospects. The ABSA ABSA American Biological Safety Association ABSA Amalgamated Banks of South Africa ABSA Alberta Boilers Safety Association ABSA Aerolinhas Brasileiras S.A. ABSA Action à Bon de Souscription d'Action ABSA Australian Boarding Staff Association Inc. group is one of Africa's largest financial service institutions. Its interests include commercial, merchant and international banking, insurance underwriting Underwriting 1. The process by which investment bankers raise investment capital from investors on behalf of corporations and governments that are issuing securities (both equity and debt). 2. The process of issuing insurance policies. , brokerage and property services. The organisation has 37,500 employees in executive, managerial, professional, administrative, technical and support capacities - a work force rich in diversity and expectations. The change in the South African political climate, as well as the country's acceptance into the international financial arena, has brought plans for globalisation of ABSA's markets and interests. In addition, a 1991 merger between two building organisations and a banking group brought together different cultures and attitudes. The complexities deepened when, a year later, another banking group was acquired. Coupled with its extensive commitment to the country's reconstruction and development programme Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) is a South African socio-economic policy framework implemented by the African National Congress (ANC) government of Nelson Mandela in 1994 after months of discussions, consultations and negotiations between the ANC, its Alliance , ABSA is poised for an even more demanding future. A future that has to include ever increasing productivity and high-level commitment from the ABSA work force into the year 2000 and beyond. Using strategic communication as a development tool Executive management of the financial institution stressed the importance of the communication process in promoting understanding, buy-in and cooperation up front. Specific initiatives The purpose is to align both internal and external communication processes with the planned strategic direction of the entire organisation. The communication function was restructured to include strategic communication development, internal and external communication, corporate affairs, media and public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most , and operational support. Planning initiatives include improved internal customer service strategies, communication-practitioner skills alignment and training, management communication and ongoing measurement. A structured process The process embarked upon follows a standard organisational development procedure in terms of diagnosis, planning implementation and evaluation. This process kicked off by first addressing the internal climate before moving outwards to external customers and the general public. The internal communication climate was diagnosed and constituent research, in terms of worker and management communication needs, completed. This comprehensive research will be used as benchmark for both needs-directed planning and future intervention, as well as future programme evaluation. Modeled from the ground floor up The internal communication research project took three months to complete. The research model was specifically for ABSA's needs, applying standard communication and organisational development theory. This model was designed by a strategic communication development team in conjunction with a specialist research consultant, Stephanie Griffiths of Material Assistance Communication, Kenmare, South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. , and is believed to be unique in methods of dimensions tested. In constructing the survey, particular attention was paid to the demographic profile A demographic or demographic profile is a term used in marketing and broadcasting, to describe a demographic grouping or a market segment. This typically involves age bands (as teenagers do not wish to purchase denture fixant), social class bands (as the rich may want of the South African work force, a demographic tapestry tapestry, hand-woven fabric of plain weave made without shuttle or drawboy, the design of weft threads being threaded into the warp with fingers or a bobbin. rich in cultural and skills diversity. The model is geared towards the servicing of internal client needs - both from a service and product point of view. The research consisted of three phases, run simultaneously. In the first phase, valuable information was gathered through one-on-one interviews with key executives in the organisation. Phase two focused on management and professional staff needs from the internal communication function to identify blockages in communicating effectively and to ascertain their own assessment of their individual management style. Phase three consisted of a questionnaire sent out to 50 percent of the total work force. The purpose was to measure communication climate, relationships and channel usage. Critical links were established between management needs from the communication function, the extent to which management accepts responsibility for communication and how this affects work-place climate. Some interesting employee trends determined in the process: - In terms of diagnostic research, employees perceived management communication relationships and practices as reasonable, with room for improvement. * Shareholder communication was rated as excellent. * Focus areas in terms of boosting communication relationships and practices that need attention were cross-functional, between divisions and with the external community. * Employees felt the need for greater alignment between internal and external information dissemination dissemination Medtalk The spread of a pernicious process–eg, CA, acute infection Oncology Metastasis, see there and goals prioritisation. - In terms of attitudinal and behavioural Adj. 1. behavioural - of or relating to behavior; "behavioral sciences" behavioral norms affecting the organisational communication climate, successes include: * High performance standards, innovative problem solving problem solving Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error. , training and development practices, candour candour or US candor Noun honesty and straightforwardness of speech or behaviour [Latin candor] Noun 1. and openness and teamwork. * Variables needing attention through communication and intervention include leadership styles, organisational pride and internal customer relations. - In terms of constituent trends it has been interesting to note that the company journal, Abacus, ranks highest on the preferred information list. Respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. were given a list of 22 channels. * In order of preference, Abacus was followed by line management, memos and circulars, AGN AGN Again (Amateur Radio) AGN Active Galactic Nucleus AGN Acute Glomerulonephritis AGN Accountants Global Network AGN Air Gabon (ICAO code) (the organisation's business broadcasting network), formal meetings and informal meetings. Top internal issues in order of preference remain: * Remuneration REMUNERATION. Reward; recompense; salary. Dig. 17, 1, 7. and benefits at the top of the list, followed by * Self-development, * Team process building, * Customer service issues and programmes, * Staff issues, * Quality improvement processes, * Training and information on organisational change. (Issues tested ran to 45 items.) Preferred feedback channels were: * Line management, * Letters in formal media and * Employee surveys and opinion audits. Ongoing measurement and tracking The results from the audit, as well as the measurement criteria, are in the process of being developed into an ongoing measurement tool to track climate dimension, the performance of channels and issues, management communication and needs in the future. ABSA management and the communication function believe that this measurement tool provides for dynamic needs of organisational communication well into the next decade and beyond. RELATED ARTICLE: In creating the ABSA communication research model, the following links were created to survey several levels of corporate concern. All dimensions and variables are functionally dependent upon one another. The concerns of client management (Phase A) related to diagnostic research from the employee audit (Phase B). Through this data, a measurable database was formulated. With this data, ABSA was able to redesign re·de·sign tr.v. re·de·signed, re·de·sign·ing, re·de·signs To make a revision in the appearance or function of. re its communication strategy that linked all levels of employee and customer concerns. In addition, other variables in the survey included * Information channel rating and preference * Feedback channel rating and preference * Language preference * Issues usage and preference * Topical issues usage RELATED ARTICLE: Phase A - Client/Management Diagnostic research Functional blockages * Lack of sufficient information * Cross-functional practices * Communication role clarity * Credibility * Abdication abdication, in a political sense, renunciation of high public office, usually by a monarch. Some abdications have been purely voluntary and resulted in no loss of prestige. * Employee trust levels * Selective information download Management styles * Autocratic * Participative * Democratic RELATED ARTICLE: Phase B - Employee Audit Diagnostic research Organisational norms study * Organisational pride * Performance/excellence * Information sharing See data conferencing. - Workgroup - Cross-functional - Upwards * Leadership styles * Internal customer relations * Innovativeness/creativity * Training/development * Candour/openness * Role clarity - Individual - Divisional - Organisational * Reward/recognition systems Communication relationships * Intra-organisational * Inter-divisional * Supervisor/subordinate * Workgroup * Inter-departmental (cross functional) * Community * Shareholder RELATED ARTICLE: Phase A - Client/Management Constituent Battery Needs from formal communication function * Climate diagnosis * Employee opinion diagnosis * Issues identification * Communication relationship boosting * Team building and development * Facilitation Facilitation The process of providing a market for a security. Normally, this refers to bids and offers made for large blocks of securities, such as those traded by institutions. services * Mediation mediation, in law, type of intervention in which the disputing parties accept the offer of a third party to recommend a solution for their controversy. Mediation has long been a part of international law, frequently involving the use of an international commission, * Conflict resolution * Communication workshops * A management-specific publication * Specific information needs * Communication skills training RELATED ARTICLE: Phase B - Employee Audit Constituent Battery * Usage of top management and line supervisors as credible information channel * Communication workshops * Overall climate upgrading * Relationship and productivity improvement * Credibility of management as informed source * Climate diagnosis, strategic communication planning Communication planning is the art and science of reaching target audiences using marketing communication channels such as advertising, PR, experiences or direct mail for example. It is concerned with deciding who to target, when, with what message and how. Additional constituent variables * Information channel rating and preference * Feedback channel rating and preference * Language preference * Issues usage and preference * Topical issues usage Please note: In both linkage linkage In mechanical engineering, a system of solid, usually metallic, links (bars) connected to two or more other links by pin joints (hinges), sliding joints, or ball-and-socket joints to form a closed chain or a series of closed chains. diagrams all dimensions/variables are functionally dependent upon one another. Carina Carina (kərē`nə) [Lat.,=the keel], southern constellation, representing the keel of the ancient constellation Argo Navis, or Ship of the Argonauts. Carina contains Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky. Potgieter was project leader, ABSA, South Africa. |
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