The Role Of Technical Communication In Strategic Management

In the dynamic world of modern business, organisational success hinges on effective management and strategic public relations (PR). Let us use GreenLeaf Organics, a growing company specialising in organic food products, to illustrate how an organisation can achieve success through a well-structured PR strategy.

At GreenLeaf Organics, the PR team has evolved from being mere communicators to strategic managers. This evolution underscores the necessity for PR professionals to understand the management theories and organisational dynamics. GreenLeaf’s PR team, led by Mr. Emmauel Okoro, a seasoned PR strategist, embodies this transformation.

Okoro’s deep understanding of organisational management has helped him to integrate PR seamlessly into the company’s strategic framework.

Defining Organisational Success: From Goal Attainment to Stakeholder Management

Early management theories like the Goal Attainment Approach, which focus narrowly on meeting organisational goals, proved inadequate for GreenLeaf. Instead, the company adopted a more holistic approach, recognising its interdependence with the external environment. This shift led to the implementation of the stakeholder management approach, which emphasises the importance of relationships with key stakeholders—an area where the PR team plays a critical role.

Identifying and Prioritising Stakeholders

GreenLeaf began by identifying all potential stakeholders using Grunig and Hunt’s linkage model. This model categorises stakeholders into enabling, functional, diffused, and normative groups. For GreenLeaf, enabling stakeholders included regulatory bodies that provided necessary certifications and approvals. Functional stakeholders comprised suppliers of organic produce and employees essential to daily operations. Diffused stakeholders were consumers and community groups who occasionally interacted with the company, and normative stakeholders included industry associations and competitors sharing similar values.

Describing Stakes and Managing Conflicts

The next step was to describe the stakes or claims these stakeholders had in GreenLeaf’s success. This process revealed conflicting interests, such as consumers’ demand for low prices versus the operational costs of maintaining organic standards. Mr. Okoro and his team managed these conflicts through transparent communication and inclusive decision-making, ensuring all voices were heard and considered.

Assessing Stakeholder Significance

GreenLeaf’s PR team evaluated the significance of each stakeholder’s stake using criteria like legitimacy, power, and urgency. This evaluation helped prioritise stakeholders, ensuring the most critical relationships received the attention they deserved. For example, regulatory bodies were deemed definitive stakeholders due to their legal authority and the urgency of compliance, whereas consumer advocacy groups were categorised as expectant stakeholders.

Opportunities and Challenges

The PR team analysed the opportunities and challenges presented by each stakeholder group. Opportunities included potential partnerships with health advocacy non- governmental organisations (NGOs) that could bolster GreenLeaf’s public image and market reach, while challenges involved addressing consumer concerns about product pricing and sustainability practices.

Ethical Responsibilities and Long-Term Relationships

GreenLeaf was committed to ethical responsibilities, such as transparent decision-making, maintaining long-term relationships, and fostering trust. Mr. Okoro’s team emphasised legal, moral, and community responsibilities, positioning GreenLeaf as a valuable and responsible corporate citizen.

Strategic Actions and Relationship Enhancement

Finally, the PR team developed strategic plans to enhance relationships with key stakeholders. These plans included regular community outreach programs, collaborative projects with industry associations, and proactive communication strategies to address concerns before they escalated. By holding the reins of stakeholder relationships, Okoro’s team ensured GreenLeaf’s continued success and positive reputation.

GreenLeaf Organics exemplifies how an organisation can achieve success through strategic public relations. By adopting a stakeholder management approach, identifying and prioritising stakeholders, managing conflicts, and maintaining ethical responsibilities, GreenLeaf’s PR team has become a cornerstone of the company’s strategic management. All this has highlighted the vital role of PR in managing organisational success and underscored the need for PR professionals to be well-versed in management theories and practices.