Online public relations : an exploration into the impact of information communication technology (ICT) on corporate communication in Gauteng companies

Abstract

The research problem identified focused on dispersed company audiences which result in the lack of immediate communication. Public relations activities which are undertaken through conventional media do not explicate organisational policies. Feedback is rendered impossible or delayed due to the non-availability of the same tools used by organisations. This thesis explores possibilities of how new technologies would address these problems, and opportunities of executing corporate communication functions. Existing literature highlights various conventional media used in organisations for corporate communication. Though the conventional media serve organisational, employee and stakeholder needs, they do not offer solutions that will enhance communication or alleviate the above-stated concern. With the introduction of new technologies, literature shows that they have the potential to execute various corporate communication activities. New technologies offer organisations opportunities to excel in executing corporate communication activities and extend the communication tools with more efficiency. The study hypothesis took the form of research questions. The question~ ~hat were tested focused on how public relations practitioners use the internet as a new medium to execute corporate communication. Further, research questions focused on how the intranet is used for internal communication. Research questions also looked at the functions of electronic mail for both internal and external publics. The methodologies were content analysis and survey research. The former analyzed existing communication content from web sites, and the latter gathered data from the same sample pertaining to intranet and e-mail usage. Content analysis analyzed numerous units which were categorized as 'corporate

communication', investor information', 'virtual centre' and 'web surveys'. Data was collected from 27 companies from these sectors: oil, mining, banking, newspapers and radio. Basic descriptive statistics as well as Chi-Square to test hypothesis were conducted. Other tests included Scott's pi and Holsti method for reliability testing. The findings showed that Information Communication Technologies are changing the landscape of corporate communication for the better, thus supporting study objectives and answering almost all research questions. Though new theoretical models are proposed with regard to technologies, the findings support the two traditional theoretical models which underpin public relations activities. The significance of the findings calls for an integration of ICT strategies with traditional communication strategies. In order for organisations to be more efficient and competitive, conventional methods should be integrated with new methods introduced by technologies.