Culture consists of the social behavior, morals, values, and beliefs of people living in a particular society. In turn, corporate culture consists of the beliefs and values that determine how a company’s employees and management interact with each other and their customers. While more people think of corporate culture in terms of a company’s dress code, office environment, working hours, employee perks, turnover, hiring choices, how staff and clients are treated, and client satisfaction, there’s arguably more to it. Corporate culture affects how specific departments within the company function as well.
This tends to have the most impact in creative departments such as public relations (PR). Historically, PR has not been seen as important to the success of a business as other departments. This disconnect can lead to a culture that often finds public relations teams micromanaged by those who don’t understand the discipline, siloed from other departments, hands tied creatively, and employees who feel like their contributions are overlooked. But corporate PR has slowly been changing over time. Here’s how.
What are the Causes of Corporate PR Cultural Changes?
There are numerous sources of cultural changes in corporate PR, but the most common ones are the following:
1. Technological Advancement
Technological advancement is one of the most effective impellers of cultural change. It shapes the employees’ daily activities and lifestyles to a large degree. In general, it has altered our lives and reduced the distance between us by changing how we communicate. Therefore it will impact the corporate PR culture as well.
2. Globalization
With the blurring of geographical boundaries, we have begun to operate on international platforms. When the interaction of people increases with others belonging to various cultural backgrounds, they get to know about the corporate culture of each other. Hence, they start to expect more from their organizations, leading to change.
Is the Corporate PR Culture Facing any Changes in the Coming Years?
Undoubtedly, when there is a change in corporate culture, it will affect business practices and, therefore, public relations as well. Corporate PR is changing, and here’s what you can expect in the upcoming years.
1. Employee Empowerment
Employee empowerment is the process by which companies give their employees more freedom and choice over their daily task. In the past, corporate culture used to be rigid and formalized in most cases, but now, it has started to become more flexible. Empowering employees has become an essential element of corporate PR because it helps increase productivity. It also helps employees to feel more valued and fulfilled at work which leads to lower turnover.
2. Easy Access to Information
Another corporate PR culture change is that information is easier to access. As such, companies have access to industry information and targeted market analyses. There are now multiple types of software that can compile consumer data. This information can help PR specialists analyze their target market’s preferences, aiding them in improving their efficiency. An essential element is the incorporation of artificial intelligence in public relations, which aids in speech-to-text conversions and translation into different languages.
From an internal perspective having easier access to information and more transparency helps to break down siloes between PR and other departments.
3. Better Human Resources Strategies
Improved human resources practices will be seen in the upcoming years because business owners have realized that it is essential to have high levels of employee satisfaction. This can be achieved through an incentive mechanism, a more reasonable workload, more flexibility, and giving employees emotional space. These practices aim to provide value to employees, making the company more attractive to potential employees and lower turnover rates. This change benefits corporate PR particularly in that these employees thrive in an environment that rewards good work, offers flexibility, and fosters creativity.
4. Reduce Burnout Rate
Burnout is an emotional state brought on by prolonged stress. It occurs when an employee is mentally, physically, and emotionally worn out. Burnout arises when an employee feels pressured and emotionally spent and cannot meet the standards set by the employer. Having an excessive workload, which also impacts the employees’ productivity and eventually hurts the organization, affects a lot of employees. By implementing better human resources practices, we will see a reduction in burnout cases.
Reducing burnout will have a tremendous effect on corporate PR culture because, by nature of the discipline, these professionals always have to be ‘on’ not only as the face of the company but also in managing the press and navigating crises. While the news cycle may be 24/7, the expectation for corporate PR teams to keep that pace has always been unrealistic.
Next Steps for Corporate PR
The future of corporate PR is much brighter for those entering the profession and those who are in the trenches today. With the culture changes noted above, PR professionals have a much more empowered, transparent, and rewarding work environment in which to thrive.
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