Strategiese korporatiewe kommunikasie en sterk verhoudings met werknemers kan in die vorm van hoë werknemerbetrokkenheid bydra tot organisatoriese prestasie en uitnemendheid omdat dit organisasies help om organisatoriese doelwitte te bereik. Dit word bereik deur verhoudingsbestuur met strategiese belangegroepe in organisasies met ʼn simmetriese wêreldbeskouing en tweerigtingkommunikasiemodel, in die korporatiewe kommunikasiepraktisyn se rol as strategis. Sterk verhoudings met belangegroepe word gekenmerk deur vertroue, wederkerige beheer, verhoudingsbevrediging en toewyding. Binne die konteks van organisasies wat geografies wyd verspreid is, speel die bestuur van organisatoriese kultuur en sentralisering/desentralisering ʼn rol in die mate waartoe hoë werknemerbetrokkenheid gevestig kan word en uiteindelik kan bydra tot organisatoriese uitnemendheid. Om hierdie onderwerp te ondersoek in die nasionale organisasie SEESA, is daar semigestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer met sleutelrolspelers in SEESA se kommunikasiebestuur en ʼn kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise gedoen van SEESA hoofkantoor se kommunikasie aktiwiteite. Self-toegediende vraelyste is gebruik om bestuurders van landswye SEESA se takke se persepsies oor verhoudingsbestuur vanaf die hoofkantoor te bepaal. Hierdie studie het bevind dat die SEESA hoofkantoor daarin slaag om sterk verhoudings te vestig met bestuurders van landswye takke en dat verhoudingsboustrategieë manifesteer op ʼn informele wyse. Die uitkomste van sterk verhoudings is tot ʼn meerdere mate teenwoordig in hierdie verhoudings, maar by gebrek aan ʼn formele kommunikasiestrategie kan die korporatiewe kommunikasiefunksie nie optimaal bydra tot organisatoriese uitnemendheid nie. Organisatoriese kultuur speel egter ʼn rol om tweerigtingkommunikasie te fasiliteer wanneer daar geen formele verhoudingsboustrategieë implementeer word nie. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Strategiese korporatiewe kommunikasie en sterk verhoudings met werknemers kan in die vorm van hoë werknemerbetrokkenheid bydra tot organisatoriese prestasie en uitnemendheid omdat dit organisasies help om organisatoriese doelwitte te bereik. Dit word bereik deur verhoudingsbestuur met strategiese belangegroepe in organisasies met ʼn simmetriese wêreldbeskouing en tweerigtingkommunikasiemodel, in die korporatiewe kommunikasiepraktisyn se rol as strategis. Sterk verhoudings met belangegroepe word gekenmerk deur vertroue, wederkerige beheer, verhoudingsbevrediging en toewyding. Binne die konteks van organisasies wat geografies wyd verspreid is, speel die bestuur van organisatoriese kultuur en sentralisering/desentralisering ʼn rol in die mate waartoe hoë werknemerbetrokkenheid gevestig kan word en uiteindelik kan bydra tot organisatoriese uitnemendheid. Om hierdie onderwerp te ondersoek in die nasionale organisasie SEESA, is daar semigestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer met sleutelrolspelers in SEESA se kommunikasiebestuur en ʼn kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise gedoen van SEESA hoofkantoor se kommunikasie aktiwiteite. Self-toegediende vraelyste is gebruik om bestuurders van landswye SEESA se takke se persepsies oor verhoudingsbestuur vanaf die hoofkantoor te bepaal. Hierdie studie het bevind dat die SEESA hoofkantoor daarin slaag om sterk verhoudings te vestig met bestuurders van landswye takke en dat verhoudingsboustrategieë manifesteer op ʼn informele wyse. Die uitkomste van sterk verhoudings is tot ʼn meerdere mate teenwoordig in hierdie verhoudings, maar by gebrek aan ʼn formele kommunikasiestrategie kan die korporatiewe kommunikasiefunksie nie optimaal bydra tot organisatoriese uitnemendheid nie. Organisatoriese kultuur speel egter ʼn rol om tweerigtingkommunikasie te fasiliteer wanneer daar geen formele verhoudingsboustrategieë implementeer word nie. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Although public relations is seen as a function that contributes to the greater good of society and the performance of an organisation (ref. Grunig, 2006b:3; Grunig, Grunig & Dozier, 2002:xii), the function does not, for various reasons, always deliver on this promise (ref. Gray, 2004:26–27; Grunig et al., 2002:166, 169, 192; Steyn, 2000c:40; Tobin, 2004:56; Van Ruler, 1997:248, 263; 2004a:123). Practitioners and professional bodies from various countries have researched, and tried to overcome the variables negatively influencing practitioners, through various methods. However, no study has provided a comprehensive prioritised list of all the variables influencing practitioners' contribution to organisational performance. In addition none of these actions has led to a sustainable solution for the profession where a critical mass of practitioners can keep the promise of contributing to the greater good of society and the performance of the organisation. In light of this problem, this study tries to understand how public relations practitioners can enhance their contribution to organisational performance, by examining the variables influencing practitioners in contributing to organisational performance. The study is framed within the relational, reflective, two–way symmetrical and feminist paradigms, supported by the general excellence theory as meta–theory, and the relationship management and corporate communication role theories. The multidimensional paradigm was specifically selected to accommodate the complex research context (Grunig, 1989:18; 2006a; Valin, 2004). From theory it was established that public relations contributes to organisational performance by assisting organisations to adapt to their changing environment by providing strategic information from the environment to the organisation that could reduce uncertainty in the organisation's strategic decision–making (Grunig et al., 2002:xi; Raupp & Van Ruler, 2006:18; Steyn, 2000c:27; Valin, 2004). Through this process the organisation's triple bottom line goals are aligned with the realities of the environment in which it operates (Moss et al., 2000:283; van Tonder & van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, 2006:149). This then creates long–term relationships with stakeholders that creates many benefits for the organisation (Grunig, 2006b:3, 6; Grunig et al., 2002:xi, 10, 11; Grunig & Haung, 2000:32; Hon & Grunig, 1999:7–9, 11; Phillips, 2006a:34, 35; 2006b:212). Within South Africa specifically, corporate communication practitioners perform the roles of strategist, manager and technician in order to complete the above tasks (Steyn, 2000b:1–42; 2000c:20–43). The research methodology followed to gather data to answer the General research question, is both exploratory and interpretive. The research started with a literature study, followed by semi–structured interviews with four purposefully selected practitioners and the chairpersons of the two professional bodies (PRISA and IABC) in order to verify the variables identified in literature, and possibly identify new variables pertaining to the South African environment. These variables, together with those identified in literature, were then used to construct a questionnaire completed by public relations practitioners active in the 1 319 top performing South African organisations as per South Africa's Top 300 National Companies List (Fletcher, 2007:1–330) and the Financial Mail Top 200 Companies List (Williams, 2005:1–168). A response rate of 19.9% was achieved. The qualitative data was content analysed and the quantitative data analysed by means of Statistica (StatSoft Inc., 2007) and SPSS (SPSS Inc., 2007) data analysis software. In order to determine the relationships between the variables influencing practitioners, structural equation modelling, by means of AMOS (SPSS Inc., 2009) software, was used. In essence it was found that practitioners should take ownership and manage the variables influencing their performance. Furthermore, 13 variables pertaining to the individual–, industry– and professional–levels were statistically verified as the most important variables influencing practitioners. Due to the specific relationship between these variables, it would seem that enhancing any of these 13 variables would enhance the practitioner's contribution to organisational performance. The main contribution of the study is to add to the discussion on the how the profession can manage its contribution to organisational performance by categorising and empirically verifying a list of all variables influencing practitioners' performance and by suggesting a model indicating the relationship between the most important variables influencing practitioners. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Although public relations is seen as a function that contributes to the greater good of society and the performance of an organisation (ref. Grunig, 2006b:3; Grunig, Grunig & Dozier, 2002:xii), the function does not, for various reasons, always deliver on this promise (ref. Gray, 2004:26–27; Grunig et al., 2002:166, 169, 192; Steyn, 2000c:40; Tobin, 2004:56; Van Ruler, 1997:248, 263; 2004a:123). Practitioners and professional bodies from various countries have researched, and tried to overcome the variables negatively influencing practitioners, through various methods. However, no study has provided a comprehensive prioritised list of all the variables influencing practitioners' contribution to organisational performance. In addition none of these actions has led to a sustainable solution for the profession where a critical mass of practitioners can keep the promise of contributing to the greater good of society and the performance of the organisation. In light of this problem, this study tries to understand how public relations practitioners can enhance their contribution to organisational performance, by examining the variables influencing practitioners in contributing to organisational performance. The study is framed within the relational, reflective, two–way symmetrical and feminist paradigms, supported by the general excellence theory as meta–theory, and the relationship management and corporate communication role theories. The multidimensional paradigm was specifically selected to accommodate the complex research context (Grunig, 1989:18; 2006a; Valin, 2004). From theory it was established that public relations contributes to organisational performance by assisting organisations to adapt to their changing environment by providing strategic information from the environment to the organisation that could reduce uncertainty in the organisation's strategic decision–making (Grunig et al., 2002:xi; Raupp & Van Ruler, 2006:18; Steyn, 2000c:27; Valin, 2004). Through this process the organisation's triple bottom line goals are aligned with the realities of the environment in which it operates (Moss et al., 2000:283; van Tonder & van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, 2006:149). This then creates long–term relationships with stakeholders that creates many benefits for the organisation (Grunig, 2006b:3, 6; Grunig et al., 2002:xi, 10, 11; Grunig & Haung, 2000:32; Hon & Grunig, 1999:7–9, 11; Phillips, 2006a:34, 35; 2006b:212). Within South Africa specifically, corporate communication practitioners perform the roles of strategist, manager and technician in order to complete the above tasks (Steyn, 2000b:1–42; 2000c:20–43). The research methodology followed to gather data to answer the General research question, is both exploratory and interpretive. The research started with a literature study, followed by semi–structured interviews with four purposefully selected practitioners and the chairpersons of the two professional bodies (PRISA and IABC) in order to verify the variables identified in literature, and possibly identify new variables pertaining to the South African environment. These variables, together with those identified in literature, were then used to construct a questionnaire completed by public relations practitioners active in the 1 319 top performing South African organisations as per South Africa's Top 300 National Companies List (Fletcher, 2007:1–330) and the Financial Mail Top 200 Companies List (Williams, 2005:1–168). A response rate of 19.9% was achieved. The qualitative data was content analysed and the quantitative data analysed by means of Statistica (StatSoft Inc., 2007) and SPSS (SPSS Inc., 2007) data analysis software. In order to determine the relationships between the variables influencing practitioners, structural equation modelling, by means of AMOS (SPSS Inc., 2009) software, was used. In essence it was found that practitioners should take ownership and manage the variables influencing their performance. Furthermore, 13 variables pertaining to the individual–, industry– and professional–levels were statistically verified as the most important variables influencing practitioners. Due to the specific relationship between these variables, it would seem that enhancing any of these 13 variables would enhance the practitioner's contribution to organisational performance. The main contribution of the study is to add to the discussion on the how the profession can manage its contribution to organisational performance by categorising and empirically verifying a list of all variables influencing practitioners' performance and by suggesting a model indicating the relationship between the most important variables influencing practitioners. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

After facing the economic recession, the South–African and global business sectors started revaluating their human capital and the positions they represent within an organisation. Each individual now had to prove that they contributed towards the organisation’s bottom line, as each and every cent had to be counted and accounted for. Some functions within organisations could easily prove their contribution towards the bottom line by providing production or sales outputs. The public relations practitioners and the corporate communication efforts they offered, however, faced a bleak future, as their contribution towards the tangible assets was very rarely recognised (Kim, 2000:276). The financial services sector however, in which an advisor’s contribution towards the organisational bottom line is easily quantified, started to acknowledge the need for this sector to improve upon its ‘softer’ intangible assets such as client communication and client relationships. The sector believes that communication establishes relationships, and sound client relationships is the only way to sell financial products and services, as people seldom entrust their life earnings or financial dreams to strangers (Christiansen & DeVaney, 1998:7). Public relations practitioners know how to use communication optimally in the quest for building client relationships, and financial services need those skills in order to sell their products and contribute towards the bottom line. These two functions could thus work together towards the achievement of their goals - public relations to prove their bottom line contribution, and the financial services sector towards improving client relationships. These statements led to the general Research Question of this study: “What is the nature of the relationship between (i) corporate communication efforts, (ii) client communication satisfaction and (iii) client relationship satisfaction, and these concepts’ relationship to (iv) client economic contribution, within a financial services organisation?” This Research Question is answered from the systems theory as meta–theory with the support of the strategic communication, excellence and relationship management theories, and Futurum Financial Group (FFG) services as the financial services organisation for this study. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was followed to establish the constructs, and the relationships between the constructs. The Financial Advisors and public relations practitioner in FFG have a good understanding of the need for strategic communication efforts, and a relationship between their efforts and the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction could therefore be indicated. A further relationship between the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction and the client economic contribution was also established. Recommendations to improve the situation within FFG included a better focus on database administration, corporate communication consistency, Financial Advisor diligence, and providing clients with more frequent updates regarding their financial situation. The greatest strengths were client–advisor trust and corporate communication professionalism. This study thus contributes to the argument that communication efforts add tangibly, by means of client economic contribution, to the organisation’s bottom line, within the financial services industry. The study furthermore provides some recommendations for the financial services industry to improve their communication skills in order to build client relationships. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

After facing the economic recession, the South–African and global business sectors started revaluating their human capital and the positions they represent within an organisation. Each individual now had to prove that they contributed towards the organisation’s bottom line, as each and every cent had to be counted and accounted for. Some functions within organisations could easily prove their contribution towards the bottom line by providing production or sales outputs. The public relations practitioners and the corporate communication efforts they offered, however, faced a bleak future, as their contribution towards the tangible assets was very rarely recognised (Kim, 2000:276). The financial services sector however, in which an advisor’s contribution towards the organisational bottom line is easily quantified, started to acknowledge the need for this sector to improve upon its ‘softer’ intangible assets such as client communication and client relationships. The sector believes that communication establishes relationships, and sound client relationships is the only way to sell financial products and services, as people seldom entrust their life earnings or financial dreams to strangers (Christiansen & DeVaney, 1998:7). Public relations practitioners know how to use communication optimally in the quest for building client relationships, and financial services need those skills in order to sell their products and contribute towards the bottom line. These two functions could thus work together towards the achievement of their goals - public relations to prove their bottom line contribution, and the financial services sector towards improving client relationships. These statements led to the general Research Question of this study: “What is the nature of the relationship between (i) corporate communication efforts, (ii) client communication satisfaction and (iii) client relationship satisfaction, and these concepts’ relationship to (iv) client economic contribution, within a financial services organisation?” This Research Question is answered from the systems theory as meta–theory with the support of the strategic communication, excellence and relationship management theories, and Futurum Financial Group (FFG) services as the financial services organisation for this study. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was followed to establish the constructs, and the relationships between the constructs. The Financial Advisors and public relations practitioner in FFG have a good understanding of the need for strategic communication efforts, and a relationship between their efforts and the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction could therefore be indicated. A further relationship between the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction and the client economic contribution was also established. Recommendations to improve the situation within FFG included a better focus on database administration, corporate communication consistency, Financial Advisor diligence, and providing clients with more frequent updates regarding their financial situation. The greatest strengths were client–advisor trust and corporate communication professionalism. This study thus contributes to the argument that communication efforts add tangibly, by means of client economic contribution, to the organisation’s bottom line, within the financial services industry. The study furthermore provides some recommendations for the financial services industry to improve their communication skills in order to build client relationships. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

A dominant focus on organisational stakeholders is currently evident in both the literature and in practice since it is argued that the success of organisations is predominantly dependent on stakeholders’ perception of the organisation. This stakeholder emphasis is evident in the inclusion of a chapter on governing stakeholder relations in the King III report and the development of various stakeholder standards in South Africa, including corporate social investment, corporate governance, corporate citizenship, corporate sustainability and the triple bottom line. Despite the recognition of the importance and necessity of building and maintaining stakeholder relations in the literature, there is a dearth of research on how to actually build these relationships. The aim of this study was to address this shortcoming by proposing a generic, integrated approach to sustainable organisation-stakeholder relationship (OSR) building with strategic stakeholders whereby strategic stakeholder identification, OSR development and OSR maintenance, which are often studied independently, would be integrated in order to constitute a new unified model. This model will promote a sustainable OSR-building process for organisation-stakeholder partnership (OSP) development.The following three building blocks for such a model were proposed: a strategic communication foundation that promotes the integration of specific corporate communication functions that is practised from a two-way symmetrical communication perspective as the basis for effective OSR building; a theoretical foundation, which is an integration of Freeman’s stakeholder concept (1984) from a normative, relational viewpoint, Ferguson’s relational paradigm for public relations (1984) and Ledingham’s (2003) theory of relationship management, encapsulated by Grunig’s (1984) excellence theory, of which the proposed OSR-building model would be a pragmatic representation; and a conceptualisation of the OSR-building model where the actual phases of the OSR-building process would be proposed to provide step-by-step guidance for OSR building. This model promotes a partnership approach with strategic stakeholders, which is based on the proposition of an OSR development continuum, which implies that an OSR could grow in intensity over time, from a foundational OSR, mutually-beneficial OSR, sustainable OSR, to ultimate organisational-stakeholder partnerships (OSPs). This model was built from a corporate communication perspective, and subsequently highlighted the contribution of corporate communication in the organisation as an OSR-building function to ensure organisational effectiveness. This study provided an exploratory literature review to constitute a conceptual framework for OSR-building of which the principles of the framework would be further explored and measured in leading listed South African organisations, by means of a quantitative web-based survey and qualitative one-on-one interviews to compose an OSR-building model that provides guidance on the process of OSR building on the basis of insights from theory and practice. / Ingevolge die argument dat die sukses van organisasies hoofsaaklik afhanklik is van die persepsies wat belangegroepe oor organisasies het, word ‘n dominante fokus tans op organisatoriese belangegroepe in die literatuur en praktyk geplaas. Die fokus op belangegroepe is sigbaar in die insluiting van ‘n hoofstuk oor die bou van belangegroepverhoudings in die King III verslag asook die ontwikkeling van verskeie belangegroepstandaarde in Suid Afrika, wat korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid, korporatiewe burgerskap, korporatiewe volhoubaarheid en drievoudige eindresultaat insluit. Ten spyte daarvan dat die belangrikheid en noodsaaklikheid van die bou en behoud van belangegroepverhoudings erken word in die literatuur, is daar ‘n tekort aan navorsing oor hoe om die verhoudings te bou. Die studie poog om dié tekortkoming aan te spreek deur middel van ‘n generiese, geϊntegreerde benadering vir volhoubare organisatoriese-belangegroepvershoudings (OBV) met strategiese belangegroepe voor te stel, waar strategiese belangegroep identifikasie, OBV ontwikkeling en OBV instandhouding, aspekte wat dikwels afsonderlik bestudeer word, geintegreer word in ‘n nuwe, verenigde model. Hierdie model sal ’n volhoubare OBV verbouiingsproses voorstel vir die ontwikkeling van organisatoriese-belangegroepvennootskappe. Drie boustene word vir die model voorgestel naamlik; ‘n strategiese kommunkasie fondasie wat die integrasie van spesifieke korporatiewe kommunikasie funksies vanuit ‘n twee-rigting simmetriese kommunikasie perspektief as basis vir die effektiewe bou van OBV insluit; ‘n teoretiese fondasie wat ‘n integrasie van Freeman (1984) se belangegroepkonsep van ‘n normatiewe, verhoudingsstandpunt, Ferguson (1984) se verhoudingsparadigma vir openbare skakelwerk en Ledingham (2003) se verhoudingsbestuursteorie insluit, omhul deur Grunig (1984) se uitnemendheidsteorie, waarvan die voorgestelde OBV model ‘n praktiese voorstelling sal wees; en ‘n konseptualisering van OBV-verbouing wat die fases van die OBV proses sal stipuleer om stap-vir-stap riglyne vir die bou van OBV voor te stel. ‘n Vennootskapsbenadering met strategiese belangegroepe word voorgestel deur die model, wat gebaseer is op die proposisie van ‘n OBV ontwikkelingskontinuum, wat impliseer dat ‘n OBV oor tyd in intensiteit kan groei van ‘n basiese OBV, wedersydse voordelige OBV, volhoubare OBV tot ‘n uiteindelike organisatoriese-belangegroepvennootskap. Die model is gebou uit ‘n korporatiewe kommunikasiestandpunt, wat gevolglik die bydrae van korporatiewe kommunikasie in die organisasie as ’n OBV-verbouingsfunksie om organisatoriese effektiwiteit te verseker, beklemtoon. Die studie bied ‘n verkennende literatuurstudie om ’n konseptuele raamwerk vir OBV-verbouing daar te stel, waarvan die beginsels van die raamwerk verder verken en gemeet is in gelysde Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies deur middel van ‘n kwantitatiewe web-gebaseerde opname en een-tot-een onderhoude om ’n OBV-verbouingsmodel te ontwikkel wat riglyne vir die proses van OBV-verbouing bied, gebaseer op beide teoretiese en praktiese insigte. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)

Text in English with abstracts in English, Afrikaans and isiZulu / Propelled by increased competition with the private sector and other similar organisations, the non-profit sector increasingly faces challenges to create meaningful interactions with stakeholders which, among other benefits, allow for differentiation and the creation of favourable and lasting impressions of the corporate brand. The main research aim of this study was to propose possible elements for a conceptual framework for the integration of non-profit organisations’ social media brand communication. The point of departure was that the achievement of a favourable corporate brand in the non-profit sector could, inter alia, be realised by following an integrated communication approach when utilising social media to communicate with stakeholders. The study is different from prior studies because of its specific interdisciplinary focus on the corporate brand, social media and integrated communication (IC), and the fact that it is merged into one study. The research into the main contribution of the study was based on a thorough literature review focusing on the following objectives: to explore corporate branding and social media; and to describe elements that could constitute an integrated approach to social media brand communication. During the investigation into the topic, the social media focus of the study was framed on the basis of classical theoretical views, and the theory of and perspectives on human action, symbolic interaction and social presence. The absence of a single set of theoretical assumptions of social media necessitated an inductive reasoning process based on identified key elements of social media. Subsequent to the literature review, the empirical research gathered invaluable insights from communication professionals in South African non-profit organisations, and who are responsible for communication by means of social media. Finally, and following the measurement of the proposed elements, the objective of proposing possible elements for the integration of social media brand communication and presenting it in a conceptual framework was achieved. The conceptual framework was based on three foundational principles, namely a corporate brand focus and a philosophy of communication integration, underpinned by social media. The proposed conceptual framework should provide new insights into and contribute to the existing body of knowledge on organisational communication. / Toenemende mededinging in die privaatsektor en tussen ander soortgelyke organisasies, rig ‘n grotewordende uitdaging aan die niewinsgerigte sektor om betekenisvolle wisselwerking met belangegroepe te bewerkstellig, iets wat dit onder andere moontlik maak om te differensieer en om gunstige en blywende indrukke van die korporatiewe handelsmerk te skep. Die belangrikste navorsingsoogmerk van hierdie studie was om moontlike elemente aan die hand te doen vir ʼn konsepsuele raamwerk vir die integrasie van niewinsgerigte organisasies se kommunikasie in sosiale media. Die vertrekpunt was dat ʼn gunstige korporatiewe handelsmerk in die niewinsgerigte sektor onder andere gerealiseer kan word deur middel van ʼn geïntegreerde kommunikasiebenadering wanneer sosiale media gebruik word om met belanghebbendes te kommunikeer. Die studie verskil van vorige studies weens die spesifieke interdissiplinêre fokus op die korporatiewe handelsmerk, sosiale media en geïntegreerde kommunikasie, asook die feit dat dit in een studie geïntegreer is. Die navorsing vir hierdie studie se belangrikste bydrae was gegrond op ʼn deurtastende literatuuroorsig, toegespits daarop om die gebruik van korporatiewe handelsmerke en sosiale media te verken; en om elemente wat ʼn geïntegreerde benadering tot handelsmerkkommunikasie in sosiale media sou kon daarstel, te beskryf. Gedurende die ondersoek na die tema het die studie se sosialemediafokus gerus op klassieke teoretiese sienings en die teorie van en perspektiewe op menslike aksie, simboliese wisselwerking en sosiale teenwoordigheid. Die gebrek aan ʼn enkele stel teoretiese aannames van sosiale media het ʼn proses van induktiewe redenering, gegrond op geïdentifiseerde sleutelelemente van sosiale media, genoodsaak. Voortspruitend uit die literatuuroorsig het die empiriese navorsing uiters waardevolle insigte bekom van kommunikasiekundiges in Suid-Afrikaanse niewinsgerigte organisasies wat deur middel van sosiale media moet kommunikeer. Laastens en na afloop van die meting van die voorgestelde elemente is die oogmerk om moontlike elemente vir die integrasie van kommunikasie van ʼn handelsmerk in sosiale media en die aanbieding daarvan in ʼn konsepsuele raamwerk, bereik. Die konsepsuele raamwerk is op drie beginsels gegrond, naamlik ʼn fokus op die korporatiewe handelsmerk en ʼn filosofie van kommunikasieintegrasie, ondersteun deur sosiale media. Die voorgestelde konsepsuele raamwerk behoort nuwe insigte in en bydraes tot die bestaande kenniskorpus oor organisasiekommunikasie te bied. / Ngokugqugquzelwa ukwanda kokuncitisana kwemikhakha ezimele nezinye izinhlangano ezifanayo, umkhakha ongenzi inzuzo uyaqhubeka njalo nokubhekana nezinselelo zokwenza ukuthi ukuxhumana kahle nabanye ababambe iqhaza okuwukuthi, phakathi kokunye okungazuzwa, kuvumele ukwahlukaniswa kanye nokwakhiwa kwezimpawu zemifanekiso yenkampani ezikahle futhi eziyohlala isikhathi eside. Injongo enkulu yocwaningo lwalesi sifundo kwakuwukuhlongoza imikhakha engaseyenzeke yohlaka olungakapheleli lokuhlanganiswa kophawu lokuxhumana ezinkundleni zokuxhumana zezinhlangano ezingenzi inzuzo. Iphuzu elalisemqoka kwakuwukufeza umgomo wokuthi kwakhiwe uphawu olufanele lwenkampani emkhakheni ongayenzi inzuzo, phakathi kwezinye izinto, ufezeke ngokulandela indlela edidiyelwe yezokuxhumana uma kusetshenziswa izinkundla zokuxhumana ukuxoxisana nababambe iqhaza. Lesi sifundo sihlukile kwezinye esezike zenziwa ngaphambilini ngenxa yokuthi sigxile ngokukhethekile ekusetshenzisweni kophawu lwenkampani, izinkundla zokuxhumana kanye nezindlela zokuxhumana ezididiyelwe, i-integrated communication (i-IC), kanye nephuzu lokuthi kudidiyelwe kwaba ucwaningo olulodwa. Lolu cwaningo kulokho okusemqoka okuwumthelela walesi sifundo lwalugxile kakhulu ekubuyekezweni okujulile kwemibhalo kubhekwe kakhulu kulezi zinjongo ezilandelayo: ukuhlaziya uphawu lwenkampani nezinkundla zokuxhumana; nokuchaza amaphuzu angase akhombise indlela edidiyelwe ekuxhumaneni ngophawu lwezinkundla zokuxhumana. Ngesikhathi kuphenywa ngesihloko, ukugxila ezinkundleni zokuxhumana kulesi sifundo kwabalulwa esizindeni semibono yezinto ezingaphatheki, kanye nethiyori nemiqondo yokwenza komuntu, ukuxhumana ngezimpawu nokubakhona kwabantu basemphakathini. Ukungabibikho kweqoqo elilodwa lokucatshangelwa ngokwenzeka emiqondweni ngokwezinkundla zokuxhumana kwenza ukuthi kube nesidingo senqubo yokuqala ukucabanga ezinze emaphuzwini asemqoka ezinkundla zokuxhumana. Ukulandela ukubuyekezwa kwemibhalo, lolu cwaningo oluphethe ubufakazi obuphathekayo luqoqe ulwazi olusemqoka oluvela kosolwazi bezokuxhumana ezinhlanganweni ezingenzi nzuzo zaseNingizimu Afrika, futhi ezinomsebenzi wokuxhumana ngokusebenzisa izinkundla zokuxhumana. Ekugcineni, futhi ngokulandela izilinganiso zamaphuzu ahlongozwayo, yafezeka injongo yokuhlongoza okungase kube amaphuzu okudidiyela ukuxhumana ngokusebenzisa uphawu lwezinkundla zokuxhumana kanye nokuluveza njengohlaka lokusemqondweni. Uhlaka lokusemqondweni lwalugxile emigomeni eyisisekelo emithathu, okuwukugxila kuphawu lwenkampani nenzululwazi yokudidiyelwa kokuxhumana, nokusekelwe yizinkundla zokuxhumana. Uhlaka olusahlongozwa olungakapheleli kumele luhlinzeke ngemiqondo emisha futhi lube nomthelela esakhiweni solwazi esikhona ekuxhumaneni ngokwenhlangano. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)

A dominant focus on organisational stakeholders is currently evident in both the literature and in practice since it is argued that the success of organisations is predominantly dependent on stakeholders’ perception of the organisation. This stakeholder emphasis is evident in the inclusion of a chapter on governing stakeholder relations in the King III report and the development of various stakeholder standards in South Africa, including corporate social investment, corporate governance, corporate citizenship, corporate sustainability and the triple bottom line. Despite the recognition of the importance and necessity of building and maintaining stakeholder relations in the literature, there is a dearth of research on how to actually build these relationships. The aim of this study was to address this shortcoming by proposing a generic, integrated approach to sustainable organisation-stakeholder relationship (OSR) building with strategic stakeholders whereby strategic stakeholder identification, OSR development and OSR maintenance, which are often studied independently, would be integrated in order to constitute a new unified model. This model will promote a sustainable OSR-building process for organisation-stakeholder partnership (OSP) development.The following three building blocks for such a model were proposed: a strategic communication foundation that promotes the integration of specific corporate communication functions that is practised from a two-way symmetrical communication perspective as the basis for effective OSR building; a theoretical foundation, which is an integration of Freeman’s stakeholder concept (1984) from a normative, relational viewpoint, Ferguson’s relational paradigm for public relations (1984) and Ledingham’s (2003) theory of relationship management, encapsulated by Grunig’s (1984) excellence theory, of which the proposed OSR-building model would be a pragmatic representation; and a conceptualisation of the OSR-building model where the actual phases of the OSR-building process would be proposed to provide step-by-step guidance for OSR building. This model promotes a partnership approach with strategic stakeholders, which is based on the proposition of an OSR development continuum, which implies that an OSR could grow in intensity over time, from a foundational OSR, mutually-beneficial OSR, sustainable OSR, to ultimate organisational-stakeholder partnerships (OSPs). This model was built from a corporate communication perspective, and subsequently highlighted the contribution of corporate communication in the organisation as an OSR-building function to ensure organisational effectiveness. This study provided an exploratory literature review to constitute a conceptual framework for OSR-building of which the principles of the framework would be further explored and measured in leading listed South African organisations, by means of a quantitative web-based survey and qualitative one-on-one interviews to compose an OSR-building model that provides guidance on the process of OSR building on the basis of insights from theory and practice. / Ingevolge die argument dat die sukses van organisasies hoofsaaklik afhanklik is van die persepsies wat belangegroepe oor organisasies het, word ‘n dominante fokus tans op organisatoriese belangegroepe in die literatuur en praktyk geplaas. Die fokus op belangegroepe is sigbaar in die insluiting van ‘n hoofstuk oor die bou van belangegroepverhoudings in die King III verslag asook die ontwikkeling van verskeie belangegroepstandaarde in Suid Afrika, wat korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid, korporatiewe burgerskap, korporatiewe volhoubaarheid en drievoudige eindresultaat insluit. Ten spyte daarvan dat die belangrikheid en noodsaaklikheid van die bou en behoud van belangegroepverhoudings erken word in die literatuur, is daar ‘n tekort aan navorsing oor hoe om die verhoudings te bou. Die studie poog om dié tekortkoming aan te spreek deur middel van ‘n generiese, geϊntegreerde benadering vir volhoubare organisatoriese-belangegroepvershoudings (OBV) met strategiese belangegroepe voor te stel, waar strategiese belangegroep identifikasie, OBV ontwikkeling en OBV instandhouding, aspekte wat dikwels afsonderlik bestudeer word, geintegreer word in ‘n nuwe, verenigde model. Hierdie model sal ’n volhoubare OBV verbouiingsproses voorstel vir die ontwikkeling van organisatoriese-belangegroepvennootskappe. Drie boustene word vir die model voorgestel naamlik; ‘n strategiese kommunkasie fondasie wat die integrasie van spesifieke korporatiewe kommunikasie funksies vanuit ‘n twee-rigting simmetriese kommunikasie perspektief as basis vir die effektiewe bou van OBV insluit; ‘n teoretiese fondasie wat ‘n integrasie van Freeman (1984) se belangegroepkonsep van ‘n normatiewe, verhoudingsstandpunt, Ferguson (1984) se verhoudingsparadigma vir openbare skakelwerk en Ledingham (2003) se verhoudingsbestuursteorie insluit, omhul deur Grunig (1984) se uitnemendheidsteorie, waarvan die voorgestelde OBV model ‘n praktiese voorstelling sal wees; en ‘n konseptualisering van OBV-verbouing wat die fases van die OBV proses sal stipuleer om stap-vir-stap riglyne vir die bou van OBV voor te stel. ‘n Vennootskapsbenadering met strategiese belangegroepe word voorgestel deur die model, wat gebaseer is op die proposisie van ‘n OBV ontwikkelingskontinuum, wat impliseer dat ‘n OBV oor tyd in intensiteit kan groei van ‘n basiese OBV, wedersydse voordelige OBV, volhoubare OBV tot ‘n uiteindelike organisatoriese-belangegroepvennootskap. Die model is gebou uit ‘n korporatiewe kommunikasiestandpunt, wat gevolglik die bydrae van korporatiewe kommunikasie in die organisasie as ’n OBV-verbouingsfunksie om organisatoriese effektiwiteit te verseker, beklemtoon. Die studie bied ‘n verkennende literatuurstudie om ’n konseptuele raamwerk vir OBV-verbouing daar te stel, waarvan die beginsels van die raamwerk verder verken en gemeet is in gelysde Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies deur middel van ‘n kwantitatiewe web-gebaseerde opname en een-tot-een onderhoude om ’n OBV-verbouingsmodel te ontwikkel wat riglyne vir die proses van OBV-verbouing bied, gebaseer op beide teoretiese en praktiese insigte. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)