Tags: Electronic communication, Employee blogs, Employee Communication, Face-to-face communication, IABC, Internal Communication, Print communication, Research Foundation
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22 May 2008
Core News Facts
- The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation and the Gevity Institute recently commissioned a study to identify current and emerging employee communication practices and their impact on the bottom line in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
- The research was conducted by Insightrix Research Services in 2007, and examined in-person, print and electronic forms of employee communication in 609 organizations from around the world.
- According to the study:
- In-person communication: Face-to-face, direct communication is the most common form of employee communication used by SMEs. 87 percent of small businesses used face-to-face conversations; 81 percent had an open-door policy; 79 percent held management meetings; 77 percent held staff meetings; 66 percent practiced management by walking around and 42 percent held employee forums.
- In the organizations surveyed, electronic and print practices were used to supplement and reinforce the messages of face-to-face communication exchanges.
- Electronic communication: E-mail is currently the most commonly used electronic communication practice (78 percent) followed by portable devices such as cell phones or laptops (75 percent) and a company web site (74 percent). Interestingly, employee blogs were the least common of all the practices reviewed in the study, used by less than 10 percent of respondents. Furthermore, the majority of SMEs surveyed (76 percent) had no plans to use employee blogs in the future.
- Print communication: The majority of respondents currently use traditional printed employee manuals and handbooks (61 percent). Forty-one percent used open book management and 36 percent used printed newspapers and magazines to communicate with their employees. The least-used print vehicles were anonymous suggestion systems (22 percent) and letters mailed to employees’ homes (22 percent).
About the report
- The Human Element includes a literature review of employee communication in SMEs, verbatim responses to survey questions from 609 communication professionals working in SMEs around the world, case studies of employee communication excellence in SMEs, and recommendations for developing successful communication in small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Retail price: US$40 members / US$49.60 non-members
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IABC / IABC Research Foundation / Face-to-face communication / Employee communication / Electronic communication / Print communication / Employee blogs / Small businesses
IABC Boilerplate
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,500 members in over 65 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit http://www.iabc.com.
IABC Research Foundation Boilerplate
The IABC Research Foundation translates communication theory into practice, providing real-world knowledge and applications for the communication profession. Established in 1982, the Foundation is a tax-exempt organization with benefits to the donor under U.S. tax law. For more information, visit http://www.iabc.com/rf.
Contact
Joseph Ugalde
Phone: 415.544.4726
E-mail: jugalde@iabc.com
Archana Verma
Phone: 415.544.4722
E-mail: averma@iabc.com
Tags: Angelo Fernando, Communication World, IABC, Maggie Award, Natasha Nicholson
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13 May 2008
Core News Facts
- Communication World (CW), the bimonthly publication of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), has won a Maggie Award for its “Tech Talk” column.
- The column, authored by Angelo Fernando, was judged the best regularly featured department/section/column in a trade magazine.
- The award was presented at the Western Publications Association (WPA) annual Maggie Awards dinner and ceremony held recently in Los Angeles, CA.
- The Maggies received nearly 2,000 entries representing more than 500 magazines. A total of 88 awards were presented this year.
- The articles submitted for the Maggie were:
- “Social Media Change the Rules” (January–February 2007) - on how customer-led communication challenges traditional marketing practices
- “Transparency Under Attack” (March–April 2007) - on ethics and corporate blogging
- “The Wisdom of Wikipedians” (November–December 2007) - on how companies can interact with user-generated content like Wikipedia
About the Maggie Awards
- The Maggie Awards—now in their 57th year—are considered to be the most prestigious magazine publishing awards in the western United States.
- The awards honor both consumer and trade magazines, both print and electronic, in categories ranging from sports and automotive, business, music, city and metropolitan, political and alternative lifestyles, communication and the arts, computers, newsletters and associations.
- Publications are judged on how well they meet their objectives, as well as on readability, focus, depth of research and cohesiveness.
About Communication World Magazine
- Published bimonthly by IABC, Communication World (CW) magazine covers the latest in communication research, global perspectives, technology, best practices and trends through in-depth reports and insightful interviews.
- The magazine offers communication professionals access to case studies of current best practices, commentary from globally recognized industry experts and valuable information on how to link communication to an organization’s bottom line.
- IABC members receive CW as part of their membership. Annual CW print subscriptions are available to the general public and can be purchased online.
Quote attributable to Natasha Nicholson, executive editor of CW
“I am so glad that we can continue Communication World’s tradition of excellence with the recognition of a Maggie for Angelo’s insightful column. This win is a testament to Angelo’s gift for taking a difficult topic and drawing out what is useful and relevant to our readers. Special thanks go to the CW publishing team and the talents of Grayton Publishing who worked their magic to make his words truly shine.”
Quote attributable to Angelo Fernando, author of “Tech Talk” column
“Technology was supposed to simplify life but continues to drive people crazy. For all the talk about digital natives, I believe we are all digital immigrants. We arrive with our own set of dreams and frustrations and the last thing we need to hear is a geeky lecture on best practices. Smart people ask ‘dumb’ questions, but they are not so dumb after all. The secret to a tech column is to recognize anticipate these questions and respond to them.”
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IABC / Maggie Award / Communication World / Angelo Fernando / Natasha Nicholson
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The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,000 members in over 65 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit www.iabc.com.
Western Publications Association (WPA) Boilerplate
The WPA has represented magazine publishers and related companies for over 57 years. Serving those publications west of the Mississippi, we are committed to responding to the challenges and opportunities facing our ever-changing industry, today and in the future. The mission of the WPA is to provide vital, up-to-date, information and education to improve your personal skills, your day-to-day operations and help you plan for your future. For more information, visit www.wpa-online.org
Contact
Joseph Ugalde
Phone 415.544.4726
E-mail: jugalde@iabc.com
Archana Verma
Phone 415.544.4722
E-mail: averma@iabc.com
Tags: Gold Quill Awards, IABC, Towers Perrin
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24 April 2008
Core News Facts
- The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has announced the winners of the 2008 Gold Quill Awards for excellence in communication.
- Of the 1,040 entries received from 30 countries this year, 116 were selected to receive awards — 41 Awards of Excellence, 73 Awards of Merit and two student awards.
- The Jake Wittmer Research Award recipient: Healthy Living Branch, Healthy U Family Campaign, Alberta Health & Wellness, Government of Alberta.
- The Business Issue Award recipient: “Embrace Diversity” Postcards, Lockheed Martin MS2, Internal Communications Team
- The recipients of the Jake Wittmer and Business Issue Awards are chosen from Gold Quill entries that are reviewed by the Blue Ribbon Panel.
About the Gold Quill Awards
- The Gold Quill Awards is IABC’s annual international competition, offering professional and student communicators an opportunity to have their work evaluated by expert judges.
- Each year more than 1,000 entries are received for the awards. This year, entries were received from communication professionals from 30 countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, U.K. and the U.S.
- The Gold Quill entries went through two rigorous rounds of judging by a team of top senior communicators from around the world. The final selection was made by the Gold Quill Blue Ribbon Panel of judges at the IABC world headquarters in San Francisco in March.
- The winners will be honored at the Gold Quill Awards gala on 23 June at IABC’s International Conference in New York City.
- This year’s competition was sponsored by Towers Perrin
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IABC Boilerplate
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,000 members in over 65 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit www.iabc.com.
Towers Perrin Boilerplate
Towers Perrin is a global professional services firm that helps organizations improve performance through effective people, risk and financial management. The firm provides innovative solutions in the areas of human capital strategy, program design and management, and in the areas of risk and capital management, reinsurance intermediary services and actuarial consulting. Towers Perrin has offices and alliance partners in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. More information is available at www.towersperrin.com.
Contact
Joseph Ugalde
Phone 415.544.4726
E-mail: jugalde@iabc.com
Archana Verma
Phone 415.544.4722
E-mail: averma@iabc.com
Tags: Bill Marriott, EXCEL Award, IABC
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2 April 2008
Core News Facts
- The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has named J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International, as the recipient of the 2008 Excellence in Communication Leadership (EXCEL) Award.
- The EXCEL Award is the organization’s highest award given to non-members and recognizes individuals who exhibit strong leadership in fostering excellence in organizational communication.
- Marriott is scheduled to accept the award on Monday, 23 June, at IABC’s 2008 International Conference in New York City.
About Bill Marriott
- Marriott’s leadership spans more than 50 years, and he has taken Marriott from a family restaurant business to a global lodging company with about 3,000 properties in 68 countries and territories.
- Known throughout the industry for his hands-on management style, he has built a highly regarded culture that emphasizes the importance of Marriott’s people and recognizes the value they bring to the organization.
- Regarded as a lodging innovator, Marriott began shifting the company’s business model in the late 1970s from hotel ownership to property management and franchising. His strategic decision allowed the company to accelerate its growth and broaden its leadership position.
- Today, approximately 151,000 Marriott associates serve guests throughout the world.
Quote Attributable to Jay Coleman, ABC, chair of the 2008 EXCEL Award Committee
“The Award Committee was very impressed with Bill Marriott and his personal commitment to communications in his namesake company. Marriott International has a respected, well-documented communications program, and Bill demonstrates his personal commitment every day, from traditional employee engagement while inspecting 250 Marriott properties each year, to adopting new communications tools such as blogging. We’re eager to hear this living legend discuss his experiences communicating with a global audience at the IABC International Conference in June.”
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The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,000 members in over 65 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit www.iabc.com.
Contact
Joseph Ugalde
Phone 415.544.4726
E-mail: jugalde@iabc.com
Archana Verma
Phone 415.544.4722
E-mail: averma@iabc.com
Tags: Angela Sinickas, Fellow Award, IABC
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20 March 2008
Core News Facts
- The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has selected Angela Sinickas, ABC, as this year’s IABC Fellow.
- The IABC Fellow Award is the highest honor the association can bestow on an individual and acknowledges outstanding leadership, professional accomplishment and service to IABC and the profession.
- The award will be presented at the opening general session at the International Conference in New York City, 22–25 June 2008.
About Angela Sinickas
- Sinickas is the president of Sinickas Communications, Inc., an international consulting firm, and an instructor for an online graduate course on communication measurement for Northeastern University in Boston.
- A pioneer in the field of organizational communication measurement, Sinickas has been measuring the effectiveness of communication since 1981.
- Her prolific publications (more than 100) and speaking engagements in 24 countries have made her name synonymous with measurement of organizational communication.
- She is the author of the manual How to Measure Your Communication Programs, a regular columnist for the magazine Strategic Communication Management and on the editorial boards of two professional journals.
- An IABC member since 1979, Sinickas has served on the IABC Gold Quill Blue Ribbon Panel, as an accreditation exam proctor, as IABC Think Tank chairperson, on the IABC Research Foundation board of directors, on the IABC Pacific Region conference organizing committee and as the IABC/Chicago chapter Speakers’ Bureau committee chair.
- Her work has been recognized with 15 IABC Gold Quill Awards, including two for her web site.
Quote Attributable to Fred Halperin, chair of the 2008 Fellow Award
“Today research is understood to be an essential ingredient to effective communication plans and programs. Angela Sinickas has been instrumental in nurturing and popularizing this critical component of modern communication. We and our profession honor her for her contributions by selecting her as the 2008 IABC Fellow.”
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Press release - http://news.iabc.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=140
Past recipients of the IABC Fellow Award - http://www.iabc.com/awards/fellow.htm
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IABC / Angela Sinickas / Fellow Award / Fred Halperin / ABC
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The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,000 members in 70 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit www.iabc.com.
Contact
Joseph Ugalde
Phone 415.544.4726
E-mail: jugalde@iabc.com
Archana Verma
Phone 415.544.4722
E-mail: averma@iabc.com
Tags: Executive Board, IABC, Research Foundation
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19 March 2008
Core News Facts
- The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has announced the new slate of officers for its 2008–2009 Executive Board and Research Foundation.
Executive Board
- The slate of candidates for the Executive Board will be presented for ratification to the delegates of the Annual General Meeting to be held at the International Conference on 24 June 2008 in New York City.
- The slate of candidates for the Executive Board includes the following members:
- For Vice Chair - Mark Schumann, ABC, Houston, TX
- For Secretary/Treasurer - Marilyn Keyes, Falls Church, VA
- For Directors -
Adrian Cropley, Melbourne, Australia
Erika Ruiz Ramos, Mexico City, Mexico
Paulo Soares, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- The new members will join these continuing members to form the 2008–2009 IABC executive board:
- Barbara Gibson, ABC, Chair (Hartsford, U.K.)
- Todd Hattori, ABC, Past Chair (Seattle, WA)
- Silvia Cambie, ABC, Director-at-Large, (London, U.K.)
- Colleen LeCount, Director-at-Large, (Overland Park, KS)
- Joy Capps, Director-at-Large, (Charleston, SC)
- Arnold Kishi, Director-at-Large, (Honolulu, HI)
- Felicia Shiu, ABC, Director-at-Large, (Toronto, ON)
Research Foundation
- The slate of candidates for the Research Foundation has been approved by the Foundation Board of Trustees and ratified by the Executive Board. These candidates will take office after the June AGM.
- The slate of candidates for the Foundation include:
- For Vice Chair Robin McCasland, Dallas, TX
- For Trustees
Greg Gordon, Chicago, IL
Cloreth Greene, Kingston, Jamaica
Ilze Raath, Brussels, Belgium
- The new trustees will join these continuing members to form the 2008–2009 Research Foundation board:
- Irene Monley, ABC, Chair (Wilmington, DE)
- Jan Thibodeau, ABC, Past Chair (Boston, MA)
- Susan Solomon (Santa Ana, CA)
- Todd Hattori, ABC (Seattle, WA)
- Mark Schumann, ABC (Houston, TX)
- Marilyn Keyes (Falls Church, VA)
Quote Attributable to Glenda Holmes, ABC, nominating committee chair and 2006–2007 IABC chair
“Serving on IABC’s nominating committee is a huge responsibility—and a tough job, since there are always many more qualified candidates than spots available. To make those tough choices, the committee focused on the competencies needed to move IABC and the Research Foundation forward as outlined in the organization’s strategic plan.”
Links to Related Content
Press release on slate of officers for Executive Board -
news.iabc.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=138
Press release on slate of officers for Research Foundation -
news.iabc.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=139
Blog post on IABC Cafe -
blogs.iabc.com/chair/archives/2008/03/19/election-news/
Technorati Tags
IABC / IABC Executive Board/ IABC Research Foundation
IABC Boilerplate
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,000 members in 70 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit www.iabc.com.
About the IABC Executive Board
The Executive Board is the governing body of IABC, and develops the strategic plan and direction for the association under the guidance of bylaws approved by the IABC membership. The board supervises, controls and directs the affairs of the association; actively pursues IABC’s mission; determines its policy within the limits of the law, bylaws and articles of incorporation; upholds the IABC Code of Ethics; and supervises the disbursement of funds.
About the IABC Research Foundation
The IABC Research Foundation serves as the research and development arm of IABC. The Foundation translates communication theory into practice, providing real-world knowledge and applications for communication professionals. Established in 1982, the Foundation funds and publishes research to advance the profession and demonstrate the value of communication in organizational effectiveness. The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees that includes organizational communication professionals, senior business professionals and academic experts. For more information, visit www.iabc.com/rf.
Contact
Joseph Ugalde
Phone 415.544.4726
E-mail: jugalde@iabc.com
Archana Verma
Phone 415.544.4722
E-mail: averma@iabc.com
1 Comment »
Association to accelerate adoption of standards for online communication tool
Core News Facts
- The International Association of Business Communicators — IABC — is assuming a leadership role with the Social Media Release.
- IABC will coordinate the effort to develop standards for the social media release.
- The social media release combines flexible formatting options with a tagging standard.
- The goal is to make business news usable by online reporters and bloggers, as well as more discoverable in search engines.
- The effort started two years ago with a blog post by Tom Foremski titled, “Die, Press Release. Die! Die! Die!”
- Foremski’s post called for companies to parse the information in their press releases so he could pick the elements he wanted to form his story. The traditional release is written in narrative, which makes that hard to do.
- Todd Defren at SHIFT Communications released the first template for a social media release.
- IABC has already received confirmations from people it has invited to join the existing working group.
- IABC will convene a group to work on the technical specification that will lead to a tagging standard.
- IABC will also work to consolidate Social Media Release resources currently scattered across the Web.
- IABC joins the Society for New Communication Research (SNCR), which is already involved in the effort.
SMR Working Group Membership To Date
Current members
- Chris Heuer, founder, Social Media Club and principal, The Conversation Group
- Tom Foremski, journalist
- Shannon Whitley
- Brian Solis
- Shel Holtz, ABC
Recently joined after receiving IABC invitation:
- Laura Sturaitis, Business Wire
- Jiyan Wei, PRWeb
- Dan Zarella, social media consultant
- Todd Van Hoosear, communicator and social media practitioner
- David Parmet, public relations counselor
- Jason Ryan, New Zealand public sector communicator
Quote Attributable to IABC President Julie Freeman, ABC, APR
IABC’s involvement in this initiative will attract representatives from public relations agencies, press release distribution services and the media. By bringing this group together to develop an industry standard, IABC is playing a leading role in shaping how communicators reach their audiences for years to come.
Quote Attributable to Chris Heuer, principal of The Conversation Group and founder, Social Media Club
We are excited to see the social media release get the attention and support of the IABC. Their ’stamp of approval’ on the concept will further the original idea and the input they will provide will most certainly improve the social media release and the practices professionals apply in creating them. Our original intent was to work with every professional communicator who shares an interest in seeing the industry evolve in the right direction, this intention is now becoming a reality.
Quote Attributable to Brian Solis, Principal, FutureWorks PR
The social media release is a catalyst for not only providing a new tool to share news, information and content, but also creating a forum to discuss how to improve press releases in general. The whole point of this working group and aligning with the IABC is to create an official standard and process that the entire industry can understand and support, from creation to distribution to building stories.
Quote Attributable to Tom Foremski, Journalist
It is great to see all the work that has gone into transforming the news release into something that reflects the use of the many new media technologies that we use everyday.
Quote Attributable to Jen McClure, Executive Director, Society for New Communication Research
The creation of a standard for the social media release is an important initiative that addresses the evolving public relations profession and media landscape. The Society has been involved in this effort since its inception, and we look forward to continuing to support and contribute to this process through the continued participation of our Fellows Todd Defren, Shel Holtz and Brian Solis, as well as through our research and best practices programs.
Multimedia Elements
Cafe2Go #18
IABC’s official monthly podcast featuring an interview with Brian Solis about the Social Media Release
February 2008 [39:23m]
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Chris Heuer discusses the Social Media Release
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Get this video to play on your site.
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social media / social media release / social media news release / social media press release / IABC / media relations / blogger relations / blogger outreach
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The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,000 members in 70 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit www.iabc.com.
Contact
Joseph Ugalde
Phone 415.544.4726
E-mail: jugalde@iabc.com
Archana Verma
Phone 415.544.4722
E-mail: averma@iabc.com
