Agostino Vollero

Exploiting Semantic Models and Techniques to Evaluate Relevance of Human Resources in Knowledge Intensive Organizations

This paper reports the results of the ARISTOTELE methodology for decision support on Human Resource Management and, in particular, of one of the most important tool of the methodology, i.e. the Relevance Analysis. The Relevance Analysis is devoted at providing a systemic way to map human resources on the basis of their relevance in an organization, and take informed decisions. We have defined a model and a methodology to quantify relevance of the human resources with respect to key processes of an organization. Relevance is a combination of two factors: i) Criticality, an attribute to establish the attention degree that the organization must pay to assess the importance of human resource, ii) Influence, an attribute to establish the degree of influence the human resource can exert in placing limits, indicating rules and regulations in the organization and with other human resources. We will show how exploiting the ARISTOTELE results on the semantic models and semantic Social Network Analysis is possible to quantify the Criticality and Influence of human resources in a knowledge intensive organization.

Il processo di management della corporate communication: un framework *

Obiettivi del paper : Il paper intende colmare un gap in letteratura, individuando un framework che integri le attivita e le decisioni di corporate communication, a livello di management strategico e di management operativo. Metodologia : La costruzione del framework e basata su concetti chiave derivati dalla literature review, in una prospettiva interdisciplinare. Dalla Resource-Based View vengono attinti i requisiti di rarita, durevolezza, imperfetta imitabilita e non perfetta sostituibilita, per caratterizzare in senso firm-specific le risorse di corporate identity. Dalla Sociologia delle Organizzazioni viene ereditata la tassonomia delle categorie decisionali parsonsiane (decisioni policy, allocative e di coordinamento), per delineare l’architettura delle decisioni strategiche e operative di comunicazione. Risultati : Il framework proposto pone in luce il ruolo strategico delle attivita di comunicazione nell’ambito della coalizione dominante, ai fini del governo delle organizzazioni complesse. Parallelamente, si focalizza sulla strategia di comunicazione e sulle decisioni di creazione, innovazione e utilizzo delle risorse di comunicazione. Limiti della ricerca : Trattandosi di un conceptual paper, esso presenta i tipici limiti dell’approccio deduttivo literature-based. Implicazioni pratiche: Il framework proposto offre al Chief Communication Officer un’utile guida circa le attivita e le decisioni di corporate communication, a livello sia di management strategico sia di management operativo. Originalita del lavoro : Il framework integra, per la prima volta in letteratura, le attivita e le decisioni strategiche e operative di corporate communication. Il modello prende in considerazione il ruolo proattivo degli stakeholder nella creazione e/o innovazione di risorse di corporate identity. Lo studio contribuisce al dibattito sulla connotazione manageriale della disciplina di corporate communication. Parole chiave: governo e gestione della comunicazione d’impresa; comunicazione strategica; strategia di comunicazione; risorse di comunicazione.

Evaluation of the human resources relevance in organisations via knowledge technologies and semantic social network analysis

This paper reports the results of the ARISTOTELE methodology for decision support on human resource management (HRM) implemented in the Relevance Analysis tool. The Relevance Analysis is devoted to provide a systemic way to map human resources on the basis of their relevance in an organisation, and for taking informed decisions. Relevance is a combination of two factors: i) Criticality, an attribute to establish the attention degree that the organisation must pay to assess the importance of the human resource; ii) Influence, an attribute to establish the degree of influence the human resource can exert in placing limits, indicating rules and regulations in the organisation and with other human resources. We show how exploiting the ARISTOTELEs semantic models and semantic social network analysis (SNA) capabilities it is possible to quantify the Criticality and Influence of human resources in a knowledge intensive organisation. We present the software solution and experimental results.

Managing CSR communication

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse how service and product-based industries communicate their efforts in corporate social responsibility (CSR) as legitimacy-seeking strategies. The service companies are thus compared to product companies in their use of different rhetorical strategies and associated legitimacy approaches on their corporate websites. Design/methodology/approach A thematic content analysis of the websites of companies belonging to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index was conducted, to identify different rhetorical strategies (institutional, political and strategic), each associated with modes companies use to gain legitimacy (cognitive, moral and pragmatic). Findings The study shows that service and product companies differ in terms of how they symbolically manage legitimacy. Service companies are less active in communicating CSR in two out of three of the identified rhetorical strategies. Other differences are observable at an industry level. Practical implications The study provides an in-depth understanding of legitimacy approaches elicited by online CSR communication. Managers of service companies can benefit from suggestions on how to use CSR content to sustain specific legitimacy strategies. Originality/value This study represents a starting point in connecting the ongoing debate on legitimacy theory with different rhetorical CSR approaches. It demonstrates that the seeking of legitimacy is to some extent restrained within the service industry.

Rethinking Bernstein communication wheel: A re-visitation of a communication tool

Purpose The aim of this conceptual paper is to review Bernstein’s communication wheel to make it a tool that can be used in the selection of a corporate communication mix. Design/methodology/approach A critical analysis of Bernstein’s communication wheel shows it to be a checklist, a starting point in the examination of corporate communication mix, but it is not as such of great help to the decision maker. Findings The findings of reviewing literature highlight that the principle of a clear distinction between strategic decisions and operational decisions is applicable also in the field of corporate communication. For each stakeholder relationship, the authors’ framework suggests typical combinations of activities and means to be used. These combinations are useful to experiment with expert systems which are functional to the choices of corporate communication mix. Practical implications The analysis of communication gaps gives directions for formulating strategic decisions. In this framework, tactical decisions concern the components of the communication mix architecture (or communication chain): activities, means and vehicles of communication. On the contrary, Bernstein’s communication wheel includes only generic channels (or media) and gives no indications as to the architecture of the communication mix. Originality/value This study illustrates the hierarchy of decisions relating to corporate communication mix, the communication wheel could also be useful in communication planning. If this assumption is held to be true it then becomes possible to lay out a framework for a progressive decision-making path that means making sequential choices (first strategic, then tactical). In the stakeholder approach, the aim of strategic decisions is to choose the stakeholder groups on which a firm has to focus its corporate communication activities.

CEO communication: engagement, longevity and founder centrality: An exploratory study in Italy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the engagement of chief executive officers (CEOs) in corporate communication and focus on how their approach to communication develops in relation to the longevity of their tenure. The paper also explores how founder centrality is linked to the objectives of CEO communication and the CEOs’ use of personal social media. Design/methodology/approach The paper brings together the relevant literature from different disciplines, related to leadership communication, CEO longevity and founder centrality, and reveals a number of unexplored issues. Four research questions were defined and an exploratory survey was carried out, involving 93 CEOs from large companies located in Italy. Findings The results show that CEOs are strongly engaged in institutional communication. Short-tenured CEOs seem more engaged in building and consolidating relationship networks with specific stakeholders (customers and employees), while long-tenured CEOs tend to be more involved in institutional and financial communications. Research limitations/implications Due to the exploratory research design and the circumscribed sample from a single country (Italy), further cross-national evidence is needed to substantiate the suggested links between engagement in communication activities and longevity. The study highlights the managerial and communication skills that CEOs must be provided with during their corporate tenure, thus suggesting the need to further examine the “life cycle” of CEO communication activities. Originality/value The paper sheds light on CEO communication dynamics. It is the first of its kind in the Italian context, where some factors, such as longevity of tenure, seem to play an important role in shaping corporate communication objectives and activities.

Avoiding the greenwashing trap: between CSR communication and stakeholder engagement

The paper analyses key elements of communication that may lead to accusations that a company is engaging in practices of greenwashing failing to create stakeholder engagement. According to sensemaking and sensegiving approaches, the theoretical foundations that underpin the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication and greenwashing practices are explored and a comparison between two energy companies in the Italian and Dutch context is set up for exploratory purpose. The integration of a companys strategic CSR approach and its communication practices may help to enhance effective stakeholder engagement, prevent accusations of greenwashing and avert the negative associated consequences (e.g., scepticism among stakeholders). The research provides a theoretical contribution to CSR communication by identifying several pitfalls that can lead to the appearance of greenwashing and provides caveats for the further development of both theory and managerial practices.

Il rischio di greenwashing nella comunicazione per la sostenibilità: implicazioni manageriali

Obiettivo del paper : Il paper mira ad esaminare le attivita e le decisioni nell’ambito del management della comunicazione per la sostenibilita, alla luce del crescente rischio di greenwashing. In particolare, lo studio analizza le determinanti di tale rischio e individua alcune fondamentali implicazioni manageriali. Metodologia : Sulla base di approcci diversi ma complementari (sensemaking theory, stakeholder engagement, corporate communication management), lo studio individua le relazioni tra le attivita e le decisioni del management della comunicazione e i fattori chiave che possono causare la percezione di una comunicazione di tipo ‘cosmetico’ e con scarso coinvolgimento effettivo da parte dei diversi stakeholder. Risultati : Il paper offre una sistematizzazione delle possibili cause del greenwashing, sulla base delle quali si individuano principi e pratiche di comunicazione realmente sostenibili. Limiti della ricerca : Trattandosi di un paper concettuale, esso presenta i tipici limiti dell’approccio deduttivo literature-based. Implicazioni pratiche : Il contributo proposto fornisce indicazioni per chi ricopre ruoli decisionali in materia, al fine di attenuare il greenwashing risk e gli effetti negativi ad esso associati (scetticismo degli stakeholder, ridotta credibilita, ecc.). Originalita del lavoro : Il paper offre un contributo incrementale alle attuali conoscenze in materia, ancora piuttosto frammentate, al fine di rafforzare la comprensione del greenwashing come pratica comunicazionale. Il paper rappresenta un primo tentativo di individuare alcune linee guida nella prospettiva della riduzione del rischio di greenwashing per il management della comunicazione delle organizzazioni orientate alla sostenibilita.

The role of physical metaphors for decision-making in integrated corporate communication

Purpose The role of metaphors in information management has generally been acknowledged owing to their ability to convey immediately huge amounts of information and richness. Their role is more and more important in the current digital context of communication and marketing activities, as the decision speed and accuracy are crucial. The purpose of this study is, thus, to analyze physical metaphors as tools for making sequential decisions to achieve effective integrated corporate communication (ICC). Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on the critical analysis of literature on corporate communication and stakeholder management as building blocks for implementing an integrated approach to corporate communications. Findings A revision of two well-known physical metaphors in the communication literature (the “wheel” and “umbrella”) has been proposed. It is argued that integrated communication within corporate communications is more complex than in marketing communications, as it involves a greater variety of elements to coordinate and harmonize. The proposed physical metaphors suggest an effective sequential decision-making as they allow a clear distinction between different decision levels. Research limitations/implications The paper adds to the debate on the link between theory and practice of ICC. From a practical standpoint, the proposed metaphors as simple and concrete tools for handling complex information and ICC problems could aid novice practitioners and students of corporate communications courses. Originality/value The paper shows that while scholars have concurred that ICC is crucial for different type of organizations, the use of physical metaphors can be beneficial for the reality-based challenge of ICC.

CEOs of dual marketers organizations: Communication and reputation management issues

The paper aims at analyzing how Chief Executive Officers of dual marketers organizations are engaged in corporate communication and reputation management activities. The analysis of the literature enables to define the research questions and an exploratory survey was carried out, involving 82 CEOs from large companies located in Italy, included in the Report of Mediobanca. Results show that CEOs play a strategic role in corporate communication. Particularly, CEOs are strongly engaged in institutional and internal communication, even if they are still reluctant in the use of personal social media. Findings also highlight CEOs are strongly committed in corporate reputation management, above all in activities related to leadership, workplace and performance. The paper is the first of its kind in the Italian context. It sheds light on CEO communication dynamics and contributes to the debate on CEO role in reputation management of dual marketers organizations.