Responsible communication leadership: putting employees first

By Dr Kevin Ruck Following the financial crisis in 2008, management thinkers and others have rightly questioned the role of business leaders in society. Often fingers point at business schools, regarding their failure to incorporate ethics into programmes. In addition, governance is back in the spotlight. As the UK department store British Home Stores (BHS) went  into administration last week (a situation similar to going into “Chapter 11” in the USA), questions are being asked...

Social sniff test: engaging employees as advocates or treating them as commercial commodities?

Some weighty conversations with subject experts: Debating employee engagement in a healthy corporate culture versus an amplified trend to “suggest” a program of socializing, whereby “employee brands” or “advocates” post marketing messages on their personal accounts (similar to native advertising). The communicative, socialized organization In December 2012, in my Access Byte column, I detailed what constituted a “communicative organization” (i.e., ones with a robust yet fluid structure), both externally and internally. I quoted Dave Gray,...

Engaging for success in the UK economy

Engaging for Success; an innovative UK program By Rachel Miller What is the cost of disengaged employees to a department, brand or a nation? A voluntary movement in the United Kingdom has brought employee engagement into sharp focus with the revelation that disengagement loses the UK billions of pounds annually. This month, leaders from 44 of the most recognisable private, public and charitable organisations signed an open letter to The Times newspaper. Among the chief...