Madsen, V.T., & Verhoeven, J.W.M. (2019). The Big Idea of Employees as Strategic Communicators In Public Relation. Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management, 4, 143-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2398-391420190000004011
Employees are active communicators for organizations. They don’t just receive organizational information – they can share it, too. With new technologies, especially social media, employees are brand ambassadors, with the ability to reach customers, their coworkers, management, family, friends, social media followers, and society. Because people trust other people more than they trust organizations, employees may control their organization’s image even more than the organization itself. Employees’ ability to share sensitive information and cause crises does present a risk to organizations, but employee voices can also be a powerful positive force. Employees who share positively about their organization can improve the organization’s reputation and employee engagement and defend the brand in times of crisis. This article indicates that including employees in social media strategies can be a powerful way to amplify key organizational messages. It’s also is a reminder of why it’s important to have organizational social media policies in place, as employees who use social media inappropriately can have a significant impact on their organization’s reputation. Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate the ability to assess complex organizational environments and achieve communication goals.
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