ABCR2103

PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIGI COMPANY

1.0 Introduction

Corporate communication is a management function or department, like marketing,

finance, or operations, dedicated to the dissemination of information to key
constituencies, the execution of corporate strategy and the development of messages for a
variety of purposes for inside and outside the organisation. In todays global corporation,
this function serves as the conscience of the corporation and is responsible for the
organisations reputation. Previously called public relations or public affairs,
corporate communication has taken on new importance in the 21st century as a result of
corporate scandals or crises at companies like Enron and Toyota. The department usually
oversees communication strategy, media relations, crisis communications, internal
communications, reputation management, corporate responsibility, investor relations,
government affairs and sometimes marketing communication. The person running the
department is the chief communications officer of the firm, and reports directly to the
chief executive officer in many of the top global organisations due to the critical
importance of the function today. Corporate communications departments play a key role
in how investors, employees and the general public perceive a company. They often
report directly to a companys chief executive officer and serve as advisers in managing a
companys reputation. They help leaders prepare for media interviews, develop messages
to deliver to investors and employees and suggest new initiatives to keep companies on
the cutting edge of communication with their stakeholders. There are several role of
corporate communications. Firstly is as media relations. This may be the function for
which corporate communication managers are best known. Media relations work includes
writing and distributing news releases and responding to media inquiries. Corporate
communicators oversee all planning for news conferences, including selecting the site for
an event, arranging for banners and other graphics to be displayed at the event, preparing
packets of information to distribute to the media and preparing executives to speak at
news conferences. Media relations also involve arranging for spokespersons to appear on
local television and radio programs. Corporate communicators monitor newspapers,
television news broadcasts and other outlets to see what the media is saying about the
company and to devise strategies to address misinformation. Secondly is public relations.

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Building relationships with customers and responding to inquiries from the public fall
under the public relations function of corporate communications. Duties in this area
include producing newsletters, brochures and other printed materials designed for the
general public. Corporate communicators also manage a companys website and social
media presence, which includes monitoring what customers and clients are saying about
the company on social networking websites and responding to inaccurate posts or
requests for information. Communication professionals may respond directly to calls and
emails from citizens and customers with questions about a companys plans or activities.
They arrange for speakers from the company to make presentations to local community
groups and may facilitate group tours of a companys operations. Third is crisis
communication. When an event occurs that threatens public safety or a companys
reputation, corporate communicators function as advisers to CEOs and senior leaders in
managing the crisis. Special training in the issues unique to crisis communication helps
corporate communicators prepare for events such as chemical spills, violence in the
workplace, an accidental death on the job, layoff announcements and allegations of
company wrongdoing. They often work with staff throughout their organizations to
develop crisis communication plans before disaster strikes. A crisis may require
communications staff to work with attorneys, government regulators, political officials,
emergency response personnel and communications staff from other companies when
developing crisis messages. Lastly is employee communication. In addition to conveying
a companys messages to external audiences, corporate communicators may also be
called on to function as employee communications managers, which include designing
printed publications and writing emails to announce company news, benefits information
and training opportunities. Corporate communicators may facilitate focus groups to learn
what issues matter most to front-line employees. They advise senior leaders on how to
improve relationships with their staff and gain support for their initiatives. The corporate
communications staff may also manage a companys Intranet and internal blogs.

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2.0 DIGI Corporate Information

DiGi.Com Berhad is listed on Bursa Malaysia and is part of the Telenor Group, a global
telecommunications provider. DiGi provides mobile voice, Internet and digital services to
11 million customers in Malaysia. Through its mission of 'Internet for All', DiGi is
committed to driving Malaysia's growth by building a mobile Internet environment that
enables true connectivity, creating socio-economic development and aiding businesses to
prosper. DiGi continues to be a game-changer in the Malaysian telecommunications
industry with a solid history of innovative products and services while being a leader in
progressive and responsible business practices.

DiGi develop communications programmes that enable their clients to build strong and
productive links with both the public and private sector and effectively position their
brand to their customer base. With so many years in the business, DiGi are able to draw
on an extensive network to ensure that their clients obtain maximum editorial coverage.
DiGi maintain longstanding personal contacts with editors and writers from leading
dailies and periodicals and are able to effectively position story angles that are right on
target. DiGi also keep close tabs on emerging trends in communication and social
networking so as to advise clients on ways in which to maximise positive exposure
through WebPR and other new media.

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3.0 Internal Communication Practiced In DiGi.Com Berhad

Internal communication is a subset of effective business communication, which is built

around this simple foundation: communication is a dialogue, not a monologue. In fact,
communication is a dual listening process. So Internal Communication, in a business
context, is the dialogic process between employees and employer, and employees and
employees. So many times that latter process is forgotten by strategists and PR
professionals it should always be remembered that communication between employees
is very often far more powerful than any communication from employer to employee.
Whereas the top-down, employer-driven communication is great for setting a
communication agenda or discussion point, it is the peer-to-peer employee
communications that determine the tone of the response back to the employer. So, to sum
up, Internal Communication is the conversations that businesses have with their staff
and that staffs has with each other. Over the years there have evolved various ways of
communicating internally. We started with informal and formal one-to-one and one-to-
many meetings, where the boss would communicate in a highly one-way fashion with
employees. Of course, the employees would then informally discuss with each other their
views and opinions, out of earshot of the boss. Communication then evolved to include
printed materials for formal, top-down message transmission newsletters, annual
reports, memos, and so on.

The advent of digital technology and in particular the internet, introduced email into the
business setting and with it the nature of communication radically changed. No longer did
a communication take a little while to produce, allowing for a period of reflection and
consideration. Now anyone could bang off an email at a moments notice, often without
consideration of the impact of the message. Those who were unskilled and untrained in
the art and impact of communication suddenly found themselves causing more angst than
they realized. Training took place amongst senior managers in the more enlightened
organizations to show them the effects of poor communication habits. Today, digital
technology has evolved to the point where not only can employees and employers freely
email each other, forward messages without any editing (showing the whole
conversational trail), and forward those messages outside of the corporate walls, but also
employees and employers can use these emails to bring about grievance procedures,
litigation and dismissal. Equally, employers now find themselves at the mercy of

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 employees who may email each other with libellous comments about competitors or
fellow employees. Deleting these emails from personal inboxes has proven to be no
defence against litigation and investigation by external regulators and legal agencies.

4.0 Benefits Of Effective Internal Communication

The rise of social media has made communication something of a global obsession.
Whats perhaps not so apparent is the growth of internal communication the discipline
whereby employers, employees and colleagues share information and talk to each other,
yet effective communication is vital to ensuring that there is mutual understanding
between management and staff. Company strategies and goals should be explained so that
people can align their individual objectives accordingly. Effective communication is
when a clear message is delivered through the appropriate channels and tailored to the
audience. In a company, this should result in employees knowing how their own work
contributes to achieving the company goals, which helps keep people motivated and
engaged. Internal communication has normally been regarded as a way to disseminate
information through different channels within an organization. However, it has developed
greatly and now encompasses much more than merely the transference of information.
When an organization is able to correctly and precisely use internal communication,
employees and partners develop a better understanding of their relationship with the
organization. Internal communicators have the power to build stronger and more loyal
relationships within the organization by facilitating communication in all sections of an
organization.

Clarity and understanding in any organization begin with internal communicators. They
must be partners with those in leadership and management positions in order to directly
and effectively help implement communication strategies and plans. Leaders and
managers will continue to be critical in both the continuation of clear communication, and
how effectively it is implemented, but the partnership between leaders and internal
communicators must be continuously developed. The benefits of better internal
communication begin with the organizations employees. By communicating with
employees, internal communicators are able to improve the employees views of the
organization and their meaningful position within it. The answers to these burning

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questions can help shape the actions that must be taken to create improved relationships
with employees. In order to enhance and develop successful communication, internal
communicators must possess an understanding of the organizations goals, business
strategies, customer service, and the communication process. That understanding is then
conveyed through every department of an organization, through traditional means like
memos, emails or newsletters, but also in todays cyberactive business world, through
social media channels, websites, YouTube, and other online channels. Once employees
have a clear understanding of the organizations goals, products, and services they are
better prepared and equipped to represent the companys name and reputation when
directly communicating with customers.

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5.0 The Problems Or Challenges Faced By The Digi.Com Berhad In Their
Communication

Both employees and managers believe that communication is key to their company's
success. A solution exists for almost any communication problem. Employees and
managers have to be willing to investigate and solve such problems. Side effects of poor
communication include low morale, poor productivity, interpersonal conflicts and high
turnover. An effective organization needs to analyse its communication process and
determine if improvements need to be made. There are several communication problems
in organization. Firstly is lack of personal contact. With the use of cell phones, computers
and telephones, personal contact is at an all-time low. The same goes for managers.
Managers with poor communication skills communicate through email or phone
messages rather than by personal contact. There are instances when email and phone calls
are appropriate for business communication; however, managers need to always discuss
personal matters face to face. Personal interaction is the only way to determine the true
meaning of an important matter as it is easy to misinterpret the tone of an email or phone
message. Secondly is lack of clarity. Managers must communicate information about
important matters to their employees clearly for employees to properly understand. This
may require elaboration or clarification on these issues to ensure the employees
understand the information as their employer intended. Different employees interpret
information in different ways. Unless employees receive clarification, they may perform
in a manner contradictory to how their supervisory wants them to perform. Employees
must ask the right questions, and employers must answer the questions clearly. Thirdly is
lack of feedback. Annual performance evaluations are a must in any organization;
however, feedback on a more regular basis is also important. Many times, employers
provide feedback only once a year because they simply won't take the time or don't want
the personal contact. With more frequent evaluations come opportunities to improve
employees' skills and provide constructive criticism. Forth is lack of honesty. As most
communication problems arise in organizations during difficult times, it is even more
important to provide honest answers to employees' questions. Honesty is always
important; however, when employees sense a problem in their organization, they expect
their employer to lay out the facts and provide them with as much information as
reasonably possible. Lack of honesty only turns employees away from their employer,
sometimes leading them to another organization they believe will be honest.

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6.0 Conclusion
The development of a strategic internal communication strategy and its implementation
can provide a number of benefits to organizations. To achieve those benefits we need a
coordinated, comprehensive, long term communication approach. Effective
communications require the active commitment and endorsement of senior managers. It is
not enough simply to develop a 'vision statement' or formulate in general terms the values
by which the company lives. Behaviour is what counts. Managers must be seen to behave
in a manner that is consistent with the ethos they are promoting. Communication applied
to development initiatives is still too often limited to activities aimed at informing the
stockholders or the general public following the typical and dated top-down approach.
Government counterparts and project managers are often not used or ready to democratize
the decision making process, but are more interested in accelerating it. However, the
budget, time and effort devoted to communication will almost certainly be worthwhile.
Tele business relying on a mix of adequate telecommunications infrastructure, a quality
workforce with reasonable wage levels and corresponding linguistic skills, such requisites
are today available in other countries, particularly in the developing world. The workforce
skills have to be permanently upgraded so as to satisfy the requirements of new
applications. The internal communication techniques can inform and encourage
policymakers to base their decisions on a clear understanding of beneficiaries'
perspectives from the beginning of a development initiative. Such communication not
only needs to be carefully planned and implemented but must also be properly integrated
with emergency management activities and operations therefore effective internal
communication is therefore a key responsibility of public health professionals and
information officers, especially during emergency.

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7.0 Reference
[1] LEE HOPKINS, 2006. What is internal communication?
http://www.leehopkins.net/2006/07/06/what-is-internal-communication/
[2] DAVID GROSSMAN, 2015. 5 Benefits of Having a Strong Internal Communications
Strategy. http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/72127/5-Benefits-of-Having-
a-Strong-Internal-Communications-Strategy
[3] Darren Tracey, 2012. The importance of internal communication in creating an
engaged workforce. http://staffmotivationmatters.co.uk/the-importance-of-internal-
communication-in-creating-an-engaged-workforce/
[4] Adnan, 2008. Business Communication and Its Types.
http://www.rizwanashraf.com/2008/02/04/business-communication-and-its-types/
[5] The Startups Team, 2013. The importance of internal communication.
http://startups.co.uk/the-importance-of-internal-communication/
[6] Daniel Cohen-Dumani, 2015. 3 Internal Communications Tips For Improving
Employee Engagement. http://www.portalsolutions.net/blog/3-internal-
communications-tips-for-improving-employee-engagement
[7] David Brown, 2012. Internal communications should be of vital importance to any
business. http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2002/08/19/focus7.html
[8] Ross Peetoom, 2012. Internal Communication Benefits and Problems.
http://zurmo.org/features/internal-communication-benefits-and-problems