📌 Snapshot
- How an organisation shapes what the public thinks of it: corporate communication and PR explained with tables.
- The seven Page principles, the seven Cs of a message, and internal against external communication compared.
- Eleven communication skills, from listening to stress management, with the examples CUET uses in case questions.
- Exam traps, a one minute revision table and case-based MCQs on PR functions, media and ethics.
📖 Detailed Notes
Written and reviewed by Anjali Sharma, Biology & Home Science faculty at UniDrill (M.Sc. Botany, Banaras Hindu University · 8 years teaching). Based on NCERT Home Science Class XII (Human Ecology and Family Sciences Part II), Chapter 14.
What people believe matters as much as what happened
Imagine a packaged-snack maker has a quality problem in one batch. Within hours, two stories are circulating. In one, the company issues a calm statement, tells customers what happened and what is being done, and its employees know what to say. In the other, nobody speaks for two days and rumours fill the gap. The facts of the problem are identical, yet the public's reaction will be very different. This is the idea behind the chapter: in any organisation, perception shapes success, and corporate communication and public relations are the tools that manage it.
What is corporate communication?
Every idea, fact or opinion is static until it is communicated and understood. Corporate communication is the set of activities for managing and orchestrating all internal and external communications of an organisation, designed to create favourable starting points. It deals with people, organisational processes, activities and media, and is based on information given out by a variety of specialists and generalists in the organisation.
Why it matters. A major factor in the success of any organisation is the perception of the public: what the general public, competitors and employees believe about it defines its respectability, position and success. The primary objective of corporate communication is to establish a favourable perception in the eyes of all stakeholders. The textbook sums it up as "controlling how the world sees you". In a crisis, it is the public's and employees' understanding of what happened and how it was handled that decides their reaction. Corporate communicators use press releases, newsletters and advertisements, and must understand how stakeholders will react.
Corporate communication is important because it creates four things.
| It creates | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Positive and favourable public perception | The public thinks well of the organisation |
| Effective and efficient avenues of communication | Messages flow smoothly in and out |
| A strong corporate culture, identity and philosophy | Everyone knows who the organisation is and what it stands for |
| A genuine sense of corporate citizenship | The organisation behaves as a responsible member of society |
| Fact to remember | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1990 study of industrial engineers | More than 88 per cent strongly agreed that lack of communication and cooperation among components of a business reduces productivity |
| Survey of CEOs | 97 per cent believe that communicating with employees positively affects job satisfaction; 79 per cent think it benefits the bottom line; only 22 per cent communicate with employees weekly or more |
The second row hides a lesson: most leaders know communication helps, but few do it often.
What is public relations (PR)?
Public relations is both an art and a science: it has the emotion and beauty of art and the system of science. It is of recent origin in India and the world over and is used in government, public and private sectors and other institutions. Techniques differ from organisation to organisation.
| Definition (in short) | Key idea |
|---|---|
| Establishing a bond of relationships and contacts between two groups of public | Bridge between groups |
| A deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and the public | Planned, continuous, two way understanding |
| An attempt, through information, persuasion, adjustment and contacts, to seek support for an activity, cause, movement, institution, product or service | Persuasion plus information |
Arthur W. Page's line captures the spirit: "The fundamental way of getting public approval is to deserve it."
Ethics. PR professionals have access to information about events to come. The pressure or temptation to commercialise that information must be avoided at all costs. They must follow a code of ethics and conduct so that they are not labelled fixers or manipulators.
Corporate communication, PR, advertising and media are linked.
| Corporate communication | Public relations | Advertising | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | All internal and external communication; brand and reputation | A deliberate, planned effort to build mutual understanding with the public | Paid effort to inform, persuade or influence people to consume a product |
| Examples | Brand projection, crisis handling, reputation management | Press conferences, press releases, events, publications | Newspaper, radio and TV advertisements |
| Who decides | Corporate communicators | PR person | Usually the PR person decides the budget and media |
Increasing competition, easy access to information and the media explosion have made reputation management a priority, handled professionally by corporate communicators. Dealing with crisis control, global communication and complicated communication tools and technologies are also important functions.
PR objectives and the matching approaches
Every PR programme can have its own objective, strategy and plan.
| Possible objective | Typical approaches |
|---|---|
| Create a positive image of a company | Press releases, in-house magazines, community links |
| Handle a company crisis | Clear statements, press conferences |
| Motivate employees | Internal communication, get-togethers |
| Create curiosity about a product | Publicity and promotion before launch |
| Advertise a product | Planned media advertising |
| Inform about an event in advance | Press releases, press conferences, parties and get-togethers before the event |
Functions of PR
Departments and PR agencies share most functions.
| Function | What it involves |
|---|---|
| PR policy | Develop and recommend corporate PR policy and share it with top management and all departments (more true of PR agencies) |
| Statements and press releases | Prepare corporate statements, speeches for executives and press releases; articulate a positive image of the company, product or policies |
| Publicity | Announce company activities and products to media and community; plan promotional campaigns using media; handle inquiries from the press and the public |
| Maintaining relations | Liaison with government at local, national and international levels; being a 'good neighbour' (environment protection standards, local employment, taking part in locality development); communication with shareholders and investors; preparing annual or quarterly reports and stockholder meetings |
| Publications | Preparing and publishing in-house magazines |
Five major areas of PR activity
| Area | Key points |
|---|---|
| 1. Press relations | Cordial relations with the press from editor to reporter; well written, well timed press releases; helping correspondents write articles; easy accessibility; accepting press criticism; avoiding bias and undue favours. Press and PR depend on each other: journalists need news, PR needs publicity |
| 2. Advertising | A product does not sell on merit alone; advertising informs, persuades or influences people to consume. Media include newspaper, radio and TV |
| 3. Publications | Brochures, folders, pamphlets, circular letters, in-house magazines. Keep in mind simplicity, clarity, cost, true image of the organisation and attractiveness |
| 4. Other media coordination | Films, exhibitions, hoardings, puppetry, folk songs, public speaking, courteous telephone talk, and good relations with radio and television |
| 5. PR with constituents | Local press, local community, financial analysts, bankers, leading institutions, shareholders, potential investors; internally, all employees, so the PR person stays informed |
Beyond the textbook. For the exam: press releases should be well written and well timed. In reality: journalists decide for themselves whether something is news, so a good press release states the facts a reporter needs: what happened, who is involved, when and where, and why it matters. A release that hides the main point or exaggerates is likely to be ignored, which damages the long term bond of trust that press relations depends on.
Seven principles of public relations
These were practised by Arthur W. Page as a means of implementing his philosophy.
| Principle | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tell the truth | Give an accurate picture of the company's character, ideals and practices |
| Prove it with action | Public perception is determined 90 per cent by what an organisation does and 10 per cent by what it says |
| Listen to the customer | Understand what the public wants; keep decision makers and employees informed about public reaction |
| Manage for tomorrow | Anticipate public reaction, remove practices that create difficulties, generate goodwill |
| Conduct PR as if the whole company depends on it | PR is a management function; no strategy should be implemented without considering its public impact |
| A company's true character is expressed by its people | Every employee, active or retired, is involved in PR; each should be an honest, knowledgeable ambassador |
| Remain calm, patient and good-humoured | Prepare through consistent attention to information and contacts; in a crisis, cool heads communicate best |
Pause and predict: a company advertises itself as environment friendly, but a river near its plant is polluted and local residents complain. Which Page principle is being broken?
Check your answer: Prove it with action. Public perception depends mostly (90 per cent) on what the organisation does, not on what it says. Strong slogans cannot overcome visible behaviour.
Internal and external communication
| Feature | Internal communication | External communication |
|---|---|---|
| Between whom | Employer and employees of the organisation | Members of the organisation and the outside world: government and its departments, customers, dealers, other companies, the general public |
| Purpose | Binds the organisation, raises employee morale, promotes transparency; helps planning, direction, coordination and motivation | Creates a positive image, preserves the brand, maintains PR, promotes goodwill and helps marketing |
| Direction | Vertical, horizontal and diagonal; policies and objectives flow downward from top management | Outward to the public and inward as feedback |
| Form | Formal or informal; written and oral | Written and verbal |
| Written media | Instructions, orders, letters, memos, house journals, posters, bulletin boards, information racks, handbooks, manuals, activity reports | Letters, memos, in-house magazines, posters, bulletins, annual reports |
The root cause of most internal problems in a company is ineffective communication.
Pause and predict: a manager pins a notice about a new leave policy on the staff notice board. Is this internal or external, and in which direction does it flow?
Check your answer: internal communication, written, flowing downward from management to employees. The notice board is one of the written media of internal communication.
Composing a message: the seven Cs
Communication has two major areas of activity: composing the message and transmitting it. While composing, keep the seven Cs in mind.
| C | Meaning | Example of a fault |
|---|---|---|
| Conciseness | Short enough to catch attention | A three page letter about a one line request |
| Concreteness | Concrete, with all meanings conveyed, but short | "Send it soon" instead of a date |
| Clarity | Clear and explicit meaning that will not confuse | Two possible meanings in one sentence |
| Completeness | Complete meaning with sufficient information | A meeting notice without a venue |
| Courtesy | Courteous tone, with compliments and benefits to the reader | An order written rudely |
| Correctness | Checked and free of grammatical errors | Spelling mistakes in a notice |
| Consideration | Focus on the reader's attitude rather than "I" and "we" | A letter full of "we" and "our" |
In PR work, you must also consider the characteristics of the target audience. The language depends on the target group, and PR persons must take care of their disposition and interpersonal skills.
Skills for corporate communication
Some skills can be self-taught (listening), some learned by observing effective people (interpersonal, negotiation, rapport), and some need formal training (presentation using software and hardware, accent neutralisation, public speaking, telephone etiquette, basic writing, decision making, stress management).
| Skill | What it means |
|---|---|
| Listening | An active process in three parts: hearing (the physical aspect), understanding (the brain derives meaning) and responding (shows you understood the intent) |
| Interpersonal | Ability to operate within organisations through social communication; reduces conflicts and raises productivity; helps control feelings in difficult situations |
| Negotiation | Each party tries to convince the other; both prepare, consider all variables, trade concessions; a good deal leaves both sides happy |
| Presentation | Communicating ideas to a group, with immediate interaction. A good presentation has content, structure, packaging and the human element |
| Rapport establishment | Establishing trust and harmony in a relationship; the key to gaining support and cooperation |
| Effective decision making | Assess and prioritise human and material factors, anticipate outcomes and decide in the best interest of all; managers balance efficiency, profit and satisfaction of stakeholders |
| Telephone etiquette, basic writing, public speaking | Create a good impression and put the other person at ease; apply them for business success |
| Accent neutralisation | Pronouncing words so the listener can understand; improves opportunities, professional image and confidence |
| Time management | Principles, practices and tools to get more value from time; improves efficiency and reduces stress |
| Stress management | Stress is the physical, mental and emotional response to demands, changes and events. Managing it means taking charge of thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment and problem handling, aiming at a balanced life |
In a presentation, content is the information people need, as much as the audience can absorb in one sitting. Structure is a logical beginning, middle and end, paced so the audience understands. Packaging is the treatment given to content, including software such as slideshows. The human element is the personal touch: a good presentation is remembered because a person is attached to it, such as a superior personally wishing an employee on a birthday along with the card.
Two views. For the exam: about 93 per cent of communication is carried by body language and manner of speaking (analogue communication) and only 7 per cent by words (digital communication). Another reading: these figures come from early studies of how people judge feelings and attitudes when words and body language disagree, and the researcher himself has cautioned against applying them to all communication. Most scholars agree that non-verbal cues matter greatly, without treating 93 and 7 as a general rule.
Technology in communication
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is an umbrella term for all technical means of processing and communicating information. Although it technically includes pre-digital technologies such as paper-based writing, it is mostly used for digital technologies, including communication methods, transmission techniques, equipment, media and techniques for storing and processing information. The term gained popularity partly due to the union of information technology (IT) and telecom technology.
Scope
| Area | Role |
|---|---|
| Corporate offices and organisations | PR covers all communication between employer and employees |
| PR officers | Extend communication with stockholders, media, press, NGOs, government, customers and the general public; deal with outside agencies |
| Innovation | New uses of media and technologies |
Exam traps
| The trap | Why it's tempting | The truth |
|---|---|---|
| "Corporate communication is only about advertising." | Advertisements are the most visible part | It covers all internal and external communication; advertising is only one area |
| "Public perception depends 90 per cent on what an organisation says." | Slogans and ads are visible | 90 per cent is what it does, 10 per cent what it says |
| "Internal communication is only downward." | Orders flow from the top | It flows vertically, horizontally and diagonally |
| "The 7 Cs include Creativity." | It sounds valuable | The 7 Cs: Conciseness, Concreteness, Clarity, Completeness, Courtesy, Correctness, Consideration |
| "Hearing and listening are the same." | Both involve sound | Hearing is only the first part; listening also needs understanding and responding |
| "A good PR person may sell advance information for profit." | Information has value | It must be avoided at all costs; ethics forbid it |
| "Press and PR are rivals." | One reports, the other promotes | They are interdependent: journalists need news, PR needs publicity |
| "ICT means only the internet." | The internet is the best known part | ICT covers all technical means of processing and communicating information |
60-second revision
| Topic | Lock this in |
|---|---|
| Corporate communication | Managing all internal and external communications; "controlling how the world sees you" |
| Creates | Favourable perception · communication avenues · culture, identity, philosophy · corporate citizenship |
| PR | Art and science; deliberate, planned, sustained effort; ethics against being "fixers" |
| PR functions | Policy · statements and press releases · publicity · maintaining relations · publications |
| PR areas | Press relations · advertising · publications · other media · constituents |
| Page principles | Truth · prove it with action (90/10) · listen · manage for tomorrow · whole company · people · calm |
| Internal vs external | Employer and employees vs outside world; vertical, horizontal, diagonal |
| 7 Cs | Conciseness · Concreteness · Clarity · Completeness · Courtesy · Correctness · Consideration |
| Listening | Hearing · understanding · responding |
| Presentation | Content · structure · packaging · human element |
| ICT | IT + telecom; all technical means of processing and communicating information |
Where this chapter connects
- Previous chapter: Development Communication and Journalism shows media used for social change; this chapter uses similar tools for organisations.
- Consumers: Consumer Education and Protection covers the consumer divisions in corporate houses that handle complaints, a practical part of PR.
- Hospitality: Hospitality Management shows how front office staff build an establishment's image every day.
- Class XI: Media and Communication Technology introduces the communication technologies referred to here as ICT.
🎯 Practice MCQs
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Q1. The primary objective of corporate communication is to:
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The primary objective is to shape the perception of stakeholders, summed up as controlling how the world sees you. Production, replacing advertising and accounting training are not its primary objective.
Q2. After a factory accident, a company stays silent for two days and rumours spread, so the public and employees react badly. Which idea from the chapter does this best illustrate?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The chapter states that in a crisis it is the public's and employees' understanding of the event and its handling that decides their reaction. The other options are not supported by the situation described.
Q3. According to Arthur W. Page's principle "Prove it with action", public perception of an organisation is determined:
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The principle says perception is 90 per cent what the organisation does and 10 per cent what it says. Option A reverses the ratio, option B is not stated and option D ignores actions altogether.
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Q4. A company announces that it cares for the environment but its plant is found dumping untreated waste. Which Page principle is mainly violated?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The words say one thing while the action says another, and perception is shaped mostly by action. The other principles may also matter in general, but the clearest violation is the gap between claim and deed.
Q5. Which of the following is NOT one of the seven Cs of communication?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The seven Cs are conciseness, concreteness, clarity, completeness, courtesy, correctness and consideration. Creativity is not in the list.
Q6. A manager sends an email to all staff that says only "Send it soon". The recipients do not know what, to whom or by when. Which Cs of communication have been neglected?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The message is vague (not concrete), unclear about its meaning and lacks the information needed (not complete). It is short, so conciseness is not the problem.
Q7. Match List I with List II. List I: (i) Internal communication (ii) External communication (iii) Press relations (iv) Publications. List II: (p) Brochures, folders, in-house magazines (q) Between employer and employees (r) Between the organisation and the outside world, including government and customers (s) Cordial relations with editors and reporters
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
Internal communication is between employer and employees, external communication is with the outside world, press relations means good ties with the press, and publications cover brochures, folders and in-house magazines. The other options swap pairs.
Q8. Listening is an active process. Which of the following gives the three parts in the correct order?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
Hearing is the physical aspect, understanding is where the brain derives meaning, and responding shows that the speaker's intent has been understood. The other options break this order.
Q9. Statement I: Press and PR depend on each other, since journalists need news and PR needs publicity. Statement II: PR persons should avoid giving undue favours to some newspapers. Which is correct?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
Press relations rest on give and take, and PR persons are expected to avoid bias and undue favours. Both statements are therefore correct.
Q10. A good presentation has four elements. Which option lists them correctly?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
A presentation has content (the information), structure (a logical beginning, middle and end), packaging (treatment such as slides) and the human element (the personal touch). The other options list unrelated items.
Q11. A PR professional learns about a company merger before it is announced and considers using the information for personal gain. What does the code of ethics require?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
PR professionals have access to information about coming events, and the temptation to commercialise it must be avoided at all costs so that they are not labelled fixers or manipulators. The other options break the code.
Q12. Which statement about ICT is correct?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
ICT is an umbrella term covering all technical means of processing and communicating information, and the term gained popularity partly due to the union of IT and telecom technology. It is not limited to the internet or printing.
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