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Excellence in Internal Communication Management is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2017 and written by Rita Linjuan Men, Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Florida, and Shannon A. Bowen, Professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California. The authors combine theories, research insights, practices, as well as current issues and cases into a comprehensive guide for internal communication managers and organizational leaders on how to communicate effectively with internal stakeholders, build ethical organizational cultures, and engage employees in a rapidly-changing business environment. In Chapter 6, the authors discuss different organizational structures and the communication styles different structures demand. They outline both vertical centralized organizational structures and horizontal decentralized structures and write that hierarchies and reporting chains in these structures impact the formalization of communication. The authors also highlight two approaches to organizational culture: authoritarian and participative. They outline the Theory X style of management, which relies on authoritarian commands and a reward/punishment incentive structure, and the Theory Y style, which is based on team-building as a way to motivate employees to contribute to the success of the organization. They discuss findings that Theory Y is superior to Theory X and conclude that Theory Y management will drive productive internal relations.

Excellence in Internal Communication Management is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2017 and written by Rita Linjuan Men, Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Florida, and Shannon A. Bowen, Professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California. The authors combine theories, research insights, practices, as well as current issues and cases into a comprehensive guide for internal communication managers and organizational leaders on how to communicate effectively with internal stakeholders, build ethical organizational cultures, and engage employees in a rapidly-changing business environment. In Chapter 7, the authors discuss the definitions, drivers, and consequences of employee engagement. They write that employee engagement nurtures positive attitudes, drives supportive behavior, and contributes to business success. They classify the organizational factors that drive employee engagement into four groups: work environment, organizational leadership, organizational strategic internal communication, and organizational culture. The chapter ends with ten research insights that can inform organizations as they act to cultivate employee engagement.

Excellence in Internal Communication Management is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2017 and written by Rita Linjuan Men, Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Florida, and Shannon A. Bowen, Professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California. The authors combine theories, research insights, practices, as well as current issues and cases into a comprehensive guide for internal communication managers and organizational leaders on how to communicate effectively with internal stakeholders, build ethical organizational cultures, and engage employees in a rapidly-changing business environment. In Chapter 8, the authors discuss the role of strategic internal communication in change initiatives. They argue that communication reduces uncertainty, helps an organization overcome resistance to change, facilitates employee participation, and builds shared understanding and mutual interpretation. Change communication requires an understanding of the change process in question and the ways in which communication strategies can help. The authors conclude that communication that emphasizes ethics, transparency, openness, listening, and upward communication facilitates strategic change and that strong leadership is crucial to successful change. They also suggest that two-way communication channels like face-to-face meetings and social media communication are good ways to foster mutual understanding among employees affected by change.

Excellence in Internal Communication Management is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2017 and written by Rita Linjuan Men, Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Florida, and Shannon A. Bowen, Professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California. The authors combine theories, research insights, practices, as well as current issues and cases into a comprehensive guide for internal communication managers and organizational leaders on how to communicate effectively with internal stakeholders, build ethical organizational cultures, and engage employees in a rapidly-changing business environment. In Chapter 9, the authors discuss how to measure the value of internal communication. They write that internal communication can be measured at the outputs, outtakes, outcomes, and business impact levels and that both quantitative and qualitative research methods can be used to gather data. "Big data" analytics can be used to determine correlative relationships and improve communication practices.

In 2014, Hubtown Limited (Hubtown), an Indian real estate development company, was attempting to implement a process to differentiate between its employees in order to enhance performance, identify employees who could be groomed for future growth, and distribute rewards. Hubtown was consolidating to concentrate on a few large, complex projects in residential and commercial spaces in urban centres. Like other companies in the industry, it competed for talent and faced challenges when attempting to retain, reward, and promote valuable employees. Earlier efforts to implement a results-based performance management system had failed, so the organization decided to design and adopt a behaviour-based approach and to implement it from the bottom up to bypass resistance from senior management. Case A describes the challenges the human resources head faced in creating an institutionalized performance culture and designing the implementation plan for this system. Case B describes the implementation process and presents the initiatives taken by the human resources team to implement the process, train the stakeholders, and address challenges along the way.

Supplement to case W16873.

Supplement to case 417010.

Greg Simpson was the chief executive officer of Simpson Seeds Inc. (SSI). He and his two brothers, second-generation owners of a family farm, had started the seed company. From humble beginnings in Moose Jaw, SSI had grown to be the largest privately owned lentil exporter and seed retailer in Saskatchewan, Canada, distributing pulses to nearly 80 countries worldwide. Simpson and his brothers had recently added a new red lentil-splitting plant to the family business; however, the new plant required leadership. The brothers were also considering how to continue the family legacy. Transitioning management and leadership of SSI would not be easy. Five of nine cousins from the third generation worked at SSI. Would the new plant be the ideal launching pad for the third generation, allowing them to learn how to lead and manage a segment of the family business? Simpson and his brothers were scheduled to meet on Monday, when Simpson was to deliver a proposal for succession planning.

In March 2016, India-based information technology start-up MD Solutions was facing a human resources challenge. Since 2012, the company had offered a three-day-a-month flexible work arrangement to its employees. Because of a family emergency a star performer, and the key person on a high-value project, needed to be relocated to his hometown, which was over 1,000 miles away. The company faced several challenges: how could it devise a new flexible work arrangement policy for retaining the star performer without hurting the cost structure and team morale; deal with virtual complexities; and develop a sustainable human resources framework that would benefit the company in the long-run in terms of performance excellence and talent retention.

In 2011, a health care director at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) asked one of her managers to review two candidates for promotion to a front-line coordinator position. The manager was tasked with the job of choosing between two promising candidates who were quite different from each other. He had to carefully review the qualifications of the two candidates and determine which one would be better suited to the role. Use with supplement.

Supplement to case W16823.

By 2016, Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell had led the 255-year-old pencil manufacturer Faber-Castell through waves of technological change. The pocket calculator decimated Faber-Castell's slide rule business in the 1970s, and computer aided design technology undermined the company's manual drafting tools in the 1980s. With each new threat the Count had to decide whether to adapt to new technologies, or maintain focus on the company's core products and identity. Analysts continued to ask Count Anton-Wolfgang the same question they had posed to his grandfather: could the company strategy endure in the modern era?

In 2016, Kurt Summers, the Chicago City Treasurer, faced a decision with potential personal and political ramifications: whether or not to ask the city's Mayor to join a class action anti-trust suit against the city's creditors for actions they took during the Global Financial Crisis. Summers reflects on his time growing up in gang-controlled neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago, and career experiences in both the public and private sector. These include stints at Harvard Business School, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, the Chicago Olympics bid, and in local government. He tries to assess what he should do in this situation and what the best next steps would be in terms of his career. The case also discusses his work and leaderships styles, his personal life, including his relationship with his wife, and how he has adjusted to the new role of being a politician.

In November 2014, the Residence Services department at MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, needed to replace a residence assistant who was exiting midway through the academic year. The new hire would have one semester of work for the current academic year and, with good performance, was expected to return for two semesters of work in the following academic year. One of the qualified applicants had a distinguishable disability: she used a wheelchair. On the one hand, it would be easier for Residence Services to not hire her because of the various potential risks, concerns, or expected difficulties that could arise with her employment. The primary concern was her ability to respond effectively to emergency situations. A secondary concern was the impact on operational efficiency and the need to adapt work and staff routines to accommodate the use of a wheelchair. On the other hand, it was not legal to discriminate against the candidate for employment, and Residence Services valued inclusive hiring practices. The decision to hire or not hire this candidate needed to be made very soon.

New research shows that companies really are failing faster than they used to: In particular, digital companies are far more vulnerable to quick imitation than are companies that own factories, products, and supply chains. Vijay Govindarajan and Anup Srivastava, of Dartmouth's Tuck School, offer three strategies for firms looking to boost their longevity: First, companies could incorporate both technology and physical products into their business models. Second, they could strive for models that include strong network effects (think of Facebook's 1 billion users and the hassle that jumping to a rival platform would create for them, because of all the "reconnecting" they'd have to do). Third, they could increase their focus on continuous innovation--attending to the long term so that they'll still be around after the short term.

While every organization inevitably must replace its CEO, most firms are ill-prepared for succession. In this article, HBR senior editor Eben Harrell reviews the most salient studies of succession planning and offers context from the experts. Some key takeaways: (1) Though turnover among CEOs is rising, only 54% of boards are grooming a specific successor, and 39% have no viable internal candidate. The consequences of poor planning are serious: Companies that scramble to find replacements forgo an average of $1.8 billion in shareholder value. (2) Grooming leaders takes years but pays off: Chief executives who have gone through executive development at "CEO factories" like GE deliver superior operating performance. But directors need to get more involved. The majority don't understand the capabilities of the executives below the CEO, and only about a quarter participate in their evaluations. (3) The trend toward external hires is growing, and outsiders command higher median pay. But studies suggest that on the whole, insider CEOs deliver better returns. (4) More researchers are studying the traits of the ideal CEO. So far they're finding that younger CEOs outperform their older counterparts, that execution matters more than interpersonal strengths, and that a military background makes leaders more honest, but this line of inquiry is in its early days, and the jury is still out.

Two years ago Ram Kapur's most valuable employee quit and decamped to a rival firm. Now he wants his job back. In this fictional case study, Kapur, the founder and CEO of a sustainable living and design firm based in Gurgaon, India, contemplates whether he should rehire his former star. After the unexpected departure, Kapur had struggled to keep the business afloat, but now he was on strong footing again. Two of his remaining staff had stepped up and filled the void and he was considering expanding into the Middle East. Having his top performer back would make growing the business easier--but was it the right move? Could he get over his hurt and anger? And could the rest of the staff?

Two years ago Ram Kapur's most valuable employee quit and decamped to a rival firm. Now he wants his job back. In this fictional case study, Kapur, the founder and CEO of a sustainable living and design firm based in Gurgaon, India, contemplates whether he should rehire his former star. After the unexpected departure, Kapur had struggled to keep the business afloat, but now he was on strong footing again. Two of his remaining staff had stepped up and filled the void and he was considering expanding into the Middle East. Having his top performer back would make growing the business easier--but was it the right move? Could he get over his hurt and anger? And could the rest of the staff?

Two years ago Ram Kapur's most valuable employee quit and decamped to a rival firm. Now he wants his job back. In this fictional case study, Kapur, the founder and CEO of a sustainable living and design firm based in Gurgaon, India, contemplates whether he should rehire his former star. After the unexpected departure, Kapur had struggled to keep the business afloat, but now he was on strong footing again. Two of his remaining staff had stepped up and filled the void and he was considering expanding into the Middle East. Having his top performer back would make growing the business easier--but was it the right move? Could he get over his hurt and anger? And could the rest of the staff?

Just because your workplace appears civil and quiet doesn't mean it is devoid of conflict. Across industries, teams composed of high-performing individuals are naturally subject to tensions and rivalry. The author, a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, provides evidence that most workplace disagreements stem from one of three sources: different agendas, different perceptions and different personal styles. She explains these sources in detail and provides tools for working through them.