企业通信术语定义管理功能，提供所有内部和外部的利益相关者群体赖以建立和保持良好的声誉依赖于组织的总体目标的有效沟通协调框架。Cees van Riel也定义了企业通信的管理工具，通过它所有的自觉运用形式的内部和外部沟通协调尽可能有效和高效地与总体目标创建良好的基础与群体。”。这些团体和个人在这样的群体被称为利益相关者，定义了一个利益相关者为“能影响或是由该组织的宗旨和目标的实现受到影响的任何团体或个人”。利益相关者的任何组织形式，组织和有效的沟通之间的整体性能的一个关键组成部分，这些利益相关者是一个必要的保证一般光滑的组织运作。这是因为组织的设置可以被描述为一个复杂的系统，是错综复杂的连接技术。
The term Corporate Communication defines a management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organisation is dependent (Cornelissen, 2008: 5). Cees van Riel also defines corporate communications as, 'an instrument of management by means of which all consciously used forms of internal and external communications are harmonized as effectively and efficiently as possible' with the overall objective of creating 'a favourable basis for relationships with groups upon which the company is dependant.' (van Riel, 1995: 26). These groups and the individuals within such groups are referred to as stakeholders and Freeman (1984), defines a stakeholder as 'any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organisation's purpose and objectives' (Freeman, 1984: 46, cited in Cornelissen, 2008). The stakeholders of any organisation form a key part of the overall performance of that organisation and effective communication between and amongst these stakeholders is a requisite for ensuring a generally smooth organizational operation (Scholes and Clutterbuck, 1998). This is because the organisational setting can be described as a complex system where people are intricately connected with processes, situations and technology and in touch with them daily (Helenbergh and Scoubeau, 2005).
The Stakeholder Model of Strategic Management (Cornelissen, 2008: 39) illustrates a two-way mode of communication between an organisation and all its stakeholders that presupposes that each group or individual legitimately connected with that organisation is equally important to the organisation irrespective of the benefits they may derive by virtue of being the organisation's stakeholders. In an 'over-communicated' world such as currently exists, the question of whether or not stakeholders are genuinely interested in what organisations have to say is debatable, however, what is certain is that it is difficult for business organisations to catch the attention of its customers, moreover sustain their interest (Christensen and Cheny, 2000; Schudson, 1993). They suggest that this is the reason why organisations are increasingly more aggressive in their external communications strategies. Christensen and Cheney (2000) further concede that the 'corporate communication environment has become extremely complex and volatile' (pg. 250). Aside from business organisations pushing for bigger profits through marketing campaigns a growing awareness in corporate ethics and integrity could have also spurred a desire on the part of customers and other stakeholders, to know and be involved in issues related to corporate businesses (Scholes and Clutterbuck, 1998). Such knowledge and involvement would only become manifest if there existed some information flow between stakeholders and the organisations (Schultz et al., 2000). Figure 2.1 illustrates Stakeholder Theory, highlighting the customer/client as this is the stakeholder group this study is focusing on.
According to Scholes and Clutterbuck (1998), there must be a conscious effort to manage individual stakeholder groups in a cohesive manner by integrating messages to and from them. Jones (2001, cited in Dickenger et al., 2004:2), suggests that this two-way information flow between the customer and the organisation enhances service and feedback between these two parties. Similarly, Spaul (1997, see Rice and Katz, 2003) points out a concept of 'corporate dialogue', involving stakeholders being 'allowed immediate access to a bro
