Government and Corporate Communication Practices: Do the Differences Matter?

Abstract

This study investigates the differences and similarities in communication practices between the public and private sectors. Through a survey of 976 government and corporate communicators, 12 organizational attributes previously identified in research on the government communication decision wheel (Liu & Horsley, 2007; Liu & Levenshus, 2008) were tested. The results indicated differences between the two groups in budgets, political influence, communication frequency, public pressure, interaction with other organizations, media coverage frequency, media coverage evaluation, and impact of legal frameworks as they relate to communication practices. No significant differences in diversity of publics, opportunities for professional development, participation in organizational leadership, or management support for communication between the two groups were found. The findings allowed for refinement of this developing model of government communication.

Keywords:

• Government Communication
• Public Relations
• Corporate Communication
• Government Communication Decision Wheel

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama for generously supporting this research.

Notes

1. When the survey was launched via mail and online, the question related to external legal frameworks was not included. This question was included in a separate online survey sent to the same sample.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brooke Fisher Liu

Brooke Fisher Liu is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland

J. Suzanne Horsley

J. Suzanne Horsley is an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alabama

Abbey Blake Levenshus

Abbey Blake Levenshus is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland