Archive for December/2011

The case study of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) explores how a corporate  communication department can not only communicate innovation, but also foster  innovation in corporate communication. The case shows how monitoring for
innovation, in collaboration with an open network of partners, can help the  communications department contribute to the strategy of the core business  through better, more useful metrics, an increased understanding of consumer  behavior online and offline, and by mapping out a complete picture of the  organization’s stakeholder relationships with every department and individual in order to anticipate future advantages, among other benefits.

The case study presents BBVA’s model to promote innovation in their corporate  communications department. Specifically, it discusses steps and processes to  take into consideration. It also discusses the role of communication directors  in this process. The case study was developed by Laura Illia, Professor in  Corporate Communication and Academic Director of the Master in Corporate  Communication at IE University, Silvia McCallister Castillo, Alumni 2011 of the Master in Corporate Communication at IE University and Associate Director of  the Master in Management at IE Business School, and Ignacio Villoch Bayod,  BBVA Spain.

To consult the case study  connect to  document_ie, the database that contains materials (cases, teaching notes, working papers) edited by the Instituto de Empresa Publications Department.  http://www.ie.edu/eng/programas/document_ie.asp

The past few months at IE have been a very interesting and growing experience. I came in unsure of what to expect or the people I was going to meet. At opening ceremony I learned that my program is composed of 35 students of which there are 30 nationalities. This diversity has made my experience at IE very enriching. Everything is based on group work and interaction with different people in the program. I have learned so much about cultures, professional and academic backgrounds that are different from my own in the little time I have been at IE.

Despite the fact that I have only been at IE for about 2 months, the program has been very intense. It took some time for me to adapt to the heavy workload but it has been a learning experience, nonetheless. Every presentation, work group meeting, assignment, and course has been a challenge for me. Finalizing my first semester at IE, not only have I been able to overcome these challenges, but I also have grown as a person. I am grateful for opportunity IE has provided me with, being able to interact with such a incredible and talented group of people. At the end of the day, the most important thing we take with us is the friendships that we make and the personal encounters which allow us to become a better person and professional. I look forward to returning in January and to the experiences that IE has in store for me.

Felices Fiestas!

Societies and organizations are increasingly diverse. And sometimes diversity can create conflicts. On a macro scale, the relationship with the Basque country creates tensions in Spain and in the U.S. debates about immigration or religion in public life polarize the citizens (for an interesting illustration of ideological polarization in the blogosphere see here). On a micro-scale, conflicts emerge in public or corporate organizations, where CEOs and employees may face opposition when it comes to layoffs, merges or other decisions.

How might such conflicts be bridged?  Many see group discussions that expose participants to opposing views as a remedy. This is deliberation. It has emerged a hot issue in communications and is said to encourage tolerance, understanding, and contribute to social cohesion. Hence, practitioners organize such deliberations, hoping they will bring about beneficial effects in societies and organizations.

However, is promoting deliberation beneficial? Magdalena Wojcieszak, Academic Director of a new Masters Program in Political Communication at IE University addresses this question in an article titled Deliberation and Attitude Polarization, which was published in the last issue of a top communications journal – Journal of Communication. She shows that when strongly opinionated people encounter disagreement, they emerge from deliberation with polarized attitudes and are mobilized to take action against the opposing group. Her findings are based on a quasi-experiment during which structured and moderated groups discussed sexual minority rights (for parallel results among the American population and on a different issue see here). These findings suggest that moderated group discussions may sometimes backfire, exacerbating biases among strongly opinionated individuals and making them more extreme.

Avoiding such outcomes is thus the crucial task for researchers and practitioners. Any ideas as to how to approach this task are welcome!

The XXI century has brought the greatest cultural revolution of the past 500 years and changed the world of information, and how we interact with it, forever. Nothing will be the same as before: we have become accustomed to the constant flow of information and not having to pay for news. However, no one can think that things will stay as they are now: if the last decade has seen an unimaginable transformation of journalism, the next will give us an even bigger change: the crystallization of new business models.

Only those who understand the profound transformation of the journalistic industry and master new technologies and platforms can successfully succeed in, and bring innovation to, a completely different (and fascinating) ecosystem. In a world where available information is multiplied exponentially, extensive training is needed to select and publish accurate, rigorous and engaging stories with the speed and the tools of the digital age. Therefore, IE, through the IE School of Communication, opens in October 2012 the Master in Digital Journalism, where journalists from major worldwide media and ‘online’ communication entrepreneurs will prepare students for the challenge of fitting into the new way of describing the world.

More information at: http://mdj.ie.edu/