Ansgar Zerfass, born 1965, is Professor in Communication and Leadership (II) at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway, since 2013. He is also Professor and Chair in Strategic Communication at the Institute of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Leipzig, Germany. He teaches within the Master of Management program Communication for Leaders at BI and is involved in various research activities at the department.
Dr. Zerfass studied business administration and communication science at the University of Erlangen-Nueremberg, Bavaria, and graduated in management (Dipl.-Kfm.). He started his academic career as a research associate with Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Horst Steinmann at the Chair of Strategic Management at the same university and gained a doctorate in business administration (Dr. rer. pol) summa cum laude. Afterwards, he worked in practice for 10 years in the fields of corporate communications and political consulting. During that time, he held an executive management position at MFG Baden-Württemberg, the center of excellence of the federal state for information technology and media. At the same time, he achieved a Habilitation (academic lecture qualification/second doctorate) in communication science at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg under the mentorship of Prof. Winfried Schulz.
Dr. Zerfass has published 33 books and more than 300 journal articles, book chapters, and study reports papers in several languages so far. He runs a large number of empirical projects, for example as lead researcher of the annual European Communication Monitor, the largest transnational study on strategic communication in more than 40 countries (since 2007), as initiator of the Asia-Pacific Communication Monitor and as coordinator of the multi-year research program Value Creating Communication across several universities.
Publications Please see Zerfass' profile page at Universität Leipzig.
Scientific awards
2016: Top Paper Award, EUPRERA Annual Conference, Groningen/Amsterdam
2016: Impact Award of the Journal of Communication Management / CCI Conference, New York
2016: Top Paper Award, International Public Relations Research Conference, USA
2016: Koichi Yamamura International Strategic Communication Award, IPRRC
2015: Jackson Jackson & Wagner Award, PRSA Foundation, Atlanta
2014: Pathfinder Award, Institute for Public Relations, New York
2014: Top Paper Award, EUPRERA Annual Conference, Brussels
2014: Koichi Yamamura International Strategic Communication Award, IPRRC
2013: Top Paper Award, International Public Relations Research Conference, USA
2013: Jackson Sharpe Award, Institute for Public Relations, USA
2012: Top Paper Award, EUPRERA Annual Conference, Istanbul
2012: Top Paper Award, International Public Relations Research Conference, USA
2011: Jackson-Sharpe Award, Institute for Public Relations, USA
1997: Ludwig-Schunk-Prize for Economic Science, University of Giessen
1995: Albert-Oeckl-Prize, German Public Relations Society (DPRG), Bonn
1995: PhD Award, University of Erlangen-Nueremberg
1989: Award of the Hermann-Weiler-Foundation, Nuremberg
Awards for communication campaigns
2010: PR Report Award "Innovative PR-Strategy"
2009: Federal Award for University Communication, BMBF/HINB
2005: German Multimedia Award
2000: German Public Relations Award (Deutscher PR-Preis)
Personal Awards
2010: Most innovative PR Researcher in Germany (newsaktuell/dpa)
2005: "PR head of the year" of the year in Germany (DPRG)
Awards for theses
Several advisees of Dr. Zerfass have received awards for their graduate theses in Germany or Europe:
2016: Master Thesis Award, EUPRERA (best graduate thesis in Europe)
2016: Best Student Paper Award, IPRRC 2016, Miami
2015: Master Thesis Award, EUPRERA (best graduate thesis in Europe)
2012: Albert Oeckl Award, German Public Relations Association (DPRG)
2012: Young Researcher Award, German Association of Press Spokespersons (BdP)
2011: Digital Communication Award (best graduate thesis on digital PR in Europe)
2010: Young Researcher Award, German Association of Press Spokespersons (BdP)
2010: Gold Award "Student of the Year", PR Report / PR Week Germany
2009: Young Researcher Award, German Association of Press Spokespersons (BdP)
2007: Young Researcher Award, German Association of Press Spokespersons (BdP)
Current research fields
Corporate Communications, Communication of medium-sized companies, Non-Profit Communication, Financial Communication, PR-Research, Online Communication, Reputation/Brand/Trust, Communication Controlling/ Evaluation
Excelencia en comunicación. Cómo desarrollar, dirigir y liderar comunicaciones excepcionales
Editorial UOC.
Nothhaft, Howard & Zerfass, Ansgar (2023)
Public relations in a postdisciplinary world: On the impossibility of establishing a constitutive PR theory within the tribal struggles of applied communication disciplines
Botan, Carl & Sommerfeldt, Erich (red.). Public relations theory III
Zerfass, Ansgar & Link, Jeanne (2023)
Business models for communication departments: a comprehensive approach to analyzing, explaining and innovating communication management in organizations
Purpose The question of whether and how communication departments contribute to organizational value creation has rarely been addressed in research. Such evidence is crucial, however, as communications compete internally with other functions (e.g. marketing and human resources (HR)) for budgets and staff. This article fills the gap by applying the business model concept, an established approach from management theory and practice, to communication units. Design/methodology/approach Based on an interdisciplinary literature review, the authors propose the Communication Business Model (CBM) as a new management approach for communications. To this end, pertinent definitions, frameworks and typologies of business models are analyzed and combined with insights from corporate communications literature. Findings The CBM outlines the generic architecture of business models for communication departments. Such models describe the basic principles of how such a unit operates, what services and products it provides, how it creates value for an organization and what revenues and resources are allocated. Research limitations/implications The approach stimulates the debate on communication units as objects of observation when researching communication management practices. Further research with appropriate empirical methods is needed to identify and study different types of business models for communications. Practical implications The CBM can be used as a management tool to analyze, explain and innovate communication management in organizations. It is a fertile approach for communication practitioners to make the work of their department visible and to position themselves internally and externally. Originality/value Transferring a well-known concept from general management to communication management enriches the value creation debate in theory and practice. It allows communication leaders to align their work with organizational goals and make it accessible to top management and other decision-makers in the organization. It also opens up new avenues for research and education.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Brockhaus, Jana (2023)
Digital corporate communication and digital transformation of communication functions and organizations
Luoma-aho, Vilma & Badham, Mark (red.). Handbook on Digital Corporate Communication
Ziegele, Daniel; Kurtze, H & Zerfass, Ansgar (2022)
Zwischen Aufbruch und Konvention. Grundlagen und Grenzen virtueller Stakeholder-Dialoge in der strategischen Kommunikation von Organisationen
Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft
Zerfass, Ansgar (2022)
Lobbying und Public Affairs
Aßländer, Michael (red.). Handbuch Wirtschaftsethik
Brockhaus, Jana; Buhmann, Alexander & Zerfass, Ansgar (2022)
Digitalization in corporate communications: understanding the emergence and consequences of CommTech and digital infrastructure
Purpose This article studies the digitalization of corporate communications and the emergence of communication technology (CommTech). The authors show communicators' expectations regarding digitalization, gauge the current level of digitalization across communication departments and agencies and examine the effectiveness of strategic approaches to manage digitalization. Design/methodology/approach The authors conceptualize the phenomenon of CommTech and propose a framework for studying CommTech's emergence and consequences by combining (1) recent theorizing on digitalization in corporate communications, (2) the concept of digital maturity from information systems research and (3) a socio-technical approach to analyze the development of work systems. The authors apply this framework in a quantitative study (n = 2,664) among communication practitioners from 46 countries. Findings While digitalization of both communication activities and the underlying support infrastructure is seen as critically important among communicators, a large fraction of communication departments and agencies are still assessed as digitally immature. Further, data reveal the relevance of different (technology, tasks, structure and people) dimensions of digitalization strategies and the influence of such strategies on the digital maturity of communications. Practical implications The framework and empirical instruments developed in this study help practitioners to uncover and evaluate the level of digital maturity of communication departments and agencies. This allows to identify current challenges and future opportunities for improvement. Originality/value The authors propose a concise definition for the much-debated concept of CommTech and develop a new theoretical framework for understanding CommTech's emergence and consequences in the profession. This empirical work constitutes the first large-scale study on the digital maturity of communication departments and agencies.
Brockhaus, Jana & Zerfass, Ansgar (2022)
Strengthening the role of communication departments: A framework for positioning communication departments at the top of and throughout organizations
Purpose Corporate communications is often less successful when it is competing for influence with neighboring functions such as marketing or sales within organizations. This article addresses the internal positioning of communication departments by developing a conceptual framework which helps to understand, analyze and optimize their standing in organizations. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on a literature review across several disciplines (e.g. organizational communication, strategic management) and supported by 26 qualitative in-depth interviews with board members, executives and communicators in a global industry company. By combining the theoretical and empirical insights, a framework for positioning communication departments within organizations was developed. Findings The framework depicts seven strategies (e.g. expectation and impression management, supporting ambassadors from other departments) and three spheres of influence (organizational integration, internal perceptions and social capital) to strengthen the position of corporate communications. Research limitations/implications The conceptual framework has been supported by one case study so far, and future research may further develop and verify it by applying it to a larger number of companies in different industries. Practical implications Practitioners can use the framework as an analytical tool to reflect the current situation in their organization and identify opportunities for strengthening it. Originality/value This article introduces a novel view in the academic debate about the role and influence of corporate communications. It establishes a framework that helps to identify different drivers and strategies, and lays ground for future research.
Ehrhart, Christof & Zerfass, Ansgar (2021)
Strategien von Public Affairs in Unternehmen: Herausforderungen und Chancen in Zeiten des wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Wandels
Röttger, Ulrike; Donges, Patrick & Zerfass, Ansgar (red.). Handbuch Public Affairs: Politische Kommunikation für Unternehmen und Organisationen
Röttger, Ulrike; Donges, Patrick & Zerfass, Ansgar (2021)
Public Affairs: Strategische Kommunikation an der Schnittstelle von Wirtschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft
Röttger, Ulrike; Donges, Patrick & Zerfass, Ansgar (red.). Handbuch Public Affairs: Politische Kommunikation für Unternehmen und Organisationen
Purpose Nowadays, communication practitioners are well-equipped with all kinds of skills and competencies. Nevertheless, those capabilities seem not to prevent professionals from stress and burnout. Stress resilience, i.e. the ability to deal with high demands at work, to cope with and recover from stress, seems to be a missing competence. This study sheds light on this important, but barely discussed aspect of communication management. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was applied to understand sources of stress and to identify opportunities to build stress resilience competence. Therefore, 40 in-depth interviews with senior leaders and young professionals in 30 agencies in the largest countries on two continents were conducted (United States vs Germany). Findings This study revealed common and threat drivers of stress. Overall, the work environment can be summarised as highly demanding and multifaceted, where stress resilience might be a useful competence to have to be successful and to be protected against negative stress outcomes such as burnout. The study identifies several reasons why resilient professionals are more successful in coping with stress. It is further shown that most communication agencies in the sample have already implemented programmes to increase employees' resilience.riginality/value This study offers an alternative view on the much-debated future of work by using an interdisciplinary approach and large-scale, qualitative insights from the agency environment. A novel concept is introduced that can stimulate further research.
Digital communication tools and practices improve the spread and impact of organisational messages. Quite often, however, they also pose moral problems. This article examines how often public relations practitioners encounter moral issues in their day-to-day work, how they assess digital communication tools and practices in terms of ethics, and the resources on which they rely to tackle moral challenges. Four research questions were addressed in an online survey among 2,324 practitioners who work in PR departments of organisations or in PR agencies across Europe. Results show that PR practitioners face more moral challenges in their daily work than they have faced in the past. Regarding digital communication tools and practices, they report moral concerns especially related to using bots, exploiting personal data for big-data analyses, paying social media influencers, and using sponsored content. Personal values and beliefs are the most important resource for dealing with moral issues—whether because only a minority of practitioners has participated in any formal ethics training within the past three years, or because existing ethical guidelines are outdated. Results call for the development of ethical guidelines that can provide explicit advice in the area of digital communication. Furthermore, structured training programs and ethics courses in graduate programs are needed to enhance practitioners’ ethical knowledge.
Dühring, Lisa & Zerfass, Ansgar (2021)
The Triple Role of Communications in Agile Organizations
This study presents the findings of multi-method research that explores the challenges and implications of the concept of agility for the field of strategic communication. Despite its omnipresence in business practice, research on agility in the domain of strategic communication is scarce. Thus, a four-step research process was conducted to link the interdisciplinary debate about agility to the field of strategic communication. First, a systematic literature review across various disciplines provided a comprehensive understanding of agility and its key dimensions. Second, several conceptual frameworks for agility were analyzed and the relevant aspects for strategic communication were synthesized. In the third step, the current impact of organizational agility on corporate communications was explored by conducting empirical in-depth interviews with chief communication officers and senior communication managers from 38 multinational companies. Finally, the theoretical, conceptual, and empirical insights were combined to develop a framework for the role of strategic communication in the context of organizational agility. The findings of this study suggest that communication departments need to: a) adopt their own structures and processes, accordingly; b) enhance organizational agility by enabling other departments; and c) communicate the agile transformation of their organization both internally and externally.
Volk, Sophia Charlotte & Zerfass, Ansgar (2021)
Management tools in corporate communication: a survey about tool use and reflections about the gap between theory and practice
Purpose The purpose of this article is to introduce the research field of management tools to communication management scholarship and open up new avenues for the field. Design/methodology/approach The first part examines established knowledge from the strategic management literature about management tools as a means to support and facilitate organizational decision-making. The second part reports on a survey among 125 communication practitioners in corporate communication departments about the use of 32 tools for the analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation of communication. Findings The study sheds light on the perceived relevance and benefits of tools, as well as on knowledge and satisfaction and on general patterns of tool use. The findings demonstrate that tools are gaining in importance, but there is a lack of understanding, training and documentation of tools. Tools for planning and implementing communication are most widely spread, reflecting the operational focus of corporate communication. Practical implications Practitioners find value in the compilation of the most popular tools and implications on how to reflect about tool usage and outcomes. Originality/value The article provides directions for future research and reflects about tools as a means to bridge the divide between theory and practice.
Röttger, Ulrike; Donges, Patrick & Zerfass, Ansgar (2020)
Handbuch Public Affairs: Politische Kommunikation für Unternehmen und Organisationen
Kommunikationsmanager wissen heute um die Wirkung ihrer Arbeit und umihren Beitrag zur Erreichung von Unternehmenszielen. Dabei handelt es sich umLeistungen für eine gute Berichterstattung in den Medien, für die Reputation desUnternehmens und mitunter sogar für die direkte Verkaufsförderung, für dieMitarbeitermotivation genauso wie für die Gewinnung von Nachwuchskräften.Allerdings beruht dieses Wissen allzu oft auf Intuition, auf besonderen Erfahrun-gen wie im Falle von Krisen oder auf vereinzelten Erfolgsmessungen. Was häufigfehlt, ist ein institutionalisiertes Controlling der Unternehmenskommunikation,mit der die Steuerung und Evaluation der Kommunikationsprozesse systematisch
Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) might change the communication profession immensely, but the academic discourse is lacking an investigation of the perspective of practitioners on this. This article addresses this research gap. It offers a literature overview and reports about an empirical study on AI in communications, presenting first insights on how professionals in the field assess the technology. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-national study among 2,689 European communication practitioners investigated four research questions: RQ1 – How much do professionals know about AI and to what extent are they already using AI technologies in their everyday lives? RQ2 – How do professionals rate the impact of AI on communication management? RQ3 – Which challenges do professionals identify for implementing AI in communication management? RQ4 – Which risks do they perceive? Findings Communication professionals revealed a limited understanding of AI and expected the technology to impact the profession as a whole more than the way their organisations or themselves work. Lack of individual competencies and organisations struggling with different levels of competency and unclear responsibilities were identified as key challenges and risks. Research limitations/implications The results highlight the need for communication managers to educate themselves and their teams about the technology and to identify the implementation of AI as a leadership issue. Originality/value The article offers the first cross-national quantitative study on AI in communication management. It presents valuable empirical insights on a trending topic in the discipline, highly relevant for both academics and practitioners.
Keller-Bacher, Jule & Zerfass, Ansgar (2019)
How strategic communication facilitates the internationalization of firms: A situational framework
Frandsen, Finn; Johansen, Winni, Tench, Ralph & Romenti, Stefania (red.). Big ideas in public relations research and practice
Zerfass, Ansgar; Verčič, Dejan, Nothhaft, Howard & Werder, Kelly Page (2019)
Strategic communication: Defining the field and its contribution to research and practice
Nothhaft, Howard; Werder, Kelly Page, Verčič, Dejan & Zerfass, Ansgar (red.). Future directions of strategic communication
To many, development and adoption of professional standards for measurement and evaluation (M&E) is one of the most promising approaches for advancing public relations practice. In recent years, there has been a surge in efforts to develop standards for M&E in different parts of the world. Prominent examples of this include standard terminologies, metrics, principles for best practice in the field, and evaluation frameworks. Regardless of their alleged importance, however, the acceptance and application of such M&E standards in the practice varies significantly. To better understand the process by which standards in this field are developed and adopted, this article draws on recent concepts from organization studies (cf. Slager, Gond, & Moon, 2012) to analyze the trajectories of four seminal standards attempts: The Barcelona Principles and the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework on an international level, the DPRG/ICV Framework used in German-speaking countries, and the GCS Framework in the United Kingdom. The article reveals, by way of an interpretive qualitative approach, the various strategies undertaken to a) develop common sets of terms and rules, b) engage relevant actors in the design, promotion, and implementation of proposed standards, and c) to reinforcing standards symbolically.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Volk, Sophia Charlotte (2018)
Communication Management
Moy, Patricia (red.). Oxford Bibliographies in Communication
Schneider, Lena & Zerfass, Ansgar (2018)
Polyphony in corporate and organizational communications: Exploring the roots and characteristics of a new paradigm.
The article explores how strategic communication successfully established itself as an academic discipline despite (or perhaps because of) being centered on an elusive concept. Drawing on ideas about the evolution of academic disciplines proposed by Alexander M. Shneider, we argue that strategic communication is currently caught in a cycle of constant reinvention obscured by a discourse of emergence. Although the discipline is undoubtedly becoming more sophisticated, it is doubtful whether there is genuine progress. The authors examine facets of strategic communication that contribute to the current state of affairs. Although clearer conceptualization and a more realistic understanding of the discipline are identified as a prerequisite for maturation, progress—as opposed to sophistication—ultimately depends on the development of discipline-specific, unique, and robust methods.
Zerfass, Ansgar; Verčič, Dejan, Nothhaft, Howard & Werder, Kelly Page (2018)
Strategic Communication: Defining the Field and its Contribution to Research and Practice
This article draws on a decade of research in strategic communication and especially on the contributions in this special issue to propose a new and more comprehensive definition of strategic communication. We argue that strategic communication encompasses all communication that is substantial for the survival and sustained success of an entity. Specifically, strategic communication is the purposeful use of communication by an entity to engage in conversations of strategic significance to its goals. Entity includes all kind of organizations (e.g., corporations, governments, or nonprofits), as well as social movements and known individuals in the public sphere. Communication can play a distinctive role for the formulation, revision, presentation, execution, implementation, and operationalization of strategies. While there are many ways to investigate these research objects, strategic communication as a discipline takes the perspective of the focal organization/entity and its calculus to achieve specific goals by means of communication under conditions of limited resources and uncertainty. The article takes a critical look at the current state of the field and outlines several requirements that will help scholars and practitioners alike to build a unique body of knowledge in strategic communication.
This study explores future directions in strategic communication scholarship by examining the emergence of strategic communication through the lens of interdisciplinary science. The disciplinary status of strategic communication is described through a content analysis of manuscripts published in the International Journal of Strategic Communication since its inaugural issue in 2007 (N = 207). Results reveal positive trends in research productivity, authorship, and globalization of the discipline over an 11-year period. However, analysis of the methodological and theoretical attributes of strategic communication scholarship suggests that more interdisciplinary research is needed. This study proposes definitional refinements that may strengthen the consistency of purpose among strategic communication scholars for future research and theory building. In addition, this study proposes that scholars embrace an interdisciplinary worldview to further the development of strategic communication as a unique and innovative domain of study in the future.
Volk, Sophia Charlotte & Zerfass, Ansgar (2018)
Alignment: Explicating a Key Concept in Strategic Communication
This article seeks to build a better understanding of the concept of alignment, which has been acknowledged as a central aspect of strategic communication, but never explicitly defined. Building upon a comprehensive literature review and systematization of concepts at the nexus of strategic communication and management research, a working definition and an integrative conceptual framework of alignment of strategic communication are suggested. The new definition describes alignment of strategic communication both as an outcome and an ongoing process and introduces a distinction between primary and secondary alignment. The new framework combines the multiple perspectives and types of alignment discussed so far, differentiating between external and internal alignment, intrafunctional and cross-functional alignment, management–strategy–activities alignment and process–structure–culture–people alignment. Six avenues for future conceptual, empirical, and critical research are pointed out to provide inspiration for strategic communication scholars to carry forward research of the alignment concept.
Wolf, Cornelia & Zerfass, Ansgar (2017)
Mobile Corporate Communication – Potentials and Contemporary Practices
Duhe, Sandra (red.). New media and public relations, 3rd edition
Zerfass, Ansgar & Macnamara, Jim (2017)
Evaluation stasis continues in PR and corporate communication: Asia Pacific insights into causes.
European Communication Monitor 2016. Exploring trends in big data, stakeholder engagement and strategic communication. Results of a Survey in 43 Countries.
Quadriga Media Berlin.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Viertmann, Christine (2016)
Multiple voices in corporations and the challenge for strategic communication
Alm, Kristian; Brown, Richard Mark & Røyseng, Sigrid (red.). Kommunikasjon og ytringsfrihet i organisasjoner
Zerfass, Ansgar & Winkler, Luisa (2016)
Corporate communication in SMEs. Unveiling an ignored field of practice
Brønn, Peggy Simcic; Romenti, Stefania & Zerfass, Ansgar (red.). The Management Game of Communication
Zerfass, Ansgar & Wiesenberg, Markus (2016)
Communicating the leadership status of organisations. A cross-national study in 10 European countries
Brønn, Peggy Simcic; Romenti, Stefania & Zerfass, Ansgar (red.). The Management Game of Communication
Krebber, Felix; Biederstaedt, Christian & Zerfass, Ansgar (2016)
Online campaigning and offline lobbying: Public Affairs Strategies of Greenpeace Germany
Oliveira, Evandro; Melo, Ana & Goncalves, Gisela (red.). Strategic communication in non-profit organisations: Challenges and alternative approaches
Zerfass, Ansgar; Verčič, Dejan & Wiesenberg, Markus (2016)
The dawn of a new golden age for media relations?: How PR professionals interact with the mass media and use new collaboration practices
Handbuch Online-PR. Strategische Kommunikation in Internet und Social Web, 2. überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage [Handbook online public relations. Strategic communication on the internet and social web. 2nd, revised and enlarged edition]
UVK Verlagsgesellschaft.
Moreno, Angeles; Navarro, Cristina, Tench, Ralph & Zerfass, Ansgar (2015)
Does social media usage matter? An analysis of online practices and digital media perceptions of communication practitioners in Europe.
Key issues of public relations of Europe: Findings from the European Communication Monitor 2007-2014 (Temas clave de las relaciones públicas en Europa: Resultados del European Communication Monitor 2007-2014)
Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 4(8), s. 5- 26.
Holtzhausen, Derina R. & Zerfass, Ansgar (2014)
Strategic Communication: Opportunities and Challenges of the Research Area
Holtzhausen, Derina R. & Zerfass, Ansgar (red.). Routledge Handbook of Strategic Communication
Holtzhausen, Derina R. & Zerfass, Ansgar (2014)
Routledge Handbook of Strategic Communication
Routledge.
Zerfass, Ansgar; Röttger, Ulrike & Stahl, Janne (2014)
Leadership in Communication Management: Enduring and Emerging Challenges in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Berger, Bruce & Meng, Juan (red.). Public Relations Leaders as Sensemakers: A global study of leadership in public relations and communication management
Zerfass, Ansgar; Linke, Anne & Röttger, Ulrike (2014)
Key Issues in the Field: The Context for Leadership
Berger, Bruce & Meng, Juan (red.). Public Relations Leaders as Sensemakers: A global study of leadership in public relations and communication management
Moreno, Angeles; Verhoeven, Piet, Tench, Ralph & Zerfass, Ansgar (2014)
Increasing power and taking a lead - What are practitioners really doing? Empirical evidence from European communications managers (Incrementar el poder y asumir el liderazgo - ¿Qué hacen realmente los profesionales? Evidencias empíricas sobre los gestores de comunicación en Europa)
Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 4(7), s. 73- 94.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Schramm, Dana Melanie (2014)
Social Media Newsrooms in Public Relations. A conceptual framework and corporate practices in three countries
This article analyzes the consulting and enabling function within the role set of communication managers and provides an initial theoretical framework for internal communication consulting in organizations. The idea of communication professionals as consultants has already been introduced by a number of researchers. Nevertheless, the necessity of this task as well as the specific dimensions and practices of internal communication consulting have not been elaborated until now. This article takes an initial step towards closing this gap by developing a new framework. After a short introduction, the necessity of the consulting function will be emphasized by introducing the concept of the communicative organization. In order to fulfill this requirement, communicative competencies in a much broader sense have to be developed. This leads to a new challenge for communication professionals: they are asked to advise organizational members and to enable them to resolve communication-related issues as well as task-related issues. Based on a research review, a framework for internal communication consulting has been constructed by combining the dimensions of consulting forms and objectives. Qualitative interviews with communication executives have been conducted to verify the plausibility of this framework. The article closes by outlining implications for research, education, and practice.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Müller, Maren Christin (2013)
Stakeholderbeziehungen in der CSR-Kommunikation. Empirische Studie zu Strategien und Rahmenbedingungen in deutschen Unternehmen
European Communication Monitor 2022. Exploring diversity and empathic leadership, CommTech and consulting in communications. Results of a survey in 43 countries.
[Report]. EUPRERA European Public Relations Education and Research Association, EACD European Association of Communication Directors.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Link, Jeanne (2022)
Communication management: structures, processes, and business models for value creation through corporate communications
Falkheimer, Jesper & Heide, Mats (red.). Research Handbook on Strategic Communication
European Communication Monitor 2021. CommTech and digital infrastructure, video-conferencing, and future roles for communication professionals. Results of a survey in 46 countries
Asia-Pacific Communication Monitor 2020/21. Strategic issues, competency development, ethical challenges and gender equality in the communications profession. Results of a survey in 15 countries and territories
North American Communication Monitor 2020-2021. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic, ethical challenges, gender issues, cybersecurity, and competence gaps in strategic communication
[Non-fiction book]. The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.
European Communication Monitor 2020. Ethical challenges, gender issues, cyber security, and competence gaps in strategic communication. Results of survey in 44 countries
Los professionales de las relaciones públicas en el LATAM. Análisis compartido y evolutivo de los perfiles, la formación y los ámbitos de desempeno a partir del Latin Commucciation Monitor (2014-2019)
[Academic lecture]. V Congreso de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Investigadores de la Comunicación (ALAIC).
Ziegele, Daniel & Zerfass, Ansgar (2020)
Stress resilience: A key competence for professionals in public relations
[Academic lecture]. Annual Congress of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA).
Verčič, Dejan & Zerfass, Ansgar (2020)
New realities of public relations and cyber security
[Academic lecture]. Bledcom 2020 International Public Relations Research Symposium.
Hagelstein, Jens & Zerfass, Ansgar (2020)
Dancing with the devil? The adoption of paid media among PR professionals
[Academic lecture]. Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA).
North American Communication Monitor 2018-2019. Tracking trends in fake news, issues management, leadership performance, work stress, social media skills, job satisfaction and work environment
[Report]. The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.
Zerfass, Ansgar; Verčič, Dejan, Verhoeven, Piet, Moreno, Angeles & Tench, Ralph (2019)
European Communication Monitor 2019. Exploring trust in the profession, transparency, artificial intelligence and new content strategies. Results of a survey in 46 countries
[Non-fiction book]. Quadriga Media Berlin.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Volk, Sophia Charlotte (2019)
Toolbox Kommunikationsmanagement: Denkwerkzeuge und Methoden für die Steuerung der Unternehmenskommunikation
[Non-fiction book]. Springer Gabler.
Buhmann, Alexander & Zerfass, Ansgar (2018)
Understanding the dynamics of (non)standardization in communication measurement and evaluation
European Communication Monitor 2018. Strategic communication and the challenges of fake news, trust, leadership, work stress and job satisfaction. Results of a survey in 48 Countries.
European Communication Monitor 2017. How strategic communication deals with the challenges of visualisation, social bots and hypermodernity. Results of a survey in 50 Countries.
[Scientific book]. Quadriga Media Berlin.
Macnamara, Jim; Lwin, May O., Adi, Ana & Zerfass, Ansgar (2017)
Asia-Pacific Communication Monitor 2017/18. Strategic challenges, social media and professional capabilties – Results of a survey in 22 countries
[Report]. APACD.
Zerfass, Ansgar; Vercic, Dejan, Verhoeven, Piet, Moreno, Angeles & Tench, Ralph (2015)
European Communication Monitor 2015. Creating communication value through listening, messaging and measurement. Results of a Survey in 41 Countries.
European Communication Monitor 2014. Excellence in Strategic Communication – Key Issues, Leadership, Gender and Mobile Media. Results of a Survey in 42 Countries
[Scientific book]. Helios Media.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Kiesenbauer, Juliane (2014)
Strategen, Visionäre und Netzwerker der Unternehmenskommunikation. Kommunikationschefs und Protagonisten der nächsten Generation in Nahaufnahme
Corporate communications from the CEO’s perspective: How top executives conceptualize and value strategic communication
[Academic lecture]. International Public Relations Research Conference 2014.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Schramm, Dana Melanie (2013)
Social Media Newsrooms in Public Relations: Developing a conceptual framework and researching corporate practices in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany
[Academic lecture]. International Public Relations Research Conference 2013.
Zerfass, Ansgar & Koehler, Kristin (2013)
International Strategic Communication with Investors on the Web – A Global Benchmark Study of Financial Communications in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan
[Academic lecture]. International Public Relations Research Conference 2013.
European Communication Monitor 2013. A Changing Landscape - Managing Crises, Digital Communication and CEO Positioning in Europe. Results of a Survey in 43 Countries
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Akademisk grad
År
Akademisk institusjon
Grad
2006
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Ph.D.
1996
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg - Dr. rer. pol.
PhD
1990
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg - Dipl.-Kfm. (Univ.)