The Department Communication Management & Public Relations deals with the purposeful use of communication by organisations and other actors to fulfill their missions in business, politics and society (strategic communication), as well as with the impact of those efforts on the macro level of societies and media systems. This comprises the research fields of public relations / media relations, organisational communication, corporate communications, and political communication. With a strong focus on leading-edge research and international outreach, the department is recognized as one of the leading think-tanks for communication management in Europe. The master programme “Communication Management” run by the department is ranked number one in Germany. Students and staff have received numerous awards and work closely with communication departments of global companies and communication agencies in applied research projects.

Areas of academic research & training:

Communication strategy and evaluation: The basic theories, concepts and models guiding the planning and measurement of communication programs and campaigns intended to support organisational goals. This is linked both to communication theories and to management science, comprising methods like content analysis and opinion research as well as scorecards, value links, SWOT analyses and scenario planning.

Trust and reputation:

To gain trust and reputation, both especially publicly generated, is crucial for communication management and public relations. On a basis of public trust theory, case studies are conducted. Further on, a content analyses tool (Corporate Trust Index, CTI) has been developed and content analyses, concerning the daily business reporting of twelve leading business newspapers and journals in Germany has been worked out. Implications for communication management (trust management) has been developed.

Media relations and intereffication:

Press and Media Relations still are the most important area of activities in the professional field. Research concerning the relationships between PR practitioners and journalists is done in developing suitable theories (Intereffication model) and empirical studies: Input-Output-analyses, surveys in the field of PR practitioners and journalists. Further on many case studies in the field has been conducted.

Innovation and technology communication:

The impact of communication on the development and assertion of new products, services technologies and ideas in society. Based on theories of framing and agenda-setting from communication science as well as theories of innovation management and economics (open innovation, cluster and network theories), this research field deals with an crucial aspect of development in modern societies.

Interactive communication:

The impact of the internet and social media on the communicative environment of organisations and the use of online platforms within strategic communication. This includes online monitoring, social media governance / guidelines, developing and managing corporate media online (web videos, weblogs, communities) as well as specific stakeholder settings (investor relations 2.0, online media relations).

Corporate media:

Corporate Media (in German speaking countries, the term “Corporate Publishing” is used much more) is a rapidly growing field in the professional field. More than 15.000 customer journals with 3 billions of copies in the Geman speaking countries, about 2000 employee journals with 6 million copies in Germany and huge numbers of audience show that this field is very important. Research concerning these media and a Master program in corporate publishing (together with the Leipzig School of Media) has been established.

Professional field, history and ethics of public relations:

The nowadays existing professional field of Public Relations and Communication Management in Germany had been investigated in three surveys with more than 2000 respondents. Different historical projects (PR in the GDR, PR in Germany between the twenties and the thirties) reconstruct and show the development of the occupational and professional field in the past. Ethical norms of the field are scholarly discussed and practically developed for the field.

Public affairs and political communication:

The use of strategic communication by political actors (parties, members of parliaments, governments, NGOs, associations) as well as communicative relationships by corporations and business bodies with the political system.

Website of the Department Communicationmanagement/PR