Corporate Communication and Corporate Advocacy

About the research project

Titel: Corporate Communication and Corporate Advocacy: A Q-sort survey of communication managers on the relevance, design, and challenges of corporate advocacy

Team: Professor Helena Stehle, Professor Ulrike Röttger and Julia Lührmann (University of Münster)

Projektlaufzeit: November 2024 to Oktober 2025

The pressure on companies to take a stand on socio-political issues and events is increasing. Stakeholders expect businesses to show a clear position on current topics, often involving socially controversial and polarizing issues. At the same time, communication managers are seeking more guidance and opportunities for exchange on strategically approach corporate advocacy.

This new study by the University of Münster aims to analyze the current perceptions and experiences of communication managers in large and medium-sized German companies regarding corporate advocacy. It also analyzes the strategic planning and implementation of corporate advocacy. The goal is to draw conclusions for improving strategic corporate communication.

Methodology

Research questions

1. What is the relevance of corporate advocacy in the context of corporate strategic communication?
2. What underlying motives and drivers shape strategic corporate advocacy?
3. To what extent is corporate advocacy strategically planned (e.g., objectives, metrics, strategies, management processes)?
4. How is strategic corporate advocacy operationally executed (e.g., thematic contexts, communicators, techniques, instruments)?
5. What opportunities and challenges do communication managers perceive in this regard?

Methodology

• A systematic literature review will be conducted to capture the heterogeneous state of research and varying definitions in the field of corporate advocacy.
• The Q-sort survey, which combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, will be used to systematically gather and categorize the individual perceptions, experiences, and evaluations of communication managers.
• 15 to 20 communication managers from large and medium-sized companies across various industries in Germany will be surveyed through a Q-sort survey embedded in guided interviews, allowing for nuanced insights into their viewpoints.