MC6054 - Corporate Communications (2026/27)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2026/27 | ||||||||||
| Module title | Corporate Communications | ||||||||||
| Module level | Honours (06) | ||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||||
| School | Guildhall School of Business and Law | ||||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2026/27(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
This module encourages you to critically analyse the nature, value, and techniques of effective corporate relations.
The module also covers the analysis and evaluation of theories, models, and issues relating to both corporate communications and that which informs its practice, namely corporate strategy. It encompasses both a global and a more “localised” perspective to the subject and is designed to help you critically analyse and evaluate emerging issues and trends in contemporary corporate relations. These include the critical drivers and determinants of corporate communications including (a) macro & micro environmental analysis, (b) corporate strategy analysis, (c) issues related to leadership and management, management & companies inward & outward diversity and inclusion strategy (d) international corporate relations, (e) corporate social responsibility, (f) investor relations, (g) internal communications, (h) communications audits, (i) public affairs issues, and (j) crises
Key to the module’s focus is the examination of corporate strategy and the inter-relationships between corporate strategy, leadership, and corporate communications.
Prior learning requirements
NO
Syllabus
The module will cover the following aspects of Corporate Communications:
• Relationships between public relations, corporate communications and corporate strategy. (LO1)
• Role of stakeholders in corporate communications planning. (LO2)
• Role of research and communications audits in planning corporate communications. (LO4)
• Reputation and leadership to include its relationship with communications strategy. (LO3)
• Ethics and PR strategy. (LO2)
• Internal communications. (LO1)
• Communications strategies for crisis and issues management. (LO4)
• Evaluation of Corporate Communication campaigns/programmes. (LO4)
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
Delivery consists of 3-hour CCT using a combination of lectures, normally 1.5 hours, (including guest speakers where possible) and seminars, normally 1.5 hours and industrial visits. Alternatively, and where appropriate 2-hour workshops will also be used for skills-based activities and industrial visits. Where 2-hours class contact is used for workshops, the remaining hours will be devoted to drop-in surgeries and/or “on-line” surgery time.
The module will seek to exploit the University’s location in the heart of the Corporate Communications highly London-centric positioning. The location of LMU facilitates these important aspects of the student learning experience.
Where possible Guest speakers will be invited from various sectors of the economy, and in addition PR graduates from LMU will also be invited to discuss case studies of their work for clients/employers and their career paths to-date.
As final year students, applicants will be expected to spend a significant amount of time on all aspects of independent learning including organisational research, media monitoring, journal article analysis and engaging with various aspects of specific corporate relations communication initiatives.
Learning outcomes
On completing the module, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a significant degree of insight into the concept of corporate strategy, particularly with regards to how this is likely to determine the nature of corporate communications programmes, as well as the role that corporate communications should adopt in relation to issues encompassed by current views and approaches to Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG).
2. Critically evaluate the various key specialisms within corporate communications practice including investor relations, (e.g., fund managers as they make financial decisions on behalf of the company), strategy and leadership, as well as corporate communications, particularly with regards to how a comprehensive grasp of the former analytical subject will influence the application of the latter communication discipline.
3. Research and appraise varied sources of information to understand and appraise an organisation’s corporate performance, corporate strategy and communications, e.g., financial statements, and employee and customer satisfaction rates and the role of internal communications.
4. Critically assess the concept of stakeholders and publics in corporate communications strategy and understand the relationship between the two by constructing a stakeholder map (i.e., Power/Interest Grid), for a given organisation, identifying corporate communications priorities for each group and justifying such conclusions.
Bibliography
Core Texts:
Cornelissen J. (2023) Corporate Communication A guide to Theory & Practice 7th Edition Sage Publications
https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/corporate-communication/book281413
Tench T. Waddington S. (2024) Exploring Public Relations & Management Communications Pearson
https://www.vitalsource.com/en-uk/products/exploring-public-relations-and-management-tench-waddington-v9781292321769
Supporting Reading:
Van Reil C. Fombrun C. (2007) Essentials of Corporate communications Implementing Practices for Effective Reputation Management
https://www.vitalsource.com/en-uk/products/essentials-of-corporate-communication-van-riel-cees-v9781134335053
Journals
Corporate Communications: An International Journal.
Public relations review
Journal of Public Relations Research
Journal of Marketing communications