The organisation of external communication disciplines: an integrative framework of dimensions and determinants

As the concept of ‘integration’ in corporate and marketing communications gains increasing prominence as a mechanism to align the various communication disciplines within organisations, renewed questions have arisen about the organisation and operation of external communications, and about the factors influencing or inhibiting the interaction and/or coordination between areas of communication. This article reviews prior conceptual and field research, and presents an integrative framework relating aspects of the management and organisation of external communications to an organisation's internal and external environmental conditions. In support of this view, this article offers both a conceptualisation of organisation-environment relationships and a set of literature-derived propositions to serve as a guide for further research.