*Credibility of Accreditation: Does accreditation by professional organizations actually have value? According to the results of the global Value of Accreditation study,
sponsored by IABC/Chicago and L.C. Williams & Associates Research Group, the answer is yes. Among the findings:
-
51% of Accredited Business Communicators (ABCs) indicate they take a more strategic approach to the activities in their organizations since becoming accredited;
-
50% of supervisors and clients say the value is the ability to communicate strategically;
-
60% perceive accreditation as giving more credibility to their department/organization;
-
69% of employers and 50% of clients perceive ABCs as giving more credibility to their department or organization;
-
75% of ABCs say accreditation increases the credibility of the profession;
-
80% say accreditation provides a global standard, and 60% say it sets an ethical standard; and,
-
59% say it reinforces the role strategic communication plays in achieving organizational goals, while 57% say it increases respect for the profession.
Source: IABC/Chicago and L.C. Williams & Associates Research Group
*More on the State of Corporate Philanthropy: According to a February 2008 McKinsey Global Survey, corporate philanthropy can be an effective tool for companies that are trying
to meet consumers' rising expectations of the role businesses should play in society. More than 700 executives from around the world (74% of whom are at the C-level) responded,
leading to the following results:
-
Approximately 20% of respondents say their corporate philanthropy programs are very or extremely effective at meeting social goals and stakeholder expectations;
-
Nearly 90% of responding companies seek business benefits from their philanthropy programs;
-
Some 80% of respondents say finding new business opportunities should have at least some role in determining which philanthropic programs to fund, compared with only 14%
who say finding new business opportunities should have no weight;
-
In addition to the social benefits of corporate philanthropy programs, 70% say that a goal of these programs is to enhance corporate reputation and/or corporate brand;
-
44% say a goal is to build employee and/or leadership capabilities and skills, while 42% want to improve employee recruitment and/or retention;
-
Only 22% of respondents say that visibility leading to brand strength plays a role in determining the focus of their programs; and,
-
Regardless of the business goals of their philanthropy programs, more than 80% of respondents say they are at best only somewhat successful at meeting them, while roughly
20% say their companies are very or extremely effective at meeting social goals, addressing stakeholder interests, or both.
Source: McKinsey Global Survey
*Global CEO Churn: A March 2008 report released by Weber Shandwick's ongoing CEO departures analysis reveals that CEO turnover at the world's 500 largest revenue-producing
companies jumped 10% from 2006 to 2007. Among the trends and findings uncovered by the research:
-
More CEOs exited for non-traditional reasons: The past 12 months saw an increase in non-traditional reasons for CEO departures, such as mergers, private equity buyouts,
interim-term completions and corporate governance restructuring. In addition, there was a slight rise in CEOs departing against their will in 2007 over the previous year (28% in
2006 vs. 32% in 2007);
-
North American CEOs were more likely to be ousted in 2007: North American CEOs departed at the highest rate compared to their regional counterparts;
-
Insider CEOs are still preferred to outsider CEOs: In 2007, nearly seven of 10 newly named CEOs were insider executives; and,
-
North American CEO tenures are on the decline: North American CEOs' average tenure dramatically shortened in 2007, dropping nearly two years from 2006 (8 years, 6 months in
2006 down to 6 years, 8 months in 2007).
Source: Weber Shandwich CEO Departures