Sudden Impact: When PR Meets Six Sigma
By Jerry Mikorenda
Are PR professionals business-managers who use communications tools, or are they communicators who know how to talk about business?
The distinction may be subtle, but the answer is at the crux of the dilemma now facing the profession. If PR can’t be measured and accountable as a business practice, what good is it anyway? It’s an old saw on which I wanted to play a new tune by looking at the role communication has played in executing the Six Sigma process. As a widely accepted productivity tool used to improve bottom-line results by many industries, Six Sigma is the ideal subject to study the changing role of communication in corporate America.
With that in mind, together with Delahaye I undertook surveying 1,000 potential respondents identified as executives in charge of Six Sigma or communication programs at a cross-section of organizations in North America. Delahaye provided the distribution list, fielded the survey and provided the tabulation of the survey that was conducted over a 20-day period in November 2005. This survey is the focal point of a “capstone” or final project needed to complete my MS in Communication Management studies at Syracuse University.
One hundred and ten participants completed the three-part online questionnaire. While an 11 percent return rate is considered “good” for a random email survey such as this, the margin of error was +/- 8.82 to achieve statistically valid results with 95 percent confidence level. In addition, there were 20 verbatim comments contributed to the write-in section of the survey.
Key Findings
Among the key results from Part I of the survey – Six Sigma and Communication – was a very strong belief in the important role communication plays in Six Sigma. When asked if, “Communication is an essential element of a successful Six Sigma project,” nine-tenths of respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, with half of those strongly agreeing.
Respondents were also definitive when asked, “Clear, consistent communication is one of the primary keys to making sure your Six Sigma initiatives are working,” 86% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, with 21% strongly agreeing. Likewise, 47% of those surveyed strongly agreed with the statement, “Interactivity, two-way communication (dialogue, listening and feedback), is critical to the success of the Six Sigma process,” with another 45% agreeing.
Responses to these questions demonstrated that the participants realized the manner in which they communicate has a direct effect upon the success of their Six Sigma projects. When asked, “What factors contribute the most to the success of a Six Sigma team?” more than two-thirds said that the “Project leader's ability to engage the team” was the number one factor. Two-thirds of respondents chose “The team's ability to work together,” as another important factor and more than half valued the “team’s ability to communicate”.
In part two of the questionnaire, respondents were asked their perceptions about communications. Asked if, “Measuring the results of a communication project is not as important as developing relationships with key constituents,” half disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement while a little more than a quarter strongly agreed or agreed, and slightly less than a quarter did not agree nor disagree. Similarly, more than half disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement, “The strategic work I do is lessened if I rely on measuring tactics too frequently.” However, a third strongly agreed or agreed and the remainder neither agreed nor disagreed.
About two-thirds disagreed or strongly disagreed (one-third strongly disagreeing) with the statement. “In general, communication resources are not focused on increasing the market value of an organization,” although one-fifth strongly agreed or agreed and one-tenth neither agreed or disagreed. Respondents were also polarized on the question, “I feel more comfortable presenting an idea or concept than discussing numbers and statistics,” with almost half disagreeing or strongly disagreeing and more than a third strongly agreeing or agreeing. The remaining 17% neither agreed or disagreed.
The demographic profile revealed several interesting aspects about the survey’s participants as well. Fifty-four percent of respondents were female, forty-six percent male. Nearly half were in the 45 to 54 year-old age group, followed by a quarter in the 35 to 44 bracket and one-fifth in the 25 to 34 group. Forty-seven percent hold Master’s degrees (MA, MS, MBA) while forty-eight percent have four-year degrees (BA, BS, AB) and three percent a Doctorate level education (PhD, EDD).
Conclusions
In general, it seems clear that those participants who work closely with Six Sigma tend to have more favorable views on communications and the positive impact it can have on operations and business initiatives. They also see communication as a tactical extension of operations and an integrated business function.
The respondents to part one of the survey were more decisive in their answers tending to “strongly agree” more with statements that resonated with them than their counterparts in section two. In reviewing the data from section two of the survey, the item that stands out the most is the large number of “neither agreeing or disagreeing” responses – an average of about 17 percent per question. Given the straightforward nature of the questions that appears to be a very high number.
Responses in section two also lacked “passion” at the extremes (strongly agreeing or strongly disagreeing). Except for a few circumstances, most response data was from the “agree” or “disagree” categories showing that perhaps these questions didn’t ring true with participants, or they were not comfortable with the material being discussed.
Although produced on a small scale, this survey shows how academic and business resources can collaborate to investigate issues of mutual interest. By analyzing how communication impacts business practices, a clearer picture of the future direction of our industry emerges.
If anyone wants a copy of the executive summary of this study, just click here and leave your email address.
Jerry Mikorenda, ABC -- has more than 15 years experience in corporate communications as a project manager, department head and strategic business planner. During that time, he has been honored with more than 20 communication awards including five IABC Gold Quills. He is accredited by IABC and is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt project leader.