Chapter 02 – Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
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Chapter 2 – Leadership Communication Purpose,
Strategy, and Structure
Teaching Notes
Chapter 2 provides instruction on developing communication strategy, including
analyzing an audience, and on organizing written and oral communication for different
purposes and audiences. The primary objectives of Chapter 2 are to teach students to do
the following:
• Establish a clear communication purpose.
Students will use the techniques introduced in this chapter throughout a leadership
communication course. In particular, the students need to master the strategy framework
and learn to apply it in most communication situations. With the rapid-fire
communication typical today in Tweets and texts, the students seldom slow down to think
about their audiences, media, messages, etc., with much care. Therefore, the instructor
Application 2.1: Case Study: Superior Foods
The Case: Superior Foods Corporation Faces a Challenge
The Superior Foods case offers several interesting strategy choices in relation to
organizational structure of the message (direct vs. indirect), media selection, and
spokesperson. Because the employees will be receiving bad news in a context that is
Chapter 02 – Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
tailoring the assignment to meet the needs of the class. In-depth audience analysis is
particularly important in this case: students must focus on identifying the information
and fifeeling” needs of the employees as they develop the communication strategy.
Approaches to Teaching
The case may be used to help students learn to develop a full communication strategy or
as a writing exercise. The instructor can compare and contrast the direct vs. indirect
approach and discuss when and why the indirect approach might be preferred.
1. Strategy Instruction. If you choose to teach this as a strategy exercise, you may want
to begin with a 15-20 minute discussion of the broader context to establish some shared
assumptions before you start work on the case. Students may wonder if layoffs are
of 4-6 to spend about 15- 30 minutes discussing the strategy. Students should identify the
specific information and fifeeling” needs of the audience, consider who the best
spokesperson is, discuss the pros and cons of various channels to communicate most
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2. Writing Instruction. If the instructor plans to use the case as a writing exercise, the
group should first establish a shared set of assumptions. Students should next work
1. Memo or e-mail communicating the company’s situation (basic information
about the mad-cow disease and restriction on exports) and inviting employees to
a meeting where they can learn all the details.
Questions for Discussion
• What key questions would you have if you were an employee?
• What questions do you think the laid off employees will have?
Instructor Analysis Prior to Teaching Superior Foods Case
The following are some assumptions you might choose to make before approaching the
assignment:
• The layoffs will affect 25% of the workers, or about 100 people, and the company will
lay off those most recently hired. The exact names of those who will be laid off have
not yet been decided, but the company will know within 48 hours.
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The table below summarizes some additional analysis the instructor may find useful.
Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Component
Analysis
Context
• The situation is very uncertain; Schroeder does not know how long the layoffs
will be needed.
• The timing makes communicating any bad news difficult. Is it better to
announce layoffs before Christmas or after?
• Superior is a large international company, but the Nebraska City plant employs
only about 400 workers, so it is a relatively small, family-friendly group with a
casual corporate culture.
• The workers may be from a variety of cultural and educational backgrounds, so
the communication needs to be clear and straightforward rather than complex.
Audiences
• The employees are the primary audience and the secondary audiences might
include friends, neighbors, possibly city officials, and the media.
Message
• The primary audience needs to know the following:
– Why is this happening?
– Are we in any danger of getting the mad cow disease?
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Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis (continued)
Component
Analysis
Medium/
Forum
• Shroeder may want to start with a memo laying the foundation for the
information to come. The details of the layoff should be delivered in a
meeting, since this is a relatively small company and people will want to hear
the news from Shroeder.
• If the company has an fiintra–net” website or video capabilities, the meeting
presentation could be recorded for any employees who are unable to attend.
• The meeting should be held as soon as possible. Once the company decides
on the names of those being laid off, the individuals should be notified in
spokesperson. For additional communications with employees, mid-level
Timing
• The meeting should be held as soon as most of the facts are known so that
rumors do not get started and reduce morale any further.
• Again, the difference of announcing the layoffs before or after Christmas has
to be considered. See the media section for information on sequencing of the
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Example Response to E-mail/Memo for Superior Foods
Purpose Statement for Ben Shroeder’s E-mail/Memo to Announce Layoffs and
Invite Employees to the Meeting (See assumptions in Instructor Analysis)
The Metroburg application offers an example of a pyramid. For this
application, we have offered a sample idea map below the strategy table.
SUPERIOR FOODS
CORPORATION
To: All Employees
From: Ben Schroeder, Plant Manager
As many of you have read in the news, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently
announced the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as fimad
cow disease,” in a single Holstein cow in Washington State. As a result, many of our
international customers have banned imports of beef products from the United States. We
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Our Products Are Safe; Our Market Position Is Not
Our rigorous safety and inspection standards have made Superior Foods one of the most
We Must Cut Back Production
Without international markets for our products, we have no choice but to reduce our
production levels. We believe these reductions will be temporary, but they are essential if
we want Superior Foods to survive. If we cut production approximately 25% for several
Today’s Meeting Offers More Information
I know that you will all have many questions and I invite you to join me in the conference
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Application 2.2: Developing Communication Strategy
The Case: Spree Cruise Lines
This application provides a relatively simple context; most students can imagine
Approaches to Teaching
The case is designed to guide students in developing a comprehensive audience analysis
and communication strategy for multiple constituencies. It can also be used as a basis for
audiences. If you are working with groups, you may want to begin with the premise that
Spree will need to develop a comprehensive strategy and that Tara has initiated the effort
by assigning groups to work with the strategy for each of the following audiences:
• Passengers/customers now onboard the cruise. You may choose to let the groups
uncover the various channels on their own, or you may point out the media already
used to communicate to passengers: the ship’s daily newsletter, the PA system,
announcements at meals, etc. The groups should also consider email, text
messaging, or social media channels. The muster station is a true fired herring” in
this example, because if the passengers are all called there, they may panic in belief
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• Spree’s shareholders. You may choose to make some assumptions about the
financial implications of the cruise interruption and the potential liability for
damages linked with the building vibrations.
NOTE: You may expand to a sixth group by having one group address the City
Government in New Orleans. Since little is known yet about the nature of the problem in
part one of this case, add the information from the Spree Case, Revisited, in Application
12.2. The instructor may also consider whether to add some of this information for the
group addressing the shareholders.
Debriefing
The instructor may point out that the Spree Corporation would be sure to coordinate
responses for a unified and consistent message with additional facts delivered to each
Example Responses for Application 2.3: Developing Communication Strategy
For the purposes of the teacher’s guide, we have offered an in-depth analysis to address
the audience of current passengers. In class, each student group would develop a
comparable analysis for the group’s designated audience. See the table at the end of this
sample for some key ideas related to each audience, which might be a student response if
you had assigned this as an individual assignment.
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Question #1: See the fiapproach to teaching” section for a list of key audiences.
Question #2: Audience analysis for the current passenger group
a) The cruise line needs to inform the passengers about what is happening and
why, and what to expect in terms of logistics and possible compensation.
b) The passengers will want to know:
– why one engine will be shut down
for the inconvenience (whether they stay aboard or disembark).
c) The passengers are disappointed that their vacations are ruined and are
probably angry. Those who disembark will have to make travel arrangements
on their own, and those who stay onboard will wonder if the cruise line is
treating them fairly. Passengers probably suspected that the vessel was not
d) The cruise line will motivate the passengers to accept their message by
offering financial compensation along with sincere apologies and by providing
as much information about the situation as possible. They should offer an
immediate shipboard credit to each passenger as monetary compensation for
the inconvenience, make it as easy as possible to get credit for cancelled shore
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Question #3: Communication Strategy (answered for the passenger audience)
a) Objectives. Tara’s personal objectives in coordinating communications with
the passengers would be to ensure the shipboard captain and cruise director
b) Spokesperson. Tara should help develop the wording for the communication,
but it might be best delivered by the captain since he is in charge of the vessel
at sea. Another choice for spokesperson would be the cruise director, although
c) Channel. There are a variety of channel choices for the cruise line to use:
shipboard newsletter, PA system, announcements before events such as the
evening shows, letter under each cabin door, etc. If the ship has a list of phone
numbers and emails for the passengers, notices could be sent about any special
announcements or meetings to expect in the near future as well.
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Before any of these notices come out, however, each employee on the vessel
should be briefed about how to answer questions, especially the dining room
staff. The cruise director should make additional announcements at the
d) Timing. The announcements should be made as soon as the employees are
briefed and ready to answer questions. The newsletter and email should be
ready for simultaneous release, with the newsletter both posted and placed
under cabin doors. After the cruise, letters should reach customers within a
few days of their arrival home and should direct customers to the web page
that contains all information as noted above.
f) Measure of Success. In the short term, the number of complaints onboard can
be measured to see how the passengers are responding to the news. In the
longer term, Spree may need to gauge market share from the Port of New
Orleans on these cruises, and they will want to track the number of passengers
who use any discounts on future cruises.
See strategy table below for other audiences.
Chapter 02 – Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
Strategy Table for Spree Case
Key ideas for each audience in the Spree communication strategy: (see full example for passengers)
Audience
Medium
Purpose
Message
Spokesperson
Timing
Measure of Success
wonder if the company
knew about the problem;
students may make an
assumption about the facts
if they wish.
for passengers and how to help
passengers re-book excursions, etc.
Who to send passengers to if they
have additional questions.
command expected
on the vessel
passengers
director level
New
Orleans
News Media
Phone calls to area
reporters and press release
to local media (not for
national distribution);
respond to any inquiries
immediately. A press
release should also include
a hotline phone number
and Web page address for
media or relatives of
passengers needing further
information.
the company
meeting is not imminent,
students may want to
consider a special letter or
other communication to
shareholders
market impact. Students should
discuss how to handle the issue of
possible liability for the historic
buildings (insurance coverage, etc.)
Persuade. Maintain
credibility with local media
that company will offer
information and be fair to
passengers; provide
information before media is
contacted by another
source; use media as means
to connect with general
public and future customers
Information on vessel engines and
safety of ship; news about limit on
ports of call; information on how
relatives of passengers can obtain
more information (see hotline in
medium section).
Student groups will need to decide
how to address building vibrations
Tara Hoopes (for a
more serious
situation, a higher
level manager or
executive would be
required)
After
announce-
ment to
passengers.
Call key
media
contacts as
press release
is being
distributed.
Limited media
coverage – the
company can expect
to see this as news on
the day the story
breaks and the day the
ship arrives back in
home port, but
limiting any negative
coverage would be
most advantageous to
Chapter 02 – Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
Audience
Medium
Purpose
Message
Spokesperson
Timing
Measure of Success
Future
customers/
General
public
Press releases,
advertisements, continued
marketing efforts, social
media spheres
Persuade. The general
public will see local media
coverage and hear news
from friends and relatives
on board through a number
of different communication
channels. The general
public really constitutes a
Local media coverage will impact
the general public, but nationwide,
there is probably no need for a
specific message related to the
incident. General marketing efforts
should continue.
Special consideration, however,
Marketing and
Public Relations
staff
ASAP, then
at regular
marketing/PR
intervals
Continued market
share strength
Chapter 02 – Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
much,
for how
What will
company do
disease in
any of our
products?
Are
workers
safe?
Mad Cow Disease
is impacting
company
Discovered
in one cow
in
Washington
International
bans stop
exports of
products
Production
cutbacks needed
to ensure plant’s
survival
How
can we
learn
more?
Company
to hold
meeting
today
Details
for
meeting
Chapter 02 – Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
Application 2.3: Using the Pyramid to Organize an Argument
This application is designed to help students understand the use of the Pyramid Principle
to organize information. Instructors not familiar with the Pyramid Principle may want to
Approaches to Teaching
Since the facts are provided in this application, the focus is on deciding how to group the
facts logically. This application contains both the pros and cons of the argument, so the
instructor should use this opportunity to discuss how to handle the opposing information.
Students have two options: one is to weave their refutation throughout the argument, and
the other is to confront it up front. The instructor should point out the advantages and
disadvantages of each.
Example Responses to Assignment
Student responses to this application will differ depending on the audiences they select,
but examples of possible answers for two primary audiences for this application follow.
Note: the numbers in the supporting boxes correspond to the numbered facts in the
application.
Chapter 02 – Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
Audience # 1: The Board of Directors of AmeriHotels
Audience # 2: The City Council of Metroburg
AmeriHotels should build
a new, upscale hotel in
Metroburg
AmeriHotels should be
allowed to build a new,
upscale hotel in Metroburg