To what extent is communications within English local government shaped around Grunig and Hunt’s two-way asymmetrical model?

For the purpose of this research project heads of communications in four English local authorities were interviewed. Their combined experience spans work in 10 councils ranging across district/borough, county and unitary authorities.

Semi-structured face-to-face qualitative interviews were conducted so as to ensure similar territory was covered while also allowing the questioning to expand into relevant areas brought up by interviewees.

It was found that all the councils examined were adopting Grunig and Hunt’s two-way asymmetrical model as well as their public information model (1984: 22). While public information was recognised as necessary for a public sector body to provide the key stakeholder group of residents with basic service information, the two-way asymmetrical model had been adopted to uncover the success or failure of communications techniques and to determine what priorities were paramount to residents. There was a feeling that as governmental organisations, unpopular messages sometimes had to be communicated and effort to adjust these to make them more effective was the appropriate course of action. All the authorities relied on residents’ surveys as their primary form of consultation with this stakeholder group. However, it was clear that some councils had been more successful at adopting the two-way asymmetrical model than others and the factor determining this centred on the degree to which the communications function incorporated, or at least was closely aligned with, the council’s primary consultation function.

There was also clear evidence that a number of the councils were striving to achieve a communications model consistent with Grunig and Hunt’s two-way symmetrical model (1984: 22). Again the proximity of consultation to the communications function appeared to be a crucial factor in determining success here, although there was broad agreement that this was the desirable direction of travel.

Communications with other stakeholders was less two-way. Internal communications had largely been neglected and was found to generally be more consistent with the one-way public information model. This was also found to be the case with regard to central government. But while interviewees expressed a wish to develop communications with staff there was little indication of a desire to develop those with Whitehall.

Finally, the relationship with other public sector organisations locally was found to be developing quickly, due largely to pressure from central government for them to work in unison to provide services. It appeared that the majority of the councils examined were seeking to align their activities more closely and efforts to develop a genuine two-way symmetrical relationship were in evidence, although they were some way off being achieved.

However, there was no indication that local authorities were intent on adopting one model of communication over another. One-way public information and two-way asymmetrical communication were felt to be appropriate models for certain forms of communications. Moves to develop two-way symmetrical models were viewed as complementary to the other two and not an alternative in all situations.

Paul Marinko 2008