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Centre for Employee Relations & Communication - CERC

Objectives
  • to develop and to disseminate cultural awareness of organizational communication and relationships
  • to promote knowledge exchange between IULM University and companies
  • to sustain research:
    • relevant for companies
    • consistent with scientific criteria

Activities
  • study on employee communication practices and trends in Italy
  • public free events
  • academic and professional publications to disseminate research results
  • training on topics related to employee relations and communication and organizational communication
  • consulting services
  • research projects commissioned or funded by single companies or third parties


Working Group Employee Communication

  • The Working Group Employee Communication (WG_EC @CERC) is founded within the CERC with a two-year time horizon
  • open to the participation of a limited number of companies
  • carries a two-year research project focused on an agreed topic
  • Partner companies and IULM University researchers meet 3 times a year for updates on the results of the research project and to delve into topics of interest for the WG_EC. The meetings are topic-focused and run in a peer to peer context.


WG_EC company partners in 2016-2018, 2018-2020, 2020-2022 and 2022-2024

  • Campari Group
  • Coopselios
  • Cromology Italia
  • E.ON
  • Edison
  • Eni
  • Ferrero
  • Gruppo Unipol
  • Henkel
  • LFoundry
  • MM
  • Natuzzi Group
  • NH Hotel
  • Sanofi
  • Saras
  • Sella
  • Snam
  • Takeda
  • Unicoop Firenze
  • Vodafone Italia
  • Whirlpool EMEA


Main publications

  • Ravazzani S., Mazzei. A., "Social media and the role of internal communication for crisis prevention and management", in L. Austin and Y. Jin (Eds.), Social media and crisis communication (2nd ed.), Routledge, 2022.
  • Mazzei A.,  Butera A., “Internal Crisis Communication”, in L. R. Men and A. Tkalac Verčič (Eds.), Current Trends and Issues in Internal Communication  - Theory and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan, 2021.
  • Mazzei A., Quaratino L.,  Ravazzani S., Internal Crisis Communication in the Time of COVID-10 Pandemic. Company strategies and working experience of employees, FrancoAngeli OpenAccess, Milano, 2021 (https://series.francoangeli.it/index.php/oa/catalog/book/727)
  • Ravazzani S., Mazzei A., Fisichella C., Butera A., “Diversity and inclusion management: An analysis of practice developments in Italy”, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, Vol. 39, No. 3, 2021, pp. 213-229.
  • Seo Y., Ravazzani S., Jun H., Jin Y., Butera A., Mazzei A., Reber B. H., “Unintended effects of risk communication: Impacts of message fatigue, risk tolerance, and trust in public health information on psychological reactance”, Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2021, pp. 517-544.
  • Mazzei A., Butera A., Ravazzani S., "Strategic approaches to corporate wrongdoing prevention: An explorative analysis of whistleblowing arrangements in Italy", Sinergie-SIMA 2020 Conference "Grand Challenges: Companies and Universities working for a better society", Referred Electronic Conference Proceedings, Pisa, 7-8 September 2020 – Virtual conference.
  • Mazzei A., Quaratino L., Rapporto sulla comunicazione interna nelle aziende italiane, FrancoAngeli OpenAccess, Milan, 2019. (Italian version: http://ojs.francoangeli.it/_omp/index.php/oa/catalog/book/500, English version: http://ojs.francoangeli.it/_omp/index.php/oa/catalog/book/501)
  • Mazzei A., Butera A., Quaratino L., “Employee Communication for Engaging Workplaces”, Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 40 No. 6, 2019, pp. 23-32. DOI.org/10.1108/JBS-03-2019-0053.
  • Mazzei A., Kim J.-N., Togna G., Lovari A., “Employees as Advocates or Adversaries During a Corporate Crisis. The Role of Perceived Organizational Authenticity and Employee Empowerment”, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2019, pp. 195-212.
  • Mazzei A., Fisichella C., Butera A., “Un approccio inside-out alla costruzione del brand: strategie di employee ambassadorship”, XVI SIM Conference Referred Electronic Conference Proceedings, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, 24-25 October 2019.
  • Mazzei A., Ravazzani S., "Whistleblowing in Organizations", in Frandsen F., Johansen W., (Editors), Crisis Communication. Handbooks of Communication Science series (HOCS), Volume 23, Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin. (accepted for publication April 2019).
  • Mazzei A., Ravazzani S., Butera A., Quaratino L., Fisichella C., “Fra potenzialità e ostacoli: i social media interni nelle aziende italiane”, in Culasso F., Pizzo M., (a cura di), Atti del XXXIX Convegno Nazionale AIDEA, “Identità, innovazione e impatto dell’aziendalismo italiano. Dentro l’economia digitale”, Università di Torino, 12-13 September 2019.
  • Mazzei A., Engagement e disengagement dei collaboratori. Comunicazione interna e valorizzazione delle risorse umane per un contesto di voce, FrancoAngeli, Milan, 2018.
  • Mazzei A., “Employee engagement”, in R. Heath, W. Johansen (a cura di), International Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication, John Wiley & Sons, 2018.
  • Lee Y., Mazzei A., Kim J-N., “Looking for Motivational Routes for Employee-Generated Innovation: Employees’ Scouting Behavior”, Journal of Business Research, No. 91, 2018, pp. 286–294.
  • Mazzei A., Quaratino L., “The Influence of the Organizational and Managerial Context on Employee Internal Voice and Brand Ambassador Behavior: A study of a Retail Company”, Journal of Management and Change, Vol. 36/37, 2018, pp.10-23.
  • Quaratino L., Mazzei A., “Managerial strategies to promote employee brand consistent behavior: the new frontier for brand building strategies”,  EuroMed Journal of Business, No. 2, 2018, pp. 185-200.
  • Togna G., Quaratino L., Mazzei A., Pellegrino M., “The ‘Hygiene-Ultra-Motivating’ Role of Interpersonal Relationships. A Herzberg's Review and a New Classification of Job Motivational Levers through the study of the LFoundry case”, 33rd Workshop on Strategic Human Resouce Management, Catania, 5-6 April 2018.
  • Mazzei A., Quaratino L., Butera A., Partecipazione e alleanza attiva dei collaboratori per il cambiamento e la competitività, McGraw-Hill Education, Milan, 2017.
  • Ravazzani S., Mazzei A., “Employee Anonymous Dissent: Dynamics and Ethical Challenges for Employees, Targeted Organizations, Online Outlets and Audiences”, Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2018, pp. 175-201.
  • Mazzei A., Ravazzani S., “Internal Branding and Employee Brand Consistent Behaviours: The Role of Enablement-Oriented Communication”.  Mercati & Competitività. The Journal of the Italian Society of Marketing, No. 1, 2017, pp. 121-139.
  • Mazzei A., Butera A., “Brand consistent behavior of employees on social media: the role of social media governance and policies”,  Mercati & Competitività. The Journal of the Italian Society of Marketing, No. 4, 2016, pp. 85-106.
  • Mazzei A., Ravazzani S., "A holistic model of behavioural branding: The role of employee behaviours and internal branding",  Micro & Macro Marketing, Vol. 24, No. 2, 2015, pp. 239-262.
  • Mazzei A., Giaccone S., "Comunicazione interna e benefici per i capitali intellettuale e relazionale. Il caso General Business Community di IBM Italia", Mercati & Competitività. The Journal of the Italian Society of Marketing, No. 1, 2014, pp. 103-124.
  • Mazzei A., "Internal Communication for Employee Enablement: Strategies in American and Italian Companies", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2014, pp. 82-95.
  • Mazzei A., Quaratino L., "Designing Organizational Change: Learning from a Grounded Research Project", Journal of Management and Change, No. 30/31, 2013, pp. 166-179.
  • Mazzei A., Kim J.N., Dell’Oro C., “Strategic Value of Employee Relationships and Communicative Actions: Overcoming Corporate Crisis with Quality Internal Communication”, International Journal of Strategic Communication, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2012.
  • Mazzei A., Ravazzani S., “Manager-Employee Communication During a Crisis: The Missing Link”, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2011, pp 243-254. (Highly Commended Award Winner at the Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2012).
  • Mazzei A., La comunicazione interna nelle fasi di sviluppo, crisi e ripresa dell’azienda, FrancoAngeli, Milan, 2009.


Scientific Director

  • Alessandra Mazzei Associate Professor of Corporate Communication, Università IULM 


Members of the Scientific Committee

  • Luca Pellegrini, Director of the Department of Business LECB, Università IULM (President)
  • Shannon Bowen, Professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina, USA
  • Sabine Einwiller, Professor of Public Relations Research and Head of CCom Research Group, University of Vienna, AT
  • Annamaria Esposito, Associate Professor and Lecturer in Management and Marketing of Cultural Activities and Entertainment, Università IULM 
  • Finn Frandsen, Professor at the Department of Management, Aarhus University, DK
  • Yan Jin, Professor of Public Relations and C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, USA
  • Winni Johansen, Professor at the Department of Management, Aarhus University, DK
  • Jeong-Nam Kim, Gaylord Family Chair of Public Relations/Strategic Communication, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma, USA
  • Yeunjae Lee, Researcher in Public Relations and Strategic Communication at the School of Communication, University of Miami, USA
  • Alessandro Lovari, Researcher in Sociology of Cultural and Communication Processes, University of Cagliari, IT
  • Rita Linjuan Men, Professor of Public Relations, University of Florida, USA
  • Luca Quaratino, Researcher and Professor of Business Organization, Università IULM 
  • Silvia Ravazzani, Associate Professor of Corporate Communication, Università IULM 
  • Charlotte Simonsson, Associate Professor in Strategic Communication, Lund University, SE
  • Ana Tkalac Verčič, Professor of Marketing communications and Public Relations, University of Zagreb, HR
  • Mats Heide, Professor of Strategic Communication, Lund University, SE


Head of Coordination

  • Alfonsa Butera