Accelerate “Ambidextrous Management” Through the Internal Utilization of Technology PR

To get engineers to cooperate with public relations activities, it is essential that they understand “why it is necessary to communicate this technology to society.” The starting point for this is actually the “purpose” and “corporate philosophy”—elements that are often overlooked even though their existence is acknowledged.

In this series, we will explore “technical PR” while keeping both management and academic perspectives in mind. In this installment, Norihito Naka, Senior Researcher at PR Consulting Dentsu Inc./Corporate PR Strategy Research Institute, examines technical PR from the perspective of “internal branding” within organizations.

We also received valuable comments from Professor Naoki Yasuda of Rikkyo University, who specializes in organizational learning and macro-organizational behavior!

What Are the Benefits of Resolving “Bottlenecks” in Technical Communications?

In our previous article, we highlighted the current “bottleneck” where corporate PR and technical departments fail to collaborate effectively. We also showed that companies where PR and technical departments do collaborate see “the dissemination of technical information” double the performance of their engineers.

However, at the same time, challenges related to the technical aspects of information dissemination and collaboration between the public relations and engineering departments have come to light.

To recap the previous article and summarize the key points for effective technical PR, they are as follows.

Many companies face challenges at every stage from ① to ⑤.

For this article, the author conducted interviews with approximately 10 engineers and individual investors regarding technical PR.
The results revealed a qualitative trend: “Many engineers have no interest in public relations itself.”

On this point, it will be difficult to achieve mutual understanding between public relations and engineers unless we demonstrate “concrete benefits” and “success stories resulting from collaboration” to the engineers.

The author heard the following from a public relations representative at a B2C manufacturer:

“Engineers on the front lines weren’t just uninterested in public relations—they actually viewed it as a cost center. However, after we persuaded them, worked together to handle media interviews, and saw the resulting press coverage, their attitude did a complete 180 and they became very cooperative.”

The background to this story is likely that, through the dissemination of information, they came to realize “what kind of impact and social value their technology brings to society,” which contributed to their motivation. Conversely, it can be said that without media interview opportunities, there are few chances to perceive this “social value.”

To spark the engineers’ interest in technical PR, I’d like to explore this from the perspective of “internal branding” using the company’s purpose and philosophy.

Thinking of “Technical PR” from an “Internal” Perspective

A survey by PR Consulting Dentsu Inc. has revealed that technical PR has a positive impact on marketing (sales). *See the detailed press release for more information.

Furthermore, the survey found that
“Our company’s purpose and corporate philosophy are linked to our technology and have permeated the organization” and “We communicate this externally”
compared to
those from companies that responded, “Our company’s purpose and corporate philosophy are not linked to our technology and have not permeated the organization” and “We do not communicate them externally,”
were each asked whether these communications contributed to marketing.

The results showed that, compared to the latter group, the former group perceived a significantly higher contribution to marketing—by a margin of approximately 40 percentage points (see figure below).

PR Consulting Dentsu Inc.’s “Internal Branding ” initiative has focused since the 2000s on how “empathy with the company’s purpose and corporate philosophy” contributes to enhancing corporate value.

We then conducted a factor analysis using multivariate analysis on the 21 items that underpin organizational engagement. We identified and systematized three factors: “Relationships,” “Motivation,” and “Condition.”

When internal “relations”—such as cross-departmental collaboration—run smoothly, “motivation” increases; in turn, the company builds the workplace environment and institutional frameworks necessary to maintain the “conditions” that underpin this cycle of communication. Our analysis indicates that this cycle is precisely what drives the enhancement of corporate value.

Furthermore, we have examined how the “Motivation” factor is particularly influenced by the “strength of resonance with the corporate philosophy.”

Based on the hypothesis that “this cycle also applies to technology PR,” the author examined how these three factors function and contribute to increased corporate value when companies strengthen employee engagement through technology PR.

The results showed that when “purpose and corporate philosophy are linked to the company’s technology and explained internally,” employees become more proactive in their efforts to achieve better results, which in turn positively impacts their performance (proactive behavior*).

*Proactive behavior =
Behaviors aimed at adaptation, such as actively gathering information within the organization or taking the initiative to build relationships with existing members. This involves identifying challenges on one’s own and proactively bringing about environmental changes. For details, please refer to the previous article.

Looking at the coefficient for the item in the figure above—“Internal explanations clearly link the company’s purpose and philosophy to its technology”—it is evident that this has a strong influence on employee performance (proactive behavior).

This suggests that, as a company, by clearly defining why it exists—with “technology” at its core and including its social role—it demonstrates a sense of motivation toward its own work. This virtuous cycle enhances revenue alongside the growth of talent, thereby driving the company’s overall growth.

PR Consulting Dentsu Inc. supports organizational transformation by conducting workshops aimed at strengthening interdepartmental collaboration and instilling a sense of purpose and corporate philosophy.

Another point to note is the item in the figure above stating that “R&D personnel and engineers themselves communicate externally about their research and technology.” Here, too, it is evident that by communicating externally on their own, they develop a sense of pride and self-esteem in the technology they work on, which contributes to better performance.

Considering “Technical PR” from the Perspective of Macro Organizational Behavior

In this survey, we’ve taken an approach rooted in “micro-organizational theory”—that is, exploring specific dynamics, challenges, and issues within the organization, such as “engineers’ motivation” and “communication within teams.”

Let’s shift our perspective and reconsider this from a management standpoint. What benefits does promoting technical outreach bring to the organization?

An organization cannot grow as a company unless it not only generates revenue from existing businesses but also pioneers new fields and achieves success in those ventures. Therefore, let’s examine technical PR through the lens of “ambidextrous management”—a concept well-known in macro-organizational behavior theory.

First, regarding “Exploitation, ” technology communications provide an opportunity to reaffirm the societal significance of a company’s technology while monitoring market reactions.

Furthermore, the intersection between technical PR and “knowledge exploration” lies in communicating the very processes involved in “new business development, ” “research and development,” and “experimentation.”

Communicating these efforts—including their connection to the company’s purpose and corporate philosophy, as well as its culture —not only reinforces these values among frontline staff but also has a positive impact on intangible assets such as organizational engagement.

In other words, a company’s technology communications efforts are directly linked to the “deepening of knowledge” and “exploration of knowledge” within the organization, making them an indispensable element for achieving “ambidextrous management.”

Finally, regarding the results of this survey on technical PR, we shared our analysis with Associate Professor Naoki Yasuda of Rikkyo University, an expert in macro-organizational behavior, and asked for his insights.

Interview with Professor Naoki Yasuda on Macro-Organizational Behavior

Based on the findings of PR Consulting Dentsu Inc.’s survey and analysis, the potential of technical PR extends far beyond simply “communicating technology to the outside world in an easy-to-understand manner.”

Engaging in technical PR has a positive impact on various aspects, such as the motivation and retention of engineers, as well as proactive behavior at the individual, team, and organizational levels—and I believe this is a point that executives should pay close attention to.

From the perspective of macro-organizational behavior theory, technical PR involves

• “deepening of knowledge” —the process of transforming existing technologies accumulated within the company into business value
• “knowledge exploration”— the discovery of new opportunities through interactions with external partners, consumers, and technical communities

I sense the potential for technical PR to serve as a major tool that revitalizes these two activities themselves.

Technology PR is not merely an activity of unilaterally communicating completed technologies; rather, it can be described as an organizational learning process in which engineers themselves reinterpret the meaning and social value of their technologies through external feedback and discover “new areas of exploration.”

“Ambidextrous Management” requires balancing “Deepening Knowledge” —refining existing businesses—with “Exploring Knowledge” —seeking out new knowledge, markets, and technologies. Technical PR suggests the potential to serve as the “force” that mediates between these two, and from a management perspective, it can be considered one of the key elements in developing a company’s corporate value creation model.

By strategically disseminating information about technology to the outside world, the company ensures that this information reaches a wide range of stakeholders. Furthermore, as the value of this information is fed back into the organization, it is reasonable to expect that it will have a positive impact internally and contribute to corporate branding.