Competencies of senior communication practitioners in the UK: An initial study

There is now a considerable body of knowledge conceptualizing the roles that public relations
practitioners enact. A key element in the enactment of those roles is the competencies,
or behaviors of those who occupy them, however there are no systematic studies of these
competencies. Occupational psychologists who conducted in-depth interviews with 17 ‘top’
communicators in the UK, discovered 10 core competencies or behaviors specific to the
senior communication practitioner role in publicly quoted companies, and 10 core competencies for those working in the public sector. These competencies are elucidated and
compared and the implications discussed. Avenues for further research are also identified.