Leader and member survey results help IABC set future course

Communication World, Dec, 2001 by Tamara L. Gills

The Leader and Member Perceptions Study was designed and implemented by a team of researchers led by Stephanie Griffiths, an ABC executive board director at large and senior partner with Material Assistance Communication of Johannesburg, South Africa. The e-mail surveys of 249 past and current IABC leaders and 2,972 members were completed during the early months of 2001. Member respondents represented short-term members who have joined in the last two years to members who have been with ABC for the last 15 years or more. The surveys collected perceptions and opinions concerning the current and future development of the association from the Americas, Canada, Asia/Pacific, Sub-Saharan, Europe and North Africa regions.

The association recently undertook a study of leader and member perceptions to gather insights into membership concerns and to plan future directions for the success of the association.

According to an executive summary statement, "Core findings from the study will be used to plot the way forward for the association as it continues to strive for advocacy, service excellence, globalization and the provision of lifelong learning and developmental services for the communication professional."

LEADERS POSITIVE ABOUT IABC'S FUTURE

Overall, past and current chapter, district, regional and international board leaders are positive about the future of the association.

Generally, regional and international board members were more positive than chapter leaders. This finding was not surprising considering the fact that chapter dues rebates were held as a financial tactic early in the year. Current association management has committed to avoiding this tactic in the future. Julie Freeman, APR, IABC president, has set up a special bank account to hold chapter dues and expedite the redistribution of these funds to the chapters.

Those leaders surveyed cited IABC value-added products and services and ongoing open communication with members as two of the greatest strengths of the association. The issue of leader development needs was raised. Survey participants agreed that the success of the association is inseparable from the success of its leaders at all levels. Leader orientation programs such as the Chapter Leader Institute were rated highly for preparing future leaders of the association. Leaders acknowledged IABC's role as an advocate for the profession as a vital function and suggested that more strategies be developed to that end.

DIVERSE, ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP KEY TO SUCCESS

This study of member and leader concerns raised a number of distinct strategic issues for the future of the association and professional communicators worldwide.

Survey responders agreed that the strength of IABC is its diverse membership. Networking continues to be a strength of the association and one of the reasons members continue to renew.

Members responded strongly to volunteerism and participation indicators, confirming that the IABC membership is an active group of professionals who take pride in participating with colleagues in IABC-coordinated activities and products. It is not surprising that members are more willing to serve on the local/chapter level of the association than in other roles because of time and economic constraints associated with regional and international volunteerism. This finding indicates an issue the association should study, as quality leaders may not be rising to serve the association.

Chapter services continue to be the energy source for IABC. It's at the chapter level that members receive the most affinity and affiliation satisfaction. This will continue to be a high priority area for the association as it pushes forward into the new fiscal year with "the new IABC."

Although most survey respondents agreed that the association is on track with its mix of strategic vision and products and services, the association's role as an advocate for the profession and its practitioners continues to be a concern. A majority of members believe that IABC is a credible organization when ranked with other associations, but they indicated that IABC needs to boost its reputation and visibility in the corporate and private sectors. This attitude is especially true among younger members and those outside of North America.

A majority of members surveyed indicate high trust and confidence levels in the association leadership and management staff to act in the best interest of the membership and the profession by achieving the stated vision of the association.

Members rated IABC programs and services highly. Communication World, the association web site and the seminar and conference content all received high ratings. Members outside of North America indicated through open-ended questions that more conferences and seminars should be provided by video and satellite link to extend the reach of these professional development opportunities. These educational needs surfaced as a strategic issue worth additional study. In the survey battery and the open-ended questions, members and leaders identified with IABC's role as a source of continuing educational opportunities, both through participation in volunteer leadership and the association's knowledge products and services. Member responses also provided a number of ideas and topic areas for products and services as well as annual conference sessions.