Desde que hace cincuenta años apareciera en España el término ‘relaciones públicas’ en un libro académico, profesión y disciplina no han hecho más que crecer, aunque continúa el debate sobre su propia identidad. La profesión comenzó en un régimen dictatorial, pero ha sido en las últimas tres décadas cuando se ha observado un crecimiento exponencial. El artículo realiza un análisis histórico del último medio siglo, fundamentado en fuentes secundarias y primarias -publicaciones académicas primigenias, entrevistas a los pioneros y documentación inédita del archivo de la primera agencia de relaciones públicas, la Sociedad Anónima Española de RP, fundada en 1960.

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Purpose This study aims to center on understanding how stakeholder engagement processes improve online child protection in telecom companies. The literature review and findings shed light on the management of networks to identify, prevent and mitigate the adverse impacts of information and communication technologies (ICTs)[1] and to find opportunities in terms of new policies and services development. Design/methodology/approach Three multinational telecom companies were analyzed with a qualitative focus combining three research tools: the analysis of 81 corporate reports, self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Findings Firms establish a collaborative network with a large number of stakeholders such as public authorities, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, representatives of families and expert researchers. The outcomes of these networks range from the development of new products and services (filters, child safety software and protection apps) to the co-creation of new corporate policies with a high social impact (self-regulation, sectorial codes, awareness initiatives and reporting). Practical implications This study outlines guidelines for the industry in identifying, engaging and making decisions in a collaborative way when managers have to engage with multiple stakeholders regarding child protection. The academic debate and the empirical findings have many practical implications for ICT companies whose users are children and teenagers. Originality/value Despite its significance, stakeholder management is underexplored in the literature of protection for young people. The academic field and the professional arena appear to have little to say regarding how executives manage engagement processes.

The technological landscape in relation to the minors presents numerous challenges facing the telecommunication industry, with families and schools. However, academic literature still remains silence in showing the strategic policies that the industry is managing in order to address these challenges. Therefore, this article has two aims: to provide an overview of the state of the art in order to present the main findings of the child protection policies in international telecom companies (17), stressing the analysis regarding their products and services and how do they manage the collaboration with key stakeholders. Research was conducted using qualitative methodology: CSR reports and websites of the companies were analysed in order to define what are their strategic actions, as well as the individuals and institutions that collaborate with. The findings show interesting insights, even with some differences by regions, among the most significant policies pursued by the sector are: self-regulation, product innovation regarding protection tools and a network of collaborations with stakeholders have been established, as an opportunity for facilitating new policies and strategies. In conclusion, telecom industry needs to integrate their policies regarding minor protection, promoting an integral management approach that comprises not only product development but also strengthen relationships with the main stakeholders as parents and institutions. El paisaje tecnológico de las pantallas en relación al menor apunta a numerosos desafíos que la industria afronta junto a las familias y el sector educativo. Sin embargo, hay poca bibliografía que ahonde en las políticas estratégicas que está implantando el sector para hacer frente a los retos. Por ello, este artículo tiene dos objetivos: en primer lugar, realizar una síntesis del estado de la cuestión para, seguidamente, presentar los principales hallazgos sobre cómo están afrontando este panorama las 17 principales empresas internacionales en su política comercial y en su relación con grupos de interés. La metodología aplicada es de carácter cualitativo, y analiza los informes de responsabilidad social y webs de las compañías, con el fin de identificar las líneas estratégicas y acciones empresariales, así como las personas e instituciones con quienes colaboran. Los resultados muestran que, pese a algunas diferencias entre regiones, el sector se atiene a un interés por la autorregulación, la innovación en los productos, en las herramientas de protección, así como en el mantenimiento de una estrecha red de colaboraciones con grupos de interés, que permite retroalimentar las políticas y estrategias. De este análisis se concluye que el sector necesita integrar las políticas de protección al menor no solo con el desarrollo de productos responsables, sino estrechando aún más los vínculos con grupos de interés clave como padres e instituciones.

PurposeThis article proposes a theoretical framework that synthesizes the main factors explaining the strategic contribution of communication department to open innovation (OI) processes. Because there is little or no research literature on communication and OI, the purpose is to fill this gap. A literature review and empirical qualitative research were conducted to weigh the significance of the framework in practice.Design/methodology/approachAn interdisciplinary literature review was necessary to identify the main factors that explain the communication contribution to OI. The analysis of three multinational case studies has helped to enrich the proposed framework. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with in-company communication managers and innovation managers in order to capture their perceptions.FindingsCommunication emerges as a strategic function with the potential to be embedded in the whole OI process. The main conclusion is that it may play an increasingly central role in enhancing relationships with external partners. Moreover, it enacts its strategic role while facilitating the enhancement of the organization's overall communication capability – that is, trust, transparency and a coherently articulated narrative.Research limitations/implicationsThis article has not been designed as a comprehensive overview of the topic, nor it is designed to be statistically representative or generalizable. The study was conducted with the intention of exploring the theoretical and practical contributions of communication department to OI, as well as to raise awareness among scholars and practitioners on this new but neglected topic for research. Its qualitative approach serves to assess the value of the framework proposed, and the key issues highlighted here require further research.Practical implicationsThe theoretical framework proposed may enable innovation managers to identify the factors in which the communication function and its practitioners may play a role for facilitating OI processes. Likewise, communication practitioners may find it useful to foster their organizational role and capabilities within these processes.Originality/valueThis article underlines the significant contribution that the communication function may play in OI processes. Research on this topic has been neglected thus far, despite its significance for the competitiveness of companies and the economy as a whole.