Branching Out: Establishing a Global Communication Strategy for a Foreign Branch Campus

Abstract

Higher education institutions attempting to establish an international branch campus must create a global communication strategy in order to succeed in the short-term, long-term, and through future global crises. This article discusses best practices in updating or creating and establishing a global communication strategy for higher education institutions involved in international branch campus expansion. Global leadership communication succeeds on a macro and micro level. This article discusses eight action objectives on the macro level for the institution to incorporate in their strategy design. The eight action objectives are made up of transparency, removing organizational silence, collective reflexivity, crisis management, content management, language management, generational approach, and corporate social responsibility. On the micro level, this article discusses six important individual competencies that global leaders should possess while implementing a global communication strategy for an institution in a foreign environment. The six competencies include intercultural engagement, intercultural communication, curiosity, active listening, flexible observational lens, and a global mindset. When a branch campus is internationally established, institutional leadership needs continued development through formal learning and experiential opportunities to increase communication competencies for core global leaders. Future opportunities for organizational expatriate assignments and employee global mindset development can lay a foundation for long-term strategic success with a now globally engaged institution.