Tanya Le Roux

Dr Tanya Le Roux

  • Head of Department for Communication and Journalism
  • Weymouth House W421, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
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Biography

Before stepping into academia, Tanya worked as a communication professional in South Africa and the UK. She worked for large and small companies, and consulted on issues from strategic communication, communication in change management, to identity creation – and all the other communication management issues in-between. She has lectured strategic communication management for 13 years in South Africa before joining BU. Tanya strongly believes in combining academic work and practical experience, locally and internationally, in order to benefit both academia and professional practice. She shares her knowledge through the journal articles and chapters she has published, as well as through presentations at conferences. Tanya serves on the global Blue Ribbon Panel that evaluates the yearly international IABC (International Association for Business Communicators) Gold Quill Awards. Her research interest is focused on strategic corporate communication management, and specifically the application thereof within the field of disaster risk reduction.

Journal Articles

  • Theofilou, A., Watson, T., Le Roux, T. and Veneti, A., 2024. Guest editorial: History of public relations. Corporate Communications, 29 (1), 7-8.
  • Sutton, L.B.M. and Le Roux, T., 2024. Sustainable internal communication and digital trends amidst an energy crisis: can a middle ground be found in South Africa? Journal of Communication Management.
  • Sutton, L.B., le Roux, T. and Fourie, L.M., 2022. Who Should Be Identified as Internal Stakeholders? An Internal Communication Practitioner and Consultant Perspective in the South African Corporate Context. Communicatio, 48 (4), 93-116.
  • Sutton, L.B.-M., le Roux, T. and Fourie, M., 2022. Internal communication in a diverse and developing world context: Challenges for corporate South Africa. COMMUNICARE-JOURNAL FOR COMMUNICATION SCIENCES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, 41 (2), 90-102.
  • Le Roux, T. and Van Niekerk, D., 2020. Challenges in stakeholders self-organising to enhance disaster communication. Corporate Communications, 25 (1), 128-142.
  • Ndlovu, E., Prinsloo, B. and le Roux, T., 2020. Impact of climate change and variability on traditional farming systems: Farmers' perceptions from south-west, semi-arid Zimbabwe. Jamba, 12 (1), 742.
  • Le Roux, T. et al., 2015. Planning and executing scenario based simulation exercises: Methodological lessons. Journal of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, 12 (1), 193-210.
  • Le Roux, T., 2014. The description of South African corporate communication practitioners that contribute to organisational performance. Public relations review, 40 (2), 193-215.
  • Le Roux, T., 2014. DR4 communication in the South African context: A conceptual paper. Public relations review, 40 (2), 305-314.
  • Le Roux, T., 2013. An exploration of the role of communication during the in-crisis situation. Jamba : Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 5 (2), 1-9.
  • Le Roux, T. and Naude, A.M.E., 2011. A profile of South African public relations practitioners in top performing organisations. Journal of Public Affairs, 11 (4), 303-315.
  • Le Roux, T. and Naude, A.M.E., 2009. Communicating with diversities: female employees in the South African platinum-mining industry. Communicare: Journal of Communication Sciences, 28 (1), 24-49.
  • Le Roux, T. and Steyn, B., 2006. Exploring practitioner constraints in advancing to more senior corporate communication roles. Communicare: Journal of Communication Sciences, 25 (1), 23-58.

Chapters

  • Du Plessis, N. and le Roux, T., 2022. Excellent academic and research leadership from South Africa: Prof Ronèl Rensburg (1956-2019). Towards a New Understanding of Masculine Habitus and Women and Leadership in Public Relations. 210-227.
  • Le Roux, T. and Greeff, E.W., 2013. The marginalization of women in the South African mining and construction industry. In: Falola, T. and Teboh, B., eds. The Power of Gender, the Gender of Power Women's Labor, Rights and Responsibilities in Africa. Africa World Press, 45-66.
  • Le Roux, T., 2009. Adapting communication satisfaction and relationship scales to a third world country. In: Van Ruler, B., Vercic, A.T. and Vercic, D., eds. Public Relations Metrics Research and Evaluation. Routledge, 264-280.
  • Le Roux, T., 2006. Simultaneous methodological triangulation as research approach in a third world country context: A case study. In: Conradie, D.P., ed. Communication Science in South Africa: Contemporary issues. Proceedings of the 2005 Annual conference of the South African Communication Association. Juta & Co, 300-317.

PhD Students

  • Lucinda Bella-May Sutton, 2020. A framework for strategic internal communication management in South Africa, based on current trends

Profile of Teaching UG

  • PR Innovation and Enterprise
  • Public Opinion and Persuasion
  • Dissertation Supervision
  • Applied Public Relations Campaigns

Public Engagement & Outreach Activities

  • Interpersonal Communication training for Security and Hostage Negotiation (12 Oct 2016)
  • In-crisis communication training (10 Jun 2013)
  • In-crisis communication training (11 Mar 2013)
  • Keynote speaker at TACT Business Development & Management Symposium (16 Oct 2007)
  • Lecture, as part of a visiting group, to postgraduate students on social media use in disasters in South Africa
  • Lecture, as part of a group, to postgraduate students at the Metropolitan College of New York, Emergency and Disaster Management Program
  • Knowledge product generation for disaster communication

Conference Presentations

  • International History of Public Relations Conference, Development of internal communication thinking in Africa: A historic view from 1990 to 2023, 09 Jul 2024, Bournemouth, UK
  • International Public Relations Research Symposium (BledCom), Internal communication channel trends, the energy crisis and sustainability: Can a middle ground be found in South Africa?, 30 Jun 2023, Bled, Slovenia
  • International Public Relations Research Symposium (BledCom), Sustainable Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Disaster Management: Can communication practitioners provide the answer?, 30 Jun 2023, Bled, Slovenia
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM), Female Academic Leadership in South Africa: Prof. Sonja Verwey, 14 Sep 2022, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • International Public Relations Research Symposium (BledCom), From a VUCA to a BANI world: Has the view and practice of internal communication changed through the pandemic?, 01 Jul 2022, Bled, Slovenia
  • 28th International Public Relations Research Symposium, Bledcom, Communicating reliable Covid-19 information: WhatsApp lessons to be learned, 02 Jul 2021, Virtual
  • International Public Relations Research Symposium, Bledcom, A female communication trailblazer by any standard: South Africa’s Prof. Ronèl Rensburg, 02 Jul 2021, Virtual
  • International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference, The Covid-19 pandemic: Viewing it as a disaster or a crisis, and does it matter?, 08 Mar 2021, Virtual
  • International Public Relations Research Symposium (BledCom), Exploring the alignment of CSR activities with disaster risk reduction initiatives in a cross-national comparative study, 04 Jul 2019, Bled, Slovenia
  • International Public Relations Research Symposium (Bledcom), Challenges in enhancing disaster communication through spontaneous stakeholder communicative self-organisation, 05 Jul 2018, Bled, Slovenia
  • EUPRERA, Insights into Building and Maintaining Relationships with University Alumni through Social Media: A comparative study, 12 Oct 2017, London, UK
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) conference, Building and Maintaining Relationships with University Alumni through Social Media: A comparative study, 03 Oct 2016, Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, A strategic communication approach to relationship management with conservation volunteers, 03 Oct 2016, Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • Association of Business Communication (ABC) International Conference, How many internal communication channels are sufficient to maintain good employee relationships? A North-West University case study, 06 Jan 2016, Cape Town
  • IPRA Conference, Measuring South African organisational stakeholder relationships with specific reference to trust., 28 Sep 2015, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • IPRA Conference, How many internal communication channels are required to create trust? A North-West University case study, 28 Sep 2015, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Southern African Society for Disaster Reduction (SASDIR) Conference, WhatsApp Facebook? Electronic communication channels for DRR in the SADC region, 06 Oct 2014, Windhoek, Namibia
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, The reflective paradigm and excellence theory applied to the field of disaster risk reduction (DRR), 30 Sep 2014, Potchefstroom, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, Internal communication used to manage employee relationships: North-West University Institutional Office’s communication with the Potchefstroom Campus, 30 Sep 2014, Potchefstroom, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, DR4 communication in the South African context: The opportunity for and responsibility of communication practitioners, 25 Sep 2013, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, Emergency agencies’ in-crisis communication challenges, 25 Sep 2013, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
  • Southern Africa Society for Disaster Risk Reduction (SASDIR) Conference, An Exploration of the role of communication during the in-crisis situation, 10 Oct 2012, Potchefstroom, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, Strategic alignment within the Manguang Municipality: the role of strategic corporate communication, 29 Aug 2011, Pretoria, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, The profile of corporate communication practitioners in South Africa, 29 Aug 2011, Pretoria, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, The perceptions of corporate communication practitioners in South Africa on their contribution to organizational performance, 29 Aug 2011, Pretoria, South Africa
  • 2010 Women, Gender, and Sexualities in Africa Conference, Women – still marginalised in the South African mining and construction industry?, 26 Mar 2010, Austin, United States
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, The use of interpersonal communication as development communication in the development of the IMP for the Vredeford Dome World Heritage Site, 17 Sep 2008, Mulderdrift, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, The concurrence between corporate identity and image of the KKNK, 17 Sep 2008, Muldersdrift, South Africa
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM) Conference, Should all people working in communication be called corporate communication practitioners?, 17 Sep 2008, Mulderdrift, South Africa
  • EUPRERA Conference, Practitioner career constraints in advancing their careers – a conceptual paper, 07 Sep 2006, Carlisle, United Kingdom
  • International Public Relations Research Symposium (Bledcom), Adapting communication satisfaction and relationship scales to a third world country context, 01 Jul 2005, Bled, Slovenia
  • 2nd World PR Festival, The role of communication in addressing the special needs of women in mining, 29 Jun 2005, Trieste, Italy
  • Southern African Communication Association (SACOMM), Practitioners' constraints in advancing to more senior corporate communication roles: an exploratory study in the SA banking industry, 27 Sep 2004, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Qualifications

  • PhD in Corporate communication (North-West University, South Africa, 2012)
  • M.Com in Communication Management (University of Pretoria, South Africa, 2003)
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management in Marketing Management (Chartered Institute of Marketing, 1998)
  • B.Com.Hons. in Communication Management (University of Pretoria, South Africa, 1996)
  • BCom in BCom (Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 1995)

Honours

  • Institutional Teaching Excellence Award (North-West University, South Africa, 2015)
  • Best Paper Award. Title: "Internal communication used to manage employee relationships: North-West University Institutional Office’s communication with the Potchefstroom Campus". The paper was written with Mrs LB Sutton. (Southern African Communication Association, 2014)

Memberships

Networks

  • International History of Public Relations