The art of strategic improvisation: A professional concept for contemporary communication managers
(2018) In Journal of Communication Management 22(2). p.253-258- Abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to describe strategic improvisation, a contemporary concept and approach based on the creative arts and organizational crisis theory, as a valuable approach for communication professionals. Strategic improvisation combines the need for planning and structure with creative action, and is a normative idea of how to work in an efficient way.
Design/methodology/approach: The concept is developed in a collaborative project between a major Swedish communications agency and a university scholar. The empirical foundation consists of 25 qualitative interviews with a strategic selection of successful communication professionals, identified as typical strategic improvisers.
Findings: An analysis of the interviews... (More) - The purpose of this paper is to describe strategic improvisation, a contemporary concept and approach based on the creative arts and organizational crisis theory, as a valuable approach for communication professionals. Strategic improvisation combines the need for planning and structure with creative action, and is a normative idea of how to work in an efficient way.
Design/methodology/approach: The concept is developed in a collaborative project between a major Swedish communications agency and a university scholar. The empirical foundation consists of 25 qualitative interviews with a strategic selection of successful communication professionals, identified as typical strategic improvisers.
Findings: An analysis of the interviews led to 11 defining patterns or themes typical for strategic improvisation and strategic improvisers. The interviews and the theoretical framework is the foundation of a communication model. Strategic improvisation is defined as a situational interpretation within a given framework. The model has three interconnected parts: a clear framework (composition), a professional interpretation (interpretation) and a situational adaptation based on given possibilities and conditions (improvisation).
Research limitations/implications: This is not a peer reviewed paper, but a paper in the section “In Practice,” directed toward communication professionals.
Originality/value: The ideas and model are connected to theories of improvisation, especially in music, which is rare in the field of communication management, and developed in a collaborative project between practice and research. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/10e5d958-97f8-495d-934f-800faf7dee63
- author
- Falkheimer, Jesper LU and Gentzel Sandberg, Katarina
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018-04-23
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Communication practitioner, Communication strategy, Communication management, Communication practitioner, Best practice, Communication management
- in
- Journal of Communication Management
- volume
- 22
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 6 pages
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85045851105
- ISSN
- 1363-254X
- DOI
- 10.1108/JCOM-03-2018-0020
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 10e5d958-97f8-495d-934f-800faf7dee63
- date added to LUP
- 2018-04-23 15:52:30
- date last changed
- 2022-03-17 07:09:53
@article{10e5d958-97f8-495d-934f-800faf7dee63,
abstract = {{The purpose of this paper is to describe strategic improvisation, a contemporary concept and approach based on the creative arts and organizational crisis theory, as a valuable approach for communication professionals. Strategic improvisation combines the need for planning and structure with creative action, and is a normative idea of how to work in an efficient way.<br/>Design/methodology/approach: The concept is developed in a collaborative project between a major Swedish communications agency and a university scholar. The empirical foundation consists of 25 qualitative interviews with a strategic selection of successful communication professionals, identified as typical strategic improvisers.<br/>Findings: An analysis of the interviews led to 11 defining patterns or themes typical for strategic improvisation and strategic improvisers. The interviews and the theoretical framework is the foundation of a communication model. Strategic improvisation is defined as a situational interpretation within a given framework. The model has three interconnected parts: a clear framework (composition), a professional interpretation (interpretation) and a situational adaptation based on given possibilities and conditions (improvisation).<br/>Research limitations/implications: This is not a peer reviewed paper, but a paper in the section “In Practice,” directed toward communication professionals.<br/>Originality/value: The ideas and model are connected to theories of improvisation, especially in music, which is rare in the field of communication management, and developed in a collaborative project between practice and research.}},
author = {{Falkheimer, Jesper and Gentzel Sandberg, Katarina}},
issn = {{1363-254X}},
keywords = {{Communication practitioner; Communication strategy, Communication management, Communication practitioner; Best practice; Communication management}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{04}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{253--258}},
publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
series = {{Journal of Communication Management}},
title = {{The art of strategic improvisation: A professional concept for contemporary communication managers}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-03-2018-0020}},
doi = {{10.1108/JCOM-03-2018-0020}},
volume = {{22}},
year = {{2018}},
}