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Developing a Communicative Logic –The Key to Communication Professionalism

Simonsson, Charlotte LU orcid and Heide, Mats LU orcid (2021) In International Journal of Strategic Communication 15(3). p.253-273
Abstract

Communication practitioners still struggle to increase their status and legitimacy, and the value of their work is often questioned. The general perception of the occupation is often related to the idea that communication practitioners manipulate with misleading information and primarily are involved in superficial activities such as image and reputation building. In attempting to defend themselves from criticism and enhance their status, communication practitioners have strived to be regarded as a management function, which comes with pressure to follow a managerial logic. However, the managerial logic works as a double-edged sword–it brings some status in the short run but takes communication practitioners further away from their core... (More)

Communication practitioners still struggle to increase their status and legitimacy, and the value of their work is often questioned. The general perception of the occupation is often related to the idea that communication practitioners manipulate with misleading information and primarily are involved in superficial activities such as image and reputation building. In attempting to defend themselves from criticism and enhance their status, communication practitioners have strived to be regarded as a management function, which comes with pressure to follow a managerial logic. However, the managerial logic works as a double-edged sword–it brings some status in the short run but takes communication practitioners further away from their core competence in communication. In this article, we challenge the one-sided belief in the managerial logic–managerialism–and explore its hidden, negative implications for the practice and professionalization of communications practitioners. The implications are illustrated with interviews with communication practitioners and survey data on communication practitioners’ views and communication processes. Further, we propose that an alternative logic–a professional communicative logic–needs to be further developed and embraced to additionally advance the professional project.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
International Journal of Strategic Communication
volume
15
issue
3
pages
21 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85109646742
ISSN
1553-118X
DOI
10.1080/1553118X.2021.1906682
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
id
387b88f9-0617-4814-8f91-001dbd9f3d23
date added to LUP
2021-09-29 12:46:00
date last changed
2022-04-27 04:21:15
@article{387b88f9-0617-4814-8f91-001dbd9f3d23,
  abstract     = {{<p>Communication practitioners still struggle to increase their status and legitimacy, and the value of their work is often questioned. The general perception of the occupation is often related to the idea that communication practitioners manipulate with misleading information and primarily are involved in superficial activities such as image and reputation building. In attempting to defend themselves from criticism and enhance their status, communication practitioners have strived to be regarded as a management function, which comes with pressure to follow a managerial logic. However, the managerial logic works as a double-edged sword–it brings some status in the short run but takes communication practitioners further away from their core competence in communication. In this article, we challenge the one-sided belief in the managerial logic–managerialism–and explore its hidden, negative implications for the practice and professionalization of communications practitioners. The implications are illustrated with interviews with communication practitioners and survey data on communication practitioners’ views and communication processes. Further, we propose that an alternative logic–a professional communicative logic–needs to be further developed and embraced to additionally advance the professional project.</p>}},
  author       = {{Simonsson, Charlotte and Heide, Mats}},
  issn         = {{1553-118X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{253--273}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Strategic Communication}},
  title        = {{Developing a Communicative Logic –The Key to Communication Professionalism}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2021.1906682}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/1553118X.2021.1906682}},
  volume       = {{15}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}