Strategic Communication : Defining the Field and its Contribution to Research and Practice
(2018) In International Journal of Strategic Communication 12(4). p.487-505- Abstract
This article draws on a decade of research in strategic communication and especially on the contributions in this special issue to propose a new and more comprehensive definition of strategic communication. We argue that strategic communication encompasses all communication that is substantial for the survival and sustained success of an entity. Specifically, strategic communication is the purposeful use of communication by an entity to engage in conversations of strategic significance to its goals. Entity includes all kind of organizations (e.g., corporations, governments, or nonprofits), as well as social movements and known individuals in the public sphere. Communication can play a distinctive role for the formulation, revision,... (More)
This article draws on a decade of research in strategic communication and especially on the contributions in this special issue to propose a new and more comprehensive definition of strategic communication. We argue that strategic communication encompasses all communication that is substantial for the survival and sustained success of an entity. Specifically, strategic communication is the purposeful use of communication by an entity to engage in conversations of strategic significance to its goals. Entity includes all kind of organizations (e.g., corporations, governments, or nonprofits), as well as social movements and known individuals in the public sphere. Communication can play a distinctive role for the formulation, revision, presentation, execution, implementation, and operationalization of strategies. While there are many ways to investigate these research objects, strategic communication as a discipline takes the perspective of the focal organization/entity and its calculus to achieve specific goals by means of communication under conditions of limited resources and uncertainty. The article takes a critical look at the current state of the field and outlines several requirements that will help scholars and practitioners alike to build a unique body of knowledge in strategic communication.
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- author
- Zerfass, Ansgar ; Verčič, Dejan ; Nothhaft, Howard LU and Werder, Kelly Page
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018-08-08
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- International Journal of Strategic Communication
- volume
- 12
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 19 pages
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85051566137
- ISSN
- 1553-118X
- DOI
- 10.1080/1553118X.2018.1493485
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a831c15d-244c-41ad-9790-c5e565d326ad
- date added to LUP
- 2018-09-10 12:39:45
- date last changed
- 2022-04-25 08:50:33
@article{a831c15d-244c-41ad-9790-c5e565d326ad,
abstract = {{<p>This article draws on a decade of research in strategic communication and especially on the contributions in this special issue to propose a new and more comprehensive definition of strategic communication. We argue that strategic communication encompasses all communication that is substantial for the survival and sustained success of an entity. Specifically, strategic communication is the purposeful use of communication by an entity to engage in conversations of strategic significance to its goals. Entity includes all kind of organizations (e.g., corporations, governments, or nonprofits), as well as social movements and known individuals in the public sphere. Communication can play a distinctive role for the formulation, revision, presentation, execution, implementation, and operationalization of strategies. While there are many ways to investigate these research objects, strategic communication as a discipline takes the perspective of the focal organization/entity and its calculus to achieve specific goals by means of communication under conditions of limited resources and uncertainty. The article takes a critical look at the current state of the field and outlines several requirements that will help scholars and practitioners alike to build a unique body of knowledge in strategic communication.</p>}},
author = {{Zerfass, Ansgar and Verčič, Dejan and Nothhaft, Howard and Werder, Kelly Page}},
issn = {{1553-118X}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{08}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{487--505}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{International Journal of Strategic Communication}},
title = {{Strategic Communication : Defining the Field and its Contribution to Research and Practice}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2018.1493485}},
doi = {{10.1080/1553118X.2018.1493485}},
volume = {{12}},
year = {{2018}},
}