Future Directions of Strategic Communication

Howard Nothhaft is Associate Professor in the Department of Strategic Communication at Lund University, Sweden. His research interests include strategic communication theory; the democratic impacts of corporate communication; and techniques, stratagems and strategies of counter-influence. Kelly Page Werder is Associate Professor in the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications at the University of South Florida, USA. Her expertise includes strategic communication message effects, campaigns, corporate social responsibility, and stakeholder activism. She is the Editor of the International Journal of Strategic Communication. Dejan Verčič is Professor and Head of the Department of Communication at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; and partner and knowledge director for the consultancy Stratkom. He is a recipient of the Pathfinder Award, the highest academic honor bestowed by the Institute for Public Relations. He is a founding member of the European Communication Monitor research team. Ansgar Zerfass is Professor and Chair of Strategic Communication at Leipzig University, Germany, and Professor of Leadership and Communication at BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway. He is the Editor of the International Journal of Strategic Communication and has received the Pathfinder Award by the Institute for Public Relations. His areas of research are corporate communications, communication value, and international communication.

• Introduction Part I: The Emergence of a Paradigm 1. Strategic Communication as an Emerging Interdisciplinary Paradigm 2. Strategic Communication: Reflections on an Elusive Concept Part II: The Conceptual Foundations of Strategic Communication 3. Communication Theory: An Underrated Pillar on Which Strategic Communication Rests 4. Strategic Communication and Emergence: A Dual Narrative Framework 5. A Multidimensional Network Approach to Strategic Communication 6. Evolutionary Psychology: A Framework for Strategic Communication Research Part III: Expanding the Body of Knowledge 7. Alignment: Explicating a Key Concept in Strategic Communication 8. Expanding the Scope of Strategic Communication: Towards a Holistic Understanding of Organizational Complexity 9. Expanding Evaluation to Progress Strategic Communication: Beyond Message Tracking to Open Listening Part IV: Future Directions of Strategic Communication 10. Strategic Communication: Defining the Field and its Contribution to Research and Practice

"A timely edition of collected scholarship on a subject of significant interdisciplinary importance. Emerging scholars have much to draw on here, as do practitioners who are actively seeking out relevant paradigms and frameworks for the work they do in the field."Rupert Younger, Director, Centre for Corporate Reputation, Saïd Business School, Oxford University, UK"This book challenges and disrupts what we know—and what we think we know—in the strategic communication field. It uses theoretically-driven insights to inform novel and adventurous new thought, advancing and challenging us at once. Each chapter adds new value by exploring underutilized and novel topics, to develop a forward-thinking approach to communicating with purpose. This work is a must for any scholar or serious student of strategic communication management."Professor Shannon A. Bowen, Ph.D., School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina, USA"Future Directions of Strategic Communication is a timely and groundbreaking effort to synthesize the nascent field of strategic communication. It provides expert assessments regarding the current state of the domain and focuses on directions to advance the purposive use of communication. It is a must read for anyone interested in Strategic Communication."Professor May O. Lwin, Ph.D., Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore"Self-reflection is critical to the development of any field. This book is a blueprint for such an endeavor as it reflects upon strategic communication beginning with the analysis of published research during the last decade and ending with a revised definition of the concept. Along the way there are plenty of points to stimulate debate including the potential emergent nature of strategic communication and an explanation of nonstrategic communication. The book raises questions and is not simply an overview on the field – this is a good thing."Professor W. Timothy Coombs, Ph.D., Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, USA"This book shows how far the discipline of strategic communication has come since the launch of the International Journal of Strategic Communication in 2007. The knowledge of the discipline has expanded exponentially, and I no longer view it as an immature discipline. It now has a strong foundation and the outstanding and internationally represented authors of this book have raised the discipline to the next level."Professor Derina R. Holtzhausen, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Fine Arts & Communication, Lamar University, USA"This volume is an important landmark that opens up the field of strategic communication to consider the complex, multidirectional and emergent character of communication in organizational settings."Professor Dr. Dennis Schoeneborn, Department of Management, Society & Communication, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark