The Language Of Strategic Communication (775334006Y)
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Lectures The Language Of Strategic Communication
Lecture 1: Course Introduction
Hallahan et al. (2007) argue that you have a classic and a more contemporary perspective on
strategic communication. In this course we take the contemporary perspective.
Hallahan: in the classical perspective communication is described as either a war or a
game.
You have one manager/war general who sets the scene and determines all the
steps and strategies. This strategy is then executed by the people to people who the
manager gives instructions to.
This definition (war/game) implies that you can have winners or losers
You also see this in news reports of organizations about the stock markets;
If the stock goes up, the organization is a winner and if the stock goes down, a
loser.
This perspective emphasizes ‘a dog eat dog world’ where the game of the one,
results in the loss of the other
Hallahan: in some circles strategic communication has a negative reputation and
that is mainly due to this perspective.
Hallahan: this perspective (war/game) is strengthened when people focus on
strategic communication as a form of rational decision making
SWOT analysis: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat: you describe an
organization’s strength and weaknesses and identify opportunities and threats in
the environment in order to come up with a strategy.
Hallahan: this perspective of strategy as rational decision making strengthens the
more negative perspective of strategic communication (where there’s only one
manager who sets the scene)
Classical perspective: strategy is seen as something for the management/top layer
of the organization. The management sets the strategy and the employees execute it.
So in the classical perspective, strategy is found at the top of the organization.
Hallahan: this perspective has been challenged and they argue the contemporary
perspective of strategic communication = sees strategy not only as something that’s
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, the responsibility of the management, but also the responsibility of everyone else in
the organization.
- Hallahan: it’s not asymmetrical (=where only the top is responsible for strategic
communication), but it’s symmetrical = strategic communication is part of every
employee in the organization; strategic communication is everywhere in the
organization
- Strategic communication is often used to talk about change (e.g. organizational
change, or team operational changes).
Organizational change is thus seen as an important part of strategic
communication in this contemporary perspective
- Strategic communication is also seen as an inherent part of the organization’s
culture. Strategic communication is situated within an organization that has a
specific culture, where the culture inspires strategic communication and reflects
strategic communication.
- Also HOW an organization is embedded in society is also very important in this
contemporary perspective!
This perspective also focuses on the role of an organization within the society
(like how can the organization help society to improve)
In the classical perspective they only focus on the organization (where the
main goal is to serve itself)
- Strategic communication is not just a document that someone sets out, but is
seen in day to day practice in an organization.
How an organization operates is a critical part of strategic communication and
everyone in an organization contributes to strategic communication
e.g. the way an employee talks to its customer is a reflection of the strategic
communication of an organization
Strategic communication (Hallahan et al., 2007) = “communicating purposefully to advance
the mission of an organization”
- Strategic communication is always done in the lights of a mission/goals of an
organization
- And this is done purposefully: a deliberate act of communication
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,Strategic communication is interdisciplinary (Werder et al., 2018)
Communication science
Organization science
Marketing
Cognitive and social psychology
Linguistics
Philosophy
What does this imply for the professional field in the Netherlands?
BNP model: reflects aspects of the professional field
- BNP model = Beroeps Niveau Profielen; jobs in the Dutch communication
professional field can be divided based on two elements:
1. Job level (e.g. junior jobs are more responsible for their own job, whereas
seniors are responsible for a whole team)
2. Distribution of one or more of six core tasks (=if you are a communication
specialist you have to work on at least 1 of the 6 core tasks)
- Within these job levels, there are 6 core tasks for communication professionals:
1. Training = making individuals more communicative in order for the
organization to get to a higher level.
(how should you conduct yourself in a meeting as an employee when
arguing against an advise proposed from your manager)
2. Organizing = taking care of meeting between people
Communication accommodation = should you adapt your language to the
other group?
3. Integrating = planning, adjusting and implementing communication processes
4. Analyzing = mapping important issues
Group dynamics that break down (stereotyping and groupthink)
5. Creating = creating communication materials and creating new ideas:
creativity!
How can you create new ideas?
6. Advising = making an organization more communicative
How to communicate about organizational change?
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, - Language is for each of these tasks important!
Different levels of communication within an organization
- Interpersonal communication (= communication with individuals)
- Group communication (= communication within and between organizational
groups)
- Organizational communication
Guest lecture: how to become a communications 3.0 professional: André Manning (Logeion)
Logeion is the association for Dutch communication specialists.
The structure of an organization determines the way the communication department is set
up.
- Philips changed a lot from lightbulbs to medical equipment/ health care.
Matrix organization: a central headquarter, product divisions and country
organizations (that do the work on the ground).
Focused on consumers and B2B customers
- Booking.com
E-commerce platform and central headquarter
Language plays an important role, because the website is localized based on
the location you’re in (but they all work in the Netherlands) This is linked to
language accommodation!
All these pictures on Booking.com are collected in The Netherlands
- Amcor (makes plastic bottles and cigarette boxes)
- AkzoNobel (matrix organization)
For Booking.com you need a different setup for communications than for Philips or
Amcor.
Every 2 years Logeion identifies 3 communication trends 2020/2021:
1. Divided society, shared future = with polarization, dilemma’s and shared values are
important.
As a communication specialist you have to be able to analyze the internal and
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