Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
To cite this article: Betteke van Ruler (2018) Communication Theory: An Underrated Pillar on
Which Strategic Communication Rests, International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12:4,
367-381, DOI: 10.1080/1553118X.2018.1452240
ABSTRACT
This article addresses the concept of “communication” in strategic commu-
nication, and proposes a new lens through which to view communication in
order to deepen knowledge of strategic communication, as well as to
significantly improve the alignment of strategic communication with the
demands of today’s strategy development process. Looking at modern
strategy theory, this article focuses on communication theory as an ongoing
process of meaning construction. It posits that communication is a process
that is interactive by nature and participatory at all levels. This process is
not necessarily two-way but omnidirectional diachronic, with an emphasis
on the external and internal arenas of continuous meaning presentations,
negotiations, and constructions. Strategic communication, therefore, needs
to be conceptualized as an agile management process in which the focus is
on feeding these arenas for strategy building and implementation, and on
testing strategic decisions by presenting and negotiating these in a con-
tinuous loop.
Introduction
As a research field, strategic communication is said to examine how organizations use communica-
tion purposefully to fulfill their mission (Hallahan, Holtzhausen, van Ruler, Vercic, & Sriramesh,
2007; Holtzhausen & Zerfass, 2015). Because communication is an integral part of the field and the
purpose of communication is essential to the concept of strategic communication, we should
consider communication as the pillar on which the field rests. However, what is fundamentally
meant by “communication” remains rather unclear, as do the metatheories or lenses through which
the field views the concept. Unraveling the often rather implicit concept of communication that
strategic communication scholars seem to employ, it is questionable whether the lens through which
communication is viewed is appropriate for today’s demands of organizational life. In this article, I
will elaborate on this issue and propose a lens with which to examine communication within the
context of strategic communication, in such a way that fits modern forms of strategy development.
Communication theory
The term communication theory refers to the body of theories that constitute our understanding of the
communication process (Littlejohn, 1983). Theories represent various ways in which observers see their
environment, and as Littlejohn claims (1983, p. 12), because theories are abstractions, every theory is partial.
Each theory delineates a way of looking and, therefore, its truth value can only be measured in term of how
well it is constructed. This is the reason why there is much disagreement about what constitutes an adequate
theory of communication. The search for who is doing what in a communication process and with what
CONTACT Betteke van Ruler ruler@telfort.nl University of Amsterdam, Hagenduin 20, 2104 AT Heemstede, The
Netherlands.
Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC © 2018 [Betteke van Ruler]
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.
368 B. VAN RULER
effects, to paraphrase Lasswell (1948), is the basic question of every communication theory, although it
might be studied from different angles or by looking at different facets.
There has never been agreement on what “communication” or “to communicate” means. Even in
classical Latin, communicare meant “to share with,” “to share out,” “to make generally accessible” or
“to discuss together” (Glare, 1968, p. 369). Rosengren (2000) suggests that, above all, communication
concerns the process of meaning creation: questions concerning how people create meaning psy-
chologically, socially, and culturally; how messages are understood intellectually; and how ambiguity
arises and is resolved. For Littlejohn, “communication does not happen without meaning, and
people create and use meaning in interpreting events” (Littlejohn, 1992, p. 378). Thus, the crucial
question concerns our understanding of “meaning” and how the process of meaning creation works
(for an overview of the concept of meaning, see Littlejohn, 1983, pp. 95–113).
In communication theory, there are at least three different lenses with which to view how this
process works: communication as a one-way process of meaning construction, in which the sender
attempts to construct or reconstruct the meaning developed by the receiver; communication as a
two-way process of meaning construction, in which two or more people construct new meanings
together; and communication as a omnidirectional diachronic process of meaning construction, in
which the focus is on the continuous development of meaning itself.
All purposeful behavior requires feedback to be adjustable and therefore remain purposeful and have
a particular effect. However, “adding a feedback loop to a linear process model does not make that
model circular or dynamic – it is there to increase the effectiveness of the linear process” (O’Sullivan,
Hartley, Saunders, & Fiske, 1983, p. 90). Thus, this feedback idea of interaction has nothing to do
with a two-way lens on communication.
argues that what matters is not how a particular individual understands a communication but how a subsequent
communication interprets the preceding communication it is connected to; only a communicative event can
determine the particular way in which the immediately preceding communicative event is understood (Seidl in
Schoeneborn & Blaschke, 2014, p. 290).
concept of the diachronic—which means developing over time—he focused on ongoing meaning-
creation over time, instead of focusing on the transmission or the effectivity of messages, or on the
interaction between actors as people involved in communicating.
Dance (1967) further emphasized this notion of diachronism in his proposal of the helix as a
metaphor for the communication process in which meanings develop. He claimed that the image of
communication, viewed as a circular two-way process:
does make the point that what and how one communicates has an effect that may alter future communication.
The main shortcoming of the circular model is that if accurately understood, it also suggests that communica-
tion comes back, full-circle, to exactly the same point from which it started. … The helix gives geometrical
testimony to the concept that communication while moving forward is at the same moment coming back upon
itself and being affected by its past behavior, for the coming curve of the helix is fundamentally affected by the
curve from which it emerges. (Dance, 1967, p. 294).
For this reason, he proposes to focus on the communication process as constantly moving forward
and yet always to some degree dependent upon the past, which informs the present and the future
(Dance, 1967, p. 295). This is also why this kind of lens on communication is sometimes called an
evolutionary or transactional model (Stappers et al., 1990). Consequently, we should talk about
plural meanings creations, instead of meaning creation, and as an ongoing process that develops as it
occurs and cannot be predicted. From this perspective, feedback is still an important concept but
only as a formative monitoring tool to steer follow-up action.
Although at first sight, the helical model of Dance (1970), the ritual model of Carey (2009), and the ideas
of Berlo (1960) look similar to the CCO approach suggested by Taylor and Van Every (2000), unlike the
latter, Dance, Carey, and Berlo consider communication on a cultural, societal level, and look at meaning
development as such. From their perspectives, the concept of interactivity is not understood as entailing
interaction between two or more people. They look at the more abstract level of the interplay between social
actors, acting as senders and receivers, related to each other only in the context of developing their own
meanings continuously over time, thereby constructing society itself and, consequently, also constructing
ideas about how organizations in society should behave.
Krippendorf (1994) mentions the recursiveness of communication: it is an ongoing social process of de-
constructing and reconstructing interpretations. This is not exclusively done in direct conversations, but is
an ongoing process, insofar as people orient themselves toward others, and again, not necessarily toward
their interaction partners (alone). This is why Faulstich (1992) and other German mass communication
scholars state that “Öffentlichkeitsarbeit” (which is often translated as “public relations” in the sense of
organizational work with and for publics and in public, e.g., as a part of strategic communication, BvR) is not
so much about interaction between individual human beings, but rather concerns societal action itself.
From my perspective, this is an interesting addition to the CCO approach, as it concentrates on
meaning creation itself, and therefore on the role of the organization in society, as one of the actors
in the arenas of ongoing meaning construction. Furthermore, it stipulates that people present and
propagate their own meanings but do so in a reflective and evolutionary way.
The premise that human beings reflect themselves, the other, and social reality in a constant
process of deconstruction and reconstruction is not new. Mead (1934) may have been the first to
bring the concept of “reflexivity” to the attention of the social sciences.1 As Ritzer (2000, p. 398)
states, “the general mechanism for the development of the self is reflexivity or the ability to put
ourselves unconsciously into others’ places and to act as they act. As a result, people are able to
examine themselves as others would examine them.” Mead had earlier explained this in these terms:
It is by the means of reflexiveness—the turning back of the experience of the individual upon himself—that the
whole social process is thus brought into the experience of the individuals involved in it; it is by such means,
1
Similarly to Holmström (2000), I use “reflectivity” instead of “reflexivity,” for two reasons: First, because of the psychological
behavioral connotations of the word “reflexivity” (which suggests a rather routine action: “reflex”), although here I refer to
reflection as a conscious cognitive process; and second, related to the background of the word, “reflex” is the perfectum of the
Latin verb “reflecto.” “Reflexive,” therefore, refers more to a state, whereas “reflective” refers to an ongoing process.
372 B. VAN RULER
which enable the individual to take the attitude of the other toward himself, that the individual is able
consciously to adjust himself to that process, and to modify the resultant process in any given social act in
terms of his adjustment to it. (1934/1962, p. 134)
As a result, the authors focus on how an organization functions as a social actor, which suggests that
strategic communication is only about the integration of external communication fields. In the
explanation of this often-used definition, we can learn that what differentiates strategic communica-
tion is the fact that it is concerned with the intended communication that presents and promotes the
organization in all its utterances to the outside world.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION 373
Thorson (2013) provides another rationale: “The strength of the approach [of strategic commu-
nication, BvR] is its emphasis on strategy rather than on specific tactics as well as its focus on
communications understood holistically.” In addition, Johnson and Scholes (1999, p. 17) called this
the difference between “strategic” and “operational.” Thorson does not explain what she means by
“holistically,” but we can assume that this aligns with the statement from Hallahan (2004) on the
integration of various forms of communication in and by the organization.
Thorson also states that the increasing complexity of a global, digital society has challenged the
capacity for organizations to engage in long-term strategic planning. She claims that this is why
organizations need strategic communication and strategic communication practitioners as a part of
strategy formulation. This would suggest that strategic communication is not only a matter of
presenting and promoting organizational strategy but also of building this. This idea has already
resonated within the field. Argenti, Howel, and Beck (2005) interviewed CEOs, SFOs, and CCOs and
showed that the respondents indeed see strategic communication as making a difference for a
business, and thus driving strategy development. The conclusion of Argenti et al. (2005) is that
even though the question of whether communication practitioners are part of strategy formulation
might remain open, it is obvious that strategic communication is part of strategy formulation.
In summary, we may conclude that strategic communication is seen as strategic when it integrates
all those communications that are associated with organizational goals and strategies. For some,
strategic communication is focused on presenting and promoting goals and strategies; for others, it is
also focused on driving its development. In other words, for some, strategy precedes strategic
communication; for others, strategic communication also constitutes strategy. Surprisingly, there is
not much debate over these differences. This might be because of the relative absence of a view of
communication as a pillar on which strategic communication rests.
As Nothhaft argues (2016, p. 71), a major problem is that there is no solid theoretical discussion,
and very little convergence on the theoretical conceptions of strategic communication. Looking back
over the last 10 years of issues of the only scholarly journal that is purely focused on strategic
communication, the International Journal of Strategic Communication, communication theory seems
to not be a concept that needs much attention. It is obvious that communication should not be seen
as a simple flow from sender to receiver, as Paul (2011) conceives it, but there has been little debate
in the journal about how it should be seen. Only a few authors refer to communication theory,
especially when they prefer to see communication as an interactive or conversational process. After
the initial article by the founders of the journal in its first issue in 2007, which includes a review of
some theories on how communication works, the journal has not published a literature review on
the concept of communication, or any other article on how communication is or can be understood
in the context of strategic communication.
In the opening chapter of the Routledge Handbook of Strategic Communication, Holtzhausen and
Zerfass (2015, p. 4) state that: “The strategic communication process typically is a communication
process that follows from an organization’s strategic plan and focuses on the role of communication
in enabling the organization’s strategic goals and objectives.” Some years earlier, they specified this
in another way and proposed: “Strategic communication is the practice of deliberate and purposive
communication that a communication agent enacts in the public sphere on behalf of a commu-
nicative entity to reach set goals” (Holtzhausen & Zerfass, 2013, p. 284; italics added). Thus, for these
authors, organizational goals come first, and strategic communication is there to help realize these
goals, especially in the outside world. Strategic communication is thus one of the instruments to
successfully attain organizational goals, not to create or recreate them. In other words, strategic
communication follows strategy, and strategic communication is the aid with which to attain set
goals by influencing the public sphere to accept these set goals.
In their 2015 article, Holtzhausen and Zerfass posit that “the notion that communication can be
controlled and regulated is now largely redundant” (2015, p. 7). This is why they reject the concept
of linearity and argue that the question of “how do we get information from here to there?” remains
a valid question, “but more important is the question ‘What happens to communication in that
process and how is meaning shaped and co-created?’” They call upon a constitutive approach to
communication to answer this question: “Whereas the transmission model focuses on how to get
information from one point to another, constitutive communication focuses on the importance of
communication to bring about actual change and action” (2015, p. 7).
A constitutive approach is often seen as the lens “in which communication is seen as a process in
which meaning is created in interaction” (cf. Nicotera, 2009, p. 177). A closer look at Holtzhausen
and Zerfass (2015), however, shows that they maintain a rather specific approach to constitutive
communication: they are looking at the constitutive process among stakeholders, not among
organizations and stakeholders. They warn that this constitutive process among stakeholders can
last long after a message has been transmitted:
The role of the practitioner is to send information that can act as the point of departure for meaning creation
between a communicative entity and its stakeholders which can actually lead to social change and social action.
Instead of transmitting information, with the underlying assumptions that one can control communication so
transmitted, strategic communication increasingly focuses on the process of communication, which might take
place over long periods of time and stretch over time long after a message has been transmitted. (Holtzhausen
& Zerfass, 2015, p. 8)
Obviously, from their perspective, meaning construction is a constitutive process, but only among
people in the audience after the organization, as initiator, has spread its message.
Holtzhausen and Zerfass also stipulate the role of the media, which acts as interpreter in this
constituting meaning creation process. They alert their audience to the fact that media have a strong
role in shaping social and cultural realities. They warn them not to see the media as mere channels,
and audiences as mere receivers: “Strategic communicators need to consider how meaning is shaped
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION 375
in the interaction process involving stakeholders and the media practitioners and how stakeholders
interpret and recreate media content in the process” (Holtzhausen & Zerfass, 2015, p. 8)
Holtzhausen and Zerfass, who are the editors of the Handbook and leading scholars in the field of
strategic communication, do not give a definition of communication in their introduction to the
Handbook, but I would like to call their approach an enlightened “one-way orientation” to commu-
nication – enlightened because they are aware that meaning is constructed over time and that people
co-construct meaning. However, quite obviously, the organization does not play a role other than as
the initiator of this constitutive process by providing messages. Thus, for them, strategic commu-
nication entails presenting and promoting organizational goals, not constructing or reconstructing
them, yet strategic communication is seen as a kind of two-step flow process, in which media and
audiences negotiate meaning together.
Aggerholm and Thomsen (2015) have a different focus on strategic communication, more
precisely on the role of strategic communication in decision making in organizations. They argue
that the definition of strategic communication used by Hallahan et al. (2007) comprises “a somewhat
naive recipient and a rational and deliberate decision making process” (Aggerholm & Thomsen,
2015, p. 174). They question this definition and conclude that “all kinds of actors shape the
organization through his or her (strategic) communication role in the organization.” They also
criticize the communication theory of Hallahan et al. (2007) as being a “simplistic idea of strategic
communication as message exchange between sender and receiver” (Aggerholm & Thomsen, 2015,
p. 175), referring to Shannon and Weaver (1949)—who did not speak of exchange but of a flow from
sender to receiver—and thereby suggesting that Holtzhauzen and Zerfass maintain a simple
Shannon-like transmission view of communication. Aggerholm and Thomson prefer to understand
communication as a much more complex, multivocal process, whereby organizations are “consti-
tuted by complex webs of sense-making activities between groups and individuals whose under-
standings intersect, clash and interfere with each other” (Aggerholm & Thomsen, 2015, p. 175).
Whether we can see the lens of communication offered by Holtzhausen and Zerfass as an
enlightened one-way orientation, as I proposed before, or from a transmission perspective as
Aggerholm and Thomson do, the perspectives in these two articles on what strategic communication
is about and how communication works in strategic communication are completely different.
The CCO approach is becoming important in strategic communication theory. Marchiori and
Bilgarov (2015) argue that a strategy process itself is a communication practice. For them, commu-
nication is always “a process of active participants, not of neutral receivers and passive observers”
(Marchiori & Bilgarov, 2015, p. 191). Following the CCO approach of Taylor and Van Every (2000),
they conclude that a communicational practice, due to its procedural and interactive nature,
constitutes strategic practice” (Marchiori & Bilgarov, 2015, p. 193). Thus, according to Marchiori
and Bilgarov, strategic communication does not constitute the meanings of stakeholders, but of the
strategic practice of the organization itself.
Torp (2015) also refers to the Montreal School of CCO based on the theory of Taylor and Every,
in which organizations are considered to be constituted in and through human communication as a
continuous interactive process. “Communication then is the means by which organizations are
established, composed, designed and sustained,” Torp writes, citing Cooren, Kuhn, Cornelissen,
and Clark (2011, p. 1150). The focal point of the Montreal concept of communicative constitution of
organizations, Torp explains, is that “organization is an effect of communication, not its predeces-
sor.” The organization, then, is not merely a container within which or from which one commu-
nicates; the organization comes into existence through communication:
The scope of organizational communication broadens to include virtually everything an organization says and
does, and everyone who is affected by the organization’s existence and activities. That is why nowadays not only
everything is viewed as communication, but also as strategic communication. (Torp, 2015, p. 43)
Torp thus argues that the CCO approach is basically about the daily use of language, by which the
organization is constituted, and on this basis finds this to imply that there is no difference between
376 B. VAN RULER
tactical and strategic communication – it is all strategic in nature. Using the concept of CCO to
discuss strategic communication, all communication in and around the organization can be seen as
part of strategic communication, Torp concludes. Moreover, not only messages or communicative
interactions belong to strategic communication, but also the actions of people, because they also
communicate, and consequently constitute organizational life as such and thus constitute strategy.
Torp extends the scope of strategic communication quite a long way with this definition.
Obviously, we may conclude that strategic communication scholars have very different ideas of
the role communication plays in the context of strategic communication and how it works. Some see
it as a controlled one-way process of a sender, who is attempting to gain approval from the audience;
for others, it is a constituting process in which decisions are made. This leads to a different approach
to strategic communication as well: for some, strategic communication is there to help the organiza-
tion to gain approval for its strategic choices; for others, the focus is on the constituting process by
which strategy is built.
Are we looking at two completely different schools of thought; do we have to choose one of them?
Considering the context in which strategic communication works (organizational strategy), I do not believe
so. This makes it important to have a closer look at strategy theory and the role of communication within it.
Strategy theory
The term “strategy” comes from the Greek verb, strategein, which literally means building roads
(stratos agein) and since ancient times has also been used to mean “being the leader” as well as
“using a ploy to win” (Muller, 1920). As Mintzberg (1994) and Whittington (1993), and more
recently, Koch (2011) amongst others, describe, theoretical ideas about how to develop strategy have
changed over time. Classical strategy theory is about rational long-term planning, and recent strategy
theory is much more about continuous change and is much more emergent and incremental.
Although these strategy theorists do not speak about strategic communication as such, we may
assume that in rational long-term planning theory, strategic communication plays a role in present-
ing and promoting it, yet in emergent and incremental strategy development, strategic communica-
tion obviously plays a role in building strategy.
Unfortunately, in the professional strategic communication field, modern strategy theory has
made little progress, and this might limit scholars to theorizing about the possible reach of strategic
communication as only presenting and promoting the organizational strategy or reconstructing it.
Strategy is more often considered part of a longer term strategic planning model or as planning itself.
Torp (2015), for example, claims that “in present day, strategy is often defined as a plan or action
intended to accomplish specific goals.” In such a case, “strategy” is only another word for “plan.” A
search for strategic communication planning models showed, indeed, that most models resemble the
widely spread public relations planning model of Smith (2013), in which planning is seen as a
process that consist of some phases and a number of stages through which one must proceed.
The first phase is the analysis of the situation, the organization, and the publics involved. The second
phase is called an action plan, including objectives and strategy, and consists of establishing goals and
objectives, formulating action and response strategies and developing the message strategy. The third phase
concerns tactics, which means first selecting communication tactics, and then implementing them, whereas
the fourth phase involves the evaluation of the plan. All these models start with research, followed by the
development of the strategy, a list of tactics/actions to be performed, preferably as detailed as possible, and
conclude with an evaluation. Thus, in these planning models, strategy is the second phase and always
defined as the outcome of the first phase, which concerns the analysis of the situation. These models fit the
classic model of strategy development described by Whittington (1993) as “rational long term planning” and
by Mintzberg, Quinn, and Ghoshal (1995)–in their overview of schools of thought—as “deliberate strategy”
development.
In a popular article in the Harvard Business Review, “The Big Lie of Strategic Planning,”
Martin (2014) argues that strategy is completely different from a plan, and may even be the
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION 377
opposite. “True strategy is about placing bets and making hard choices,” he claims, and adds
that: “Planning typically isn’t explicit about what the organization chooses not to do and why.
It does not question assumptions. And its dominant logic is affordability; the plan consists of
whichever initiatives fit the company’s resources. Mistaking planning for strategy is a common
trap.” For Martin, it is the opposite: “strategy making is uncomfortable; it’s about taking risks
and facing the unknown.” Thus, here strategy implies movement from a present position to a
desirable but uncertain future position. The choices made concern a series of linked hypoth-
eses, no less but also no more. To avoid the traps, Martin advises that the strategy statement
should be kept short and simple (far from a detailed plan) and that it should be recognized
that strategy is not about perfection (SMART objectives) but about choices about the unknown
(no more than just ambitions, a dot on the horizon). He also offers advice on how to make the
logic explicit by focusing on choices, advises professionals to develop strategies not just to
eliminate risk but to increase the odds of success, and suggests that—because choices have to
be made about the unknown—it might be better to talk about choosing certain hypotheses.
Koch (2011), Viki (2015), and many others echo this statement. This implies that today strategy
development is often seen as being based on assumptions to be tested, over and over again, and
adjusted accordingly. Today’s theories of strategy development are much more oriented toward
emergence than rational long-term planning.
Mintzberg and Waters (1985) argued that the pure concepts of both deliberate strategy and emergent
strategy are very rarely applied in practice. Viki (2015) confirmed this and claimed that this is
because deliberate strategies mean no learning at all and emergent strategies mean no control at all,
and both are not very realistic.
However, today’s strategy scholars go further than this balanced approach. Moore (2011), a long-time
colleague of Mintzberg, claimed that “today’s more volatile world no longer lends itself to deliberate strategy,
especially when you’ve got to be faster and more agile than competitors. In such a world, and in these times,
emergent strategy seems to be a better fit.” Emergent strategy entails the view that strategy emerges over time
as intentions collide with, and accommodate, a changing reality. The term “emergent strategy” implies that
378 B. VAN RULER
an organization is learning what works in practice. Opposed to any idea of a rational long-term planning
approach, Moore (2011, p. 1) claims that “given today’s world, I think emergent strategy is on the upswing.”
In this case, strategy is seen as an ongoing process that needs to be reflected upon in order to adapt to
internal and external emergent changes, and to determine whether one is still doing the right things in the
right way. Continuous monitoring is essential as a means to gather data to gain insights required to make the
necessary changes in the choices made.
Such an approach to strategy implies that in today’s organizations, strategy is presented and
promoted by communication, but also rebuilt by it in a continuous and reflective way. It also
emphasizes the importance of a strategy model of continuous learning. The notion of a learning
organization (see, e.g., Argyris, 1994; Quinn, 1996; Senge, 1990) is a common interpretation of how
organizations can best cope with today’s environment, which favors emergent strategy over delib-
erate strategy, although it is not necessarily emergent strategy in its purest form. A learning
organization is a continuously self-correcting system steered by reflectivity and based in or carried
by communicative processes (Hatch, 1997, p. 371).
It is striking that in a subordinate clause to their definition Hallahan et al. proposed:
In addition to formulating their own communication strategies, communication practitioners are often asked to
communicate to employees the vision and mission of the organization as set out by management. Although this
remains the standard view of strategic communication, alternative perspectives on strategy formulation open up
new directions for studying the role of communication in strategy formulation and execution … From this
perspective, the notion of practice as part of the strategic process that influences society and in turn is
influenced by society allows scholars, rather than studying communication practice as an organizational
function, to study how communication practices transform both organizations and societies. (2007, p. 14)
Looking at the development of strategy theory we may conclude that the latter demarcation is now more
realistic than ever. It can, therefore, no longer be seen as merely a subordinate clause, but as a normal part
of strategic communication, and it must, consequently, also be included in the definition of the field.
As a result, we may conclude that modern strategy development theory sees strategy development as
a more or less emergent and continuing developmental process. Moreover, recent strategy theory
considers strategy as based in assumptions to be tested, continuously anew, and adjusted accordingly.
Although strategy theorists do not talk about communication, it is obvious that it plays an
important role in this emergent and continuing process. In modern strategy theory, it is commu-
nication that constitutes strategy on a daily basis and new assumptions constitute follow-up com-
munication processes, which on their part create input into the strategy-building process. All this is
done in a continuous loop and is interactive and reflective in all its aspects and phases. Looking at
modern strategy theory from a communication perspective, we must see strategy as an amalgam of
continuous communication processes in order to build, define, present, realize, and rebuild strategy.
On this basis, we must admit that strategic communication is both: it presents strategy and it
builds and rebuilds it. For this reason, I prefer to see strategic communication as the management of
this amalgam of communication processes in the context of strategy making, presenting, realizing,
and remaking, as a continuous, reflective learning loop. If so, we need a lens through which to view
communication in which this continuous, reflective learning loop is emphasized.
Conclusion
Considering modern strategy theory, we should no longer focus on strategic communication as a
one-way process from the organization to audiences that presents, promotes and realizes organiza-
tional goals and strategy. I would prefer to focus on the amalgam of ongoing communication
processes in the context of strategy building, presenting, realizing, negotiating and rebuilding.
Consequently, we should not only leave the traditional definitions of strategic communication
behind, but also leave the one-way focus on communication behind. In addition, two-way models
that focus on conversations between participants in the communication process do not suffice. We
have to embrace the idea that communication is a process that is interactive by nature and
participatory at all levels. This does not necessarily make it a two-way conversational event, but
instead omnidirectional and diachronic, with an emphasis on the internal and external arenas of
meaning presentation, negotiation, construction, and reconstruction. As communication is the
theoretical pillar on which strategic communication rests, we need to include this perspective in
the definition of strategic communication. For this reason, I proposed here that strategic commu-
nication should be conceptualized as an agile management process in which the focus is on feeding
the arenas in which meanings are presented, negotiated, constructed, or reconstructed for strategy
380 B. VAN RULER
building and strategy implementation, and on testing strategic decisions by presenting and negotiat-
ing these in a continuous loop.
References
Aggerholm, H. K., & Thomsen, C. (2015). Strategic communication: The role of polyphony in management team meetings.
In D. R. Holtzhausen & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of strategic communication (pp. 172–189).
New York, NY: Routledge.
Argenti, P. A., Howel, R. A., & Beck, K. A. (2005). The strategic communication imperative. MITSloan Management
Review, 46(3), 83–89.
Argyris, C. (1994). On organizational learning. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
Ashcraft, K., Kuhn, T., & Cooren, F. (2009). Constitutional amendments: “Materializing” organizational communica-
tion. Academy of Management Annals, 3, 1–64. doi:10.1080/19416520903047186
Berger, P., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality. A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. New York,
NY: Penguin Books.
Berlo, D. K. (1960). The process of communication. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Broome, B. J. (2009). Dialogue theories. In S. W. Littlejohn & K. A. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of communication theory
(pp. 301–305). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Burleson, B. R., & Bodie, G. D. (2008). Constructivism and interpersonal processes. In W. Donsbach (Ed.), The
international encyclopedia of communication (Vol. III, pp. 950–954). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Carey, J. W. (2009). Communication as culture. Essays on media and society. Revised edition. New York, NY:
Routledge.
Carey, J. W. (1975). A cultural approach to communication. Communication, 2, 11–22.
Cooren, F., Kuhn, T., Cornelissen, J. P., & Clark, T. (2011). Communication, organizing and organization: An
overview and introduction to the special issue. Organization Studies, 32(9), 1149–1170. doi:10.1177/
0170840611410836
Dance, F. E. X. (1967). Human communication theory. New York, NY: Harper, Row Publishers.
Dance, F. E. X. (1970). A helical model of communication. In K. K. Sereno & C. D. Mortensen (Eds.), Foundations of
communication theory (pp. 130–137). New York, NY: Harper & Row.
Faulstich, W. (1992). Öffentlichkeitsarbeit. Grundwissen: Kritische Einführung in Problemfelder. [Public Relations:
Critical Introduction in Problem Fields]. Bardowick, Germany: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag.
Glare, P. G. W. (ed.). (1968). Oxford latin dictionary. London, UK: Oxford University Press.
Hallahan, K. (2004). Communication management. In R. L. Heath (Ed.), Encyclopedia of public relations (Vol. 1, pp.
161–164). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hallahan, K., Holtzhausen, D. R., van Ruler, B., Vercic, D., & Sriramesh, K. (2007). Defining strategic communication.
International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3–35. doi:10.1080/15531180701285244
Hatch, M. J. (1997). Organization theory, modern symbolic and postmodern perspectives. Oxford, NY: Oxford
University Press.
Holmström, S. (2000, July). The reflective paradigm, turning into ceremony? Paper presented at the Seventh
International Public Relations Research Symposium, Bled, Slovenia.
Holtzhausen, D. R., & Zerfass, A. (2013). Strategic communication – Pillars and perspectives on an alternate paradigm.
In K. Sriramesh, A. Zerfass, & J.-N. Kim (Eds.), Current trends and emerging topics in public relations and
communication management (pp. 283–302). New York, NY: Routledge.
Holtzhausen, D. R., & Zerfass, A. (2015). Strategic communication: Opportunities and challenges of the research area.
In D. R. Holtzhausen & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of strategic communication (pp. 3–17).
New York, NY: Routledge.
Johnson, G., & Scholes, K. (1999). Exploring corporate strategy (5th ed.). London, UK: Prentice Hall Europe.
Katz, E., & Lazersfeld, P. (1955). Personal influence: The part played by people in the flow of mass communications.
New York, NY: Free Press.
Koch, R. (2011). Strategy. How to create, pursue and deliver a winning strategy. London, UK: Prentice Hall.
Krippendorf. (1994). A recursive theory of communication. In D. Crowley & D. Mitchell (Eds.), Communication
theory today (pp. 78–104). Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Lasswell, H. (1948). The structure and function of communication and society: The communication of idea (pp.
203–243). New York, NY: Institute for Religious and Social Studies.
Lazersfeld, P., Berelson, B., & Gaudet, H. (1948). The people’s choice. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Lindlof, T. R. (2008). Constructivism. In W. Donsbach (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of communication (Vol.
III, pp. 944–950). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Littlejohn, S. W. (1983). Theories of human communication (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Littlejohn, S. W. (1992). Theories of human communication (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION 381
Marchiori, M., & Bilgarov, S. (2015). Strategy as communicational practice in organizations. In D. R. Holtzhausen & A.
Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of strategic communication (pp. 190–200). New York, NY: Routledge.
Martin, R. L. (2014). The big lie of strategic planning. Harvard Business Review, 92, 78–84.
Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self, and society: From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. Chicago, IL: University of
Chicago Press.
Mintzberg, H. (1994). Strategy formation: Ten schools. (original published in J.W. Frederickson (Ed.) (1990),
Perspectives on strategic management. New York, NY: Harper & Row). Schiedam, S. Holland: Schriptum Books.
Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. B., & Ghoshal, S. (1995). The strategy process. European edition. London, UK: Prentice Hall.
Mintzberg, H., & Waters, J. A. (1985). Of strategies, deliberate and emergent. Strategic Management Journal, 6,
257–272. doi:10.1002/smj.4250060306
Moore, K. (2011, November/December). The emergent way: How to achieve meaningful growth in an era of flat
growth. Ivey Bussiness Journal. Retrieved from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/the-emergent-way-how-
to-achieve-meaningful-growth-in-an-era-of-flat-growth/
Muller, F. (1920). Grieksch Woordenboek. [Greek dictionary]. Groningen, Netherlands: Wolters.
Neumann, W. R. (2008). Interaction. In W. Donsbach (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of communication (Vol. V,
pp. 2305–2309). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Nicotera, A. M. (2009). Constitutive view of communication. In S. W. Littlejohn & K. A. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of
communication theory (pp. 175–179). Los Angelos, CA: Sage.
Nothhaft, H. (2016). A framework for strategic communication research: A call for synthesis and consilience.
International Journal of Strategic Communication, 10, 69–86. doi:10.1080/1553118X.2015.1124277
Nothhaft, H., & Schölzel, H. (2015). (Re-)Reading Clausewitz. The strategy discourse and its implications for strategic
communication. In D. R. Holtzhausen & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of strategic communication (pp.
18–33). New York, NY: Routledge.
O’Sullivan, T., Hartley, J., Saunders, D., & Fiske, J. (1983). Key concepts in communication. London, UK: Methuen.
Paul, C. (2011). Strategic communication: Origins, concepts, and current debates. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Quinn, R. E. (1996). Deep change: Discovering the leader within. San Francisco,CA: Jossey-Bass.
Ritzer, G. (2000). Classical sociological theory. Boston,MA: McGraw-Hill.
Rogers, E. M. (1997). A history of communication study, a biographical approach. New York, NY: The Free Press.
Rosengren, K. E. (2000). Communication, an introduction. London, UK: Sage.
Schoeneborn, D., & Blaschke, S. (2014). The three schools of CCO thinking: Interactive dialogue and systematic
comparison. Management Communication Quarterly, 28, 285–316. doi:10.1177/0893318914527000
Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline. The art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Currency
Doubleday.
Servaes, J. (1999). Communication for development. One world, multiple cultures. Creskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Shannon, C. E., & Weaver, W. (1949). The mathematical theory of communication. Urbana, Ill: University of Illinois
Press.
Smith, R. D. (2013). Strategic planning for public relations (4th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Stappers, J. G., Reijnders, A. D., & Möller, W. A. J. (1990). De werking van massamedia. Een overzicht van inzichten.
[How media work; an overview of insights]. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Arbeiderspers.
Taylor, J. R., & Van Every, E. J. (2000). The emergent organization: Communication as its site and surface. Mahwah, NJ:
Erlbaum.
Thayer, L. (1968). Communication and communication systems. Homewood, IL: Richard D. Irwin.
Thayer, L. (1987). On communication. Essays in understanding. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Thorson, K. (2013). Strategic communication. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/
obo-9780199756841/obo-9780199756841-0007.xml
Torp, S. M. (2015). The strategic turn in communication science: On the history and role of strategy in communica-
tion science from ancient Greece until the present day. In D. R. Holtzhausen & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge
handbook of strategic communication (pp. 34–52). New York, NY: Routledge.
Van Ruler, B. (2016). Public relations: Too little emphasis on communication. Communication Management Review, 1,
6–27. doi:10.22522/cmr20160101
Viki, T., (2015, April 1). On strategies deliberate and emergent, a corporate startup-approach. Retrieved from http://
www.tendayiviki.com/blog/on-strategies-deliberate-and-emergent-a-corporate-startup-approach
Watzlawick, P., Beavin, J., & Jackson, D. (1967). Pragmatics of human communication: A study of interactional
patterns, pathologies, and paradoxes. New York, NY: Norton.
Whittington, R. (1993). What is strategy—And does it matter? London, UK: Routledge/International Thomson
Business Press.
Wiener, N. (1961). Cybernetics or control and communication in the animal and the machine. New York, NY: MIT
Press.