Onderzoeksartikel

Strategische communicatie: inleiding

---

Abstract

Strategic communication is defined as communication in the course of which a player, being aware of a competitive context, wants to further his goals by means of reactions of other players or public groups. Three questions are addressed. The first one is whether a strategy is helpful. Research results indicate indeed that organisations having an explicit communication strategy perform relatively well. The second question regards the organisation of strategic communication. The literature suggests that coordinated communications should fit in with an organisation’s identity and with formal and informal internal communication networks. The third question regards the information which should be conveyed to-competing- players and the wider public. Starting from the neo-institutionalist approach in economics it is argued that the function of communication is to transform competitive games with Pareto suboptimal equilibria into more cooperative games. The traditional question of mass communication which information is helpful to influence the wider public is discussed by illustrations of the issue ownership theory with content analysis data on media coverage and survey-data on public images of some profit- and non-profit organisations. Information which is useful to cooperate with competing players can have adverse effects on the wider public.

How to Cite:

Kleinnijenhuis, J., (1999) “Strategische communicatie: inleiding”, Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap 27(1), 1–29.