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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic strongly influenced daily practices, and this manifested in social interactions, communications and consumption. This work addresses the relations between branding and cultural trends in strategic communication and advertising in different contexts of the pandemic. First, we reviewed the concepts of branding and cultural trends. From there, it was necessary to develop a methodological proposal to articulate a connotative semiotic analysis with the semiotic square and a cultural trend mapping. The analysis was carried out through an independent and comparative reading of two-time phases: confinement (2020) and end of constraints (2022). Three telecommunications brands in Portugal act as case studies in a random and probabilistic sample of two audiovisual texts from Christmas campaigns each. Finally, a theoretical-operational triangulation is obtained between branding, cultural trends and semiotic analysis in promoting local brands that redefine spaces, social relations, and identity expression during and after the COVID-19 pandemic confinements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the evolutionary effects of sentiment words in financial text and their implications for various business outcomes. We propose an algorithm called Word List Vector for Sentiment (WOLVES) that leverages both a human-defined sentiment word list and the word embedding approach to quantify text sentiment over time. We then apply WOLVES to investigate the evolutionary effects of the most popular financial word list, Loughran and McDonald (LM) dictionary, in annual reports, conference calls, and financial news. We find that LM negative words become less negative over time in annual reports compared to conference calls and financial news, while LM positive words remain qualitatively unchanged. This finding reconciles with existing evidence that negative words are more subject to managers' strategic communication. We also provide practical implications of WOLVES by correlating the sentiment evolution of LM negative words in annual reports with market reaction, earnings performance, and accounting fraud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Social media has become an indispensable component of everyday life and had a transformative impact on strategic communication. This study reflects on the influence of social media in scholarship and examines social media research to identify strengths, gaps, and assumptions in this body of literature. Using structural topic modeling and network analysis, this research models every word published in six leading journals studying public relations from 2012 to 2022 in two separate studies. First, a census of the 2,675 articles, totaling 15926,460 words, is analyzed to establish the percentage of scholarship related to social media, methodologies used to study social media, and how social media interacts with other topics within public relations. Second, a subset of 666 articles that heavily emphasize social media are examined in order to identify the key social media topics within public relations scholarship. This research finds that social media is a major connecting topic within public relations scholarship; however, few social-media specific topics are being studied in public relations scholarship. Even research focused on social media is more heavily emphasizing existing public relations theory than social media-specific topics. We conclude with three propositions that detail a path forward for scholarship regarding social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends the existing research on C-suite communication and corporate communicators by adding the perspective of the supervisory board. Building on principal-agent theory and the public arena model the supervisory board chair's communicator role is conceptualized, and established and stakeholders are identified. Based on 28 qualitative expert interviews with supervisory board chairs, public relations, and investor relations managers from 10 DAX and MDAX companies, the study highlights the objectives for the chair's communication as well as responsibilities within the public relations and investor relations departments. The findings show that transparency and the establishment and maintenance of relationships are the main objectives of the chair's communication. Furthermore, the findings show that there is rarely a clear responsibility within the public relations or investor relations functions for the chair's communication. Closer cooperation leads to more professionalized chair communication – but not necessarily more active external communication. The article contributes to communication management and strategic communication research by highlighting the conceptual-theoretical challenge of the communication of the supervisory board because its actions set the framework for the corporate strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic internal communication management in healthcare settings may improve maternal care and maternal health outcomes, especially in low-income countries. The study examines how hospital internal communication managers in Ghana strategically influence employee communication behaviors for positive maternal health outcomes using the microboundary spanning theory. Twenty-three hospital internal communication managers were interviewed. Findings reveal that strategies hospital internal communication managers use to influence employee communication behaviors and enhance positive patient-provider communication include employee training programs, provision of timely information, maintaining open lines of communication, provision of essential resources, monitoring and informal surveys, utilizing the grapevine, organizing pregnancy schools and use of infographics produced in multiple Ghanaian languages. The study demonstrates that positive employee megaphoning and scouting behaviors can have financial and prosocial benefits, including enhancing patient healthcare experiences, encouraging women to seek maternal care, and ultimately improving maternal health outcomes. Finally, the study extends the microboundary spanning theory to include employee mandatory communication that occurs in healthcare settings and is the first such study to be conducted in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication leaders and their teams are seldom able to handle the broad range of challenges within their area of responsibility by themselves. They rely on agencies as an external workbench and as specialists for new or seldom used practices. More importantly, they seek advice from communication consultants to understand challenges, and to identify opportunities for action. The increasing demand for such services has pushed prices and intensified the debate about their quality. Surprisingly, research on communication consulting and its quality is sparse. The first empirical studies were conducted just 10 years ago. In light of dynamic industry developments, the question arises regarding how the understanding and perceptions of communication consulting quality has evolved. To this end, a comparative study surveyed a total of 422 communication agencies in 2013 and 2023 on the relevance, factors, assurance, and showcasing of consulting quality. The results reveal that the importance of consulting quality is still high, but underlying conditions and implementation of quality have changed considerably. As the first in-depth and long-term exploration of this phenomenon, this research helps to shed light on a highly relevant but underexplored facet of strategic communication. It informs practice and offers numerous starting points for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the purpose of addressing authenticity as a central concept for organizational-level visual identity, the paper contributes to growing scholarly interest in the role of symbols and images in the context of strategic communication. The paper theoretically and empirically explores conceptualizations and assumptions related to visual identity authenticity. Theoretically, it demonstrates how the dominant approach to authenticity rests on three interrelated assumptions: that a real organizational identity essence exists; that it can and should be aligned with a corresponding visual identity; and that such visual identity can transmit the essence as part of strategic communication. However, additional approaches to authenticity challenge and nuance the essentialist approach by operating with alternative, processual assumptions related to the nature of organizational identity, visual identity, and strategic communication. Empirically, the paper develops the identified theoretical approaches though practitioner insights. In particular, the empirical work consists of interviews with ten agency strategists focused on how they understand visual identity authenticity. Combined, the theoretical and empirical work offer a complex perspective on organizational-level visual identity authenticity, which goes beyond the essentialist approach by adding dynamic, aspirational, and consumer-driven approaches. These different approaches, in turn, have distinctive implications for visual strategic communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a growth in customized products and services. As a prerequisite for customization, private information on individual customers' quality preferences needs to be uncovered. Sellers can listen to customers about their stated or self-reported preferences through direct communication (e.g., conversation, survey). Alternatively, customer preferences can be inferred from their behavior when they are given the rights to self-design the quality. In this research we endogenize the viability of customization by investigating whether and when customers may reveal their stated/inferred preferences truthfully. We find that, for either preference-learning approach, customers would voice their preferences faithfully if and only if they are sufficiently heterogenous. Equilibrium preference revelation, and hence endogenous customization, tend to be sustained by intermediate seller bargaining power or nonextreme production/selling costs. We examine how the preference-learning approaches may differ in the endogenous feasibility of customization, equilibrium qualities, and the parties' expected payoffs. We show that giving up the design right need not always be harmful for the seller, and gaining it can make the buyers worse off, especially when fixed costs of customization are considered. This paper was accepted by Eric Anderson, marketing. Funding: This work was supported by a DAG grant offered by the Hong Kong Research Grant Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Global progress in combatting climate change is being slowed by intergroup conflict and tribalism. Addressing the intergroup tensions of today is a pre‐requisite for avoiding violent intergroup tensions in the future, tensions that may threaten societal structures we currently take for granted. This paper highlights five sources of intergroup conflict that compromise humans’ ability to effectively and swiftly respond to climate change: political tribalism, populist suspicion of elites, regional differences within nations, international conflicts, and tensions between and within activist identities. We then draw on established and emerging social psychological theorising to describe five strategies for constructively managing this intergroup conflict: maintaining climate justice, reducing disinformation and silencing bad‐faith actors, maintaining cohesion among progressive forces, focusing on trusted messengers, and empathic communication. Throughout we underscore the extent to which policy making and strategic communication can play roles in depolarising debate about climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses the importance of values-based communication in libraries, featuring insights from library professionals from various institutions. They emphasize the significance of aligning communication with organizational values to navigate controversies effectively. Examples include handling challenges related to controversial programming, book banning, and community engagement. The professionals stress the need for transparency, empathy, and commitment to core values to maintain trust and uphold the library's role as a trusted community resource. [Extracted from the article]

The accelerating climate crisis is driving a rapid increase in interest in climate technologies aimed at overcoming it. However, even if effective technologies emerge, their impact may be hindered without public acceptance. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the factors that influence the acceptance of new climate technologies. This exploratory study investigates the key factors influencing public acceptance and the recommendation of climate technologies in South Korea. Utilizing an extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, survey data from 200 participants were analyzed. The study identified that facilitating conditions, innovativeness, social influence, and trust in government are the most significant predictors of public intent to accept or recommend climate technologies. The results highlight the critical role of strategic communication, infrastructure, and public trust in promoting the adoption of climate solutions. Furthermore, qualitative interviews suggest that a shift towards Personally Determined Contributions (PDCs) could empower individuals to become proactive agents in climate action. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers, providing a strategic direction to enhance the public's engagement with climate technologies and foster a more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass media exposure (MME) plays an important role in changing health-related behavior or decision-making. This study aimed to examine the association of MME with enrollment in health insurance and its moderating effect on the associations of education and wealth with enrollment in health insurance among older adults in India. The data of 29,935 older adults aged 60 years and older from the first wave (baseline) of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI-2017/18) were utilized. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, multivariable logistic regression models, and Fairlie decomposition were used. The findings revealed that 18.3% of older adults had MME and enrollment in health insurance in India. Older adults with MME were 1.42 times more likely to be enrolled in health insurance than those with no MME, and years of schooling increased the probability of enrolling in health insurance compared to those who did not have formal schooling. With increasing monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE), the probability of enrolling in health insurance is lower than the poorest. Further, MME moderates the effects of education and MPCE on enrollment in health insurance and increases the likelihood of enrollment in health insurance. The study’s findings imply strategic communication plans to encourage health insurance enrollment in India should take into account the usage of these communication channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore Joko Widodo's political communication strategy through political diction and strategic grammar. At this point, language is a tool that is full of political interests to gain and maintain power. With a critical paradigm in a qualitative approach, the data are the text of President Joko Widodo's state speeches in the 2019-2023 period. Data analysis was performed using Fowler's version of CDA (critical discourse analysis). In the end, the results show that the hidden meanings of using political diction in President Joko Widodo's speech include embracing political opponents, gathering support, responding to demands, boosting image, growing optimism, and issuing warnings. Apart from that, Joko Widodo in his State of the Union speech also makes use of grammar strategically to highlight positive things or successes by packing them into active sentences and disguising (covering) negative things or failures by packing them into passive sentences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2022, the Kansas primary election ballot featured an abortion referendum called the "Value Them Both" amendment. This represented the first time U.S. voters were able to respond electorally to the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision. Two groups, the Value Them Both Coalition (VTBC) and Kansans for Constitutional Freedom (KCF), were heavily involved in campaigning across television and social media. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of their messaging and identified three approaches used by both campaigns: Integrity Signals, Extremity Emphasis, and Conservative Identity. Findings provide insights into strategic communication frames being employed in the post-Roe political communication landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely warning to policy-makers and the general public about the planned Russian invasion of Ukraine is hailed as an intelligence and strategic communication success. It has resulted in increased confidence in US and UK intelligence services and in revigorated involvement in strategic communication in security and defence. Decision-makers at all levels seem to have understood that employing intelligence in strategic communication in a timely and transparent manner can lead to enhanced public understanding of ongoing security challenges and support for measures that could affect their own well-being, as well as to restore confidence in government actions. The current research analyzes how intelligence was integrated into the strategic communications of the US, UK, NATO and the EU in the months preceding the Russian invasion in Ukraine. The objective of the research is to draw lessons learned during this period to better understand how, to what extent and in what circumstances traditionally classified intelligence products can be integrated in decision-makers’ strategic communication and what limitations need to be imposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a setting where a receiver must design a questionnaire to recover a sequence of symbols known to a strategic sender, whose utility may not be incentive compatible. We allow the receiver the possibility of selecting the alternatives presented in the questionnaire, and thereby linking decisions across the components of the sequence. We show that, despite the strategic sender and the noise in the channel, the receiver can recover exponentially many sequences, but also that exponentially many sequences are unrecoverable even by the best strategy. We define the growth rate of the number of recovered sequences as the information extraction capacity. A generalization of the Shannon capacity, it characterizes the optimal amount of communication resources required while communicating with a strategic sender. We derive bounds leading to an exact evaluation of the information extraction capacity in many cases. Our results form the building blocks of a novel, non-cooperative regime of communication involving a strategic sender. • An uninformed receiver aims to recover information from an informed strategic sender • No assumption of incentive compatibility or external incentives • Information-theoretic analysis shows a fundamental limit on recovered information • Real-world setting of screening of travellers using questionnaires can be studied • Novel theory combining Shannon's information theory and Myerson's mechanism design [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When information and communication technologies (ICT) have been consolidated as platforms for connecting with audiences, it is necessary to understand the strategic nature of communication to achieve institutional objectives. With in-depth interviews with communication experts, as well as an analysis of the profiles of the professionals who lead museum communications, it is detected that this is not centralized in a department, thus reducing its strategic significance. Furthermore, these still lack a directive and decisive nature, which prevents aligned and cohesive communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research finds mixed evidence that firms strategically manage their earnings announcement timing to either highlight or obscure financial information. While most prior studies focus on the specific timing and the nature of individual earnings announcements, we instead focus on the variability of firms' annual earnings announcement dates (hereafter referred to as EADs) over a span of time. Using archival data collected from I/B/E/S and Compustat, we find that firms with fewer resources, weaker internal monitoring systems, and greater financial uncertainty are much more likely to exhibit increased EAD variability. Furthermore, we provide substantial evidence that the capital market's response to earnings is noticeably weaker when a firm's EAD variability is higher. Additional in-depth analysis reveals that firms exhibiting higher EAD variability tend to report significantly lower future performance in both the short- and long-term horizons. Consequently, while managers might intentionally alter an earnings announcement date to exploit variations in investor attention, this comprehensive study provides significant evidence that they should also consider how the market perceives and interprets the overall EAD variability. This understanding is crucial to improve strategic financial communication and maintain investor trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Patient-centered care and healthcare consumerism are dominant models of the patient-provider relationship. Positioning theory was applied to examine consumers’ and physicians’ positions on patient-centered care and healthcare consumerism, along with their attitudes toward direct-to-consumer healthcare service advertising and trust in the medical profession. Surveys were conducted with a convenience sample of consumers and physicians respectively. Patient-centered care was the only theoretical construct that both consumers and physicians unequivocally embraced. Both groups were either ambivalent or skeptical of the other three concepts. Between the two groups, physicians exhibited a stronger endorsement of patient-centered care and more negative attitudes toward advertising than consumers. When the relationships among the theoretical constructs were examined, a negative correlation between patient-centered care and consumerism was found among consumers. Also, patient-centered care and trust were negatively correlated in both groups. Implications of these findings are discussed for strategic communication, consumer and physician education, and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the online communication practices of research institutes affiliated with the Italian National Research Council. The analysis employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate whether these institutes leverage digital technologies to transition from a unidirectional, strategic approach to communication towards a more dialogic and engaging approach with the public. Specifically, the study analyses the institutes' websites, assessing their use of communication tools, content, target audience, knowledge flows, and contextualization of communication activities, while also highlighting disciplinary-based differences. Although recent research identified Research Institutes' level as a promising ground for research communication to flourish, our study suggests that, on average, they still employ digital technologies in the same way as traditional media, disseminating information about institutional advancements rather than fostering interactive dialogue. Communication styles remain grounded in Dissemination and Strategic models, which restricts the ability of research institutes to develop a dynamic and transformative relationship with society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional domains of land, sea, and air warfare have long held prominence, while space and cyberspace have recently gained recognition as spheres of conflict. As conflicts continue to evolve, the domains of war must expand to accommodate new dimensions of engagement and integrate them alongside those human-centred factors that have previously held considerable sway. It is imperative, therefore, to recognise culture as the sixth domain and reflect upon its profound influence on group thinking, decision-making, and behaviour. Integrating culture into the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (C5ISRT) framework acknowledges its strategic relevance in shaping military strategies and responses in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. This paradigm shift highlights that the modern landscape extends beyond physical and virtual theatres to encompass the cognitive and social dimensions that define human interactions and conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined Ukrainian and U.S. news media's portrayals of Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska before the full-scale Russian invasion and during the first year of war, as well as her own wartime narratives. Although pre-war domestic coverage emphasized the first lady's unofficial status in world affairs, the early wartime coverage framed her as Ukraine's ambassador empowered to address the country's defense issues. U.S. journalists relied on traditional, gendered first lady framing to describe Zelenska. Whereas Zelenska's messaging in social media and public addresses called attention to the atrocities of the war, U.S. media coverage focused on the emotional delivery and directness of her messages. As the war progressed, U.S. news media acknowledged Zelenska's media savvy, while Ukrainian news media praised her for challenging gender stereotypes at home and abroad. Journalists in both countries recognized that Zelenska's advocacy for her country's defense interests pushed the boundaries of a conventional first lady diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore how strategic internal communication and the quality of employee – organization relationship (EOR) can reduce organizational conspiracy beliefs among employees and thus prevent the negative outcomes thereof in the workplace. Using a national survey (N = 810) of full-time employees in the United States, this study found that high-quality EOR based on two-way symmetrical communication with employees is likely to reduce the potential for conspiracy theories and, in turn, for turnover intentions in the workplace. This finding provides meaningful insight into how internal communication managers can mitigate negative employee outcomes that are closely associated with organizational conspiracy theories in the workplace, namely by practicing strategic internal communication and developing high-quality EOR. This study theoretically advances conspiracy theory research by offering a theoretical explanation for belief systems of conspiracy theories that also considers strategic internal communication and the quality of EOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the situational theory of problem solving to explicate how publics engage in conspiratorial thinking as a form of cognitive problem solving. In doing so, we develop a new typology of conspiracy theories and introduce conceptual definitions and operationalizations of conspiratorial thinking as both dispositional and situational. We conduct two survey studies which provide evidence of the measures' reliability and validity. We also investigate the debiasing effects of relational and informational strategies employed by social institutions. Finally, we present institutional behavioral strategies, grounded in the strategic behavioral theory of communication management, that can reduce conspiratorial thinking. Our new concepts and measurement approaches describe the origins and processes of public conspiracism and provide a foundation for implementing ethical and effective interventions, ultimately contributing to a more informed and educated society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The video streaming app TikTok is increasingly deployed by political actors to reach younger voters, and this includes populist radical right (PRR) parties. In this study, our expectation is that longstanding PRR parties will be more likely than new PRR challengers to try to de-demonise their image as they land on the platform, in order to counteract years of negative coverage. To test this argument, we use a novel theoretical framework that captures visual de-demonisation and eudaimonic appeals, applying it to the study of strategic communication on TikTok by a combination of established and novel radical right parties and leaders. Our selection includes Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini on the one hand, and Eric Zemmour and Vox Spain on the other. We find that - contrary to widespread assumptions linking radical communication with toxic rhetoric and the spreading of fear – positive and optimistic appeals including inspirational cues that foster hope and communicate values and virtues play a significant role in how PRR actors adjusts their communication to the needs of the medium. Moreover, long standing PRR parties are found to be less likely than new PRR challengers to focus mainly on negative content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos.info is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Facultad de Comunicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos.info is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Facultad de Comunicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Strategic social media influencer communication has become increasingly professionalised in recent years, as evidenced by the emergence of established processes and routines. The continued success and opportunities associated with social media influencer communication are also relevant for non-profit organisations. Theory suggests that both credibility and the social relationship with their followers – two central aspects of the success of social media influencers – are also mission-critical for non-profit organisations. However, the impact of these requirements on the processes of strategic social media influencer communication in non-profit organisations is almost unexplored so far. Therefore, this study uses expert interviews with non-profit organisations, agencies and social media influencers to investigate how the processes in non-profit organisations differ from those encountered in for-profit entities. The results show that the main process steps (planning, organisation and evaluation) are organised similarly to for-profit campaigns, e.g. with brands. Differences emerge with regard to the special communicative requirements of non-profit organisations, which necessitate specific changes in the design and weighing of the individual steps. These must already be taken into account in the conceptualisation stage of strategic social media influencer communication of non-profit organisations. The study also indicates that the social media influencers' perspective as independent strategic actors (and businesses) in strategic communications deserve attention in further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media platforms have heightened the demand for identity-based politics, in which the public expects politicians to display personal aspects of their lives toward strategic ends. Using a multimodal rhetorical approach, this study analyzes the tweets of Ghanaian Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in his first year after the 2020 election and to understand how he constructs his public image through personalization. Results indicated that he displayed his religious beliefs, strong relationship with his wife, personalized visual graphics, and patriotic participatory acts. The study argues that Bawumia's identity and Ghana's cultural context manifest in his personalization on Twitter. The image he constructs and the broader implication of this present study for strategic communication are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects of strategic CSR communication on employees' CSR participation. Drawing on the sensemaking and sensegiving theoretical frameworks, alongside informative, dialogic, and meaning-making strategies in CSR communication. A survey (N = 406) revealed that all three strategies were positively associated with employees' CSR participation. Further SEM analysis with CSR awareness as a moderator showed that higher awareness of CSR strengthens the impact of informative communication, while lower awareness enhances the impact of meaning-making CSR communication. Dialogic CSR communication's effect on employees' CSR participation was not significantly influenced by varying CSR awareness. Theoretically, this study advances the internal CSR communication literature by contrasting different organizational CSR communication strategies. It also suggests that organizations should incorporate diverse CSR communication strategies in organizational training to enhance employees' involvement in CSR activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital communication technologies, particularly social media, enable members of organizations at all levels and across all functions to communicate with external stakeholders. This has required organizations to rethink and restructure their strategic communication management, especially the orchestration of their communicative human resources. Using a qualitative case-study approach, this article examines how professional service organizations create and maintain their stakeholder relations in the contemporary media landscape through the orchestration of employee voice and enactment as organizational spokespersons. The findings show that organizations have created structural architectures that they use as a basis for strategic communication management. Based on these findings, the study introduces a novel concept of organizational voicing architecture, which refers to the conceptual structure and overall logical arrangement of organizational spokespersons who act as organizational representatives in the corporate communication system. Additionally, by integrating the findings related to the voicing architecture with existing knowledge about organizational listening, the study broadens understanding of the mechanism with which organizations strategically orchestrate their stakeholder relationships, and hence contributes to the strategic and corporate communication and public relations literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African English language curriculum states that by the time students reach Grade 7, they should have mastered certain English language skills that enable them to communicate effectively at both personal and educational levels. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the potential benefits of code-switching in improving students' oral participation in English classes. The study took place in a primary school in the Malamulele East circuit and involved all fifty Grade 7 students. The students' oral presentations were part of their formative assessment. Researchers used a rigorous methodology, including convenience sampling, to select participants, with the first ten girls and the first ten boys considered for the study. Data was collected during presentations, where each student had an opportunity to present. The qualitative method was used, with audio recordings and observations as data collection tools. Content analysis was employed to analyse the data collected from the Grade 7 students. Based on the students' performance in their oral presentations, code-switching seemed to help them to effectively communicate complex concepts in their primary language when there were no equivalent English words. The findings of this study showed that code-switching enhances students' oral communication skills and makes learning more enjoyable. students achieve their communication goals through code-switching, offering the audience a hopeful outlook on the potential benefits of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationships between strategic communication, personalized media content, AI, and consumer service efficiency in social marketing companies in Saudi Arabia. The study used a cluster sampling technique with a quantitative research design. The study targeted 498 responses via distributing the survey links on social media platforms. Using the SEM analysis in Smart PLS 4, this research tested the research hypotheses. The findings showed that strategic communication significantly improves personalized media content and consumer service efficiency, confirming its importance in business customer interactions and outcomes. Customized media content does not significantly improve consumer service efficiency, suggesting other mediating factors may be involved. AI mediates this relationship, bridging strategic inputs and service outcomes. AI boosts strategic communication and personalized content, improving consumer service efficiency. The results showed that AI fully mediates strategic communication and personalized media content into improved service efficiency, demonstrating its transformative potential in business communications and operations. The study shows that AI supports and improves digital marketing communication strategies. It is statistical evidence and confidence intervals that exclude zero, AI-enabled the application of personalized content and strategic directives to improve service efficiency in the mediation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated Communications Management (ICM) has emerged as a critical strategy in the evolving economy of organisational dynamics. This paper delves into its evolution, challenges, and thematic axes, addressing theoretical controversies and practical applications. This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of ICM literature from 1989 to June 2023, scrutinising 971 publications from Elsevier Scopus. The study seeks to unveil patterns in productivity, authorship, collaboration networks, international contributions, and thematic structures. Employing systematic bibliometric methodology, this study analyses selected publications from the Scopus database. It integrates quantitative productivity metrics, citation analysis, qualitative mapping, and network exploration. The findings highlight a significant surge in ICM studies since 2009, delineating thematic axes such as strategic communication, integrated marketing communications, social media, and public relations. Philip J. Kitchen is the most prolific author, while the most productive source, the Journal of Communication Management, plays a significant role in shaping the field of ICM. Remarkable collaboration networks are led by P. J. Kitchen, A. Siano, and A. Moreno. The analysis underscores the growing interest in ICM, emphasising ongoing interdisciplinary research and theoretical refinement. It advocates for further exploration to enhance both theoretical understanding and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An applicant privately observes the value of an idea and files a patent application. After the examination, the patent examiner may not find conclusive evidence of the idea's value. In this case, granting a patent can be the right decision or a mistake. Moreover, it can prompt obfuscation—effort to disrupt communication—by the applicant, reducing allocative efficiency. We show there is more obfuscation when examiners are more lenient, and we provide an empirical exercise supporting this conclusion. We also show that more examination resources do not prevent and may lead to more obfuscation. This result continues to hold when applicants can invest in knowledge to increase their chances of having good ideas. We also show that there is less obfuscation when good ideas are harder to find. This paper was accepted by Ilia Tsetlin, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Funding: N. Figueroa gratefully acknowledges financial support from ANID PIA/APOYO AFB220003. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.00140. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research covers the analysis of changes in the strategic communications of the European Union regarding the European integration of Ukraine during 2000-2023. Specifically, it pays attention to the reactions of key EU officials to significant political events and foreign policy challenges. Having used the semantic analysis of official documents and speeches, the study presents the evolution of approaches and perspectives, revealing the hidden strategies, intentions, and ideological influences that shape the EU policy. The analysis emphasizes the growing importance of Ukraine in the strategic plans of the EU, while the geopolitical context significantly affects the European integration process. Examining the communication activity of the main EU institutions since 2022, the study has revealed specific messages regarding Ukraine's prospects for becoming a member of the EU, recognizing the successes in carrying out reforms and the country's efforts to achieve the goals underlying its status as a candidate for membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mergers are an increasingly popular method to grow a business despite the fact that many fail to meet their pre-deal expectations. This paper outlines the benefits, and argues in favor, of managerial commitment to a well-defined, strategic communications plan from inception through completion of an organizational merger. The authors propose training leaders in areas such as cultural communication, crisis communication, and shared governance prior to developing an M&A-specific communication plan. Design/methodology/approach: This article is primarily an integrative theoretical piece, drawing on prior literature and secondary research sources while also integrating the authors' academic and industry experience to offer best-practices for enhancing organizational communication efforts pre- and during mergers and acquisitions. Findings: There are many financial and structural issues that can result in a failed merger. However, even when a deal makes sense financially M&A's still have a relatively low success rate. These failures are often people related. Two significant issues are presented; culture conflicts related to communication, and uncertainty of a changing environment. Communication is the key to a successful M&A. If effective communication is deployed pre-M&A and during integration, it can greatly reduce the chance of failure. Originality/value: This report offers a novel approach to decreasing the likelihood of M&A failure, focusing specifically on people-specific causes of hindrance. It outlines two of the significant human-related issues; culture conflicts and uncertainty reduction, both as related to organizational communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several scholars have examined how sport stars and other celebrities establish personal brands on social media, but few studies have used a longitudinal research design to study the self-branding process itself and measure changes in self-branding behaviors over time. Based on a content analysis of 6,240 images posted on Instagram by 112 top-ranked professional disc golfers, this study shows how self-branding is a common practice even among the players of this lesser known sport. Drawing on Goffman's work on impression management, self-branding is conceptualized as goal-oriented, strategic communication. The players' uptake in self-branding may be a response to the disc golf industry's rapid growth and new opportunities to market products on social media. While the study partially supports this perspective, it also reveals an interesting contradiction. Many players engaged in self-branding regardless of their social status or ability to monetize their personas. Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, and capital may help explain why self-branding is so widespread among lifestyle athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]