[ecrea] cfp: Future directions of Strategic Communication: Towards the second decade of an emerging field

Call for proposals - Abstract Deadline: December 9, 2016

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION 2017 PRECONFERENCE

Future directions of Strategic Communication: Towards the second decade 
of an emerging field
============================================================================================

Thursday, May 25, 2017, San Diego, CA, USA

Download the full CfP at http://bit.ly/CfP-StratComm

Theme and Rationale
===================

Strategic communication has emerged as a global field of communication 
research during the last decade. Scholars from public relations, 
corporate communication, organizational and internal communication, 
public diplomacy, political communication, advertising, marketing, 
health and intercultural communication have merged efforts to build a 
body of knowledge that focuses on the deliberate and purposive use of 
communication to support the overarching goals of entities (companies, 
nonprofits, states, etc.). Universities have introduced programs that 
combine insights from some of these fields with specific knowledge on 
strategic thinking, planning, and alignment. Academic conferences have 
been arranged around the world, handbooks and textbooks published, and 
the International Journal of Strategic Communication, now in its 10th 
year of publication, serves as a platform for discussion and debate. 
Moreover, large-scale surveys like the Communication Monitor series 
across 80 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America, and 
numerous other studies have provided empirical insights into the field.

Despite these forms of institutionalization, there is still no universal 
understanding of the pillars on which the field rests. What are the core 
perspectives and benefits of strategic communication? How does it differ 
from traditional disciplines? What is the extra value of an integrated 
view? Are we using appropriate conceptualizations of communication and 
strategy? What can we learn from recent debates in strategic management 
and strategic alignment? What are the methodological challenges of 
researching the link between communication and organizational goals? How 
can empirical studies inform the debate? What are specific challenges of 
international and comparative research in strategic communication? How 
is the field developing in different parts of the world? What are the 
experiences from building strategic communication programs at 
universities in different countries? What do we know about the job 
market, and how can educators prepare students for the occupational field?

This preconference will incorporate an interactive format to address 
these questions and build ground for the next decade of strategic 
communication research. First, panel discussions with proponents of the 
field, e.g. authors of the seminal article “Defining Strategic 
Communication” (IJSC, 2007) and editors of key handbooks and textbooks, 
will stimulate the debate. Second, contributors of conference papers are 
invited to analyze the current and past debate in the field, bring in 
new perspectives, and propose new directions. The focus will be on 
conceptual papers building a big picture; however, insights based on 
empirical data are suitable as well. Finally, all participants will 
engage in a moderated session to identify common ground and future 
directions for the field.

This preconference is approved by the ICA 2017 organizing committee and 
is part of the official ICA 2017 conference program. It continues a 
series of successful ICA preconferences on strategic communication held 
in 2011 (Boston) and 2014 (Seattle). Each of these forums included 
participants from more than 20 countries, which facilitated a global 
perspective and contributed to the development of strategic 
communication as a unique discipline. We invite scholars across the 
globe to continue to build the strategic communication body of knowledge 
by taking part in this preconference.

Submission and Selection Process
================================

Abstracts with proposals for presentations and papers should be two 
pages (double-spaced with 1” margins, Times New Roman, 12 pt.). 
Abstracts should address research questions related to the preconference 
theme and include methods and results (for empirical studies), as well 
as a clear statement of how the work contributes to the questions posed 
above and the strategic communication body of knowledge. Each submission 
should include a third page with a short bio of the author(s). Submit 
abstracts by December 09, 2016, to Howard Nothhaft at 
(howard.nothhaft /at/ isk.lu.se)

Contributors will be selected by peer review. Authors of accepted 
proposals are required to submit a full paper and a presentation prior 
to the preconference. Authors are expected to attend the pre-conference 
and present in person. This preconference will include interactive 
sessions, such as roundtable discussions and Q&A sessions; therefore, 
selected speakers will be invited to contribute apart from the 
peer-review process.

Participation fee (including coffee breaks and lunch buffet) is US $105 
for presenters and non-presenters. Register for this preconference 
online at www.icahdq.org beginning January 15, 2017, as part of your 
main ICA conference registration, or stand-alone. Special hotel rates 
are available for registered participants. All participants, speakers or 
not, must register and pay fees.

Following the preconference, selected authors and participants will be 
invited to contribute to a peer-reviewed extended Special Issue of the 
International Journal of Strategic Communication, titled “Future 
Directions of Strategic Communication,” to be published in 2018. In 
addition, based on the outcomes of the preconference, further 
collaborative projects (e.g. a manifesto on strategic communication 
research and education, an edited book on the future of the field, etc.) 
will be initiated.

Please download and check the full CfP at http://bit.ly/CfP-StratComm 
before submitting an abstract.

Pre-conference Organizers
=========================

Dr. Howard Nothhaft, Department of Strategic Communication, Lund 
University, Sweden; CORRESPONDING ORGANIZER
(howard.nothhaft /at/ isk.lu.se)

Dr. Dejan Verčič, Centre for Marketing and Public Relations, Faculty of 
Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Co-author of the 
seminal article “Defining Strategic Communication” 
(dejan.vercic /at/ fdv.uni-lj.si)

Dr. Kelly Page Werder, The Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass 
Communications, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Editor, 
International Journal of Strategic Communication;
(kgpage /at/ usf.edu)

Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, Institute of Communication and Media Studies, 
University of Leipzig, Germany, & BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, 
Norway; Editor, International Journal of Strategic Communication;
(zerfass /at/ uni-leipzig.de)

Sponsored by International Journal of Strategic Communication 
(Routledge/Taylor & Francis)
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