The Triple Role of Communications in Agile Organizations

ABSTRACT

This study presents the findings of multi-method research that explores the challenges and implications of the concept of agility for the field of strategic communication. Despite its omnipresence in business practice, research on agility in the domain of strategic communication is scarce. Thus, a four-step research process was conducted to link the interdisciplinary debate about agility to the field of strategic communication. First, a systematic literature review across various disciplines provided a comprehensive understanding of agility and its key dimensions. Second, several conceptual frameworks for agility were analyzed and the relevant aspects for strategic communication were synthesized. In the third step, the current impact of organizational agility on corporate communications was explored by conducting empirical in-depth interviews with chief communication officers and senior communication managers from 38 multinational companies. Finally, the theoretical, conceptual, and empirical insights were combined to develop a framework for the role of strategic communication in the context of organizational agility. The findings of this study suggest that communication departments need to: a) adopt their own structures and processes, accordingly; b) enhance organizational agility by enabling other departments; and c) communicate the agile transformation of their organization both internally and externally.

Acknowledgments

This research has been funded by the Academic Society for Management & Communication, a joint initiative of four universities and almost 40 companies in the German-speaking part of Europe. The non-profit has been active since 2010 with the aim of actively shaping the future of corporate communications through joint research and knowledge sharing (www.academic-society.net).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ While this capability highlights an important aspect, the present study avoids the term ‘competency’ and uses ‘performance’ instead. This will avoid misinterpretation. In the discourse on corporate communications and public relations, ‘competency’ is linked to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of communication practitioners on the micro-level. In the debate on agility, however, competency stands for something different – the performance of an organization in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.

² All interviews were conducted in German. Quotes were translated from German to English by the authors.