Strategic Communication and Emergence: A Dual Narrative Framework

The idea that strategic communication is not only planned, but also emergent, has gained increasing attention in the field of strategic communication research. However, embracing the idea of emergence comes with several definitional, methodological, and programmatic challenges. This article responds to these challenges by proposing a dual narrative framework of strategic communication. The framework introduces an approach that explains both practice (strategizing process) and product (strategized communication) of strategic communication as narratively constituted and draws a distinction between preceding and proceeding forms of emergence. Preceding forms of emergence address the impact of strategic fashions and peripheral forms of strategizing on strategic communication. Proceeding forms of emergence address strategy attribution and strategy reframing that accompany strategic communication. The article contributes to a meaningful integration of the idea of emergence without tautologizing the concept of strategic communication.