Communication Management

The question of what comprises communication management has caused numerous discussions among communication scholars representing different theoretical and disciplinary angles. Communication management is generally defined as steering communication processes in organizational contexts along the phases of analyzing, planning, organizing, executing, and evaluating with the aim of contributing to organizational goals and value creation. The term has however often been interpreted in different ways, and it is used inconsistently throughout the literature: first, as an umbrella term for all types of goal-oriented communication encompassing the related concepts of public relations, corporate communication, or strategic communication; second, as an equivalent or as a replacement for the term public relations; third, as a specific stream of research within these fields in the tradition of managerial functionalism. In view of the inconsistent use of terminology, scholars have discussed what uniquely defines and distinguishes the concept of communication management from public relations, corporate communication, or strategic communication. The field of communication management does not have its own distinct monographs, anthologies, or textbooks per se, but continues to share close ties with the disciplines mentioned above. Therefore, this entry aims to offer a broad collection of references relevant to the discussion of communication management. Characteristic of communication management scholarship is the theoretical orientation toward management research and the empirical reflection of how communication professionals manage the organization’s communication with stakeholders and publics. The core contribution of a managerial understanding of communication is the notion that communication management is an organizational function embedded in the overall governance and steering of an entity, oriented toward securing the efficiency and effectiveness of all activities and the sustained increase in value of the organization. At base, such a managerial logic applies to all forms of communication (internal or external, media or customer relations, marketing or product communications, etc.), all instruments of communication (campaign, program, channel, etc.), and all types of organizations (companies, governmental institutions, non-profits, etc.). Whereas communication goals or target stakeholders will inevitably vary depending on the type of organization and the publics involved, the basic processes for managing the function will remain the same. Typical research endeavors in this tradition focus on questions related to different aspects and phases of the management process, such as: formulation and alignment of communication strategies and plans; structures and resources of communication departments; implementation of communication programs and messages; professional roles and types of leadership; evaluation and measurement of communication success and value creation through communication; specific professional tasks such as managing crisis communication and reputation, or planning integrated communication; usage of methods, tools, and frameworks in practice.

何为传播管理（communication management）的构成要素，这一问题引发了不同理论与学科视角下传播学者的诸多讨论。传播管理通常被定义为：在组织情境中，围绕分析、规划、组织、执行与评估各阶段对传播流程进行统筹管控，旨在助力组织目标实现与价值创造。不过该术语常被赋予不同解读，且在学术文献中使用标准不一：其一，作为涵盖公共关系（public relations）、企业传播（corporate communication）或战略传播（strategic communication）等相关概念的所有目标导向型传播的总括性术语；其二，作为“公共关系”的等同或替代术语；其三，作为这些领域内遵循管理功能主义（managerial functionalism）传统的特定研究分支。鉴于术语使用的不统一性，学者们一直在探讨传播管理区别于公共关系、企业传播或战略传播的独特界定标准。传播管理领域本身并无专属的专题专著、论文集或教科书，而是与上述学科保持紧密关联。因此，本条目旨在收录与传播管理讨论相关的广泛参考文献。传播管理研究的典型特征，是其理论导向偏向管理研究，以及对传播专业人员如何管理组织与利益相关者（stakeholders）及公众间传播活动的实证反思。管理视角下的传播研究核心贡献在于：传播管理是嵌入于实体整体治理与统筹管控中的组织职能，旨在保障所有活动的效率与效能，并持续提升组织价值。从根本而言，这类管理逻辑适用于所有形式的传播（内部或外部传播、媒体或客户关系传播、营销或产品传播等）、所有传播工具（活动、项目、渠道等）以及所有类型的组织（企业、政府机构、非营利组织等）。尽管传播目标或目标利益相关者会因组织类型与涉及的公众群体而异，但该职能的基础管理流程始终保持一致。该传统下的典型研究议题聚焦于管理流程的不同维度与阶段相关问题，例如：传播战略与计划的制定与协同；传播部门的架构与资源；传播项目与信息的实施；专业角色与领导类型；传播成效与通过传播实现的价值创造的评估与衡量；特定专业任务，如危机传播与声誉管理，或整合传播规划；实践中方法、工具与框架的应用。