Panel organizers: Giuliana Garzone & Paola Catenaccio

The last few years have seen an unprecedented increase in the communication efforts of all types of organisations, both in the public and the private sectors, which has been accompanied by profound changes in the communicative strategies deployed. On the one hand, the public sphere has been deeply affected by what has been referred to as the marketisation of public discourse, which has often resulted in the adoption of communication strategies akin to those traditionally ascribed to the business world. On the other, issues of responsibility, sustainability and corporate citizenship have become increasingly important for businesses, prompting new communicative exigencies which have often been met by adopting socially-oriented communication strategies traditionally associated with public institution or the not-for-profit sector.

These developments have resulted in the blurring of boundaries between institutional and corporate discourses, leading to frequent overlaps and convergences between the two fields. But what are the discursive coordinates of this convergence, and is there room for debate about their nature and characteristics? More importantly, what are the consequences for business communication research?

Papers are invited on both theoretical aspects and empirical investigations of the topic, from both business and institutional communication perspectives.

Contact: Giuliana Garzone or Paola Catenaccio