Rethinking corporate communication: providing orientation in times of radical uncertainty

Abstract

In times of fundamental change, the anticipatory management of known complexities must be complemented by adaptive managing of the unexpected. This also requires a new perspective on the role and approaches of corporate communication. Alongside the well-established strategic-instrumental task of achieving predefined communicative goals, a more strategic-orienting role in guiding fundamental business decision-making becomes crucial. This article highlights three key competencies for corporate communication as an orientation function: validation through communicative relationality, calibration through contextual leadership, and interpretation through perceptual organization.