25^th annual EUPRERA congress – a short recap

At the 25th annual EUPRERA congress, scholars from across Europe gathered in Bucharest to explore the latest research findings in strategic communication. A number of scholars from the Academic Society presented their research projects and provided critical insights into the perception and positioning of communication departments, crisis spillover effects, and the value of employee appreciation, among other topics.

25^th annual EUPRERA congress

Every year in September, strategic communication scholars from all over Europe and beyond gather for a few days in a European city to hold the annual EUPRERA congress. EUPRERA, short for the European Public Relations Education and Research Association, was founded in 1959 and adopted its current name in 2000. With over 500 members from more than 50 countries, the association strives to enrich international collaboration in public relations and strategic communication research and education. For instance, the EUPRERA congress supports the European Communications monitor, which gives a distinguished continental overview of the state of the art in the communication profession.

The association’s work is centered around its annual congress, which commenced in 1999, hosted by German scholar Barbara Baerns in Berlin. Following last year’s congress in Prague, scholars from the University of Bucharest welcomed their European colleagues from September 11^th to 13^th, 2024, in the Eastern European metropolis. Starting with a welcoming keynote at Romania’s National Opera Hall on Wednesday afternoon, the congress continued until Friday evening. Every annual congress follows a central theme. This year’s 25^th edition focuses on: „The Art of Communication: Bridging the Future and Past of Strategic Communication in a New Technological Ecosystem.“

Scholars from the Academic Society presented their research findings

From Thursday to Friday, attending scholars discussed their latest research in roundtable discussions, 15-minute presentations, and informal conversations during coffee and lunch breaks. Among this year’s accepted submissions, several scholars from the Academic Society also presented their latest research findings.

Presentations by scholars from Leipzig University

Ansgar Zerfass from Leipzig University revealed “what C-level Executives, Middle Managers and Employees Know and Think About Corporate Communications in Their Organizations”. His research findings showcase a notable lack of knowledge about Corporate Communications’ impact among several organizational members. The authors state that “the majority of all respondents demand that communication departments should make it clearer what their tasks are and who benefits from them”. Thus, the research recommends for communication departments to develop a clear profile of their work and spread it among organizational members.

Presentations by scholars from the University of Vienna

Sabine Einwiller and her colleagues from the University of Vienna discussed crisis spillover effects inside an industry and how communication may prevent those effects. Their findings indicate that crises witnessed by competitors can have a spillover effect on other organizations operating in the same industry. Large-scale redundancies at company A are likely to provoke fear among employees at company B, that a similar scenario could occur at their company. The public and the media may also draw such parallels. It is important for companies to monitor corporate misconduct among competitors to remain aware of potential spillover effects. However, the research shows that in cases of suspected spillovers, a mere denial of the possibility of spillovers from the management is not considered very effective among employees. It is therefore an issue that requires careful communication management.

Furthermore, the research team led by Sabine Einwiller presented two additional studies. Ingrid Wahl highlighted how employees who speak up against their employing corporation are perceived by the public. An experimental study shows that such ‘insider activists’ appear more legitimate to the public than outsider activists when advocating for claims against an organization.

Jens Hagelstein (University of Vienna) also presented findings of a study that showcases the value of appreciation in the work place. The more employees feel appreciated, the more they tend to “do the extra mile”. For example, they are more likely to welcome new employees or defend their employer in public. Internal communication should support a culture of appreciation to encourage employee engagement.

Presentations by scholars from the University of Münster

Lennart Rettler and Patrick Dietz from the University of Münster presented a theoretical discussion on how the concept of social capital is used in strategic communication research. Social capital, meaning the value of relationships, is a crucial concept in strategic communication research. Communication serves as an essential tool for building these relationships, which in turn provide vital resources for organizations.

Paper development workshop

Jens Hagelstein, Lennart Rettler and Patrick Dietz also participated in the Paper development workshop (PDW). The workshop takes place just before the kickoff to the congress. In the PDW, distinguished submissions are discussed among a group of researchers. The submissions by Jens Hagelstein and his colleagues, along with those by Lennart Rettler and Patrick Dietz, were among four promising contributions selected by a jury for discussion in the PDW.

Best paper awards 2024

An overview of all discussed research can be found in the congress program. Selected articles will also be published in a special issue of the Journal of Communication Management at the end of next year. As part of the congress, three contributions are annually awarded a best paper award. In 2024, the Best Paper Awards were presented to the following contributions:

1. “Strategic Communication and Value Creation: Towards a Multi-Perspective Understanding of The Value-Formation Process in Strategic Communication Management”, by Rickard Andersson.
2. “Interdisciplinary Patchwork: A Bibliometric Analysis Of Investor Relations And Financial Communication”, by Laura Hackl.
3. “Policy Window and News Media Lobbying – Crisis Narratives of Finnish Trade Associations During a Public Health Crisis”, by Markus Tapani Mykkänen, Chiara Valentini.

A short summary of the three award winning contributions can be found online.

In 2025, the next EUPRERA congress is set in Lund (Sweden). As with every EUPRERA congress, professionals are always welcome to participate. More information about EUPRERA and its annual congress can also be found on their website  or LinkedIn page.