Combining Strategic Foresight and Strategic Communication: An Interdisciplinary Framework of Future-Oriented Communication in Times of Multiple Future Challenges

Abstract

Communicating future developments such as societal or economic trends and their effects on organizations has gained importance for organizations in recent years. However, it is not easy to communicate future developments as the future is uncertain and ambiguous. This paper takes a closer look at strategic communication and strategic foresight and analyzes how future strategy paths of organizations can be systematically communicated. Specifically, it looks at communicative elements known in strategic communication such as vision or mission. In combination with communicative elements from foresight such as scenarios, future narratives or images a framework for systematic future-oriented communication of organizations is developed. The paper differentiates between meta communication – that is communicating why an organization is future-oriented at all – and topical communication – that is communicating specific strategic paths on future opportunities and challenges. A first empirical analysis is undertaken that illustrates the usefulness of the framework looking at three project examples from a European Union foresight data base. The framework provides a powerful toolset for a competitive future-oriented communication in complex and dynamic environments. It shows how strategic foresight and strategic communication benefit from each other.