Assessing the Value of Executive Leadership Coaches for Cybersecurity Project Managers

With the complex nature of impacts of cybersecurity breaches, it is critical that organizational have cybersecurity project managers that can make sound managerial and leadership decisions. Often cybersecurity project managers act quickly with managerial decisions at work. When time is of the essence, strategic thinking, strategic communication, and strategic decision making are critical to organizational effectiveness and productivity. Decision making and strategic communications are just a few skills that executive leadership coaches can teach. This article explores the values and potential benefits of executive coaching as a leadership development tool for information technology and cybersecurity project managers.

European Union Enlargement Policy Towards the Western Balkans

This chapter addresses the process of the European Union's enlargement towards the Western Balkan states. It seeks to add to the theorisation of solidarity in international relations (IR) by applying the concept of solidarity to empirical analysis of the EU–WB relationship. The findings show that solidarity as a special relationship has initially been a more relevant framework for understanding the EU-WB relationship. However, the global crises, enlargement fatigue, and great powers competition in the region have forced the EU to strengthen both the special relationship as well as solidarity as a friendship practice. What is currently still missing is a more assertive strategic communications approach by the EU in the WB states in order to be able to continue to strengthen its own legitimacy, the legitimacy of its contribution, and expectations in the solidarity relationship with the WB. Simultaneously, the EU also needs stronger commitment to the liberal values in the EU itself as well as support from other Western powers.

Russian Public Relations in 2020: Peculiar Features of Transformation

The paper presents the current transformations of Russian public relations during the SaRS-COVID-19 pandemic and remote working in 2020. In response to the crisis and uncertainty, companies have adapted and restructured corporate strategies and communications. The increasing demand for communication support of strategies and daily support of corporate activities indicates the growing significance of PR and the implementation of organizational strategies, as well as the demand for the optimization of corporate communication in society. The PR industry in general and professional communication are becoming more and more integrated due to the attraction of knowledge, competencies, specialists from a wide range of related industries: marketing, sociology, management. The current communication situation caused changes in the characteristics of Russian PR in the segment of communication agencies. Despite the traditionally high volume of the agencies marketing services, the growth of crisis and digital communications has turned to be stable, which indicates the demand for more flexible PR formats. Based on an analysis of public relations of the leading local communication agencies in 2020, the authors put forward a hypothesis on the formation of the prerequisites for the transition of Russian public relations to the format of strategic communications.

Sports diplomacy as a modern means of solving international problems

Problem setting.. The scientific article is devoted to the issues of considering the peculiarities of one of the types of public diplomacy - sports diplomacy both in historical retrospect and in terms of current achievements. The authors try to analyze the historical stages of development of sports diplomacy, the essence of this concept and other names of "sports diplomacy", namely "cricket diplomacy", "ping-pong diplomacy", "basketball diplomacy" and so on. This chapter states that public diplomacy is an integral part of the state's strategic communications, and its function is to establish a state-to-human dialogue, taking into account the diversity of national and global audiences, and to promote human-to-human interpersonal contacts. At the same time, one of the components of achieving the desired result in the field of international relations by peaceful means is sports diplomacy. In addition, the term sports diplomacy is actively used by many modern international organizations (International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Football Association (FIFA), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), etc.) to establish relations. Analysis of recent researches and publications. This topic occupied an important place in the works of such scientists as N. Litvinenko, V. Shchetkina, S. Martynenko, S. Kulik, Yu. Filippova, I. Gridina, N. Bogolyubova, S. Murey, Yu. Nikolaeva, G. Malone, I. Kant, V. Telipko, A. Ovcharenko, D. Feldman, H. Dzhantayev. Target of research. The scientific article states the following purpose: 1) coverage of the history of the formation and essence of sports diplomacy; 2) definition of the main forms of sports diplomacy, their advantages and practical application; 3) highlighting the shortcomings of sports diplomacy and prospects for their solution and improvement of this type of diplomatic activity. Article`s main body. The article reveals the forms of this diplomacy in the following important aspects: diplomacy of sports competitions; diplomacy of sports organizations; sport as a means to achieve foreign policy goals. Also, the negative side of sports diplomacy is reflected, such as its shortcomings such as fierce competition, neglect of friendly relations between countries, commercialization of this area and so on. The authors propose measures to improve the current situation and improve this type of diplomacy. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of solving acute problems that exist in sports diplomacy for the further development of international communication between the countries.

Corporate Citizen in Political Discourse Amidst the Pandemic

The wisdom of reviewing corporations, which execute strategic programs of corporate sustainability, as an important actor of political communications in postindustrial society is justified in the article. The basic features of corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and corporate citizenship concepts, the role of strategic communications under international ESG-discourse are outlined. The comparative analyses of Russian companies, participating Global Compact Network, social investments during COVID-19 pandemic is based on case studies, transparent nonfinancial reporting, and expert interviews. Social projects and programs of X5 Retail Group, Severstal’, Norilsk Nikel, United Metallurgic Company were studied. These companies’ basic business activities were established in industrial society. As the result of the research, based on process sociology (N. Elias), mediatization (A. Hepp), and communicative rationality (Ju. Habermas) approaches, the role of corporate citizens in communicative figurations of the network society formation and their subjectivity in political communications acquiring. The focus is made on COVID-19 pandemic influence on communication infrastructures with the studied companies’ stakeholders transformation.

Rushed Decisions: Ethical Considerations for Digital Storytelling Practitioners

The American Dreaming project, a community-based participatory research study conducted in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Define American, focuses on bolstering the mental health of immigrant rights advocates between the ages of 25 and 40 years. All participants identify as undocumented or formerly undocumented and have been public with their status since 2012. Seven people were recruited for the pilot program to participate in a digital storytelling (DST) workshop. They created digital stories (videos approximately 3 minutes in duration) from a series of general story prompts about their lives. Participants also completed pre- and posttests with measures assessing change in posttraumatic stress disorder, stress, self-esteem, depression, belonging, social support, and resilience. Follow-up, semistructured workshop evaluations were gathered, and life history interviews were conducted. The project also included a strategic communications component. In this article, I outline ethical challenges faced as the goals and parameters of the project shifted while conducting a multifaceted critical narrative intervention. The key lesson learned was to make space, prior to the DST workshop, for establishing and agreeing on project priorities with all stakeholders. I recommend creating a one-page memorandum of understanding that includes (1) a brief project description outlining the objectives, (2) goals listed in priority order, and (3) a decision tree to help stakeholders navigate competing interests. While DST is a powerful tool for supporting storyteller agency, working within structures of funding, support, and research can create challenges that critically complicate the narrative intervention.

How an Interdisciplinary Approach to Narrative Can Support Policymaking on Migration and Integration at the City Level

Narrative change and strategic communications are attractive tools for city officials setting policy for integration and migration. These tools allow for the construction and development of shared stories of place-based identity and belonging. Stories about migration often focus on (border) control, the value of the contribution of migrants, and the need for compassion. However, these frames of compassion and control are often oppositional: they can alienate rather than persuade, and they can neglect constituents whose views do not align with the polarities. They also elide other narrative frames, which may appeal to broader groups, particularly those focused on integration and belonging. This article analyzes three cities’ attempts at narrative change strategies that complexify migration narratives with place-based narratives of inclusion. From these case studies, this article identifies practical implications for local policy-makers and sets an interdisciplinary agenda for future research.