Professor Chiara Valentini from JSBE has been awarded Best Paper Award at the EUPRERA annual congress
The award-winning research was conducted by Professor Chiara Valentini together with Franzisca Weder from Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria, and Flora Hung-Baesecke from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. The study examines how sustainability and communication professionals create organisational change through communication and highlights the increasingly important role of communicative leadership in addressing sustainability challenges.
Based on 77 interviews with sustainability and communication leaders in Finland, Austria and Australia, the researchers found that these professionals do much more than oversee compliance and reporting. Instead, they act as communicative change agents who shape meaning, engage stakeholders and help organisations navigate complex sustainability challenges.
One of the key outcomes of the study is a new typology of transformative sustainability roles, offering fresh insight into how communication enables meaningful organisational and societal change.
“The award is particularly meaningful because it recognises research on a topic that is becoming increasingly important in today's complex and often contested sustainability environment. It is also encouraging to see communication scholarship acknowledged as an essential contributor to sustainability transformation,” says Valentini.
Communication as a driver of sustainability transformation
The study demonstrates that addressing social and environmental challenges requires more than policies, regulations and technological solutions. Communication plays a crucial role in helping organisations build shared understanding, foster responsibility, engage stakeholders and turn sustainability ambitions into action.
“The findings suggest that communication and sustainability professionals are essential in helping organisations respond to sustainability challenges and contribute to broader societal change,” Valentini says.
From managers to visionaries
Among the study's most surprising findings was how sustainability professionals describe their own role. Many see themselves not only as managers but also as coaches, storytellers, networkers, activists, and visionaries.
According to the researchers, their influence often depends less on formal authority and more on their ability to communicate effectively, inspire others and create resonance across organisations and society.
The research also highlighted the role of Finnish sustainability leaders, several of whom emerged as pioneers in developing more visionary and transformative approaches within their organisations.
“One of the most inspiring findings from our research is that several Finnish leaders appear to be frontrunners in developing a more visionary and transformative role within their organisations,” highlights Valentini. “I had the privilege of interviewing some of these leaders and hearing first-hand how they navigate changing power structures, rules, and resource constraints while advancing sustainability goals.”
Professor Valentini emphasises that the award is also a recognition of the collaborative effort behind the research.
“I am honoured and grateful, and it was fantastic teamwork with Franzisca Weder and Flora Hung-Baesecke,” says Valentini. “My thanks to my co-authors, interview participants and the EUPRERA community for supporting research that connects communication, responsibility, and societal change.”
Award-winning publication:
Enacting Sustainability Through Communication: Transformative Roles, Ethical Agency, and Organisational Constraints in Paradoxical Times by Franzisca Weder, WU (Austria), Chiara Valentini, JSBE (Finland), Flora Hung-Baesecke, UTS, (Australia).
About EUPRERA
The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) is an international association dedicated to advancing research and education in strategic communication and public relations. The organisation brings together scholars and practitioners from around the world to promote excellence in communication research and practice. More information is available at EUPRERA website.
