1st Edition

Start-up and Entrepreneurial Communication Theoretical Foundations and Contemporary Development

Edited By Alexander Godulla, Linjuan Rita Men Copyright 2024

    This book delves into the dynamic field of start-up and entrepreneurial communication, addressing a significant research gap.

    Start-up and entrepreneurial communication is a critical practice for organizations in their early stages of development. Characterized by their innovative and growth-oriented nature, these organizations often find themselves in a constant state of re-evaluation and reinvention. As such, the competencies within these organizations frequently struggle to match the real-time changes. Addressing this gap, this book provides scientifically sound answers to defining and systematizing start-up and entrepreneurial communication. It delves into central areas of discourse, exploring the intricate balance between a start-up’s brand, identity, and strategic communication, as well as the crucial role of internal communication. Additionally, the book offers insights into the highly innovative realm of crowdfunding, complementing its comprehensive exploration of start-up communication.

    This volume will be a key resource for scholars, students and practitioners in the emerging field of entrepreneurial and start-up communication. It was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Strategic Communication.

    Introduction: Start-up and Entrepreneurial Communication

    Alexander Godulla and Linjuan Rita Men


    Section 1: Theoretical Approaches to Start-up and Entrepreneurial Communication

    1. Analogies in Entrepreneurial Communication and Strategic Communication: Definition, Delimitation of Research Programs and Future Research

    Britta M. Gossel


    2. Conditions of One-Way and Two-Way Approaches in Strategic Start-Up Communication: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)

    Christian Rudeloff, Sigrid Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, Jörg Sikkenga, and Aliena Barth


    3. Relationship Cultivation and Social Capital: Female Transnational Entrepreneurs’ Relationship-Based Communication on Social Media

    Zifei Fay Chen and June Y. Lee


    Section 2: Start-up Brand, Identity and Strategic Communication

    4. Assembling the Start-up Brand: A Process Framework for Understanding Strategic Communication Challenges

    Vidhi Chaudhri, Jason Pridmore, and Carola Mauck


    5. Narrative Start-up Identity Construction as Strategic Communication

    Sanna Ala-Kortesmaa, Tomi Laapotti, and Leena Mikkola


    6. Carving Start-up Character: Effects of Symmetrical Communication on Start-up Corporate Character, Customer-start-up Identification, and Customer Advocacy

    Yi Grace Ji, Zifei Fay Chen, and Linjuan Rita Men


    Section 3: Internal Communication for Start-ups

    7. The Role of Internal Communication in Start-ups: State of Research and Practical Approaches

    Cornelia Wolf, Alexander Godulla, Leonie Beck, and Leah Sophie Neubert


    8. Welcoming Newcomers in Start-Ups: Challenges for Strategic Internal Communication

    Mia Thyregod Rasmussen


    9. Understanding Start-up Employees’ Communicative Behaviors on an Employer Review Website: A Comparison of TikTok and Snapchat

    Soojin Kim, Lisa Tam, and Seung B. Bach


    Section 4: Start-up Crowdfunding and Strategic Communication

    10. The Use of Crowdfunding and Social Media Platforms in Strategic Start-up Communication: A Big-data Analysis

    Sun-Young Park and Boon Thau Loo


    11. Persuasive Reasons in Crowdfunding Campaigns: Comparing Argumentative Strategies in Successful and Unsuccessful Projects on Kickstarter

    Rudi Palmieri, Chiara Mercuri, and Sabrina Mazzali-Lurati

    Biography

    Alexander Godulla is Full Professor at the Institute for Communication and Media Studies at Leipzig University, Germany. His research focuses, among other things, on the transformation and disruption of public communication, technology assessment and innovation as well as the communication of start-ups.

    Linjuan Rita Men is Professor of Public Relations and Director of Internal Communication Research in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida, USA. Her research interests include internal communication, leadership communication, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurial communications.