Communication has always been a fundamental element of society, being essential both in interpersonal relationships and in the functioning of organizations and institutions. It is in a continuous process of transformation because its theoretical foundations and practices have been shaped over various historical periods and contexts, constantly adapting to technological developments and cultural transformations.
Public administration is, by its nature, a system built on communication. The proper functioning of public institutions depends, among other things, on the circulation of messages, the clarity of information and the capacity to interact effectively with citizens. Communication in public administration contributes decisively to strengthening trust in institutions and ensuring transparent and efficient governance. The dialogue between the state and the citizen takes place through a wide range of discursive forms, such as written legal texts (laws, regulations, norms, ordinances, etc.), public speeches and institutionalized dialogues. The study of these forms of communication has a double value: for philologists – who analyze linguistic registers, discursive mechanisms and rhetorical strategies – and for specialists in administrative sciences, who aim to use communication as a tool for managing and/or preventing conflicts and image crises and stimulating civic participation.
The present paper, Communication in Public Administration: Citizen State Dialogue in a National and European Context, approaches communication from an interdisciplinary perspective. It treats communication both as a discursive and linguistic phenomenon – by exploring the strategies of address and interaction, the stylistic registers and the particularities of communication in the Romanian and European space – and as a social, organizational and strategic phenomenon – understood as a governance instrument and a means of consolidating the relationship between the administration and citizens. In this framework, special attention is paid to the European dimension, by analyzing the linguistic regime of the European Union, the policies of multilingualism and their implications for institutional communication.
Structured in nine chapters, the book covers essential topics: types, models and theories of communication; particularities and typologies of communication in public institutions and administrative style; strategies and plans for institutional communication; communication with citizens in a European context, including its digital forms; language policies and the multilingual regime of the European Union; communication in crisis situations. This approach allows for an understanding of the general mechanisms of communication, but also those specific to public administration.
A distinctive element of the work is the bilingual edition, Romanian-English. This option aims, on the one hand, to support the training of students and practitioners in Romania, and on the other hand, to provide access to researchers and specialists from the international academic and professional environment. In this sense, the work reflects the spirit of multilingualism promoted by the European Union and responds to the requirements of academic internationalization.
Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the book is addressed to a diverse audience: philology students and specialists in this field, interested in the analysis of institutional discourse; students and practitioners in the field of administrative sciences, for whom communication is an essential working tool; but also to teachers, researchers and specialists concerned with understanding the mechanisms of communication in public administration, in national and European contexts.
The Authors