Risk Communication as Government Agency Organizational Practice.

Åsa Boholm

doi:10.1111/risa.13302

Abstract

The dynamics of organizational risk communication is an understudied topic in risk research. This article investigates how public officials at six government agencies in Sweden understand and relate to risk communication and its uses in the context of agency organizational work on policy and regulation. Qualitative interviews were used to explore the practitioners’ views on some key topics in the academic literature on risk communication. A main finding is that there is little consensus on what the goals of risk communication are; if, and how, uncertainty should be communicated; and what role is to be played by transparency in risk communication. However, the practitioners agree that dissemination (top down) to the public of robust scientific and expert knowledge is a crucial element. Dialogue and participation is used mainly with other agencies and elite stakeholders with whom agencies collaborate to implement policy goals. Dialogue with the public on issues of risk is very limited. Some implications of the findings for the practice of risk communication by government agencies are suggested.

Highlights

Risk communication is both something that practitioners do as part of “risk work” in organizational settings (Power, 2016) and a field of academic study of how risk is, or should be, communicated, including theories, concepts, methods, findings, and recommendations (Otway & Wynne, 1989; Plough & Krimsky, 1987)
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) explicitly states that risk assessment is a central practice in agency work (EFSA, 2017a)
There is a substantial gap between the academic study of risk communication and the advocated requirements for risk communication, on one hand, and government agency practice, on the other

Summary

Introduction

Risk communication is both something that practitioners do as part of “risk work” in organizational settings (Power, 2016) and a field of academic study of how risk is, or should be, communicated, including theories, concepts, methods, findings, and recommendations (Otway & Wynne, 1989; Plough & Krimsky, 1987). Risk communication as an academic field focuses on exploratory, explanatory, and normative accounts of the practice of risk communication. It investigates and evaluates communicative events, practical management, and policy regarding risk (Grabill & Simmons, 1998; Gutteling, 2015; Heath & O’Hair, 2010; McComas, 2006; Palenchar & Heath, 2007; Plough & Krimsky, 1987; Wardman, 2008). As part of regulatory policy work they communicate about risk with other government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and the media. Practitioners at government agencies communicate about risk on an everyday basis as part of their duties and work practice

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