The Handbook of Public Sector Communication

2Public Sector Communication and Organizational Legitimacy

Arild Wæraas

Introduction

Organizational legitimacy concerns the fundamental right to exist and conduct operations over time (Dowling & Pfeffer, 1975; Suchman, 1995). It generally implies a perceived congruence between the goals, actions, and values of an organization and those of the larger social system of which an organization is part. If there is no such perceived congruence, the result is a “deviant organization” (Parsons, 1956, p. 67) and “stranger,” not acknowledged as “one of us” (Czarniawska & Wolff, 1998, p. 37). For public sector organizations, which are accountable to society at large, suffering from a lack of legitimacy could have severe consequences: They could face claims that their contribution within the political‐administrative system is difficult to recognize and, as a result, that they are unnecessary and should be merged into other agencies, have their budgets cut, or be eliminated altogether.

As public sector organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of strategic communication, it seems pertinent to address the issues that could arise if the need for legitimacy is left unattended. It is also important to consider the type of communication that could allow public organizations to maintain and even boost their legitimacy. Although the legitimacy of public organizations generally depends on more than communication, the reputation‐oriented society—with its strong emphasis on strategic ...