The CommUnity Lab - Connecting Professional Communication Research, Practice & People

Daniel Wolfgruber
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Welcome to the CommUnity Lab Podcast! Dive into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application with host Danny, an enthusiastic communication and management scholar at HEC Montréal, Canada. Through insightful and personal conversations with renowned academic experts, we explore varying topics in the realm of professional communication, such as organizational, internal, and leadership communication, PR, CSR, or DEI communication. Whether you're a practitioner, student, or curious mind, join us for thought-provoking "Lab Talks" that blend academic communication research with practical applications — served with a touch of humor and a passion for knowledge transfer and connection.

  1. Lab Talk #14 - "A Matter of Identity and Character" with Prof. Joep Cornelissen

    MAY 16

    Lab Talk #14 - "A Matter of Identity and Character" with Prof. Joep Cornelissen

    Welcome to The CommUnity Lab! The knowledge transfer podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application. Hosted by Danny (Daniel Wolfgruber, Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Denmark), this podcast brings together leading scholars to explore how communication shapes workplaces, relationships, and society at large. Today’s guest is Joep Cornelissen from Erasmus University Rotterdam. In this Lab Talk, we explore the world of organizational identity and organizational character, and the crucial role that communication plays in shaping both. Drawing on his research, Joep discusses the dynamics of identity construction, including the idea of hybrid organizational identities that balance different — and sometimes competing — expectations, such as profitability and social responsibility. He also introduces the concept of organizational character and distinguishes between different ideal types, from role performers to moral stewards. A conversation for anyone interested in how organizations define who they are, and who they aspire to be. Want to explore more? Here are five scientific publications related to today’s episode: Ghoshal, S., & Bartlett, C. A. (1997). The Individualized Corporation: A Fundamentally New Approach to Management. Harper. Pollan, M. (2025). A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness. Allen Lane. Taylor, C. (1989). Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. Harvard University Press. Taylor, J. R., & Van Every, E. J. (2000). The Emergent Organization Communication As Its Site and Surface. Lawrence Erlbaum. Werner, M. D., Cornelissen, J., & Turkenburg, K. (2026). Moral Selves: Organizational character and the pursuit of purpose. Organization Theory, 7(1), https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/26317877261423230. Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, subscribe on YouTube, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. You can also email us at communitylab.podcast@gmail.com. Your feedback and suggestions help shape this podcast into a must-listen for all communication enthusiasts. Let’s decode the way we (try to) connect, one conversation at a time!

    1h 11m
  2. Lab Talk #13 - "Internal Communication and the Magic of Listening" with Prof. Rita Men

    APR 12

    Lab Talk #13 - "Internal Communication and the Magic of Listening" with Prof. Rita Men

    Welcome to The CommUnity Lab! The knowledge transfer podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application. Hosted by Danny (Daniel Wolfgruber), this podcast brings together leading scholars to explore how communication shapes workplaces, relationships, and society at large. Today’s guest is Rita Men from the University of Florida. In this Lab Talk, we dive into the world of internal communication, with a particular focus on leadership communication and its impact on employees’ engagement, well‑being, and behavior at work. Together, we unpack what symmetrical internal communication is, why dialogue, listening, and authenticity matter so much in organizations, and how communication professionals contribute to shaping positive employee–organization relationships. Drawing on her extensive research, Rita discusses employee engagement and emotional culture and explains why internal communicators can be understood as emotion brokers. We also explore what effective leadership communication looks like in practice, why genuine listening to employees’ needs is crucial, and what communication professionals and leaders should keep in mind when they want to foster trust, commitment, and well‑being. In addition, we briefly touch on the opportunities and challenges of using generative AI in internal communication management. Want to explore more? Here are five scientific publications related to today’s episode: Men, L.R. (2015). The internal communication role of the chief executive officer: Communication channels, style, and effectiveness. Public Relations Review, 41(4), 461-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2015.06.021 Men, L.R., Yue, C.A., & Liu, Y. (2020). “Vision, passion, and care:” The impact of charismatic executive leadership communication on employee trust and support for organizational change. Public Relations Review, 46(3). 101927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101927 Schnackenberg, A.K., & Tomlinson, E.C. (2016). Organizational transparency: A new perspective on managing trust in organization-stakeholder relationships. Journal of Management, 42(7), 1784–1810. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314525202 Willemse, M.A., & Men, L.R. (2026). A smile is worth a thousand words: the role of internal communications in nurturing an emotional culture of joy at work. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 31(1), 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-02-2025-0047 Yue, C.A., Men, L.R., Mitson, R., Davis, D.Z., & Zhou, A. (2024). Artificial intelligence for internal communication: Strategies, challenges, and implications. Public Relations Review, 50(5). 102515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2024.102515 Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, subscribe on YouTube, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. You can also email us at communitylab.podcast@gmail.com. Your feedback and suggestions help shape this podcast into a must-listen for all communication enthusiasts. Let’s decode the way we (try to) connect, one conversation at a time!

    1h 6m
  3. Lab Talk #12 - "The Human Side of Artificial Intelligence" with Prof. Tomi Laapotti

    12/31/2025

    Lab Talk #12 - "The Human Side of Artificial Intelligence" with Prof. Tomi Laapotti

    Welcome to The CommUnity Lab! The knowledge transfer podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application. Hosted by Danny (Daniel Wolfgruber), this podcast brings together leading scholars to explore how communication shapes workplaces, relationships, and society at large. Today’s guest is Tomi Laapotti from the University of Vaasa, Finland. In this Lab Talk, we explore the role of artificial intelligence in organizational communication and everyday work practices. Together, we unpack what artificial intelligence actually is, how Generative AI and Large Language Models differ from other forms of AI, and why algorithms are not just tools but active participants in organizing. Drawing on recent research, Tomi discusses ripple effects of human–AI interaction in the workplace, the risks and biases hidden in AI “black boxes,” and what all this means for communication professionals and leaders alike. A timely conversation for anyone navigating work, organizing, and communication in general, in an increasingly algorithmic world. Want to explore more? Here are five scientific publications related to today’s episode: Alaimo, C., & Kallinikos, J. (2021). Organizations decentered: Data objects, technology and knowledge. Organization Science, 33(1), 19-37. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1552 Einola, K., & Khoreva, V. (2022). Best friend or broken tool? Exploring the co-existence of humans and artificial intelligence in the workplace ecosystem. Human Resource Management, 62(1), 117-135. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22147. Hicks, M. T., Humphries, J., & Slater, J. (2024). ChatGPT is b******t. Ethics and Information Technology 26, 38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-024-09775-5. Laapotti, T. & Raappana, M. (2022). Algorithms and organizing. Human Communication Research, 48(3), 491–515. https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqac013 Pelevina, N.-M., Sihvonen, T., Rousi, R., Laapotti, T., & Mikkola, H. (2025). Finlandised electobots and the distortion of collective political memory. Memory, Mind & Media, 4, e26. https://doi.org/10.1017/mem.2025.10022 Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, subscribe on YouTube, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. You can also send us an email to communitylab.podcast@gmail.com. Your feedback and suggestions help shape this podcast into a must-listen for all communication enthusiasts. Let’s decode the way we (try to) connect, one conversation at a time!

    1h 3m
  4. Lab Talk #11 - "You're Not Funny, Dude!" with Prof. Nancy Bell

    11/28/2025

    Lab Talk #11 - "You're Not Funny, Dude!" with Prof. Nancy Bell

    Welcome to The CommUnity Lab! The knowledge transfer podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application. Hosted by Danny (Daniel Wolfgruber), this podcast brings together leading scholars to explore how communication shapes workplaces, relationships, and society at large. Today’s guest is Prof. Nancy Bell from Washington State University. In this Lab Talk, we dive into the fascinating world of humor, especially the moments when a joke doesn’t land. Together, we explore how and why humor fails in everyday interactions at work, in the classroom, and at home. Drawing on linguistic research, Nancy explains the roles of humor competence and humor performance, and why context and framing are crucial when you decide to crack a joke. A must-listen for anyone who wants to understand what makes humor work… and what makes it fall flat. Want to explore more? Here are five scientific publications related to today’s episode: Bell, N. (2015). We are not amused: Failed humor in interaction. De Gruyter. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781501501586/html Gironzetti, E. (2022). The multimodal performance of conversational humor. John Benjamins. https://benjamins.com/catalog/ftl.13 Haugh, M. (2016). “Just kidding”: Teasing and claims to non-serious intent. Journal of Pragmatics, 95, 120-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2015.12.004 Haugh, M., & Márquez Reiter, R. (2025). (Un)intended offence: Speaker meaning and discursive scales in the negotiation of offensive humour. Pragmatics & Cognition, 32(1), 8-38. https://doi.org/10.1075/pc.24019.hau Schnurr, S., Azikin, N., & Omar, M. (2021). Leadership and humour at work: Using interactional sociolinguistics to explore the role of gender. In J. Angouri & J. Baxter (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Language, Gender, and Sexuality. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315514857-16/leadership-humour-work-stephanie-schnurr-azikin-mohd-omar Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, subscribe on YouTube, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. You can also send us an email to communitylab.podcast@gmail.com. Your feedback and suggestions help shape this podcast into a must-listen for all communication enthusiasts. Let’s decode the way we (try to) connect, one conversation at a time!

    1h 2m
  5. The CommUnity Lab is Coming Back!

    10/29/2025 ·  BONUS

    The CommUnity Lab is Coming Back!

    After four months of silence, The CommUnity Lab is back! In this short bonus track, host Danny shares why the summer break lasted a little longer than planned, and what exciting conversations are coming up in the next Lab Talks, already in the making. Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. You can also reach us at communitylab.podcast@gmail.com. Your feedback helps shape this show into a must-listen for everyone passionate about communication. Let’s decode how we (try to) connect — one conversation at a time!

    4 min
  6. Lab Talk #10 - "When Communication Gets Mindful" with Prof. Boris H.J.M. Brummans

    07/23/2025

    Lab Talk #10 - "When Communication Gets Mindful" with Prof. Boris H.J.M. Brummans

    Welcome to The CommUnity Lab! The knowledge transfer podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application. Hosted by Danny (Daniel Wolfgruber), this podcast brings together leading scholars to explore how communication shapes workplaces, relationships, and society at large. In each episode, we break down communication research and real-world insights, making them accessible and relevant for communication professionals, leaders, fellow scholars, students, and anyone curious about the magic of communication. Today’s guest is Prof. Boris H.J.M. Brummans from the Université de Montréal. In this Lab Talk, we explore the concept of mindful organizing and discuss how ethnographic methods can help both researchers and practitioners better understand and improve organizational life. Boris shares insights from his own journey — including a life-altering experience in the Himalayas — and explains how Buddhist principles like interdependence and impermanence shape his thinking about communication, organizations, and society. Whether you're an academic, a practitioner, or simply curious, this episode offers a grounded and thought-provoking take on how mindfulness and method can come together. Want to explore more? Here are five scientific publications related to today’s episode: Brummans, B. H. J. M. (2007). Death by document: Tracing the agency of a text. Qualitative Inquiry, 13(5), 711–727. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800407301185 Brummans, B. H. J. M. (2012). The road to Rizong: Buddhist mindful organizing amid natural disaster in the Indian Himalayas. Qualitative Communication Research, 1(4), 433–460. https://doi.org/10.1525/qcr.2012.1.4.433 Brummans, B. H. J. M. (2022). Eight ways to notice mindfully in process organization studies. In B. Simpson & L. Revsbæk (Eds.), Doing process research in organizations: Noticing differently (pp. 173–194). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192849632.003.0009 Town, S., Reina, C. S., Brummans, B. H. J. M., & Pirson, M. (2024). Humanistic organizing: The transformative force of mindful organizational communication. Academy of Management Review, 49(4), 824–847. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2021.0433 Varela, F. J., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1991). The embodied mind: Cognitive science and human experience. MIT Press. Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podcastle, subscribe on YouTube, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. Your feedback helps shape this podcast into a must-listen for all communication enthusiasts. Let’s decode the way we (try to) connect, one conversation at a time!

    1h 2m
  7. Lab Talk #9 - "The Art of the Apology (and Other Crisis Musts) " with Prof. Sora Kim

    06/21/2025

    Lab Talk #9 - "The Art of the Apology (and Other Crisis Musts) " with Prof. Sora Kim

    Welcome to The CommUnity Lab! The knowledge transfer podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application. Hosted by Danny (Daniel Wolfgruber), this podcast brings together leading scholars to explore how communication shapes workplaces, relationships, and society at large. In each episode, we break down communication research and real-world insights, making them accessible and relevant for communication professionals, leaders, fellow scholars, students, and anyone curious about the magic of communication. Today’s guest is Prof. Sora Kim from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In this Lab Talk, we dive into her research on crisis and CSR communication and explore why a crisis can also be an opportunity — if handled thoughtfully. Sora shares why credibility, culture, and stakeholder engagement are essential for reputation management in tough times, and how CSR messaging can either strengthen or severely damage an organization’s standing when the pressure is on. Want to explore more? Here are five scientific publications related to today’s episode: Jaques, T. (2009). Issue and crisis management: Quicksand in the definitional landscape. Public Relations Review, 35(3), 280–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2009.03.003 Ji. Y., & Kim, S. (2023). The impacts of social media bandwagon cues on public demand for regulatory intervention during corporate crises. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 31(3), 392-405. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12446 Kim, S., Sheng, X., & Ketron, S.C. (2022). The roles of legacy versus social media information seeking in American and Chinese consumers’ hoarding during COVID-19. Journal of International Marketing, 30(2), 38-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X221089347 Kim, S., Sung, K-H., Ji, Y., Xing, C., & Qu, J. (2021). Online firestorms in social media: Comparative research between China Weibo and USA Twitter. Public Relations Review, 47(1), 102010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102010 Yang, C.Y., & Kim, S. (2024). Safety nudged or empowerment fueled? Leadership mechanism and boundary condition for followers’ adaptive communication behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in China. Journal of Public Relations Research, 37(1-2), 31-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2024.2369643 Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podcastle, subscribe on YouTube, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. Your feedback helps shape this podcast into a must-listen for all communication enthusiasts. Let’s decode the way we (try to) connect, one conversation at a time!

    1 hr
  8. Lab Talk #8 - "The Communicative Constitution of Sustainability" with Prof. Franzisca Weder

    06/07/2025

    Lab Talk #8 - "The Communicative Constitution of Sustainability" with Prof. Franzisca Weder

    Welcome to The CommUnity Lab! The knowledge transfer podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application. Hosted by Danny (Daniel Wolfgruber), this podcast brings together leading scholars to explore how communication shapes workplaces, relationships, and society at large. In each episode, we break down communication research and real-world insights, making them accessible and relevant for communication professionals, leaders, fellow scholars, students, and anyone curious about the magic of communication. Today’s guest is Prof. Franzisca Weder from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. In this episode, we talk about her research on sustainability communication and why it matters now more than ever. Franzisca explains how organizations can and should speak about their sustainability efforts, the three key forms sustainability communication can take, and why effective, transformative public relations requires critical thinking, creativity, and the courage to question the status quo — even when it’s uncomfortable. Want to explore more? Here are five scientific publications related to today’s episode: Weder, F. (2024). Sustainability as guiding principle of communicative action the transformative and transformational potential of corporate sustainability communication as niche construction, a case from the energy sector. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 30(2), 241-259. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-12-2023-0184 Weder, F. (2023). The evolution of the sustainability story: Strategic sustainability communication as niche construction. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 17(3), 228-244. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2023.2229304 Weder, F., Weaver, C.K., & Rademacher, L. (2023). Curating conversations in times of transformation: Convergence in how public relations and journalism are “Doing” communication. Public Relations Inquiry, 12(2), 163-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X231154550 Weder, F., & Milstein, T. (2021). Revolutionaries needed! Environmental communication as a transformative discipline. In B. Takahashi, J. Metag, J. Thaker, & S. Evans Comfort (Eds.), The handbook of international trends in environmental communication (pp. 407-419). Routledge. Weder, F., Karmasin, M., Krainer, L., & Voci, D. (2021). Sustainability communication as critical perspective in media and communication studies—an introduction. In F. Weder, L. Krainer, & M. Karmasin (Eds.), The sustainability communication reader: A reflective compendium (pp. 1-12). Springer Nature. Follow The CommUnity Lab on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podcastle, subscribe on YouTube, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. Your feedback helps shape this podcast into a must-listen for all communication enthusiasts. Let’s decode the way we (try to) connect, one conversation at a time!

    55 min
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Welcome to the CommUnity Lab Podcast! Dive into the fascinating world of professional communication research and its application with host Danny, an enthusiastic communication and management scholar at HEC Montréal, Canada. Through insightful and personal conversations with renowned academic experts, we explore varying topics in the realm of professional communication, such as organizational, internal, and leadership communication, PR, CSR, or DEI communication. Whether you're a practitioner, student, or curious mind, join us for thought-provoking "Lab Talks" that blend academic communication research with practical applications — served with a touch of humor and a passion for knowledge transfer and connection.

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