Communication plays a central role in how people interpret and perceive the world. It affects and is affected by people’s social networks, varying from groups to organizations to society at large. However, how people communicate with each other, the organizations they form, and the interconnections they establish, constantly change and evolve. For example, new media technologies like the Internet or mobile phones replace existing communication and networking patterns, and the logic of organizations. These new developments raise important questions about stabilizing or destabilizing effects: do they, for example, benefit or harm society or its individual members? How do they relate to the “wellbeing” of individuals, employees, citizens and societies? How can they be used as opportunities to reach desirable societal outcomes, such as a better understanding of the world or greater mutual trust?
‘The ISR theme on resilience through communication, organization and interconnectedness is dedicated to addressing these and other questions by illuminating the evolving landscape of communication and organization patterns and understanding how they relate to a resilient society.’