EXPLORING ORGANIZATIONAL SCIENCE COMMUNICATION: A CASE OF A NATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL ICT RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF JAPAN

This case study investigates why and how researchers of public research institutes practice their organizational communication with the public, "organizational science communication". While existing literatures show little interest in science communication as an organizational matter, the study focuses on its increasing importance. The study found science communication is a crucial factor not only in communicating science, but also in reflectively constructing research activities and strategies for research organizations. Due to the recent new mode of science-driven R&D and innovation, scientists are constantly involved in multi-disciplinary collaborative and strategically organized research projects driven by publicly contextual concepts rather than individual excellence. There has been a simultaneous increase in the importance of public accountability of scientific research. Such a situation directly requires scientists, not the PR staff, to reinforce communication with the public in various ways. In conclusion, the model of organizational science communication as a "social co-creation system of reflective science " is proposed