Discussion: View Thread

BACKGROUND 

For many decades, management research has been interested in how communication – the way people create and share meaning through language, symbols, and social interaction – shapes individual actions (e.g., Byron & Laurence, 2015; Martin, 2016; Shi et al., 2019), organizational outcomes (e.g., Cornelissen et al., 2015; Kaplan, 2008; Lockwood et al., 2019), and societal change (e.g., Etzion & Ferraro, 2010; Munir & Phillips, 2005; Suddaby & Greenwood, 2005). For example, scholars have previously shown how the construction of identity narratives influences employee motivation and identification within organizations (Fetzer et al., 2023; Martin, 2016; Vaara et al., 2016). Similarly, shared framing language and discourse have been found to play a central role in shaping stakeholder perceptions, facilitating organizational change, and legitimizing new ventures (Garud et al., 2025a; Honecker & Chalmers, 2023; Kalvapalle et al., 2024; Lounsbury & Glynn, 2001). 

With the advent of Web 2.0 in the early 2000s (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010), communication became more participatory, interactive, and decentralized, allowing almost anyone with internet access to share content, voice opinions, and engage in public discourse (Cornelissen, 2023). This democratization of communication has enabled new actors, including marginalized individuals and groups, to participate (Chalmers et al., 2021; Faraj et al., 2011; Hajli et al., 2017; Meurer et al., 2022; Nisar et al., 2019) and gain visibility in organizational and societal conversations (Bucher et al., 2024; Leonardi & Treem, 2020; Treem & Leonardi, 2013). At the same time, the open and fast-paced nature of digital environments has exacerbated existing challenges while creating new problems: misinformation spreading rapidly and distorting narratives or frames (e.g., Garud et al., 2025b; Friggeri et al., 2014), echo chambers reinforcing existing beliefs and limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints (e.g., Barberá et al., 2015), and trolling or online incivility undermining constructive dialogue and damaging organizational reputations (Coe et al., 2014; Meurer et al., 2024). 

Whilst the dark side of digital communication has been recognized for years (Flyverbom, 2016; Vaast & Kaganer, 2013), it has recently taken on new dimensions in both scale and impact. This escalation is fueled by more sophisticated algorithms, the rise of generative AI, and the increasing power of platform logics and online influencers. Together, these forces amplify the reach, speed, and emotional intensity of communication in ways we are only beginning to understand. At the same time, they introduce profound ethical dilemmas around transparency, accountability, and agency of algorithms and artificial intelligence more broadly (Martin, 2019; Moser, 2022). Digital environments such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit have shifted dramatically in purpose, audience, and tone. From empowering grassroots mobilization during events like the Arab Spring (Tufekci, 2017) to enabling emotionally charged, conspiratorial communication within ideologically extreme groups (Greve et al., 2022), these environments now more closely resemble a digital ‘wild west’. Indeed, what were once isolated incidents of misinformation or online hostility appear to have evolved into coordinated disinformation campaigns, AI-generated deepfakes that manipulate public perception, and the viral spread of outrage deliberately crafted to provoke algorithmic amplification (Chadwick et al., 2025; Hajli et al., 2022; Lazer et al., 2018). From political leaders using digital platforms to undermine democratic institutions (Knight & Tsoukas, 2019; Lu et al., 2025), to influencers promoting harmful health advice (Burki, 2020), to the erosion of boundaries between fact and fiction through synthetic media (Hajli et al., 2022), digital communication now, more than ever, shapes individual, organizational, and societal life in unpredictable, unforeseen and often harmful ways. 

AIMS AND SCOPE 

Despite increasing recognition of harmful digital communication in adjacent fields such as media studies, communication, information systems, and sociology, management research has yet to develop a robust and integrated theoretical understanding of these emergent and critical phenomena. Most management research has either focused on isolated aspects (e.g., scandals, crisis communication, or social media strategy) or continues to apply pre-digital frameworks without fully accounting for the speed, scale, opacity, and sociotechnical complexity of today’s digital communication environments. 

This special issue, therefore, aims to initiate a bold, timely, and much-needed scholarly conversation that moves beyond viewing digital communication as neutral or primarily enabling technologies. Instead, we seek contributions that offer novel theorizing – not only by extending existing theories to new contexts, but by rethinking foundational assumptions, introducing new constructs or concepts, proposing alternative relationships, processes, or mechanisms, or bridging theoretical domains that have not yet been integrated. We particularly welcome submissions that address one or more of the following four perspectives: 

1. Harmful Interactions in Sociotechnical Systems
2. How Harmful Digital Cultural Artifacts Shape Behavior, Legitimacy, and Action
3. The Psychology of Digital Harm
4. Detrimental Societal Antecedents and Outcomes