QUT - Academic profiles - Professor Kim Johnston

Biography

Professor Kim A. Johnston (PhD; MBus; GradCertAcadPrac; BNursing; GenCertNursing) researches communication engagement, social impact, and strategic communication, particularly focusing on how organisations influence stakeholders in a range of community, corporate and government settings. Professor Johnston leads the Stakeholder Engagement Research Group . Her research focuses on community engagement for preparedness and resilience in disasters, the environment, social impact and social license to operate, with extended research interests in workplace communication (employee engagement). Professor Johnston teaches postgraduate and undergraduate public relations courses in community engagement, issues management, and corporate media strategy. She is on the editorial boards of leading international journals including Public Relations Review, the International Journal of Corporate Communication, and the US Institute of Public Relations PR Journal. She is also editor of the Handbook of Communication Engagement. Her research interests include:

Engagement - community and employee
Social impact and social license to operate
Internal or workplace communication
Strategic and brand related communication
Organisational culture and knowledge structures (as they relate to internal communication)
Public relations theory
Ethnography and qualitative methods.

SUPERVISION: Professor Johnston welcomes supervision requests for PhD and Masters (research) students in these topic areas:

Communication engagement (community /stakeholder/employee engagement)
Social Impact (and community)
Internal /workplace communication

AWARDS: Professor Johnston has received a number of academic, team and industry awards:

2023: Top Faculty Paper - International Communication Association (PR Division) - Li, L., Johnston, K.A & Feng, J. The Authenticity of Place: The Contribution of Engaged Virtual Brand Communities to National Branding.
2022: PRIA Researcher of the Year
2020: International Champion of Change Award (Community - Group) - Highly Commended - Inspector General Emergency Management Queensland
2018: USA National Communication Award (PR Division) PRIDE Book Award (Innovation, development and education) - awarded for the Handbook of Communication Engagement
2015: QUT Vice-Chancellor Performance Award - contribution to research culture
2012: QUT Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award (2011)
2010: Vice-Chancellor Award for Excellence Nominee – Faculty Research Ethics Advisors Team
2006: QUT – Team Teaching Award – Faculty of Business
2004: QUT – Team Teaching Award – Commendation, Faculty of Business
2002: PRIA – State Awards for Excellence – Highly Commended – Issues / Crisis Management
2002: PRIA Golden Target Awards: Highly Commended – Issues/ Crisis Management

+61 7 3138 4089

kim.johnston@qut.edu.au

View location details(QUT staff and student access only)

QUT alumni

Personal details

Positions

Professor
Faculty of Business & Law,
School of Advertising, Marketing & PR

Keywords

Communication engagement, Employee engagement, Community engagement, Internal communication, Public relations, Qualitative, Strategic communication, Organizational culture, Ethnography

Research field

Communication and media studies, Strategy, management and organisational behaviour, Marketing

Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020

Qualifications

PhD (Queensland University of Technology)
MBus(Comm) (Queensland University of Technology)
BNur (Northern Territory University)

Professional memberships and associations

FHEA - Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
AFAMI CPM - Associate Fellow - Australian Marketing Institute and Certified Practising Marketer
MICA - Member of the International Communication Association

Teaching

Teaching interests

Community engagement
Issues management
Internal communication and change management
Qualitative research methods.

Experience

Research Projects - Funded

2022 - 2024 - Discovery Grant - Enhancing and evaluating stakeholder engagement for improved water outcomes - with Professor Yongping Wei (UQ) and Professor Brian Head (UQ); Funded by ARC
2022 - Community Floods 2022 (NSW and QLD): Funded by Natural Hazards Research Australia
2021 - Community Awareness and Resilience Evaluation Framework: Brisbane Strategic Flood Plain Management - IGEMQ
2018 - 2019 - Community Engagement for Preparedness Study - Bushfire Natural Hazards CRC Tactical Research Fund
2016 - 2019 - Annual SEQ Waterways Community Engagement Study - (Annual Report Card Social Data) Healthy Land and Water
2017- 2018 - Public Sentiment Study Queensland Government
2016 - 2017 - Social Impact Study - Australian Meat Processor Corporation
2015 - Social Values and Use Study - Healthy Waterways Ltd
2015 - Reader engagement study - Gold Cross Pty Ltd
2013 - Employee engagement and internal communication - RACQ

Publications

Research outputs by year

Book
Chapter in Book / Report / Conference Proceeding
Contribution to a Journal
Contribution to a Newspaper / Magazine or Website
Contribution to conference

{ "year": 2015, "totalForYear": 7, "totalCumulative": 30, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 2, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 3, "cat4": 1, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 12, "cat2": 9, "cat3": 8, "cat4": 1, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

7 new publications in 2015

{ "year": 2016, "totalForYear": 7, "totalCumulative": 37, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 1, "cat2": 2, "cat3": 2, "cat4": 1, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 13, "cat2": 11, "cat3": 10, "cat4": 2, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

7 new publications in 2016

{ "year": 2017, "totalForYear": 5, "totalCumulative": 42, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 2, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 1, "cat4": 2, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 15, "cat2": 11, "cat3": 11, "cat4": 4, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

5 new publications in 2017

{ "year": 2018, "totalForYear": 15, "totalCumulative": 57, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 4, "cat2": 4, "cat3": 5, "cat4": 2, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 19, "cat2": 15, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 6, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

15 new publications in 2018

{ "year": 2019, "totalForYear": 6, "totalCumulative": 63, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 1, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 4, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 20, "cat2": 16, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 10, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

6 new publications in 2019

{ "year": 2020, "totalForYear": 4, "totalCumulative": 67, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 4, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 24, "cat2": 16, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 10, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

4 new publications in 2020

{ "year": 2021, "totalForYear": 3, "totalCumulative": 70, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 2, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 1, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 26, "cat2": 16, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 11, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

3 new publications in 2021

{ "year": 2022, "totalForYear": 5, "totalCumulative": 75, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 3, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 1, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 29, "cat2": 17, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 11, "cat5": 2, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

5 new publications in 2022

{ "year": 2023, "totalForYear": 10, "totalCumulative": 85, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 6, "cat2": 2, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 2, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 35, "cat2": 19, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 13, "cat5": 2, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

10 new publications in 2023

{ "year": 2024, "totalForYear": 5, "totalCumulative": 90, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 4, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 39, "cat2": 20, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 13, "cat5": 2, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

5 new publications in 2024

{ "year": 2025, "totalForYear": 1, "totalCumulative": 91, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 1, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 40, "cat2": 20, "cat3": 16, "cat4": 13, "cat5": 2, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

1 new publication in 2025201520162017201820192020202120222023202420250510152020152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Taylor, M., Johnston, K. & Ryan, B. (2023). A Community Engagement Approach to Natural Hazard Communication. In WT. Coombs & SJ. Holladay (Eds.), The Handbook of Crisis Communication (pp. 327–342). John Wiley & Sons. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/228441
Johnston, K., (2023). Theorizing Digital Engagement in Public Relations. In C. Botan & E. Sommerfeldt (Eds.), Public Relations Theory III: In the Age of Publics (pp. 38–57). Routledge. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/229606
Lane, A., Hurst, B. & Johnston, K. (2023). A relational approach to social impact: Moving beyond instrumental and consumer approaches. Public Relations Review, 49(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/236479
Arif, S., Johnston, K., Lane, A. & Beatson, A. (2023). A strategic employee attribute scale: Mediating role of internal communication and employee engagement. Public Relations Review, 49(2). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/238793
Kotsi, F., Johnston, K. & Pike, S. (2023). Stopovers as valued-based experience: A conceptual model. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 4(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/236949
Johnston, K., Taylor, M. & Ryan, B. (2022). Engaging communities to prepare for natural hazards: a conceptual model. Natural Hazards, 112(3), 2831–2851. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/228440
Johnston, K. & Lane, A. (2021). Communication with intent: A typology of communicative interaction in engagement. Public Relations Review, 47(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/200921
Hurst, B. & Johnston, K. (2021). The social imperative in public relations: Utilities of social impact, social license and engagement. Public Relations Review, 47(2). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/210222
Johnston, K. & Lane, A. (2019). An authenticity matrix for community engagement. Public Relations Review, 45(4), 1–13. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/130765
Johnston, K. & Taylor, M. (2018). The Handbook of Communication Engagement. Wiley-Blackwell. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/215461

QUT ePrints

For more publications by Kim, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).

View more publications

Filter publications:

2025

Hou, J., Hearn, G., Johnston, K., Villeneuve, M., Hebbani, A. & Carroll, M. (2025). Embedding humanity in building sustainable community disaster resilience in Australia: A humanistic communication perspective. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 40(1), 48–56. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/255432

2024

Han, Z., Wei, Y., Bouckaert, F., Johnston, K. & Head, B. W. (2024). Stakeholder engagement in natural resource management: Where go from here? Journal of Cleaner Production, Article 140521, 435. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/245414
Li, L., Johnston, K. & Feng, J. F. (2024). Virtual community engagement: Engaging virtual communities for nation branding through sports. Public Relations Review, Article 102440, 50(3). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/246858
Hong, P., Wei, Y., Bouckaert, F., Johnston, K. & Head, B. W. (2024). Assessing stakeholder structure in water governance in the Murray-Darling Basin, a public submission perspective. Environmental Science and Policy, Article 103746, 156. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/247861
Johnston, K., Taylor, M. & Ryan, B. (2024). Evaluation of Community Engagement for Resilience Outcomes: A Pre-Engagement Approach. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Article 104613, 110. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/249097
Hou, J., Hearn, G. & Johnston, K. (2024). Making diversity an organisational imperative: Developing inclusive emergency communication through co-creative storytelling with CALD communities. 28th International Conference on Corporate and Marketing Communications Conference Proceedings, 26–29. University of Vienna. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/250861

2023

Taylor, M., Johnston, K. & Ryan, B. (2023). A Community Engagement Approach to Natural Hazard Communication. In Coombs, W. T. & Holladay, S. J. (Eds.), The Handbook of Crisis Communication (pp. 327–342). John Wiley & Sons. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/228441
Johnston, K. (2023). Theorizing Digital Engagement in Public Relations. In Botan, C. & Sommerfeldt, E. (Eds.), Public Relations Theory III (pp. 38–57). Routledge. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/229606
Hurst, B., Johnston, K. & Lane, A. (2023). A relational approach to social impact: Moving beyond instrumental and consumer approaches. Public Relations Review, Article 102264, 49(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/236479
Kotsi, F., Johnston, K. & Pike, S. (2023). Stopovers as valued-based experience: A conceptual model. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, Article 100084, 4(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/236949
Johnston, K. & Lane, A. (2023). Metaphors of University Educators: The Expectation Gap with Implications for Educator Wellbeing. Student Success, 14(3), 1–17. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/238172
Arif, S., Johnston, K., Lane, A. & Beatson, A. (2023). A strategic employee attribute scale: Mediating role of internal communication and employee engagement. Public Relations Review, Article 102320, 49(2). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/238793
Taylor, M., Miller, F., Johnston, K., Lane, A., Ryan, B., King, R., Narwal, H., Miller, M., Dabas, D. & Simon, H. (2023). Community experiences of the January-July 2022 floods in New South Wales and Queensland: Final report: Policy-relevant themes. Natural Hazards Research Australia. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/240586
Taylor, M., Miller, F., Johnston, K., Lane, A., Ryan, B., King, R., Narwal, H., Miller, M., Dabas, D. & Simon, H. (2023). Community experiences of the January-July 2022 floods in New South Wales and Queensland: Summary Report. Natural Hazards Research Australia. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/240595
Han, Z., Wei, Y., Johnston, K. & Head, B. (2023). Stakeholder engagement in natural resources for energy transitions governance. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Article 107206, 102. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/241553

A complete list of publications is available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/kim.johnston

Awards

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2022
Details: Researcher of the Year - Public Relations Institute of Australia Golden Target Awards 2022

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2018
Details: PRIDE Award for outstanding Innovation, Development, and Educational Achievement in Public Relations

Type: Appointment to Prestigious Positions
Reference year: 2018
Details: Board Member - Appointed to Metro North Hospital and Health Service Board

Type: Editorial Role for an Academic Journal
Reference year: 2018
Details: Appointed to the editorial board of Public Relations Review

Type: Editor/Contributor of a Prestigious Work of Reference
Reference year: 2017
Details: Editor - Handbook of Communication Engagement (Wiley) - 2018

Type: Editorial Role for an Academic Journal
Reference year: 2016
Details: Editorial Board Member - Corporate Communications: An International Journal

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2015
Details: QUT Vice Chancellor's Performance Award for Research

Type: Editorial Role for an Academic Journal
Reference year: 2015
Details: Editorial Board Member Journal of Public Relations Research: 2012-2015

Selected research projects

Title: Enhancing and evaluating stakeholder engagement for improved water outcomes
Primary fund type: CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID: DP220103054
Start year: 2022
Keywords

Projects listed above are funded by Australian Competitive Grants. Projects funded from other sources are not listed due to confidentiality agreements.

Supervision

Completed supervisions (Doctorate)

Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)

The supervisions listed above are only a selection.

Professor Kim Johnston

Biography

Personal details

Positions

Keywords

Research field

Qualifications

Professional memberships and associations

Teaching

Experience

Publications

Research outputs by year

Selected publications

QUT ePrints

All publicationsLatest publications

2025

2024

2023

Awards

Selected research projects

Supervision

Completed supervisions (Doctorate)

Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)