Senior communication practitioners have professional agency in decision-making about how an organisation should manage an issues debate. Identifying and managing issues related to organisational values and reputation and building and maintaining stakeholder relationships are the two most significant factors that influence communication decisions. A consistent theme in the research findings is that strategic communication is concerned about advancing an organisation's interests by advocating its positions on external issues that affect its ability to achieve its goals. Female practitioners are more likely to regard strategic communication as important than males. Female practitioners also say they engage in identifying and analysing issues likely to occur in the longer term more than do male practitioners. Practitioners prioritised those that influence strategic communication directions.