Journal of Public Relations Research

2005 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr1702_1

Aldoory, Linda

2005 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr1702_2

Curtin, Patricia A.; Gaither, T. Kenn

2005 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr1702_3

In response to growing criticism that the dominant normative theoretical paradigm privileges Western, corporate models of public relations practice, this critical essay proposes the circuit of culture as a basis for developing public relations theory that informs the wide variety of public relations practices found globally. The model merges recent critical-cultural and postmodern perspectives, providing a confluence of institutional and situated factors that recognize the primacy of identity, difference, and power in discursive practice. In this model, public relations practitioners serve as cultural intermediaries operating within the larger cultural economy to structure information at the juncture of production and consumption.

Henderson, Alison

2005 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr1702_4

This article seeks to develop a theoretical understanding of the role of identity and power in issues management campaigns. It illustrates through original research how issues management strategies involving the management of multiple identities can motivate significant public activism. In this research, environmental interest groups attempted to influence public policy on genetic engineering in New Zealand, a country where genetic engineering issues are strongly contested and related public policy decisions will have outcomes of significant economic importance, nationally. The findings show that identity management strategies successfully extended public debate about genetic engineering and demonstrated the power of activist groups to influence the direction of government public policy.

Pompper, Donnalyn

2005 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr1702_5

This article seeks to develop a theoretical understanding of the role of identity and power in issues management campaigns. It illustrates through original research how issues management strategies involving the management of multiple identities can motivate significant public activism. In this research, environmental interest groups attempted to influence public policy on genetic engineering in New Zealand, a country where genetic engineering issues are strongly contested and related public policy decisions will have outcomes of significant economic importance, nationally. The findings show that identity management strategies successfully extended public debate about genetic engineering and demonstrated the power of activist groups to influence the direction of government public policy.

Choi, Yoonhyeung; Cameron, Glen T.

2005 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr1702_6

Based on literature from the contingency theory of public relations and psychocultural conflict theory, this study explored how multinational corporations (MNCs) are practicing public relations in Korea, and what contingency factors impact MNCs' stances in conflict situations. Interviews of leaders in public relations agencies whose major clients are MNCs found that "fear factor" plays a critical role in MNCs taking more accommodative stances in conflict situations. MNCs tend to move toward accommodative stances based on their fear of Korean media and local culture, regardless of the presence of 2-way symmetrical communications with publics. More specifically, accommodation seemed to be enacted through 1-way communication (i.e., local publics' claims) and MNCs' fear of media, local culture, or publics. This finding implies the following: First, 1-way communication may not always result in advocacy as is claimed in Western cultures, but may actually lead to accommodation. Second, indigenous local cultural dimensions should be explored in examining international public relations practices.