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28 December 2020
New book: Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication
Definitive public relations textbook sets out bold ambition for professional development
Pearson publishes the fifth edition of Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication

Education, learning, and professional development are the public relations industry’s biggest barriers to progress. The discipline is frequently undervalued by management and has failed to reach its potential. This issue is tackled head on by a new book called Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication edited by Ralph Tench and Stephen Waddington and published by Pearson (January 2021). It aims to bridge the divide between theory and practice.

Public relations is an industry that aspires to become a profession but often fails to adopt the necessary discipline and rigour. Practitioners frequently fail to meet one or more of the criteria for a profession: qualifications; continuous professional development; a strong community of theory and practice; and an enforceable ethical framework.

Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication is a definitive guide to public relations theory and practice. It has been written by a community of 35 international expert contributors. It has a robust approach to learning design combining theory and practice, case studies, and practitioner diaries.

“Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication is the most open-minded book I know. It is theoretical and practical at the same time. It provides an insight in almost all theoretical approaches and different ideas on how to look at and do public relations, and it raises unsettled questions about the definition, the tasks of the professional, the debate about professional ethics, and the issue of its impact,” said Betteke van Ruler, Professor Emerita Corporate Communication and Communication Management Department of Communication Science, University of Amsterdam.

The book is split into five sections:

  • The context of public relations
  • Public relations theories and concepts
  • Public relations specialisms
  • Sectorial considerations
  • The future of PR and strategic communication

Key chapters cover brand, reputation, media, planning and measurement. Chapters on specialist areas of practice include celebrity, fashion, finance, health and sports. The book also examines some of the critical issues facing the future or public relations practice. These include artificial intelligence, COVID-19, disinformation, diversity and mental health.

Learn more on the Book webiste
and pre-order a copy from Amazon
26 December 2020
2 job opportunities in Fribourg (CH): doc & postdoc

The University of Fribourg’s Department of Communication and Media Research DCM is dedicated to research and teaching in the field of communication and media studies that adheres to the highest international standards. Researchers at the department cover research fields ranging from political communication, journalism, communication management, to communication history, business communication and new media, media systems and media effects.

Colleagues in Fribourg, Switzerland, are seeking applicants for two open positions:

Applications for both positions are welcomed until
January 31st, 2021
22 December 2020
Call for Papers: Sustainable marketing and performance management

Sustainable marketing and performance management.
Contributions to theories, methods, and practices.

Eds. Alfonso Siano, Stefania Romenti, Ralph Tench
Special issue of Springer’s Italian Journal of Marketing

Sustainable economic development poses major challenges for marketing (Peattie, 2001). The cause of sustainable marketing is furthered by promoting economic growth (Hunt, 2011). Sustainable marketing can be achieved through the contribution of three existing marketing sub-disciplines: green marketing, social marketing, and critical marketing (Gordon et al., 2011). Sustainable marketing incorporates ethical, environmental and social issues, with a specific sensitivity to the needs of future generations (Lim, 2016; Lučić, 2020).

However, referring marketing strategies and tactics to sustainability means dealing with a wide range of financial and non-financial performance indicators to assess the effectiveness, as well as the efficiency and the adequateness of the work done (McDonagh; Prothero, 2014).

The aim of this special issue is to show if existing performance indicators could be useful to capture the whole value encapsulated into sustainable marketing activities and how the contribution of sustainable marketing to organizational performance could be assessed and disclosed.

This special issue will be structured around an agnostic research approach, since quantitative, qualitative, financial, theoretical and big data contributions are all welcomed. Works reflecting how insights can be extrapolated from data and social media are also appreciated. Deadline for paper submissions: April 30, 2021.

Go to the full
Call for Papers
21 December 2020
New book: Popular Culture and Social Change

Popular Culture and Social Change: The Hidden Work of Public Relations
by Kate Fitch, Judy Motion

This brand-new book opens up critical scholarship on public relations in that it moves beyond corporate understandings and perspectives to explore alternative and eclectic communicative cultures, in part to consider a more optimistic conceptualisation of public relations as a resource for progressive social change. Fitch and Motion identify the ways in which public relations both draws on and influences the production of popular culture by creating, promoting and amplifying particular narratives and images. The chapters in this book range across topics such as fashion, race activism, protest music, aesthetic labour and zombies to consider how public relations creates popular cultures that are deeply compromised and commercialised, but at the same time can be harnessed to advocate for social change in supporting, reproducing, challenging or resisting the status quo.

Drawing on critical and sociocultural perspectives, Popular Culture and Social Change is an important resource for researchers, educators and students exploring public relations theory, strategic communication and promotional culture. It investigates the entanglement of public relations, popular culture and social change in different social, cultural and political contexts in order to better understand the (often subterranean) societal influence of public relations activity.

More info
16 December 2020
Call for Papers: CSR Communication in the Media Industry – abstracts by Dec. 30

CSR Communication in the Media Industry
Intercultural and interdisciplinary approaches to understand
social impact and license to operate of media business around the globe

Eds. Franzisca Weder, Lars Rademacher, René Schmidpeter
Volume part of the Springer management series “Corporate Social Responsibility”

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an established management focus of todays’ corporates and organizations of various kind, scope and size. This is supported by the book series on CSR by Springer Gabler, in which the planned volume is embedded in.

In the focus is the double nature of producing economic and cultural goods at the same time (Bracker et al., 2017; Karmasin & Bichler, 2017) which leads to the assumption that media companies have a double responsibility for the way they present reality (in their products) and with this controlling and criticizing economic and political developments and raising ethical concerns in the public debate on the one hand (SOCIAL IMPACT), and for their own activities as a corporation on the other hand (LICENSE TO OPERATE).

The guiding question for contributions to this volume is the following: How do media corporations deal with their twin responsibility of holding society responsible and being responsible themselves? A second set of questions guides the inputs from various theoretical as well as cultural perspectives, specified in the call for papers.

The editors are seeking for global perspectives on the issue that will stimulate a conversation about innovative approaches in an industry where a stronger focus on sustainability as normative framework to discuss the public value is increasingly converging with economic goals. The European perspective with a historically strong role of public broadcasting should be contrasted with an Oceanian as well as US-perspective. Furthermore, there is a specific outlook to the challenges of cross-border management.

“Easy to read” contributions written in German and English are welcomed by December 30, 2020, from academics (on all levels) and practitioners in the areas of:

  • CSR & CSR Communication
  • Management/Media Management
  • Communication Scholars
  • Business Scholars in related areas
Download the full
Call for Papers
16 December 2020
MARPE Diplo Talk “Compass for public/private management in turbulent times: Corporate Diplomacy”

On December 10th, the MARPE network organized the fourth MARPE Diplo Talk to reflect about the idea of corporate diplomacy as a compass for public/private management in turbulent times. The keynote speaker was Professor Wilfried Bolewski, a professor of international law and diplomacy at Sciences Po in Paris, The American University of Paris and Free University of Berlin and a former German diplomat who has served in Italy, Poland, Australia, Pakistan, Cameroon and was Ambassador to Jamaica, Belize and Bahamas. He participated in the NATO Nuclear Planning Group and the United Nations Conference on Disarmament. Professor Bolewski has served as deputy chief of protocol for German Chancellors Schroeder and Merkel, and he is publishing on new dimensions of diplomacy, including the role of multinational corporations and non-state actors.

“In the 21st Century, our universal community of fate is characterized by grand challenges, external shocks and global fragilities in crisis context, such as economic volatility and societal upheaval. These destabilizing turbulences reveal a paradigmatic shift in the global system with its dysfunctional multilateral organizations towards an era of fragmented and disintegrated international (dis-)order”. This is the starting point proposed by Professor Wilfried Bolweski for this talk. Advancing that “international society is in demand of content-sensitive orientation knowledge to reassess, adjust and accommodate diplomacy’s essentials (human factor interdependency and interactions: diplomacy for good) to new expectations of the public sphere”. And “confronted with social and environmental demands international business enterprises seen as “private public entities” are requested to get involved in issues of public concern by providing public goods and co-creating more just and peaceful co-existing societies. International diplomacy provides the tools for corporate conflict management. In tackling grand challenges, corporations are becoming diplomatic co-actors in the trade of diplomacy and acquiring access to the diplomatic arena. (…) Today’s societal purpose of international management is not merely business, and business is not an end in itself, but its social impact should also serve a common good purpose. (…) In tackling grand challenges, corporations are becoming diplomatic co-actors in the trade of diplomacy and acquiring access to the diplomatic arena.”

The dialogue with Professor Bolweski highlights an innovative concept of diplomacy that shifts the focus of organizations, giving priority to society for what he calls a “Societal Diplomacy” aimed at managing situational and contextual ambivalence, harmonizing divergent interests and expectations, in a holistic approach, which includes emotional, social and intercultural intelligence.

Bolewski’s full intervention will be available in the
MARPE Diplo book to be published in 2021!

Go to
MARPE website
8 December 2020
International Communication Management Forum Call for Papers: “The post-pandemic world”

The Communication Management Forum Programme Committee invites abstracts related to the topic “The post-pandemic world: A bad picture or a good opportunity?” for its international scientific conference to be held in March.

The fourth edition of the international scientific conference Communication Management Forum will be held on the 19th and 20th of March 2021. The main theme is „The post-pandemic world: A bad picture or a good opportunity?”. The conference is organised by Edward Bernays University College, Institute for Social Research in Zagreb and Institute for Tourism. The fourth edition of the conference will be held completely online.

In addition to the health situation, the coronavirus pandemic has affected all segments of society. The economy and social life have entered a state of dormancy, interpersonal relationships take place under the influence of physical distance or have been transferred to the digital world, business travel has proved unnecessary in the world of teleconferencing, people’s social lives have changed, young people are changing patterns for finding a partner, new practices have been introduced in the education system, the psychosocial health of individuals is under threat. At all levels, the pandemic has completely changed the outlook and functioning of the entire world. The question is in which direction will societies develop in the future, how will citizens behave after the pandemic, how will interpersonal relationships be established, but also how will employers and employees, whose attitudes have partially changed, behave?

Aiming to bring together a wide interdisciplinary circle of researchers, the fourth edition of the conference, Communication Management Forum 2021, is tasked with answering the question of what awaits us after the end of the pandemic. Is the picture of the post-pandemic world positive or negative? What have we learned from the pandemic to become a better, healthier and happier society, but also more successful employees? Will the world continue to function as if nothing happened or will we, based on the knowledge and experience gained, make use of everything that has proven useful in the pandemic? The answers to the previously asked questions are found in an interdisciplinary approach that, as a scientific basis and explanation, offers a symbiosis of sociology, psychology, communication, political and education sciences, economics and marketing. Combining knowledge from all of these disciplines leads to a qualitative shift that results in the creation of a broader understanding of the changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as how the overall situation will affect all spheres of human life with emphasis on interpersonal relationships, education, communication, as well as tourism as an important branch of the economy.

Papers proposed for the conference must be based on current and original research by the authors. In the paper abstract in Croatian or English, ranging from 300 to 500 words, it is necessary to state the goal and purpose of the paper, to provide a clear methodology, the key results and the practical application and social significance of the paper itself. In addition to the abstract, it is necessary to send information about the authors (scientific-teaching grade, institution, address, telephone number, e-mail). Abstracts must be sent to commforum@bernays.hr by January 17, 2021.

Peer-reviewed papers from the conference will be published in special editions of the academic journals Tourism, Sociology and Space and Communication Management Review.

Download as pdf
Go to conference website
8 December 2020
Bursary PhD 2021 in Leeds (UK): applications by January 5

The Sustainable Business Research Institute at Leeds Beckett University led by Professor Ralph Tench is seeking applications for up to four fully funded PhD studies from exceptional UK or overseas students with an excellent academic record and an interest in communication and responsible engagement.  The positions will start in February 2021.

RESPONSIBLE ENGAGEMENT – THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN SOCIETY

This PhD studentship is focussed on the role of communication in society and can be studied from a profit or not-for-profit perspective.  Supervised by leading international scholars from strategic communication and public relations, this post is looking for a student with interest in the key role communication plays in society. Applications are invited on themes that relate to:

  • Health communication
    Past studies within the team have looked at wicked societal problems such as obesity, wellbeing in organisations, public affairs and policy formation on health issues as well as issues and crisis management on health issues and health pandemics (latterly Covid-19). We are open to ideas on research themes that explore and expand on our understanding of communication and the impact on regional, national and international health agendas and understanding.
  • Communication and technology: digital connectivity. 
    This theme explores the technologies/channels of communication and the impact of digital change communication theory and practice, as well as the behaviour of communicators, both professional and as ‘citizens’. The impact of technical change can be explored at all levels of the communication process, from individual to societal and global impacts. Critically evaluating the impact of technological developments on traditional/historical approaches to communication in the field is one avenue for this theme to explore.  This could involve consideration of the behaviour changes required by all parties in the creation and dissemination of digital communication content, at individual, local, national and global levels, as well as alternative non-digital forms; exploring the impact of impending technological/digital changes (positive and negative) on society. We are also interested in how technology is applied in the communication sphere in response to societal issues and crises.  This raises research themes on technology and risk, transparency, ethics and responsibility.
More info & applications
7 December 2020
Latin-American Communication Monitor: preliminary results (report & video)

47% of Latin-American communicators have experienced several ethical challenges in their daily work over the past year

The two main ethical concerns of communicators are: (1) the use of bots to generate responses and follow them in social media and (2) the hacking of personal data of the public using big data analysis.

The countries that report major ethical challenges are Brazil, Peru, El Salvador, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Latin America, December 2020 – Researchers from the Latin American Communication Monitor (LCM 2020-2021) study presented exclusively, within the framework of the EUPRERA autumn sessions, a preview on the results obtained in the fourth edition of the multinational study on communication management in  the region (webinar recording available here).

During the session Juan-Carlos Molleda and Marco V. Herrera, researchers in the Latin American region presented the main findings on communication management issues and their relationships with cyber security, the status of women, ethical challenges, and new skills needed and concerns faced by of communicators in the region.

Puerto Rico and Cuba joined the study, having obtained data from 20 countries for the first time. The number of surveys answered also increased, from 1,165 to 1,683 responses. LCM continues to be the most representative study of the perceptions of communication professionals in the region, and where the opinions of professionals from different positions, experiences, and types of organizations are included.

The main growth of the sample was generated by the participation of communicators from large companies that are listed on the stock market and also from freelancers. In other demographics, the study reports that three out of four responses are from women; a drop in the levels of affiliation to professional associations was also detected.

Early findings

In the segment dedicated to ethical challenges and resources for integrity management, the study reported that 47% of Latin American communicators have experienced several ethical challenges in their daily work over the past year, and the two main ethical concerns of communicators are: the use of bots to generate responses and follow them in social media, and the exploitation of personal data of the public using big data analysis. The countries that report major ethical challenges are Brazil, Peru, El Salvador, Argentina, and Uruguay.

In the management of integrity and ethical challenges communicators use the ethical guidelines of their organizations 88% and personal values 89% are the preferred resources (the guides of professional associations only represent 79%). Communicators in joint-stock companies are the ones who use ethical codes the most.

Regarding the issue of cyber security, 75% of professionals believe that the issue is relevant to their daily work. Four out of 10 professionals have experienced cyber attacks or incidents of data theft in their own organization, and the most important concern of communicators from all sectors is possible criminal attacks on their online platforms and digital infrastructure 62% (overall)

On the important issue of gender equity at work: this study reports that in 64% of communication departments and agencies, the majority of professionals are women, but only one in two reaches managerial positions. It was also found that gender equality has improved significantly in Chile, Peru, and Venezuela; however, it was also found that more actions are necessary to improve in Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, and Panama.

For professionals in the region, the most important strategic issues for communication management projected towards 2023 are: coping with the digital evolution and the social web; use big data and / or algorithms for communication; and explore new ways to create and distribute content. Regarding the Importance of communication channels and instruments today and in the future, communicators believe that mobile communication is advancing rapidly. Regarding relations with traditional media, participants believe that they are in recession.

Regarding the Competency development in the communication profession, the study reports that four out of five professionals in Latin America believe that constant improvement is necessary.

At the end of the session, the report on excellency in communication was presented, the study reports that only 23% of the communication departments of companies can be considered as an excellent communication department.

Download as pdf
Watch the webinar recording
Go to the LCM website
30 November 2020
New book: Handbook of Business Legitimacy

Handbook of Business Legitimacy: Responsibility, Ethics and Society
Edited by Jacob Dahl Rendtorff
Springer, 2020

This Handbook forms part of wider research in responsibility, ethics and legitimacy of corporations. Through an interdisciplinary perspective, this Handbook clarifies how the interrelation between company and environment is mediated by legitimating notions in public spaces and public relations; how and why these notions have changed radically; how these transformations strike on the epistemological as well as practical dimension of business companies; and the problems involved in these transformations at the macro-, meso- and micro levels.

Edited by Jacob Dahl Rendtorff, Danish expert on CSR and business ethics, the Handbook includes a chapter by Winni Johansen and Finn Frandsen entitled “Crisis Communication and Organizational Legitimacy”: until the mid-90s, crisis communication researchers frequently used the concept of legitimacy; however, after the year 2000, it seems as if crisis communication scholars have lost interest the concept of legitimacy in favor of the concept of reputation. Why? You are kindly invited to read and reflect.

More info

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