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30 April 2025
#EUPRERAtalks – Responsibility in Strategic Communication: Truth or Trap?
Responsibility in Strategic Communication: Truth or Trap?

Date and Time:
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
2:00 PM (CEST)

What to expect from the webinar

In this webinar, Petra Koudelková discusses with Ganga Dhanesh, Wim Elving, Denisa Hejlová, and Samira Rahimi Mavi, scholars with expertise in strategic communication and the multiple facets of responsibility. The webinar reflects on their research recently published in the new EUPRERA book, Responsibility in Strategic Communication: Truth or Trap?, the latest volume in the Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management (APCRM) series, published by Emerald.

The webinar thus provides a unique forum for discussing not only the insights related to contributions presented at the EUPRERA Congress held in Prague, 2023, but it also offers a view on how experts perceive current legal and political development in corporate social responsibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, and ESG. Government authorities in the USA have started to change their discursive practices, and EU regulatory bodies are talking about a redefinition of plans for extensive ESG reporting. Based on their previous findings, the EUPRERA experts share their view on how this structural change will contribute to differentiating genuine commitment from mere promises of responsibility.

Speakers

 

Ganga Dhanesh, University of Maryland, USA

Ganga Dhanesh (PhD, National University of Singapore) is an Associate Professor of Public Relations in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland. Her experience in the corporate sector has informed her extensive research on corporate social responsibility communication, internal communication, and strategic public relations across global contexts, published in multiple top journals. Dr. Dhanesh serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Communication Management and is on the editorial board of Business Horizons, Journal of Public Relations Research, and Public Relations Review. A recipient of several research awards, Dhanesh consults for various national and multinational organizations.

Wim J.L. Elving, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands

Wim J.L. Elving is a Professor of Sustainable Communication at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (HUAS), Groningen, the Netherlands. He is part of EnTranCe, Centre of Expertise: Energy of the HUAS, that focusses on the Energy Transition and the Sustainable Society. Elving’s current research is involved with communicative and behavioral interventions to create this sustainable future. Elving has contributed more than 250 articles, book chapters, books, editorials, blogs, etcetera. His research expertise is in sustainable communications, corporate communication, internal and change communication, CSR communication and branding. He was (2022) awarded the EUPRERA distinguished scholar award and is a member of the A.W. Page Society, and EUPRERA.

Denisa Hejlová, Charles University, Czech Republic

Denisa Hejlová is an Associate Professor at Charles University in Prague and a leading Czech expert in strategic communication, public relations, and political communication. She served as Head of the Department of Marketing Communication and Public Relations from 2011 to 2023 and currently directs the university’s Research Centre for Strategic Communication. A Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Columbia University in 2014, Dr. Hejlová also studied intercultural communication at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. In 2020, she launched the first Czech MA programme in Strategic Communication. Her research spans government communication, propaganda, influencer ethics, and trust management. She is a member of EUPRERA and a contributor to the European Communication Monitor.

Samira Rahimi Mavi, University of Vienna, Austria

Samira Rahimi Mavi studied journalism at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran and earned her PhD in communication from the University of Vienna, where she worked under the guidance of Prof. Sabine Einwiller. Her research explores corporate communication, with a focus on media coverage, consumer criticism, diversity and inclusion, and ethical communication strategies on controversial issues.

Moderator: Petra Koudelková, Charles University, Czech Republic

Dr Petra Koudelková is the Head of the Department of Marketing Communication and PR, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague. Her field of study is sustainable marketing, social marketing, and marketing of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). She is very interested in government communication. She leads the working group for implementing a sustainability program for the whole Faculty of Social Sciences. She is an expert in the communication of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and maps the phenomenon of greenwashing in rapidly changing market conditions.

Duration

1 hour

10 March 2025
New book in the EUPRERA book series: Responsibility in Strategic Communication: Truth or Trap?

The latest book coming out of the EUPRERA annual congress is here! 

Corporate social responsibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, ESG, and environmental concerns have become paramount in the realm of strategic communication and public relations. Communicating these concepts effectively is vital to a myriad of stakeholders, encompassing both internal and external communications. How are these elements managed, articulated, and represented in modern communication practices? In today’s era, marked by the burgeoning significance of digital communication, an increasing number of organizational leaders recognize the imperative of entrusting decision-making authority to communication experts.

Responsibility in Strategic Communication: Truth or Trap? offers a profound exploration into responsible strategic communication, differentiating genuine commitment from mere promises of responsibility. The chapters comprise selected contributions to the 2023 Annual Congress of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) hosted in Prague, Czech Republic, by Charles University Prague. The book is published as part of the Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management (APCRM), a book series edited by the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA). Each volume includes contributions from EUPRERA’s annual congress and follows the theme of each event.

Hejlova, D., Koudelkova, P., Moravcova, H., Romenti, S., & Valentini, C. (Eds.) (2025). Responsibility in strategic communication: Truth or trap? (Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management, Vol. 8), Emerald Publishing Limited.

Chapter 1. Introduction to the Volume – Stefania Romenti
Chapter 2. Public Relations and Responsibility: Pricklier Relations in Polarized Times – Ganga S Dhanesh
Chapter 3. The Complexity and Opportunities of CSR – Wim J.L. Elving
Chapter 4. The Evolution and Controversy of ESG: Communicating Responsibility or Responsible Communication? – Denisa Hejlová
Chapter 5. Is it all fake? The Rhetoric in CSR and Sustainability Communication: Literature Review – Giuseppe Bonaccorso
Chapter 6. Corporate Social Responsibility Scepticism as a Multi-Dimensional Construct: A Scoping Literature Review – Rongtitya Rith
Chapter 7. CEO Activism in Portugal: A View From Inside – Alexandre Duarte and Patrícia Dias
Chapter 8. Stakeholder Engagement for Sustainable Development: Exploring Award-Winning Campaigns – Nilüfer Geysi
Chapter 9. Artificial Intelligence Ethical Violations and Corporate Response Strategies – Stefania Romenti, Elanor Colleoni, Grazia Murtarelli, and Camilla Moroni
Chapter 10. Communicating about Controversial Issues: The Case of Halal offerings in the Food Retail and Banking sectors in Germany and Austria – Samira Rahimi Mavi and Sabine Einwiller
Chapter 11. Hashtag Hijacking as a Governmental Social Responsibility Action: A Communication Network Approach to The Covid-19 Vaccination Arena In Romania – Camelia Cmeciu, Anca Anton, and Eugen Glăvan

Curious about the book? Click here!

EUPRERA members get a 70% discount!

If you are an EUPRERA member, check your e-mail for details in our internal newsletter. If you are not, please consider becoming one – details are on our Membership page.

19 September 2024
Awards for Best Papers 2024: EUPRERA honours academics and practitioners from Europe

We are just back from the EUPRERA Annual Congress, organised by the University of Bucharest, looking grand in its 160 years of history.

The congress was a success both in participation with nearly 200 attendants and in scientific contribution, with works on the theme “The Art of Communication”, grasping the legacy and challenges of the unprecedented times we are facing, characterized by fast-facing changes.

The Annual Congress is also time to hand out the EUPRERA Best Paper Awards. As always, the Awards were given to the authors of three papers with the highest rankings in a blind peer-review process performed by experienced reviewers from the EUPRERA community, under the guidance of the Heads of the Scientific Committee, Alina Dolea and Sarah Marschlich.

EUPRERA Best Paper Awards

The three winning papers:

Strategic Communication and Value Creation: Towards a Multi-Perspective Understanding of the Value-Formation Process in Strategic Communication Management
by Rickard Andersson

This paper significantly contributes to understanding the value formation process in strategic communication management. It proposes a novel multi-perspective that integrates the stakeholder, organizational, and societal perspectives. It has academic relevance and strong link with professional practice especially since demonstrating how strategic communication management creates value has long been considered a critical challenge for communication departments and managers. Moreover, it advances the theorizing of value creation in strategic communication.

Interdisciplinary Patchwork: A Bibliometric Analysis of Investor Relations and Financial Communication
by Laura Hackl

This paper provides a state-of-the-art overview of an important area that is less studied, investor relations and financial communication. It uses a bibliometric approach that draws on big data analysis and opportunities for different forms of analysis that technology/AI allows. Through the historical review, it nicely positions itself in relation to previous literature, highlighting similarities, differences, and relationships. It is a well-designed and methodologically sound interdisciplinary paper that significantly contributes to the under-developed study of investor relations and financial communication as part of strategic communication.

Policy Window and News Media Lobbying – Crisis Narratives of Finnish Trade Associations During a Public Health Crisis
by Markus Tapani Mykkänen, Chiara Valentini

This paper explores how the three major Finish trade associations used news media for lobbying during the pandemic. It is innovative in the sense that it tries to combine the theory of policy windows/cycles with the study of media lobbying. The combination of these approaches constitutes the originality of the study. The authors show the main narratives and meta-narratives the trade associations used, emphasizing the importance of timing. Overall, this is a very well-executed and argued study. It is neat, clear and relevant both for practice and research. The research on how lobbyists are arguing and how they work through media is understudied and this paper contributes to the literature on lobbying, interest groups and strategic communication.

 

Special recognition to the best reviewer

EUPRERA Best Reviewer Award recognizes the work done by the reviewer because it is an essential contribution to the quality and success of the annual congress. This year’s winner is:

Dr Martina Topić,
College of Communication and Information Sciences, The University of Alabama

Dr. Topić stood out through the number of high-quality reviews she did for EUPRERA this year. Her feedback was detailed, diligent and constructive, with lots of suggestions offered to help authors develop and improve their papers.
Her willingness to help and pick-up last-minute additional reviews was also genuinely appreciated by the Scientific Committee.

 

 

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4 October 2023
2023 Distinguished Public Relations Scholar Award

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), a body of academic institutions, researchers and senior professionals in the field of strategic communication with 550 members from 51 countries, has named Peggy Simcic Brønn, from BI Norwegian Business School, Distinguished Public Relations Scholar. The lifetime award recognizes her outstanding contribution to research and education in public relations as a social science discipline on an international level.
She has been awarded on September 22, 2023, at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, on the occasion of the EUPRERA annual congress, by the association’s president elect Prof. Jesper Falkheimer.

Peggy Simcic Brønn is professor emerita at the highly-ranked BI Norwegian Business School, where she has been a professor since 2011. She has a long history as a leader, researcher and lecturer in the field of corporate communications and public relations. She was founder and leader of BI Centre for Corporate Communication for several years as well as an associate editor of Journal of Communication Management, among other assignments. Her research contribution is clear and relevant, especially in the field of reputation, corporate social responsibility and corporate branding. Besides her international career – she is a US citizen but with a strong base in Norway – she has been an active communication expert in the Norwegian public sphere. Alongside her academic reputation, she is a notorious motorcyclist, along with her husband Carl.

 

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29 September 2023
2023 Master Thesis Awards and PhD Award

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), a body of academic institutions, researchers and senior professionals in the field of strategic communication with 550 members from 51 countries has awarded two master students for their excellent theses in strategic communication.

The Master Thesis Award for Excellence is an annual prize aimed to celebrate the PR academia and the role performed by European Higher Education Institutions in the evolution of knowledge of this field. The jury, headed by Martina Topić, from Leeds Beckett University in UK, selected the winning theses in two categories:

Practical Impact Award

“PR Strategies for Audience Engagement and Dialogue on Social Media: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Select British NGOs’ Twitter Posts”
by Temitope Oyelade, University of Stirling, UK
Supervisor: Sally Chalmers

This dissertation expands upon the dialogue theory of PR as enacted by Taylor and Kent in 2002 and 2014 by focusing on the use of social media for engagement by NGOs. It addresses the lacunae in PR research on social media engagement and dialogue within the relational paradigm, especially regarding social media’s multimedia affordances for facilitating dialogic engagement between organisations and their publics and building ethical Organisation-Public Relationships (OPR). The study indicates that purposeful selection of social media discourses for maximum cognitive and affective engagement may allow for more dialogically oriented conversations, and thus more ethical relationships with online audiences, as the presence of a dialogic orientation in the NGO communications has the effect of largely mitigating the effect of the unequal power dynamic that naturally exists between organisations and their audiences, leading to better OPRs in practice. The study also situates social media engagement within the dialogue theory of PR and provides direction for further research on the use of social media for dialogue, particularly the implementation of vulnerability, a key element of dialogic orientation.

Theoretical Impact Award

“The Role of Consumer PR in Feminist Menstrual Activism”
by Caitlin Carbury, University of Stirling, UK
Supervisor: Clare McKeown

This dissertation sought to examine the role of consumer PR in Feminist Menstrual Activism (FMA) to gather insight into what PR does for FMA and menstruators, and what FMA can do for PR. The findings revealed three dominant categories of meaning which (re)produced both old and new meanings regarding menstruation: 1. Prepare and Protect, 2. Menstruation as Womanly, and 3. Feminist Menstrual Activism. These dominant categories highlighted that consumer PR’s role in FMA is complicated by tensions and contradictions which largely stem from capitalism and commodification. Despite this, instances of transgression within the data suggested that PR has the potential to act as FMA. By drawing on these findings, this paper argues that PR practitioners need access to the dominant coalition, a will to do the right thing and harbour a feminist intelligence if consumer PR is to play an active role in the progression of both FMA and PR practice. Moreover, the paper highlights the need for further theoretical and empirical research which incorporates more organisations and media platforms to draw stronger conclusions on the role of PR in FMA and what these communications mean for varying identities.

 

The PhD Award for Excellent Doctoral Thesis is a bi-annual prize awarded by EUPRERA aimed to stimulate the academic discussion and build the body of knowledge in communication management across Europe. The jury, headed by Prof. Winni Johansen and Prof. Wim Elving, selected as winning thesis:

“The contribution of different communication channels and sub-state actors to country perception in today’s globalized and digitalized society. A public diplomacy listening approach”
by Jérôme Chariatte, University of Fribourg, CH
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Diana Ingenhoff

The thesis (179 pages) addresses new, relevant, and fascinating topics: listening within public diplomacy, as well as civic engagement across countries, and the role of sub-actors such as cities for the country image and the branding of a country. In addition, the relationship between place branding and public diplomacy in the digital sphere is addressed and extended by linking it to concepts like global governance and social responsibility. Furthermore, the study contributes with combining new and multiple methods and ways to listen and to measure country image and public diplomacy that take into account the globalized and digitalized context of todays’ public diplomacy efforts.

The methods are ambitious and broad ranged. Based on four different empirical studies the thesis contributes a mixed methods approach to study country image and public urban actors relying on both classical and recent research methodologies, such as media content and survey analysis, semantic network analysis, structural equation modelling and analysis of trace data. The analyses are thoroughly executed and based on appropriate and well-argued research methodologies. The ‘mystery’ of the thesis is clearly embedded in its implementation of new research methods adopted to match the digitalization and social media implementation in today’s public diplomacy practices. Furthermore, the thesis contributes to strengthen the role and status of communication in the public diplomacy and country image branding, and to add new insights into methodological theories and issues related to public diplomacy research enriching the perspectives of diplomacy and urban civic engagement across countries.

The thesis clearly demonstrates how the field of public diplomacy and public relations can benefit from taking new theoretical and methodological steps forward.

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27 September 2023
Awards for Best Papers 2023: EUPRERA honours academics and practitioners from Europe

We are just back from the EUPRERA  Annual Congress, organised by Charles University in Prague, one of the largest and oldest universities in the world, as it was founded in 1348 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.

The congress was a success both in participation with nearly 200 attendants and in scientific contribution, with works on the theme “Responsible Communication – or Communicating Responsibility?”, grasping the legacy and challenges of the unprecedented times we are facing.

The Annual Congress is also time to hand out the EUPRERA Best Paper Awards. As always, the Awards were given to the authors of three papers with the highest rankings in a two-stage, blind peer-review process performed by a scientific committee of renowned international scholars, headed by Chiara Valentini.

EUPRERA Best Paper Awards

The three winning papers:

“I want what you want! Understanding the Impact of Public Interest Arguments in Lobbying and Public Affairs”
by Ketil Raknes and Øyvind Ihlen

This paper significantly contributes to the realm of public affairs by providing valuable insights into how politicians and lobbyists in Norway use the concept of public interest to advocate for or against energy and environmental issues. The paper is well constructed, rigorous and well-argued. It offers a comprehensive, relevant, and coherent theoretical framework that thoroughly examines the utilization of “topos” in the communicative interactions of these influential social actors. The theoretical framework is highly valuable in that it can be used to analyze a diverse set of advocacy initiatives beyond the ones in focus in this study. Overall, this study constitutes a significant advancement in the understanding of lobbyism and rhetoric within the political sphere and offers a theory-driven tool to dissect the quality of argumentations of those in power and the role of communication in affecting democratic processes.

“Sustainable Engagement with Digitalization Challenges in Strategic Communication: Introducing the VUCA Radar”
by Peter Winkler, Jannik Kretschmer, and Philip Wamprechtsamer

This paper explores the frequently used, yet ambiguously defined concept of VUCA, aiming to provide a conceptual and empirical analysis that sheds light on its impact on strategic communication and outlines effective responses to its challenges. The study is backed by qualitative data gathered in Austria. A commendable aspect of this research is the authors’ intention to enhance our comprehension of VUCA while contributing to the theoretical understanding of current public relations in both internal and external environments. To aid professionals in navigating complex and volatile situations, the paper introduces a valuable tool called the VUCA RADAR. Overall, the study stands out as an intriguing, innovative, pertinent, and ambitious contribution to the field.

 “Trend Research in Communication Management: Introducing an Interdisciplinary Approach based on Futures Research Methodology”
by Ansgar Zerfass, Daniel Ziegele, Sünje Clausen, and Stefan Stieglitz

This paper proposes an integrative approach for future research in public relations and communication management. The methodological approach integrates insights from research developments in society, management, and technology and integrates insights from professionals. There is a nice dialectical engagement between theory and practice-based experiences which positions this work as one highly commented for its practical implications and contribution in expanding our knowledge for conducting formative research. Overall, the paper suggests an innovative integrative methodological perspective, that can become an important practical toolkit for professionals and their research efforts in identifying key trends.

 

Special recognition to the best reviewer

EUPRERA Best Reviewer Award recognizes the work done by the reviewer because it is an essential contribution to the quality and success of the annual congress. This year’s winner is:

Melissa A. Johnson,
North Carolina State University

Dr. Johnson’s review stands at an exceptional level of quality. Her feedback is thorough, comprising in-depth and comprehensive comments, along with practical suggestions that effectively aid authors in enhancing their papers. Notably, her constructive and encouraging remarks prompt authors to introspect on their arguments and research decisions. Moreover, the review exhibits attentive feedback and a profound respect for diverse academic cultural traditions and perspectives, making it truly commendable.

 

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21 April 2023
ESG is about negotiating the voice of business in society
An Interview with a leading communication Professor Ganga Dhanesh, who will be giving a keynote lecture in September at the EUPRERA congress in Prague.

In this exclusive interview appeared on the Czechoslovakian magazine Markething, Denisa Hejlova interviews professor Ganga Dhanesh to discuss the growing significance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in today’s global business landscape.

We delve into the ethical challenges and opportunities associated with ESG, as well as its potential impact on a global scale. Don’t miss this insightful conversation that explores the role of businesses in society and the driving force behind ESG’s increasing prominence.

Can you tell us about ESG – what it means for you and how would you introduce it to a global audience?

ESG stands for environment, social, and governance, but it is just the latest in a very long line of research and practice relating to the social responsibility of businesses that dates back to the 19th century. The more common term is CSR, or corporate social responsibility. Over time, it has taken on different dimensions. In the CSR literature, we ask companies: Are you being ethically responsible, economically responsible, and legally responsible? Then only comes your engagement with philanthropic contributions, charity, etc.

In its latest version, ESG encompasses social, economic, and environmental dimensions. I’m really excited about talking at the EUPRERA conference in Prague about this, and I’m very excited about the whole topic because it’s important globally. Businesses not only have to be responsible because it’s the right thing to do, but because it also generates strong returns. Whether it is stakeholders across the spectrum, such as employees who look to join socially responsible companies, consumers who want to buy from socially responsible organizations, or investors who want to invest in responsible companies, this has real value for companies. If companies ignore or do not pay enough attention to this topic, they are doing themselves a disservice.

When we talk about ethics, it’s something abstract. What are the key topics or buzzwords right now that corporations focus on?

This is a great question. I’m an associate editor at the Journal of Communication Management, and we just brought out a virtual special issue on ethics. Everybody is talking about ethical issues now, particularly in the context of generative AI, communication, and public relations. There are a lot of ethical issues, but these issues are not new. They have been with us for a long time.

That’s why we looked at some foundational research and curated some of the existing research into a virtual issue, along the lines of looking backwards to address the future. There are plenty of ethical issues to address, starting with internal issues, because in the CSR literature, we always talk about the inside out approach. So internally, how can you be fair and transparent to employees? How can you share data? Externally, what about transparency and ethics in sharing information with your consumers?

In the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which companies are addressing these days, there are many applications. Internally, in terms of employees, as well as externally in terms of addressing consumer publics, how can you meet them where they are? One interesting idea in the literature is how what we discuss today as an ethical issue can tomorrow become a legal responsibility, because matters of ethics often move into law after they are debated extensively. So, it’s a moving wheel between ethical responsibility and legal responsibility.

This has actually happened with ESG as well. Before, it was a „nice to have,“ but now it’s the law in the European Union, although not in the rest of the world. How do you see it from a global perspective? How do you see other countries hopping on the trend? Do you think they will follow?

In some parts of the world, it’s becoming mandatory, but in others, it’s still voluntary. There has been a lot of debate about whether being socially responsible should be mandated or whether companies should do it voluntarily. Probably one of the best ways would be to leave it as voluntary so that companies can decide how they want to enact their social responsibilities. But it is also good to have some rules and regulations around it so that you can say, for example, that companies earning more than a certain amount in revenue will contribute x percentage to ESG or CSR efforts. However, you have to leave it to them to figure out what is most relevant for them as an organization or business. That way, they can choose initiatives that align with their core competencies.

Final question, do you see any threats in the near future which can affect the ESG and its development globally?

Not really. Because I think these topics have been debated for a very long time. Its form and size and shape keep shifting. But fundamentally, we are discussing the social responsibilities of businesses. So whatever names we call it, we have called CSR, we have called it conscious capitalism, we have called it triple bottom line or triple P for profit, people, planet, and now it’s ESG, but it might be something else tomorrow. But fundamentally it is about negotiating the voice of business in society.

See the original article on Markething magazine

 

More about Dr. Ganga S. Dhanesh

Dr. Ganga S. Dhanesh is an accomplished Associate Professor in Integrated Strategic Communication and Associate Dean at the College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University, UAE. With prior experience in both corporate and non-profit sectors, she has transitioned into a distinguished academic career, previously serving as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore. Dr. Dhanesh’s research focuses on corporate social responsibility, employee relations, and strategic communication, and she has received numerous accolades for her work, including the Zayed University Outstanding Faculty Award for Research in 2020.

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