culture public relations a new approach to
TRANSCRIPT
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16th BledCom International
Public Relations Research Symposium
CALL FOR PAPERS
General Theme: Culture and Public Relations
“Culture Public Relations. A new approach to
the profession in a global multicultural environment”
Amanda Jane Succi
AJS Connection srl
Via Provinciale 18 - 95026 Acitrezza - Catania – Italy
Tel.: +39 095 7116077 [email protected]
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Culture Public Relations.
A new approach to the profession in a
global multicultural environment
Abstract
Culture is powerful. Every one of us believes implicitly in our culture (whichever one it is) and
generally conforms to its tenets. Communication is powerful. Through the skilled use of
communication strategies and tools, change can be accomplished. As culture is critically
important to communication, so communication is important to culture since it is fundamental in
the achievement of mutual understanding.
Key questions: During the moment of communication, how do values and cultural norms affect
communication? Which are the social and cognitive factors able to determine the success of
relational exchange between people? In which way do the context, the type of relationship and
the perceived distance reflect on the communication process? How can we identify specific
barriers, in the communication process, related to differences between people and their
expectations, potentially determining an obstacle to their mutual understanding?
This paper aims to state the importance of binding culture and communication together in
specific public relations programs, and its implications for public relations in both societal and
corporate culture settings. The theoretical part gives general descriptions of the terms culture,
multiculturalism, intercultural relations and cross-cultural communication. The second part
outlines the definition of public relations and its natural core “culture orientation”, expanding on
corporate culture, and the increasing importance of culture public relations in defining relational
spaces through the use of culture as a communication tool.
The paper concludes with the assumption that public relations is culture, since both have the
specific characteristics of dynamicity and change. In fact, culture is not a static phenomenon but
is constantly changing, losing and acquiring new elements and specificities. Pr, at the same time,
is a dynamic profession. It changes in order to fulfill at its best the reason for its existence: taking
care of the understanding between an organization and its many publics, culture being the silent
link.
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Article outline
The paper is outlined in two parts: the first one is concentrated on the theoretic approach of the
subject proposed; the second part is dedicated to the practical application of the idea presented.
Part one - Theoretical overview
1. Culture
2. Culture and evolution
3. Cultural differences and cultural distances
4. Multiculturalism
5. Intercultural relation
6. The importance of Culture worldwide: UNESCO’s commitment and duty
7. Communication and intercultural communication
Part two - Practical approach
8. Defining pr and its link to culture.
9. Corporate culture: cultural organization and communication
10. Practical link between the application of pr and the use of culture as a communication tool.
11. Public relations governs relations, relational spaces and cultural relations.
12. Cultural and territorial pr infrastructure
13. The Euro-Mediterranean example
14. Culture PR: Key elements and factors
Conclusions
References and bibliography
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PART ONE
Theoretical overview
Culture and communication are two extremely complex concepts and fields with many
definitions for both. Although, in this paper, I shall avoid confronting the debate still raging
between sociologists and anthropologists concerning the definition of culture, it is nevertheless
impossible to discuss the relationship between public relations, communication and culture
without introducing the basic meanings and findings regarding the following:
Culture
Cultural evolution and subcultures
Cultural differences and cultural distances
Multiculturalism
Intercultural relation
The importance of Culture worldwide: UNESCO’s commitment and duty
Communication and intercultural communication
1. Culture
From the Latin word cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate", culture generally
refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities
significance and importance.1
Culture is the particular configuration of behaviours, norms, attitudes, values, beliefs and basic
assumptions that differ from society to society. This means that culture is not “objective” in the
sense that phenomena in the natural world are (or seem to be) objective. Culture can look
different depending upon who does the looking, when they look and from what direction. This
makes culture difficult to grasp.2
Among one of the classical definitions of culture the following has been stated by Kroeber and
Kluckhohn: Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behaviour, acquired and
1 Harper, Douglas (2001). Online Etymology Dictionary
2 Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse “ Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach”, Thomson, 2002.
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transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups … the
essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values3.
Furthermore, culture has two main aspects which must be taken into consideration: an objective
one and a subjective one. The objective aspect of culture refers to the system of meanings
shared by a social group and piled up during the course of generations. The subjective aspect
refers to the baggage of beliefs, attitudes, self definition, norms, roles and values which an
individual possesses thanks to his/her belonging to a specific culture.4 The elements present in
the subjective culture which are organized around a central theme are defined by Triandis (1996)
“cultural syndromes”,5 which are, as an example, the level of uprightness-laxity or active-passive
activities which are required by a specific culture, such as the tendency to express or avoid
certain emotions, or to give more importance to instrumental aspects or to expressive ones (such
as taking care of social relations). So, culture gives to an individual a cognitive aspect,
represented by a mix of knowledge, and a prescriptive aspect, which is a behavioral guide. The
differences between cultures depend on that part of knowledge or prescriptions not shared and
which distinguishes one cultural group from another.6
Culture in a general sense is human software and know-how, all that is learned in the process of
being human: an open-ended learning, never complete, always in flux and not necessarily bound
to a particular location. Then there are cultures, or forms of emotional and cognitive learning
that occur in social settings such as nations, ethnic groups, localities and cities, which are usually
embedded in religions and civilizations. Cultures interact, clash, or harmonize and are mediated
through culture.7 Cultures can be "understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even
their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact
and compete with one another".8 Symbols provide the limits of cultured thought: members of a
culture rely on these symbols to frame their thoughts and expressions in intelligible terms. In
short, symbols make culture possible, reproducible and readable.
3 Kroeber, A.L, & Kluckhohn, C. Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. New York: Random House,
(1952). 4 Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006. 5 Triandis, H.C. The psychological measurement cultural syndromes. American Psychologist, (1996).
6 Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006. 7 Jan Nederveen Pieterse, “Ethnicities and global multiculture”, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers inc., 2007 8 Findley, Carther Vaughn and John Alexander Rothney (2006). Twentieth-century World. Sixth edition, p. 14.
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Culture can also be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a
population that are passed down from generation to generation. In fact culture has been called
"the way of life for an entire society."9 RSAL DECLARATION ON CULTURAL
Above all, culture is not a rationally based belief system, but refers rather to taken-for-granted
beliefs, values, norms, and basic assumptions that have proved useful in adapting to uncertainty
and integration. As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, games,
norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief. So, whenever and wherever
people come together over time, culture develops. Furthermore, the essence of culture is that it
is10:
Learned
Shared
Interrelated
Adaptive
Which also means that culture is the determinant of the meaning applied to things and actions.
Symbols, in fact, are the basic unit of cultural expression being part of action, behaviour and
communication. Symbolism and culture are key aspects of organizations, and their expression in
an organization context affects the whole of the organization, in particular its communication.
But culture does not mean civilization. It's not necessary to have cities in order to have a culture.
Every society does the best it can with its circumstances. Any given social group, and therefore
the culture that reflects it, is therefore neither more advanced nor more backward than any
other; it is simply the way it is because it works that way. If the circumstances should change due
to environmental change, population pressure, or historical events, then the culture changes.
9 Williams, Raymond. Keywords, "Culture" 10
Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse “ Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach”, Thomson, 2002.
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2. Cultural evolution and subcultures
Culture is not a static phenomenon, it evolves constantly and invisibly. Especially in the age of
information and technology, where it is available a huge amount of data about different cultures,
the interconnection between cultures is greater. Also global migration helps cultures to get into
contact more easily, mix, fuse and generating new cultural flavors. This means that the need of
mutual understanding is increasingly urgent, both in relation to social and business environment.
Man must be prepared to confront culture’s traits and scenarios. Man needs to learn how
culture evolves, what culture means to him and for him, needs to understand its consequences,
needs to evaluate its reasons of existence and power. Again, this must be achieved both in
society and in a business context.
I find that this aspect of culture is the core to the public relations’ process and development. I
believe that public relations is culture in itself, because it cannot accomplish its programs and
projects without culture. If culture did not exist I’m quite sure that neither would public
relations. Everything would be static, predictable, every human being would be identical to
another, there wouldn’t be any kind of conflict or misunderstanding. Everything would be
extremely flat and boring. The opposite of what culture is and of what communication as a social
phenomenon and public relations as a profession are: in constant movement and, therefore,
change.
Subculture
Cultures are not only identifiable as macro blocks, but at the same time present many
subcultures, meaning groups with distinctive characteristics within a larger culture. So, a
subculture is a group of people with a culture (whether distinct or hidden) which differentiates
them from the larger culture to which they belong. If a particular subculture is characterized by a
systematic opposition to the dominant culture, it may be described as a counterculture.
Subcultures are social, with their own shared conventions, values and rituals, but they can also
seem 'immersed' or self-absorbed, another feature that distinguishes them from
countercultures. Subcultures can be perceived as negative due to their nature of criticism to the
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dominant societal standard. In essence, subcultures bring together like-minded individuals who
feel neglected by societal standards and allow them to develop a sense of identity. 11
Large societies often have subcultures, or groups of people with distinct sets of behavior and
beliefs that differentiate them from a larger culture of which they are a part. Subcultures can be
distinctive because of the age, race, ethnicity, class, location, and/or gender of the members. The
qualities that determine a subculture as distinct may be linguistic, aesthetic, religious, political,
sexual, geographical, or a combination of factors. Members of a subculture often signal their
membership through a distinctive and symbolic use of style, which includes fashions,
mannerisms.
The above is applicable in society or in a working environment, especially if we are dealing with
cross-cultural businesses and multinational corporations. So, cultures are externally affected via
contact between societies, which may also produce -- or inhibit -- social shifts and changes in
cultural practices. The cultural and psychological change caused by a long period of contact with
people who belong to different cultural groups is called acculturation12. This is a process
regarding mutual influence which involves many consequences for the dominant group as well as
for the minority one.
War or competition over resources may impact technological development or social dynamics.
Additionally, cultural ideas may transfer from one society to another, through diffusion or
acculturation. Diffusion of innovations theory presents a research-based model of why and when
individuals and cultures adopt new ideas, practices, and products. Related processes on an
individual level include assimilation (adoption of a different culture by an individual) and trans-
culturation, a term coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in 1947 to describe the
phenomenon of merging and converging cultures.
3. Cultural differences and cultural distances
Cultures can be different not only between continents or nations, but also within the same
company or even family. The differences can also depend on cultural distances.
Cultural distance can be measured taking into consideration a series of aspects, such as
language, the type of social and economic structure, religion, the political system, the level of
11
Dick Hebdige, Subculture the Meaning of Style, (1979). 12
Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006.
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education, the idea of truth, esthetical criteria, and so on. Cultural distance is preeminently (even
if not only) a structural distance. But this could be an effective distance or a perceived distance,
and they may not necessary coincide. The perceived distance is generally malleable, because it
can increase or decrease according to how much the context favours assimilation or contrast.
Language and behavior are among those structural factors which contribute to the perception of
distance or vicinity.13
4. Multiculturalism
The term multiculturalism generally refers to an applied ideology of racial, cultural and ethnic
diversity within the demographics of a specified place, usually at the scale of an organization
such as a school, business, neighborhood, city or nation. Some countries and some international
corporations have official policies of multiculturalism aimed at recognizing, celebrating and
maintaining the different cultures or cultural identities within that society or company to
promote social cohesion.
A multicultural area (which can be a nation, a country, a region, a city, a small town or even a
classroom) is so defined because it brings together many cultures at the same time, in the same
place. But the cultures that are present in a multicultural environment remain separate, like
bubbles in a bathtub: many bubbles in the same water, every bubble touching and pushing the
outside area of the nearest bubble, often bending it, invading it, until it breaks. Similarly this
happens in multicultural areas. People from different cultures will mix, the cultures will mix, but
always maintaining their cultural origin and sometimes generating confusion in the
communication process, breaking possible balances. This is one of the areas that should be taken
care of by public relations.
In society, and in some cases in an organizational setting, multiculturalism is the other aspect of
supranational integration, which tries to reach an equal relationship among the cultures existing
within the same citizenship or context. The debate regarding multiculturalism moves towards the
recognition of equal dignity of group and community cultural expressions which cohabit in a
democratic society. This concept can be expressed in legal language: every human being has the
13
Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006.
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right to grow up in a culture, his or hers own culture, not the one to which a majority tends to
assimilate him/her.
In societal terms, unfortunately, the perception of multiculturalism is blurred by the existence of
other problems, such as the explosion of certain racist episodes and the difficulties of a
multiethnic society, with which multiculturalism often risks being confused.
Simply put, it all depends on the lack of knowledge of each other’s culture, of each other’s self
being, of simple respect for one another. People forget to communicate correctly with each
other, simply because they do not have the knowledge of the power of communication and how,
through it and thanks to it, understanding can be shared. This is where public relations has a very
important role to play in creating understanding through the knowledge and sharing of culture. It
bridges people’s needs to learn to share relational spaces, to understand how to interrelate both
in societal and organizational environment, and to adapt to each other consciously towards true
intercultural relations through cross-cultural communication.
5. Intercultural relation matches intercultural competence
Leaving aside sociological and anthropological concerns regarding intercultural concepts, from
my point of view an intercultural environment is a relational space in which two or more defined
cultures coexist sharing mutual understanding. While multiculturalism shares the relational
space but not the mutual understanding, thus potentially (and in many cases in reality, as media
and experience shows us) triggering human conflict which influences social and organizational
peace, an intercultural relational and space-shared environment is the true focus upon which
public relations should be inspired to take action.
Action which needs to involve all levels both in the social and in the organizational field. In order
to achieve this goal, it is important to gain specific Intercultural competences (or Cross-cultural
competence - 3C), which is the ability for successful communication with people of other
cultures. A person who is interculturally competent captures and understands, in interaction
with people from foreign or different cultures, their specific concepts in perception, thinking,
feeling and acting. This helps to free people from those prejudices and stereotypes which act as
barriers in the intercultural communication process.
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6. The importance of Culture worldwide: UNESCO’s commitment and duty
The importance in focusing on culture, the strength of its diversity, and the need to aim at
cohesion of human kind both in the societal and organizational context, is also taken into great
consideration by Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
which (in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity) describes culture as follows: "... culture
should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional
features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature,
lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs".14
The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO affirms “that the wide diffusion of culture, and the
education of humanity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of man
and constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfill in a spirit of mutual assistance and
concern” … which furthermore states the importance of “cultural diversity and the exercise of
cultural rights in the international instruments enacted by UNESCO,15 Reaffirming that culture
should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional
features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature,
lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs, 16 Noting that culture is at
the heart of contemporary debates about identity, social cohesion, and the development of a
knowledge-based economy, Affirming that respect for the diversity of cultures, tolerance,
dialogue and cooperation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding are among the best
guarantees of international peace and security, Aspiring to greater solidarity on the basis of
recognition of cultural diversity, of awareness of the unity of humankind, and of the
development of intercultural exchanges, Considering that the process of globalization, facilitated
by the rapid development of new information and communication technologies, though
14
UNESCO. 2002. Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. Adopted by the 31st
session at the General Conference of Unesco, Paris, 2 November 2001. 15
In Unesco -Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity “Among which, in particular, the Florence Agreement of 1950 and its Nairobi Protocol of 1976, the Universal Copyright Convention of 1952, the Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Cooperation of 1966, the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 1970, the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice of 1978, the Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist of 1980, and the Recommendation on Safeguarding Traditional Culture and Folklore of 1989”. 16
In Unesco - Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity This definition is in line with the conclusions of the World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT, Mexico City, 1982), of the World Commission on Culture and Development (Our Creative Diversity, 1995), and of the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development (Stockholm, 1998).
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representing a challenge for cultural diversity, creates the conditions for renewed dialogue
among cultures and civilizations, Aware of the specific mandate which has been entrusted to
UNESCO, within the United Nations system, to ensure the preservation and promotion of the
fruitful diversity of cultures, Proclaims the following principles and adopts the present
Declaration …”. Thus demonstrating the global importance of taking care of culture, its effects
and its power in human coexistence and cohesion, both for social and business reasons. Among
the 12 Unesco’s articles stated in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (all of which are
of great importance and value), for the purpose of this paper I found particularly interesting the
following which I directly relate to communication and public relations strategies:
Article 1 - Cultural diversity: the common heritage of humanity
Culture takes diverse forms across time and space. This diversity is embodied in the uniqueness
and plurality of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of
exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as
biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be
recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations.
Article 2 - From cultural diversity to cultural pluralism
In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among
people and groups with plural, varied and dynamic cultural identities as well as their willingness
to live together. Policies for the inclusion and participation of all citizens are guarantees of
social cohesion, the vitality of civil society and peace. Thus defined, cultural pluralism gives
policy expression to the reality of cultural diversity. Indissociable from a democratic framework,
cultural pluralism is conducive to cultural exchange and to the flourishing of creative capacities
that sustain public life.
Article 3 - Cultural diversity as a factor in development
Cultural diversity widens the range of options open to everyone; it is one of the roots of
development, understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to
achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence.
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Article 4 - Human rights as guarantees of cultural diversity
The defense of cultural diversity is an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human
dignity. It implies a commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the
rights of persons belonging to minorities and those of indigenous peoples. No one may invoke
cultural diversity to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit
their scope.
Article 5 - Cultural rights as an enabling environment for cultural diversity
Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and
interdependent...
Article 10 - Strengthening capacities for creation and dissemination worldwide
In the face of current imbalances in flows and exchanges of cultural goods and services at the
global level, it is necessary to reinforce international cooperation and solidarity aimed at
enabling all countries, especially developing countries and countries in transition, to establish
cultural industries that are viable and competitive at national and international levels.
Article 11 - Building partnerships between the public sector, the private sector and civil society
Market forces alone cannot guarantee the preservation and promotion of cultural diversity,
which is the key to sustainable human development. From this perspective, the pre-eminence of
public policy, in partnership with the private sector and civil society, must be reaffirmed.
7. Communication and intercultural communication
If communication is the process which sees the exchange of information between two or more
people (Watzlawick), intercultural communication can be considered as the exchange of
information between people who belong to groups or social categories which are holders of
cultures at least partially different. It is a relationship between people who do not share the
same system of meanings. It is therefore evident the necessity to understand the complexity of
the relation exchange and of the communication process.17 The process includes the exchange of
information and messages through an intentional and conscious use of mutually intelligible
17
Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006.
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symbol systems. Even though habits and emotions are part of the communicative process they
are generally regarded as sources of communication that do not involve conscious intention. 18
In communication there are both universal and cultural specifics, and in any case all cultures use
the same forms of communication, obviously adapted to each context and culture:
Oral communication
Written communication
Non verbal communication
What is important for any form or kind of communication is that it must be effective, meaning
that the information must be received as accurately in terms of content and meaning as
intended by the sender.19
At the same time, a correct communication process needs to be bidirectional and symmetrical,
meaning that it triggers a monitored loop system in which the feedback obtained must undergo a
carefully controlled “listening” process. It is a negotiation process necessarily involving
communication which, in turn, is effective when it listens to the publics (stakeholders) being
taken into consideration, helping to improve the communication system and, at the same time,
to change social and corporate organization. The effect of listening to chosen publics helps to
improve social and organizational settings. This gives public relations and its practitioners a much
more important and relevant role than the one existing today.
Part of the difficulty of our profession is to identify and deal with barriers to communication,
which are anything that prevents a message from being received or understood. Barriers are
usually of human origin and can be listed as follows20:
Socio-cultural barriers. Considering that communication always involves other people, it is
important to notice that an individual can be a carrier of culture but one person cannot create
culture, because culture is a group or social phenomenon.
Psychological barriers. These are related to the individual and his/her mental and
emotional state.
18 Maureen Guirdham, Communicating across cultures at work, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2005 19
Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse “ Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach”, Thomson, 2002. 20
Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse “ Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach”, Thomson, 2002.
15
Organizational barriers. Primarily related to the organization’s structure, culture, patterns
of work and communication flows.
In order to embark in the intercultural communication process it is possible to identify the
following skills and disciplines:
Cross-cultural competence
Language proficiency
Regional /context knowledge
Communication strategy skills and awareness
The above are inextricably linked and their mix will vary depending on the context in which they
are employed. According to Bloom, it represents an effective framework to describe the overlap
area between the first three disciplines: at the receiving and knowledge levels cross-culture
competence can operate with near independence from language proficiency or regional
knowledge, but as one approaches the internalizing and evaluation levels the required overlap
area approaches totality.21 Cross-culture competence is a very important aspect and skill in the
intercultural communication process, but I also believe that cross-culture competence can be a
successful tool only when inserted in a public relations program.
Cross-cultural communication or intercultural communication is therefore the field of study and
the specialized professional area of public relations that looks at how people from differing
cultural backgrounds endeavor to communicate and, at the same time, how it can be
strategically and effectively done. As an example, until some years ago businesses developed
programs to train employees to understand how to act when abroad, focusing primarily on
language gaps. Current cross-cultural training in businesses also includes focus on culture
training, establishing and understanding how people from different cultures communicate with
each other, producing some guidelines with which people from different cultures can better
communicate with each other. But it’s still not enough.
21
BLOOM BS (ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the classification of educational goals – Handbook I:
Cognitive Domain New York: McKay
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Cross-cultural communication is a very complex field and study area. It is a combination of many
other fields, such as anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, communication and
communication strategy.
PART TWO
Practical approach
In this section I discuss how culture and public relations are inevitably linked and necessary to
one another with the help of the following arguments:
Defining pr and its link to culture
Corporate culture: cultural organization and communication
Practical link between the application of pr and the use of culture as a communication tool
Public relations governs relations, relational spaces and cultural relations
Cultural and territorial pr infrastructure
The Euro--Mediterranean example
Culture PR: Key elements and factors
8. Defining pr and its link with culture
Public relations has been defined in many ways by its different National and International
professional association bodies and all declare, even if using different words, the same concept.
The CIPR (UK) states that “… public relations is the planned and sustained effort to establish
good will and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics …”22 The definition
points out the following three aspects:
PR is a discipline or profession which carefully plans its tasks and strategies, meaning that it
is a cause-effect strategic discipline, where planning is carefully taken into consideration as well
as every detail. Therefore, Pr does not relate to casual actions or behaviours.
22
www.CIPR.co.uk – part of the definition of public relations
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Sustained effort clearly indicates that pr obtains its best results on the long term. Certainly
in planning it will be necessary to foresee short term, medium term and long term goals, but
these exist within a more complex and lasting strategic frame.
Mutual understanding includes the knowledge of culture: the organization’s culture, its
public’s culture, the employee’s culture, the market’s or the environment’s culture in which the
organization operates, the public relations practitioner’s culture.
Culture and public relations have in common an evolving existence: culture is imperceptibly but
constantly changing; public relations is also known as a discipline and a profession always
searching for new adjustments. Aren’t we all constantly stimulated to update our professional
knowledge on what and how we can operate competitively in a changing environment? It may
depend on the (unconscious) need to follow change, at the end of which cultural change exists
and must be understood.
9. Corporate culture: cultural organization and communication
The human race has evolved and grown as a result of its ability to organize: we organize
ourselves into families, tribes, clans, ethnic groups, religions, professions, institutions, nations,
etc.23 All organizations are created and organized through a communication process and are
maintained by people communicating with each other.24
Corporate culture. Every organization has its own unique culture or value set. Usually
organizations don't consciously try to create a certain culture. It is in fact created unconsciously,
based on the values of the top management or the founders of the organization. It is formed by
the moral, social and behavioral norms of the organization which in turn is based on the beliefs,
attitudes, and priorities of its members. So, corporate culture exists apart from the awareness of
it by the members of the organization or those in contact with that organization, referring to
stakeholders, publics, etc. It is important to share, to monitor and to measure corporate culture
awareness in order to deal with prejudices and stereotyping, which, as we mentioned before,
represent serious barriers to communication.
23
Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse “ Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach”, Thomson, 2002. 24
Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse “ Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach”, Thomson, 2002.
18
It is also important to understand that corporate culture has two main aspects. The first one
depends on the cultural values that top management decides to have in their corporate mission
and vision, which means that it is the created part of corporate culture. The second aspect is
related to where the company is located, to the culture of its members, to the culture shared
with its stakeholders, to its market and environmental culture. I would define this second aspect
as the part that naturally shapes corporate culture. The first one is foreseeable, the second is not
immediately identifiable. The first one may try on its own to define corporate culture of an
organization, but it will always be unconsciously and invisibly influenced by the second aspect
which must be analyzed, understood and monitored. The two aspects determine the total
corporate culture of an organization. This is where I consider the role of public relations is
important: in defining an intercultural pr program or corporate culture pr plan, where it becomes
essential to analyze, monitor and guide on a long term scale the evolving culture of the
organization, considering its internal and external influence. To achieve this, organizations also
need to open corporate communication channels vertically both up and down the structure as
well as horizontally across the organization, increasing corporate communication and cultural
skills. I believe that firms with strong cultures achieve higher results because employees sustain
focus both on what to do and how to do it. This is carried out through cultural and
communication strategy.
We could also refer to Organizational culture which is defined by Brent Ruben and Lea Stewart25
as the sum of an organization's symbols, events, traditions, standardized verbal and nonverbal
behavior patterns, folk tales, rules, and rituals that give the organization its character or
personality. Ruben and Stewart note that organizational cultures are central aspects of
organizations and serve important communication functions for the people who create and
participate in them. These functions include providing employees with a sense of individual and
collective identity, contributing to the establishment of structure and control within the
organization, aiding the socialization of employees through learning about the customs and
traditions of the organization, and fostering cohesiveness among employees.
25 Brent D. Ruben, Lea P. Stewart Communication and Human Behavior (5th Edition), Allyn & Bacon, 2005.
19
10. Practical link between the application of pr and the use of culture as a communication tool
Public relations must decide to apply cultural aspects for any public relations plan, making
culture a standardized and essential part in communication programs and strategies. It would be
a great mistake for a pr professional not to consider the relevance of culture in the
communicational setting for and in which he/she is working, because public relations needs
culture as a communication tool in order to achieve its goals. But culture represents a special and
unusual kind of tool, which is never the same because of its natural fluid movement. So public
relations needs first of all to understand what culture is as a tool and which aspects can be used
or be useful for pr purposes.
I would distinguish general aspects from specific ones, both for pr and culture. We would find
general or “standard pr principles”, which must be transmitted and applied on a wider or global
scale. In every cultural context it is possible, at the same time, to identify “standard cultural
principles” which are present on a wide scale in the environment focused upon by public
relations. But because within any cultural context (it could be a nation, a town, a company or a
family) we can find subcultures or even slight cultural differences (which create distances), it is
necessary to identify the best pr cultural tools in order to establish, define and plan
communication effectively. Standard pr and culture are therefore linked with specific pr and
cultural tools.
Culture as instrument. Culture must therefore be considered as a set of tools which can be used
in different ways and for different reasons, and where the context assumes a very important role
in determining which cultural instruments will and should be used and which ones must be put
aside. Every situation and every relation can at the same time make certain cultural
environments accessible and increase the probability of their being used during dialogue and
relational interaction.
11. Public relations governs relations, relational spaces and cultural relations.
Public relations creates and maintains the reputation of an organization, where reputation (good
or bad) is the consequence of certain actions through communication. But if reputation is the
consequence of public relations decisions and actions, it means that managing relations is
essential for public relations strategies.
20
So, the core of public relations is to govern relations. These exist in a relational space which
becomes the new focus of public relations practitioners: to build relational spaces with our
publics or stakeholders. This means that the public relator also has the task of enabling people to
interact with the organization, with other publics, in accordance with the relational approach.26
This cannot be done without a clear knowledge of culture and its effects. Which also means that
relations without cultural knowledge of relations cannot be a true core for pr. This is a new
public relations view, because it forces scholars and practitioners to widen the field for pr
professional tasks, competences and application.
12. PR Cultural and Territorial Infrastructure.
If the cultural context is in the hands of pr practitioners, it is necessary to determine what makes
the context. As mentioned before, public relations must take into consideration that it is dealing
on the one hand with general principles, i.e professional characteristics which make pr applicable
in any part of the global arena, and on the other with specific principles (or applications), which
are those variables related to the context and to the territory and which we need to pay
attention to. The two principles, generic and specific, go together and must be drawn up so as to
understand how to apply them in a specific culture or in a certain country.
A public relations territorial infrastructure27 is a frame-work formed by the following elements:
The political system
The economic system
The legal system
Civil society
The socio-cultural system
Media system
It then becomes PR cultural and territorial infrastructure because all the elements listed above
will be differently treated, used and perceived according to the culture and the cultures existing
in a given context or territory.
This means that any organization and its pr’s must be aware of the characteristics of each
variable identified in the same territory or context, as well as knowing the dynamics of those
26
Toni Muzi Falconi, Le relazioni Pubbliche, video libro, Sossella editore, 2008. 27
Toni Muzi Falconi, Le relazioni Pubbliche, video libro, Sossella editore, 2008.
21
phenomena, local and international events which can or could influence and modify the
characteristics of those variables, obviously affecting public relations effectiveness. Culture
dynamics therefore must be considered, monitored and appropriately used.
13. The Euro-Mediterranean example
The importance of using culture and cultures in public relations programs can be explained giving
an interesting example. Supposing that institutions and corporate organizations decided to
develop business or other relations with and within countries of the Mediterranean area. The
enduring “greatness” of the Mediterranean is in the longevity of its cultural “pluri-universes”
developed not within one sea, but within a complexity of seas.28
For the last 10-15 years the Mediterranean area has been taken much more into consideration
than in the past. It is a critical zone because of its major social and cultural differences and
consequent distances, but at the same time its enormous economic potential attracts active
interest from all over Europe. Every day many companies, universities, institutions tie new
relations with other organizations within this area, and even if in comparison to other global
zones the Mediterranean area is not huge, nonetheless it has severe difficulties in creating true
economic development because of the cultural distances and misunderstanding existing today.
Wars and conflicts at present taking place in some of the countries, urgently increase the need
for bridging peaceful and robust relationships through dialogue and communication. In this case I
find that culture is a powerful tool for communication strategy in two different instances: the
first one relating to developing social mutual understanding, among people and citizens, young
and old, through the aid of cultural knowledge. The second relating to the use of culture and
cultural pr tools in preparing business related pr programs and strategies. Both instances (social
and corporate-business) are essential in the achievement of a stronger Mediterranean area (in
full respect of the culture and of the identity of each group and country) and a potentially solid
economic and developing zone, where cooperation and not partnership is needed. This means
triggering multicultural dialogue thanks to specific intercultural relations, and can be carried out
through pr and culture public relations in order to achieve a correct and peaceful cooperation
among countries or those countries which decide to dialogue in a more constructive way.
28
Franco Cassano e Danilo Zolo, L’Alternativa Mediterranea, Feltrinelli, 2007.
22
I insert Unesco’s Mediterranean Program as follows:
“The UNESCO General Conference at its 27th session assigned to the Organization a coordinating role for UNESCO's initiatives on the Mediterranean, falling within UNESCO's fields of competence. The Director General has decided to decentralize it to Cairo making it the first major Mediterranean Program operating from the heart of the Arab world. The Program also concentrates on the promotion of three closely linked emblematic activities, conceived as networks:
The Navigation of Knowledge, Network of Historical Naval Dockyards;
The Network of Protected Areas, Parks and Gardens of the Mediterranean;
The Network of Handicrafts. Apart from these working fields, it also insists upon the necessary struggle against digital divide and negative stereotypes in education.
The Program is developing around the following major concerns:
promotion of inter-cultural dialogue;
fostering a culture of peace;
laying foundations for sustainable co-development.
It is guided by the Recommendations of the 1982 World Conference on Cultural Policies in Mexico City and by the principles set out in documents such as the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Convention on Climate Change or the 1995 Carthage Charter on Tolerance in the Mediterranean. It is also guided by the conclusions of the World Commission on Culture and Development (Our Creative Diversity, 1995), and of the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development (Stockholm, 1998). And it anchors the principles of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity adopted by UNESCO in 2001. Furthermore a new Cultural Policies for Development program was approved last autumn by UNESCO’s 30th General Conference.”29
Unesco’s program shows clearly the need of applying Culture Public Relations strategies, skills
and tools in order to achieve the stated goals in the societal context. The same can and should be
considered applicable to all programs (business, institutional, governmental, academic, not for
profit, etc.) which need to be started in this complex area.
14. Culture PR. The key elements and factors
Culture exists because man exists. Public relations also exists because of man’s existence and
capacity to communicate. Therefore culture and public relations are bound to be considered,
studied and applied in an inextricable form. So it could be stated that:
29
www.Unesco.org
23
Public relations is culture
Pr uses culture
Pr needs to understand culture
Culture is multiform as pr is
Without cultural awareness it is impossible to be effective in an International market where
intercultural contacts and relationships governance are more and more frequent than in the
past. This is a new challenge for public relations which must consider the following key factors
for successful Culture PR:
Research methods for communication and culture
Understand verbal and non-verbal codes used to transfer information between people
Awareness on how verbal and non-verbal signals are interpreted differently
Increase listening: Culture is learned by listening to, and observing the behavior of, other
members within a group/context
Increase awareness of how people from different cultures encode and decode messages
differently
Improve Intercultural Communication
Research cultures and communication conventions of those whom they propose to meet
Investigate the culture's perception of your culture
Intercultural competence training and skills
Increase awareness of Internal and external social and corporate complexity
Act in a culturally responsible way
Capitalize diversity as a basis of relationship
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Conclusions
Over the years people tend to behave similarly, showing a standard cultural and behavioural
pattern. But, at the same time, those patterns, develop in new cultural forms. This is what public
relations needs to learn: firstly, the long lasting cultural frame for humans and, secondly, the
specific cultural characteristics which are inherent in a specific moment, context or company,
which are due to evolve quickly and silently. Public relations, because it is the director of the
communication orchestra, has the task of defining the tools necessary to deepen its knowledge
of the silent cultural change. Tools which have the task to evaluate how, why, by whom and in
which direction behaviours and attitudes tend to change in a certain context. Managing this
complicated task, public relations will obtain a more profound knowledge of communication
determination. It would not only be a technical strategy, but a human relational and cultural
strategy driven by profound understanding of culture and cultural change.
25
References and bibliography
Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, Roma, 2006
Franco Cassano - Danilo Zolo, L’alternativa Mediterranea, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2007
Jan Nederveen Pieterse, “Ethnicities and global multiculture”, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
inc., 2007
Laurie J. Mullins, Management and organizational behaviour, FT Prentice Hall, 2005.
Maureen Guirdham, Communicating across cultures at work, Palgrave Macmillan, New York,
2005
Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse “ Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach”,
Phil Clements and John Jones, The Diversity training handbook, Kogan Page, 2006.
Thomson, 2002.
Toni Muzi Falconi, Le relazioni Pubbliche, video libro, Sossella editore, 2008.
Unesco - Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, 2002
www.cipr.co.uk
www.federculture.it
www.ferpi.it
www.unesco.org