IPR - Public Relations for today's multicultural global village (Intercultural Communication, PR, Culture)

I have firstly identified this urge for a new sub-area of Communication studies in 2013, when I was writing my dissertation, as part of the MA in International Communications - MIC (Geert Hofstede Consortium), entitled "Cross-cultural media relations: an investigation about the relevance of intercultural communication factors in the practice of media relations across different cultures - a case study of the World Communication Forum 2012".

The referred study resulted in a framework - or planning template - for media relations management in a global level. During that time, where I dove deep into Intercultural Communication (IC) theories it became evident how crucial cross-cultural knowledge is to undertake any public relations (PR) efforts within the globalised world we are currently living in.

The long research process I went through in the course of my MA programme got me closely involved with cultural studies and its rich contribution to the function of international public relations. It is relevant to remark that Intercultural Communication studies date back to the 1950's - more precisely to Edward T. Hall (1914-2009), who is considered to be the father of IC. Hall conducted ample research on cultural continua while working at the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and US Department of State.

Some of the numerous contributions of Hall are the classification of countries per communication style - low-context or high-context communication, which is an important tool to craft messages with a higher chance of being correctly absorved by receptors; in-awareness and out-of-awereness concepts where he introduced the idea of what is explict, known and observable in a culture from its opposite, the implicit, unknown and hidden - even to the member of that respective culture.

Hall explains that most of a culture remains unknown even to its members, the popular quote "a fish would hardly perceive the water around it" seems to be a coherent analogy. We, human beings, do not perceive it entirely but culture is embedded in ourselves and permeates all aspects of life. Therefore, direct influencing our communication behaviours.

Between 1967-1973, Geert Hofstede, a must-know Dutch thinker, did probably the largest cultural study ever when working at IBM. His initial research reached dozens of thousands of people in 40 countries and definied culture under dimensions, allowing a much easier and didactic perception of cultural aspects of countries and how them possess a direct influence over communications' behaviours.

Hofstede continued his research extending to many more countries. More recently, in collaboration with Michael Minkov and with data retrieved from the World Values Survey, the research has been extended to 93 nations studied and classfied under six cultural dimensions - Power Distance Index (PDI), Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV), Masculinity versus Feminity (MAS), Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), Pragmatic versus Normative (PRA) and Indulgence versus Restraint (IND).

I often quote Smith to highlight the universal reality that culture permeates all aspects of human life and our communication patterns & behaviours are deeply affected by it. As largely explained in Hofstede's works, one have its mind software - or mind programming - recorded during the early years of the childhood. This learning process will exert influence over communication behaviours throughout one's life.

Therefore, it becomes quite evident that any public relations professional intending to execute international communication strategies should imperatively take into account the variable of culture - which under my viewpoint has been largely set aside by a major part of PR practitioners as well by scholars. 

There is an urge to create a new are of combined studies which should be named "InterCultural Public Relations". Indeed, I am not sure how this could be integrated into academia - perhaps on new module for PR and Communications courses - and as a matter of great concern within the practitioners' world.

The co-relation between International Public Relations (IPR) and Intercultural Communication (IC) is not that new but was limited explored in the early 2000's, mostly by American scholars. However, the term Intercultural Public Relations (ICPR) has not been largely used neither by scholars nor by practitioners.

Since early 2000's scholars have been pointing out to the importance for IPR to make use of IC theories and frameworks. Zaharna (2000) and Ihator (2000) make clear affirmations about how cultural continua could help in the practice of public relations across national borders - which is the current reality in a significant part of the industry.

In this scope, Zaharna proposes an in-awareness approach to international public relations where hidden cultural assumptions and expectations would be exposed and taken out of its state of out-of-awareness - where most of one's culture lies hidden, unknown, even to the members of that culture. Zaharna presents a three-tiered framework based on a country profile, cultural profile, and last but definitely not least, a communication profile. By examining those profiles, specially the communication one, it is easy to perceive the effect culture has over communication patterns and behaviours.

In order to have a broad view of the relevance of creating such new area of PR studies where culture will play a key role, I believe it is essential to hear opinions from PR professionals from different parts of the world, consequently, holding very different cultural backgrounds themselves. 

Here are the first thoughts collected from recognised PR professionals from three different continents - Asia, Europe and South America.

Paul Holmes, CEO & Founder of "The Holmes Report" and "SABRE Awards", a worldwide recognised PR guru. Paul was the first I had the chance to interview during the 5th World Communication Forum in March 2014, Davos - Switzerland. 

Below you can watch an eye-opening interview with Paul Holmes, where he shares his views on PR, Globalisation & Culture - realised on March 12, 2014, at the 5th World Communication Forum, Davos/Switzerland.