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This study explores an area that has not been widely researched in the Latin American and Caribbean region: the identification of a capability gap in relation to key strategic public relations and communication management issues and activities. To this end, this article presents findings and analysis from a survey conducted in 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries in 2020. The existence of a capability gap in relation to key issues and activities in public relations and communication management is confirmed, which represents a challenge for the development of the public relations field as well as for higher education institutions across the region. • The concepts of competencies and capabilities are characterised and differentiated. • The most important strategic issue for Latin American public relations practitioners was "coping with digital evolution and the social web". • Almost one in two Latin American professionals lacks technology and data management capabilities. • A capability gap in relation to the key issues of public relations and strategic communication in Latin America is identified, which is a challenge from a practical and academic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic communication, an intentional and purpose-driven communication aimed at achieving specific goals, is gaining traction in Nigeria. This paper examines the growth and development of strategic communication in Nigeria across three historical epochs. While previous studies on communication management in the country have been limited to the colonial era, this study traces the origin of strategic communication in Nigeria from the precolonial era to the present day. Despite the Western-centric view of strategic communication, this study highlights the various communication strategies, such as rhetoric, symbolography, town-criers, Roko, Ewi, proverbs, idiophones, and music, that were utilized in precolonial times. The arrival of colonialists only modernized the process and introduced new mediums of communication. Modern factors such as WWII, nationalism, regional politics, civil war, Boko Haram Insurgency, and politics have also influenced the development of strategic communication. The paper recommends more research and courses on strategic communication in Nigeria to continue building a better understanding of its role in national security and conflict management. • There is evidence of the deployment of strategic communication in Nigeria even before the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates of the country. • The empires before colonialism had devised strategies to communicate amongst themselves and with other nations using traditional modes of communication such as town criers, drums, Akewi, Roko, and symbolography as well as Ajami writing as the case necessitated. • Although colonialism brought about the modernisation of communication media, the communication strategies remained largely the same. • The government's heavy deployment of strategic communication in the fight against insurgency in Nigeria was required. The Nigerian security apparatus invested heavily in non-kinetic approaches to win the war. • Digital communication and engagement, public information, psychological information warfare, the establishment of military radio stations, and indigenous communication are some of the communication strategies used by the security apparatus to combat the insurgency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A rebuild crisis-response strategy is more efficient than a diminish strategy. [•] Organizations in a crisis can protect their reputation with emotion communication. [•] Communicating shame or regret about the crisis is more efficient than no emotions. [•] Anger and account acceptance mediate the effect of emotional crisis communication. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Kent and Taylor proposed five dialogic principles for mediated public relations in 1998 and numerous studies of activist groups, corporations, and educational institutions have shown that most websites fail to meet their dialogic potential. This study explores some of the reasons why activist organizations do not integrate dialogic features into their websites. Thirteen activist public relations practitioners were interviewed to determine their perceptions of websites as tools for information dissemination and resource mobilization. Three consistent themes emerged from the interviews: (1) website communication is perceived to be most effective when tied to issue-specific events and issue currency, (2) websites cater to existing and highly involved publics, and (3) websites are viewed as passive communication tools that must be supplemented with traditional public relations practices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Effective internal communication is a prerequisite for organisational success. Organisations need to evaluate and improve communication especially in increasingly difficult economic pressures. Assessment instruments enable organisations to monitor communication effectiveness. This review of academic and consultancy studies found over reliance on measuring satisfaction with the communication process. The analysis found management-centric rather than employee-centric approaches to assessment. This indicates a need to develop new approaches to assessing internal communication. A conceptual model is proposed here to encourage focus on employee communication needs in terms of content as well as channel. Future approaches to assessment should draw on a wider theoretical and conceptual framework. Assessment instruments need to reflect advances in practice. They need to assess the value of internal communication to employees as well as their organisations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As an organizational function, internal communication is gaining in importance, meriting a special issue on the topic. This importance is evident in many recent efforts among practitioners in Europe and the US to seek recognition of this field as an independent domain. Scholarship on internal communication has not kept pace with these initiatives. This introduction to the special issue addresses several key issues related to this topic and presents findings from a Delphi study of the leaders of European associations on internal communication. Results of the study are fuzzy: respondents see internal communication as interdisciplinary management function integrating elements of human resources management, communication and marketing, but at the same time they see it primarily as a part of the organization''s communication function that is simultaneously managerial and technical. However, they contend that internal communication is an independent research field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present and discuss some of the main findings from a large survey of internal crisis management and crisis communication conducted in the spring of 2011 among public and private organizations in Denmark (the ICMCC survey). The survey was conducted among the 367 largest private companies (selected from DK 1000, established by Børsen business magasin) and among 98 public organizations (municipalities). The overall goal was to get a preliminary idea of how these companies or organizations perceive, plan, coordinate and implement internal crisis management and crisis communication activities before, during and after a crisis. The survey questionnaire comprised 36 questions and was sent to respondents who typically are responsible for the crisis-preparedness of their organizations. The results from the survey show that the vast majority of organizations have a crisis or contingency plan, and most of these plans contain an internal dimension relating to the management and communication with the internal stakeholders during a crisis. Thus, the study shows a rather professional and formalized behavior towards crisis management in general, but also when it comes to managing a crisis in relation to the internal organizational stakeholders in specific. In addition, the results clearly indicate a strong relation between organizational size and crisis management; the larger the organization the more likely to have a crisis plan. This particularly pertained to the private organizations. The ICMCC survey forms part of a major collaborative research project, financed by the Danish Council for Independent Research/Social Sciences (2011–2014), entitled Internal Crisis Management and Crisis Communication in Danish Organizations. The purpose of this three-year long project is to shed light upon the role of internal crisis management and crisis communication before, during and after an organizational crisis and/or a societal crisis leading to downsizing or major changes within an organization or an organizational field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper discusses internal communication in the global context, with a focus on language as an issue for the organization. Although ‘language’, naturally, is a resource that enables any – internal or other – communication, it has not been examined in public relations research but has been taken for granted or as given. The current pace of globalization in all sectors has rapidly globalized internal communication and the language issue needs to be addressed. On the basis of two empirical studies we discuss language strategy and language use in international internal communication. Our findings show that although a common ‘corporate language’ – which mostly today refers to English – enables internal communication, it is not a straightforward solution but a number of issues need to be considered. For example, as international communication in a business context is today mostly conducted by non-native speakers of English, their language can be characterized as BELF (English as Business Lingua Franca), which differs from ‘standard English’ in many ways. Also, language issues need to be considered for organizational credibility and knowledge sharing and for constructing trust and rapport in international interaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study examines the conceptualization of a frame, theoretical origins, analytical foci, and methods in framing research in public relations from 1990 to 2009. The most dominant type of a frame is construction of reality in communication found in 95% of 40 studies. Researchers compare public relations messages with news coverage, and also analyze public relations messages. Qualitative content analysis is more popular than quantitative content analysis or experiment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigated how corporations use their Web sites as a way of helping to build corporate environmental responsibility. A content analysis of 2008 Fortune Global corporate Web sites compared environmental concerns and the use of dialogic principles across three regions (i.e., Asia, Europe, and North America). Results show that about 71% of Web sites have a stand-alone environmental menu as a central location for environmental information, and that Europe is the highest, followed by North America and Asia. The environmental concerns of ‘resources/waste management’ and ‘climate changes’ are more commonly highlighted than are ‘ecosystem’ and ‘environmental governance.’ Furthermore, most Web sites do not fully employ dialogic features, regardless of region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite the burgeoning number of studies examining stakeholder effects of crisis communication and crisis causes, the varied categorizations used, together with inconsistent findings, has meant that knowledge gaps remain. Specifically, existing studies have not established whether a significant hierarchy of best communicated accounts exist that minimize crisis impact on stakeholder reactions. In addition, whether different crisis causes have different emotional, attitudinal and behavioral outcomes still requires examination. Further, crisis emotion research has been limited and has predominantly investigated anger and sympathy, indicating the need to explore a greater variety of crisis emotions. This investigation of the impact of a hierarchy of five crisis communication accounts and four crisis causes on multiple stakeholder reactions elicited several key findings. Although “confession” was the most preferred crisis account, “no comment” was almost as successful in mitigating negative reactions. Counterintuitively, confession reduced responsibility judgments. No comment was second to confession in mitigating negative, and promoting positive, reactions. Further, company control of a crisis was found to be the single most powerful predictor of stakeholder reactions. Involvement elicited multiple positive and negative crisis emotions, while different emotion categories elicited different behavioral intentions. Attitude to the company also impacted behavioral intentions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: From early on, competition between professions has been identified as a major factor in the process of developing public relations as a profession. This paper updates consideration of the influence of inter-profession disputes by examining the interplay between public relations and advertising in the digital age. It attempts to assess how new technologies, especially social media, affect the relationships between them, with particular reference to two aspects: whether social media increases, or decreases, professional cooperation (or competition); and who takes charge in the new communication environment. In researching these issues, which form an important part of the professionalization process of public relations, the paper examined documents and online publications, and undertook interviews and a survey of public relations practitioners in New Zealand. The findings suggest that the responding public relations practitioners were not able to take advantage of the social technology in order to leverage their professional status and improve their position within the organization. In addition, it seems that while advertising and public relations are still looking for ways to benefit from social media, both are still in a process of adaptation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigates how Fortune 500 corporations use corporate-focused web site public relations efforts to prioritize different stakeholders while trying to meet the expectations of each stakeholder. The study found that shareholder needs are most often addressed by the corporations followed by consumers, community members, government agencies, and activists. The results of the study suggest there are expectation gaps between stakeholders and web-based corporate public relations efforts. The study also found differences in the way various industries target stakeholders with the exception of shareholders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Applying in-depth interviews with 22 Chinese executives, this study intends to interpret their perceptions of the four aspects of crises: causes, consequences, caution and coping. Findings suggest that the informants tend to blame external constituencies for frequent adverse events experienced by Chinese enterprises and equate crisis management with quick problem solving in which technical protection of corporate image via effective leadership is the top priority. Nonetheless, prescriptive lessons as presented in Western literature do occupy a position in the minds of Chinese executives. These lessons serve both as a counterpoint against which a desirable mode of crisis management in China is articulated and as a representation of personal aspiration that will remain an ambition as long as the Chinese economy has not passed certain hurdles in development. Based on the insights gained, we put forward an alternative way of thinking about crisis management, i.e., a manager''s self-positioning within the larger socio-economic context rather than managerial competence defines what constitutes perceived meaningful forms and processes in which unfavourable circumstances are contained or handled. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigates American Airlines' employee response to the 9/11 attacks. Interviews with corporate communicators at the airline and analysis of electronic publications released internally within the airline reveal how mediated communication channels supported the supervisory communication efforts after the 9/11 attacks. An internal employee campaign called Good Words is used to illustrate how emerging technologies can support the emotional needs of employees after a crisis. The article concludes with lessons American Airlines learned from the terrorist attacks and implications for crisis communicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the crisis management response of a Connecticut hospital during an anthrax case that came to be known as the “Oxford Incident.” While crisis communication plans may help organizations effectively manage crises, the findings of this study indicate the established culture at the hospital was the most important factor in the organization’s successful handling of the case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Intranets and their applications to internal communications have been of interest to academics and professional managers alike in the recent past. A generic measure to aid PR managers in measuring the effectiveness of their intranets has been reported, but there have been no replications thus far to confirm the psychometric properties of this scale. In addition, little is known about how effective intranets might enhance an organization’s ability to disseminate information internally. This article discusses the results of an empirical study, which confirms the reliability and validity of the generic measure. Results also show that an effective intranet significantly enhances information dissemination within organizations. Managerial implications and avenues for future research are identified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For many years now, courses in public relations, advertising, and communication management, at universities throughout Europe have been attracting more students than ever. In many cases, the numbers of these students exceed those in economics, marketing, and law programs. This coincides with an explosion in practical and theoretical literature describing a new field that focuses on coordination and steering of parts of all organizational communications at a strategic level. A survey among 25% of all Dutch organizations with more than 50 staff shows that in the majority of these organizations, communications activities are indeed coordinated in a single department that generally has a high position in the organization’s hierarchical structure. In few organizations, however, is it such a specific task that it can justifiably be called “Communication Management” and regarded as a specialization at the managerial and strategic levels. The literature suggests there are two factors behind this: glass ceiling and encroachment. Although the profession is increasingly becoming dominated by women, even in The Netherlands, we found no evidence of a glass ceiling. We did, however, find evidence of encroachment, which does not seem to be caused by a glass ceiling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Compares corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate public relations. Similarity and difference of the two fields; Evolution of public relations and CSR; Role of communication management in connecting the two fields.

Suggest the use of elements of risk communication in crisis communication practice. Overview of the crisis management process; Case study on the use of the elements by public relations practitioners; Use of risk communication to address a crisis management issue resulting from fear of technology.

Explains how the Internet can allow activist stakeholder groups to become more powerful and command the attention of organizations. Power of activists according to the stakeholder theory; Case studies on the use of the Internet by activist stakeholders.

Highlights: [•] Crisis-denial strategy is not always unsuccessful. [•] Public crisis framing is dynamic in the context of an organizational crisis. [•] Automated-content analysis can serve to analyze effects of crisis-response strategy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study attempts to identify the effects of issue ownership of a corporation on its reputation, and the moderating effect of issue obtrusiveness. Two representative Korean corporations (Hyundai and SK) were selected and their reputations were measured. It was shown that a corporation, which owns issues that were perceived as important by publics, has a higher corporate reputation. There was no moderating effect of issue obtrusiveness on the relationship between issue ownership and corporate reputation; however, there was a possibility of issue obtrusiveness as an independent variable. Implication for public relations research and practice was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]