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This study examined the role of public relations in Antonio Gramsci's concept of cultural hegemony, specifically in a counterhegemony. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s preparation for the 1968 Poor People's Campaign serves as a test case on how public relations can help subordinate groups confront a hegemony. This paper suggests that Gramsci's philosophy provides an analytical heuristic for researching instances of contestation. Examining counterhegemonic campaigns offer public relations practitioners a means both to think about and to intervene in the world more effectively. • Antonio Gramsci postulated principles for how to conduct a counterhegemony. • Counterhegemony needs a multifrontal approach and a unifying, master frame. • The 1968 Poor People's Campaign was used to study the role of PR in counterhegemony. • Study shows counterhegemony also needs long term planning to overcome fixed beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Activists do not only solely on their own rhetorical arguments to attain legitimacy. • Activists link their arguments to external narratives to help acquire legitimacy. • Activists must vigilantly monitor issues to capitalize on developments. Activist organizations use issues management when pressuring corporations to alter practices and policies that these groups find problematic. Throughout this process, activists must establish legitimacy for their issue concerns, organizations, and proposed solutions to gain public support for their activities. This study qualitatively analyzes the communication practices of 21 activist organizations to understand the strategies that these unique groups harness as they seek to build legitimacy as part of the issues management process. The findings contribute to a growing body of public relations research on activist communication by introducing a new legitimation strategy that underscores the importance of ongoing issues monitoring for activists and illustrates how activist organizations can co-opt extant narratives to build legitimacy for their existing issue arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Press agentry was a profit motivated media relations practice. • Press agents were not exclusively an unethical PR antecedent. • American press agents worked in a variety of sectors during the 19th century. • Press agentry was a sophisticated practice that utilized multiple strategies. • U.S. press was ambivalent toward 19th century press agents. Analysis of press coverage of nineteenth century American press agents indicates that, although press agents worked in a variety of sectors, their primary motivation was profit, their main strategy was media relations, and their tactics often relied on hype or outright lying. These characteristics would appear to support previous descriptions of press agentry, yet the research also shows that the press was more ambivalent toward press agents than previously assumed and that press agents' strategies and tactics may have been more sophisticated than previously understood. A number of early practitioners of press agentry are identified for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public relations agencies are an important part of the public relations industry, but their relations with client organizations are rarely studied. There is more literature and studies in agency-client relations in advertising than in public relations. This paper reviews literature and reports results of an empirical study into perceptions of public relations agencies and their clients on the reasons for their cooperation and sources of conflict between them. Results show that agencies misperceive reasons for which they are hired and the sources of conflict in the relationship. The paper offers several suggestions about how to tackle the problem: notwithstanding rebranding into consultancies and firms, public relations agencies-client relations should be studied as a particular example of a broader family of agency-client relations. Also agencies should study and strategically manage relations with their clients, while being realistic about client organization’s needs – sometimes they just need additional arms and legs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2 × 2 experimental study (N = 168) examined the effects of the message source (CEO vs. individual real estate agent) and response strategies (deny vs. diminish strategies) on public perceptions of controversial online comments and emotional and behavioral responses. This study extends situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) by applying it to paracrisis situations as well as by testing a cognitive model in which breach of expectation by different actors leads to different degrees of judgment of responsibility and counterfactual thinking processes (i.e., the person could/would/should have done something else). A deny crisis response (e.g., scapegoating) was effective in reducing blame and negative affective responses and yielded less negative reputation assessment of the message source. The expectation breach led participants to engage in a counterfactual thinking process, which in turn evoked greater indignation and more negative reputation assessment. Indignation and negative reputation were both significant predictors of online word-of-mouth intention. Social vigilantism, individuals’ tendency to propagate their opinions onto others, mediated the relationship between indignation and online discussion intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immense success of post WWI Europeantotalitarian regimes form the backdrop for this study. Political success is often credited cleverly crafted communication strategies. The Norwegian Labour Party applied methods similar to those found in Nazi Germany as of 1933/34, luring voters away from the dogmatic Right and Left, to the leftist social democratic movement. One key element of this highly successful strategy is the shift from a somber accentuation on methods of scientific persuasion, emphasizing a perceived rationale of a social system based in Marxism, to propaganda, bombarding masses with slogans and one-liners. Another key element is an acknowledgement of indifferent voters. The vast majority of the voter potential did not attend political meeting and were unable to recognize and separate ideologies. This led party strategists to developing methodologieson how to approach voters as crowds, not merely as individual citizens in large numbers. Recognizing the homogeneity and protective environment of the Darwinian herd, crowds became target groups for the Labour Party election campaigns, in which they found gratification by unison songs, theatrical entertainment and simple slogans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with heritage branding, investigating communication and PR models promoted by historical companies representing Made in Italy in the global market, in order to focus on their distinctive approach to media relations strategies and related practices. The study has adopted a multi-method approach, involving a panel of companies in the food & beverage sector. In-depth interviews from PR professionals highlight the potential of heritage branding to develop an authentic form of storytelling, based on quality branded contents and the strategic management of corporate history, thus cultivating long-standing relationships with the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the presented exploratory study is the strategic planning of the daily professional activities of managers in social media (SM). Is this planning deliberate, or emergent? Are the strategies prescribed, or creative? To what communication logics must professionals adapt their practices? Following the sociology of uses studied in the approach to SM appropriation in the field of corporate communication, these questions are tackled through a qualitative, descriptive approach. The dual objective is to describe the actual professional practices of SM managers and compare them to the theories found in the literature. To do this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 managers active in SM in North American organizations. During these, practices emerged for which the standards were not always prescribed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relevance of Howard Gardner’s concept of “Five minds for the future” to the field of public relations, both for practitioners and educators. It extends Gardner’s concept by adding a futures dimension to generate what I term “futures intelligence” that I argue is now necessary for the sustainability of the public relations field itself as well as of its clients. Futures intelligence is forward thinking, strategic, positive and empathetic. With its emphasis on future possibilities, futures intelligence not only provides practical ability to use the tools by which practitioners can plan and adapt for the long term but does this by taking into account societies’ collective needs rather than those of self-serving individuals. The paper illustrates a process of building futures intelligence with a description of innovative teaching to post graduate public relations students at a university in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used multinomial logistic regression to assess if relationships existed between practitioners’ college coursework, years of experience, and their subsequent public relations (PR) role. A number of significant relationships were found consistent with the implementation of recent PR coursework recommendations and the transitional state of PR practitioner and organizational characteristics. Consultants and managers possessed more experience than manager/technicians and technicians; men and women equally held managerial positions; and agency practitioners were less likely to function as strategic planners. This research suggests that periodic studies are required to assess current college PR student coursework and required PR practitioner skill-sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even with social media we still have not reached a point where there is a general public in public relations. The challenge, then, is how to identify a broader range of potential recipients—or a larger public. Rather than the non-existent general public, the authors propose the term “latent diffused publics”—a term that combines the theoretical work of James Grunig and the linkages of Esman from the 1970s. The latent element of this type of public suggests that the public is out there ready to respond, but will not do so until triggered by a message. The diffused aspect refers to a public that is difficult or impossible to identify until it responds to the message. We believe that identifying a potential new type of public is more realistic as we move deeper and deeper into the era of social media communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the strategic roles associated with social media management through the lens of role theory. By analyzing the responses from participants in two focus groups and a survey of public relations and human resources practitioners, we identified nine strategic roles and the associated responsibilities including policy maker, internal collaborator, technology tester, communications organizer, issues manager, relationship analyzer, master of metrics, policing, and employee recruiter. Public relations lead most of these activities, but human resources are a close collaborator. Study findings also provide specific insights into online reputation management processes, exact content of social media policies, and the most common metrics used for social media channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effectiveness of mission statements of the 2014 top 100 and bottom 100 Fortune 500 list based on their inclusion of 10 key components and if they represented the four themes of transparency. Analysis revealed product/service and customers were the most prevalent mission statement components, while excellence topped the transparency variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Internal boundary spanning involved gathering intelligence across the company's various business units and then “connecting the dots” to identify strategic decisions that may be inconsistent or not in the company's best interest. [•] Due to limited formal power, informal coalitions were used by public relations executives positioned in lower levels of the organization as a means to increase their power and influence. [•] The factors that enhanced public relations’ influence were internal relationship building and tying public relations’ activities to core business objectives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Comparative public relations variables are applied to the study of public diplomacy. [•] Methodology is content analysis of Ministries of Foreign Affairs websites. [•] Message strategy was correlated with democracy, economic development, and reputation. [•] Significant correlation between level of democracy and advocacy messages. [•] Findings indicate countries could benefit from advocacy and promotional strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Indian PR is a mix of the old and new, local and global trends. [•] Digitization, information flow, metrics, crisis management are common concerns. [•] #1 Local issue for Indian PR leaders is talent recruitment and retention. [•] Managing image of PR practice is more important in India than globally. [•] PR leaders’ action strategies to resolve issues are similar to global counterparts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We examine the socio-economic development potential of engaging dialogue on sub-Saharan Africa Police Service Websites (SSAPWs). [•] SSAPWs performed reasonably highly on the ease of interface, but lagged in other areas. [•] More proactive public sector marketing strategies are needed – leveraging a platform for effective crime detection, reporting and fighting. [•] A collaborative effort between the police and citizens should be institutionalized. [•] This study contributes to the scant literature on the potential of constructive dialogue on public service websites in a developing world context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Normative framework for enterprise (societal-role/stakeholder) strategy development. [•] Relating PR, strategy, sustainability, CSR and governance meta-theoretically. [•] PR's strategic role in enterprise strategy development. [•] PR's strategic role in achieving the organization's non-financial goals. [•] PR's strategic role in enterprise relationship and enterprise risk governance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A national survey of PRSA members is conducted to quantify work-life conflict and explore the role of coping in work-life conflict management. [•] Work-life conflicts are found to be derived from work-driven, life-driven, and behavior-driven stressors. [•] Active practitioners have strong preferences in using more proactive conflict coping strategies, as opposed to more passive strategies. [•] Immediate supervisor support and work-life culture are found to be important in understanding how practitioners cope with work-life conflict. [•] Coping strategies are found to be influenced significantly by demographic characteristics as gender and education level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The study is based on the generic principles of public relations. [•] It assesses strategic public relations practice in Italy. [•] It studies public relations professionals from the corporations, governments and non-profits. [•] Results show some uniqueness in public relations practices among the different sectors. [•] This study contributes to the body of knowledge in global public relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The paper presents the responsiveness pyramid, a model that suggests a clearer theoretical distinction between responsiveness and interactivity. [•] Responsiveness and interactivity are presented as relational maintenance strategies that contribute to organization–public relationship building. [•] Organizational representatives of businesses and nonprofit associations do not utilize the interactive potential of the Internet. [•] Organizational representatives usually provide the requested information but do not put an effort in encouraging the continuation of an interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This autoethnography is an exercise in reporting, recording and reflecting on the process of attempting to apply a public relations theoretical construct to a practice environment. I take a social constructionist approach where the practice of autoethnography presumes that reality is socially constructed and where I, as the autoethnographer, can contribute to the social construction of what is known as public relations practice. I applied an analytical autoethnographic approach and used my own experiences, reflections and memories to construct myself in my writing as an academic and practitioner working within the context of a pro bono public relations consultancy project. The aim of this research was to ascertain whether the Framework for Intentional Positioning in Public Relations could assist practitioners to develop positioning strategies for future programs and campaigns. I applied the positioning framework to the design of a positioning strategy for a small university-affiliated environmental organization. My work indicated that the framework could aid in designing a positioning strategy, however, applying the framework to organizational circumstances could be challenging. The framework was found to have two distinct sections to it when applied to practice and this was not evident in previous analytical work. The project also indicated that further research is needed on how to adapt the framework to the concept of emergent strategy. My hope is that this autoethnography shows that even seasoned practitioners/academics can be challenged in practice situations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the decline of public trust in corporate America, organizations must consider ways to improve their relationships with key publics. One of the best strategies to build trust is through engaging in transparent communication (). The increase in the popularity of social media has brought both challenges and opportunities for organizational transparency. This study used multiple methods to explore whether public relations professionals believe they are using social media to communicate transparently, to investigate how social media can be used to improve transparency along with its benefits and challenges, and to identify how transparency is used in social media campaigns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using survey responses of 577 public relation practitioners, this article examines role conceptions in Chilean public relations, as well as the effects that different individual and organizational factors have on their professional worldviews. The results show that how Chilean practitioners perceive their roles can be grouped into four different types: the long-term strategic, the short-term technical, the passive-complaisant, and the active-vigilant. In general terms, Chilean public relations practitioners distance themselves from the passive-complaisant role, giving greater importance to the other three. The findings also reveal that gender, education level, job commitment, perceived autonomy, organization type, and geographical location are the factors that better predict Chilean PR professional roles, while hierarchy level and organization''s reach do not directly affect their perceptions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aims to analyze what kinds of frames have been used in British Petroleum''s (BP''s) press releases, which dealt with the Gulf oil spill crisis that occurred in April 2010. A content analysis was conducted to explore the different frames used by BP in its press releases to deal with the crisis. The main and sub themes are also analyzed through a content analysis of press releases. This study attempts to examine BP''s crisis communication strategy through press release usage by closely analyzing the frames and themes that were used. This study found that BP attempted to update the public on what the company was doing to resolve the oil spill crisis, and that they made every effort to manage the crisis by using the company''s official update frame. In addition, by using the social responsibility frame, BP aimed to show the public that they had intentions of taking responsibility for the oil spill. Finally, BP used a minimal number of defensive frames as a way of showing the public that they did not want to flee from the responsibility of the oil spill crisis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The article defined customer value and corporate core competence using induction method and described the characteristics of these two concepts. Then the author analyzed the intrinsic relationship of customer value and corporate core competence via the survey and case analysis methods. The author found that customer value was the basic point to cultivate corporate core competence which was the platform to achieve customer value. The article is of great help to provide some ideas of cultivating and developing corporate core competence based on customer value. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many scholars and practitioners have suggested accreditation as one way to enhance the professionalism of public relations practice. But, others have questioned whether accreditation really makes a difference and whether experience is a sufficient substitute for accreditation. This study found that, although accredited practitioners were significantly older and had significantly more years of experience compared to their non-accredited counterparts, differences between the groups with respect to seven work categories and five professional competencies remained even when age and years of experience were controlled. The affected work categories were account/client management, strategic planning, public relations program planning, project management, stakeholder relations, issues management, and crisis management. The affected professional competencies were the four-step strategic planning process; ethics and legal issues; communication theory; business literacy; and advanced communication skills. In short, this study refutes the argument that age and professional experience are sufficient substitutes for accreditation in public relations. In fact, they are not. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An exploratory study conducted in South Africa shows that members of the Public Relations Institute for Southern Africa (PRISA) experience the same frustration with the role of PR in the organisation, the bad name of PR, and its educational curriculum that are experienced in other countries. The article asks whether changing the name of PR to something else is sufficient to solve these problems, and argues that more than a cosmetic name change is required. PR should re-examine its role in the organisation, it should re-assert itself as a strategic partner to other business functions, and it should revisit its educational offering. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study adopts an “inside out” approach to examine contemporary Chinese public relations and culture''s effect on it, based on an analysis of the top 15 domestic Chinese public relations agencies’ Web sites and 17 in-depth interviews of public relations professionals from multinationals operating in mainland China. Results indicate an emerging trend of Chinese strategic management and a new understanding of guanxi as an ongoing process of one-on-one bonding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Research is needed on the “institutionalization” of public relations as a strategic-management function. How and why public relations ought to be institutionalized certainly remains highly debatable. This study, thus, engages the current debate on the necessity and advantages of the institutionalization of public relation by taking on Chinese government crisis communication in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake as a test case. This study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, consisting largely of online and textual research, convenient and confidential telephone interviews, content analysis of government communication materials, and intercept surveys in Beijing (China''s capital city) and Chengdu (the provincial capital of the Sichuan Province where the earthquake hits). The study finds that the institutionalization of government public relations in China has visible results, especially, in the areas of crisis communication and management, as well as stakeholder-relationship building. Within the Chinese context, it suggests, “institutionalization” of the government public relations tends to render legitimacy to public relations practice and empower the practitioners by according PR practice a strategic function toward the achievement of public-institution effectiveness. Although a preliminary analysis, this study supports the argument on the necessity and advantages for PR practice becoming institutionalized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Though scholars have explored the impact symmetrical relationship maintenance strategies from interpersonal and marketing communication in public relations contexts, they have largely ignored stewardship. Explicated by Kelly [Kelly, K. S. (2001a). Stewardship: The fifth step in the public relations process. In R. L. Heath (Ed.), Handbook of public relations (pp. 279–289). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage] as a core component of the ROPES process of public relations, the “S” or stewardship proposes four elements that foster relationship growth when incorporated into organization''s strategic efforts. This study created original scales to measure the impact of reciprocity, responsibility, reporting, and relationship nurturing in the fundraising setting. Results indicate that donors favor these strategies, and path analysis demonstrates they have significant impact on how donors evaluate the nonprofit organization–donor relationship. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyzes whether companies conduct research of their key publics and assesses whether there is consistency between the allocation of strategic importance to publics and investigation of these groups in the energy sector in Spain. The results indicate that companies routinely conduct research of their publics, but there is not a clear correspondence between the importance attached to key publics and the level of research implemented concerning them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Player transgressions in sport relate to on- or off-field incidents that are out of the ordinary and may bring negative repercussions for stakeholders as a result of their association with the team, athlete or sport. Based on a series of depth interviews conducted with executives representing major Australian team-based sporting organizations, this paper outlines the effects that these incidents can have on relationships with sponsors from a sport organization perspective. The findings serve to develop a conceptual model that illustrates that the impact of transgressions is determined by a number of factors, which are discussed. The paper further presents a number of implications for the sport organization''s public relations strategy, given that the role of public relations has evolved from primarily a communications focus to a more strategic management of relationships with various publics and stakeholders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article discusses a series of student projects in an introductory public relations class at the University of Hartford. The projects were developed in the weeks following the attacks of September 11, 2001 and focused on public relations’ crucial role in restoring confidence in the institutions of civil society. They centered on entities vital to New York (tourist industry and police), to transportation (rail and airlines), and investment/commodities (entertainment industries and stock exchange). Students were not only better able to appreciate this vital role but the extent to which thorough research, as a basis for strategic planning, was critical to success in regaining public trust. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Public relations will be a viable contributor to strategic management if it has knowledge and experience in the mixed motive model of public relations to include contention, avoidance, compromise, accommodation, cooperation, being unconditionally constructive, win/win or no deal, principled, and mediated. Secondly, membership in top management also depends on the experience and ability of the practitioner to do strategic planning and solve problems for the organization. This assertion incorporates the long-term accumulation of expertise and a relationship with the dominant coalition built on sound judgment and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A national e-mail survey investigated how 432 public relations practitioners perceive their World Wide Web use impacts their decision-making power in their organizations. Practitioners' web use appears to be positively related to three of Finkelstein's [Finkelstein, S. (1992). Power in top management teams: Dimensions, measurement, and validation. Academy of Management Journal, 35(3), 505-538] conceptualizations of power derived from "upper echelons" theory from the strategic management literature-structural, expert and prestige power. "Super users" who use the web more frequently for productivity and efficiency, for research and evaluation, and for issues com- munication are most likely to perceive the web empowered them to be promoted (structural power). Practitioners who use the web more frequently for productivity and efficiency as well as for issues communication are more likely to perceive the web empowers them as experts in their organizations (expert power) and enhances how others see them (prestige power). Practitioner-owners perceive that greater web use leads to greater expert power than did non-owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four focus group discussions with 35 practitioners were guided by theory about roles from public relations literature and power from strategic management literature to explore how World Wide Web use is related to practitioners' perceptions of their own status and decision-making power. The web has become essential to public relations. Practitioners use the web extensively for research and evaluation, two-way communication, productivity and efficiency, issues management, and other applications. All four types of practitioners' power, according to Finkelstein's [Acad. Manage. J. 35 (3) (1992) 505-538] taxonomy--structural, expert, prestige and ownership--were enhanced by web use. Because, the web is such a great equalizer, web use may contribute to the blurring of practitioners' roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts of articles on public relations professionals. `A General Theory of Spin Doctors,' from `The Economist'; `Agencies Find Value in Strategic Planning, But Must Still Convince Clients of Its Value: Survey,' from `Public Relations Tactics'; `Trade Shows: Make Them Worth the Investment,' by Kathy Burnham, from `Public Relations Tactics.'

This study investigates the relationship maintenance strategies (RMS) of official state tourism Websites and online travel agencies' Websites in the U.S. Content analysis reveals that the access strategy was enacted the best while the sharing of tasks strategy was utilized the least in both types of Websites. There are significant differences between these two types of Websites in terms of the positivity, the openness/disclosure, and the assurances strategies. The implications of adopting RMS for e-PR in the tourism and hospitality industry are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study developed the first U.S. capability framework for public relations. • Top three capabilities were Strategic Planning, Communication Expertise, and Analytical and Critical Thinking. • Academics named skill shortages as the biggest obstacle for achieving capabilities. • Professionals identified time pressures as the largest obstacle for achieving capabilities. Using a novel-capability approach to explore the full potential of the profession, this study utilized a three-stage, mixed-methods design to develop the first U.S. capability framework for public relations. This research also investigated which newly defined capabilities public relations academics and practitioners perceived as the most important for the profession as a whole and for them as professionals. Finally, the research investigated what impediments professionals in the USA face to achieve these capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] This study explicated three different levels of publics’ engagement with organizational messages through Facebook: Like, Share, and Comment. [•] A total of 678 posts were analysed to explore the nonprofits’ Facebook message strategies and the levels of public engagement. [•] There were no differences of low or moderate engagement (i.e., Like and Sharing, respectively) among the four models of public relations. [•] Publics were more likely to make comments on organizational posts based on two-way symmetry message strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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]

Highlights: [•] Combining geography-based and food freshness appeals can result in unintended consequences. [•] Mortification and corrective action can be effective strategies of image repair after a criticized food marketing campaign. [•] Multiple attempts at image repair can employ nearly identical strategies and tactics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We examined the evaluation of radical and moderate activists based on public attitude, intent to engage in electronic word-of-mouth and intent to donate to activists. [•] Participants showed greater intent to engage in electronic word-of-mouth to radical activists than moderate activists. [•] Participants showed the most positive attitude to protest strategy compared to humiliation and terrorism. [•] Participants had the greatest intent for electronic word-of-mouth for protest strategy. [•] Intention to donate was highest for protest strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Crisis research, especially as related to strategy or management, began to appear with more frequency in the 90s in Public Relations Review (PRR) and 2000s in Journal of Public Relations Research (JPRR). [•] Relationship research was strong from the 1970s through the 2000s in PRR and became a focus in JPRR in the 2000s. [•] Globalization was the focus of research in the 1990s and 2000s in PRR. [•] Theory has dominated in JPRR throughout the journal's history. [•] PRR seems to often play the role of setting the research agenda, which transfers to JPRR in subsequent time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Eight in-depth face-to-face interviews with senior regional based PR/CC practitioners have been conducted. [•] Observations on the changing role and function of PR/CC in Hong Kong and China. [•] PR adopts a strategic role in corporate communication in Hong Kong and China. [•] Unidimensional and bilingual communication strategy prevails in the said region. [•] Needs for code of practices and professional body are identified in the above area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] To find, develop, and retain highly talented communication professionals is the most important issue to deal with in the Greater China area. [•] How to manage the digital revolution of social media and to improve employee engagement and commitment in the workplace are also emerging issues in the region. [•] Providing greater autonomy on the job is an effective strategy for top talent recruitment, development, and retention. [•] It is difficult to create key performance indicators to measure social media activities. [•] A positive communication climate in the organization can increase employee engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Russian advertorials published in the Washington Post and the Times of India were analyzed for key themes. [•] Advertorials aimed at American readers presented Russia as a dependable partner in the area of global cooperation. [•] Advertorials aimed at Indian readers presented Russia as a long-term partner that shares cultural and global interests. [•] The advertorial is a useful public relations tactic for issue management. [•] The advertorial is a useful public relations tactic for public diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current study examines how the op-ed section of two prominent international newspapers were used for the articulation of public diplomacy issue stands by international experts who made an attempt to influence both government policy and public opinion abroad. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although scholars have recognized the importance for public relations executives demonstrating strategic leadership in facilitating effective public relations practice, few have attempted to explain the multi-faceted nature of the leadership construct. In this paper, the author proposes an integrated conceptual framework to explain the leadership construct and its key dimensions. In addition, the author also proposes that leadership effectiveness can be mediated by a core set of organizational structure and culture as well as the social culture within which the organization operates. The paper also offers suggestions for future research to better understand how leadership influences public relations effectiveness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]