Intercultural Public Relations

This book examines the intricate relationship between culture and public relations within the Middle Eastern context, adopting an interpretive, inductive approach to explore how various cultural dimensions shape the enactment of key public relations concepts. Using the Global Public Relations Framework (GPRF) as a guiding structure, the book analyzes the influence of political, economic, societal, media, activist, and organizational cultures on public relations in Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The book first focuses on Israel, investigating how cultural factors influence organizational identity and reputation. The book then shifts to the UAE, exploring how cultural dynamics affect organizational listening and engagement among organizations and publics. By examining the dialectical interaction between local and global cultural factors, the book offers a nuanced understanding of how public relations is practiced in these diverse Middle Eastern contexts.

This book provides valuable insights for scholars, practitioners, and students interested in global public relations, intercultural communication, and Middle Eastern studies. It highlights the significance of cultural specificity in shaping public relations strategies and practices, offering a unique contribution to the field’s understanding of public relations in non- Western settings.

Ruth Avidar (PhD, University of Haifa) is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Communication and the Department of Health Systems Management at Yezreel Valley College. She heads the Marketing Communication track and is a former PR practitioner. Her research focuses on digital public relations, interactivity, artificial intelligence in public relations, and digital dialogue and engagement. Her work has been published in leading journals such as Public Relations Review and the Journal of Public Relations Research. She serves on the editorial board of Public Relations Review, International Journal of Strategic Communication, and Corporate Communication: An International Journal, and is a recipient of the Berger Research Award for ethics and futurism in global strategic communication, awarded by the Global Strategic Communication Consortium.

Ganga S. Dhanesh (PhD, National University of Singapore) is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland. Her intercultural experiences in India, Singapore, the UAE, and the United States inform her research, published in journals such as American Behavioral Scientist, Journal of International Management, and Public Relations Review. An associate editor at the Journal of Communication Management, she serves on the editorial boards of Business Horizons, Journal of Public Relations Research, and Public Relations Review. A recipient of several research awards, she led Zayed University’s partnership with the UAE chapter of Unstereotype Alliance, convened by UN Women, and led the first Global Capabilities Framework study in the Middle East.