Review Journal

International Public Relations : Critique and Reformulation

By Carl Botan

and

A postmodern critique of public relations theory and practice

By  Derina Holtzhausen

The first journal discuss about how ethnocentric assumptions about public relations that limit both effectiveness and understanding of other cultures. These authors suggest that the ethnocentric view is exemplified in business writings by lilman (1980) who assumed that there is no major difference between motivating and persuading people at home and in other countries. Illman believed that people are functionally the same everywhere as they naturally will respond to the same stimuli in the same way.

According James (2003,p149) the example of international case is one of the first well-documented cases of foreign representation came in the aftermath of the Creel Commission. Edward L. Bernays(34) represented the Lithuanian National Council in an effort to gain U.S. recognition when the country declared its independence from Russia in 1918, after being freed from German occupation.

Bernays and Carl Byoir both worked for the Creel Commission. As part of his duties, Byoir built relationships with, and directed propaganda toward, European ethnic groups in U.S. cities to develop support for the war effort -- an early example of the strategic management capability of public relation. When no formal groups existed, Byoir helped to organize them. One o these groups was the Lithuanian National Council. After the war, Byoir asked Bernays to develop a campaign for Lithuania, and the National Council became one of Bernays' earliest clients.

In the campaign, Bernays used many of the techniques of the public information model -- especially newspaper articles, "distributed broadside to editors of newspapers, syndicate features and trade papers."But Bernays pioneered the two-way asymmetrical model. He called it the segmental approach: "It identified a major interest of the reader with a cause, intensifies his interest and stimulates actions." He elaborated:

We approached Lithuanian research by group interests and then wrote short pieces based on the research -- one about Lithuanian embroidery, to interest women; another, "Lithuanian Business Awaits American Exporters," to intrigue businessmen; a third on Lithuania's language -- even a piece on prohibition in Lithuania! Each story contained the message that Lithuania, the little republic on the Baltic, the bulwark against Bolshevism, was carrying on a fight for recognition in accord with the principle of self-determination laid down by President Wilson. This theme would appeal to the Americans' identification with liberty and freedom. I hoped it would spur constructive action on the part of the public, such as letter writing to members of Congress and newspapers.

Based on this journal, the conclusion is International public relations is also always intercultural public relations because the process is characterized in different nations by different mixtures of national development, primary client, legal/political, and historical contexts. The demands which international economic and political events place on public relations practitioners and scholars are escalating rapidly.

In the second journal its discuss about postmoderm critique, according to Holtzhausen (2002,p. 256)  The focus on public relations as a management function has possibly made the biggest contribution to establish public relations as a serious field of study. At the beginning of the 1980s public relations was in the right place at the right time and the management focus has generated numerous perspectives on the strategic management of public relations, with strategic as the key word.

Postmodernism provides alternative perspectives to planning than the pursuit of rational strategies by managers who “vanishes with the myth of human agency.” Becoming more career centered than organizationcentered will deny corporations the ability to pigeonhole people and will offer them more choices. The corporate ladder needs to be toppled in favor of flatter, networktype organizations and corporate planners need to be taken on because they produce a lot of paper but never implement any of the plans. Diversity is a necessity because the white male dominated corporation will cease to be viable. Entrepreneurship is the postmodern alternative to climbing the corporate ladder. This view is similar to my concept of the public relations practitioner as organizational activist.(Holtzhausen,2002).

Conclusion is this article holds that it is difficult to make sharp distinctions between critical and postmodern theory. A postmodern approach argues for the use of the most appropriate theory to view a particular situation, be it critical, postmodern or a combination of these. However, viewing public relations theory and practice through another lens is imperative if researchers and practitioners want to keep it relevant to today's society.

Reference :

Holtzhausen,D.(2002). A postmodern critique of public relations theory and practice, Communicatio, 28(1), P.29-38, DOI: 10.1080/02500160208537955

Holtzhausen,D.(2002). Towards a postmodern research agenda for public relations,Public Relation Review,28(3),p.251-264.

Botan,C.(1992). International Public Relations : Critique and Reformulation,Public Relation Revie,18(2),p.149-159

Grunig, J. E. (1993). Public relations and international affairs: Effects, ethics, and responsibility. Journal of International Affairs, 47(1), p.137-162.

Illman, P. E. (1980). Developing  Overseas  Managers  and Managers  Overseas. New York: AMACON