16th BledCom International Public Relations Research Symposium

CALL FOR PAPERS

General Theme: Culture and Public Relations

Culture Public Relations. A new approach to the profession in a global multicultural environment

Amanda Jane Succi

AJS Connection srl Via Provinciale 18 - 95026 Acitrezza - Catania Italy Tel.: +39 095 7116077 info@ajsconnection.it 1

Culture Public Relations. A new approach to the profession in a global multicultural environment

Abstract

Culture is powerful. Every one of us believes implicitly in our culture (whichever one it is) and generally conforms to its tenets. Communication is powerful. Through the skilled use of communication strategies and tools, change can be accomplished. As culture is critically important to communication, so communication is important to culture since it is fundamental in the achievement of mutual understanding. Key questions: During the moment of communication, how do values and cultural norms affect communication? Which are the social and cognitive factors able to determine the success of relational exchange between people? In which way do the context, the type of relationship and the perceived distance reflect on the communication process? How can we identify specific barriers, in the communication process, related to differences between people and their expectations, potentially determining an obstacle to their mutual understanding? This paper aims to state the importance of binding culture and communication together in specific public relations programs, and its implications for public relations in both societal and corporate culture settings. The theoretical part gives general descriptions of the terms culture, multiculturalism, intercultural relations and cross-cultural communication. The second part outlines the definition of public relations and its natural core cultur e orientation, expanding on corporate culture, and the increasing importance of culture public relations in defining relational spaces through the use of culture as a communication tool. The paper concludes with the assumption that public relations is culture, since both have the specific characteristics of dynamicity and change. In fact, culture is not a static phenomenon but is constantly changing, losing and acquiring new elements and specificities. Pr, at the same time, is a dynamic profession. It changes in order to fulfill at its best the reason for its existence: taking care of the understanding between an organization and its many publics, culture being the silent link.

Article outline

The paper is outlined in two parts: the first one is concentrated on the theoretic approach of the subject proposed; the second part is dedicated to the practical application of the idea presented.

Part one - Theoretical overview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Culture Culture and evolution Cultural differences and cultural distances Multiculturalism Intercultural relation The importance of Culture worldwide: UNESCOs commitment and duty Communication and intercultural communication

Part two - Practical approach 8. 9. Defining pr and its link to culture. Corporate culture: cultural organization and communication

10. Practical link between the application of pr and the use of culture as a communication tool. 11. Public relations governs relations, relational spaces and cultural relations. 12. Cultural and territorial pr infrastructure 13. The Euro-Mediterranean example 14. Culture PR: Key elements and factors

Conclusions

References and bibliography

PART ONE

Theoretical overview Culture and communication are two extremely complex concepts and fields with many definitions for both. Although, in this paper, I shall avoid confronting the debate still raging between sociologists and anthropologists concerning the definition of culture, it is nevertheless impossible to discuss the relationship between public relations, communication and culture without introducing the basic meanings and findings regarding the following: Culture Cultural evolution and subcultures Cultural differences and cultural distances Multiculturalism Intercultural relation The importance of Culture worldwide: UNESCOs commitment and duty Communication and intercultural communication

1.

Culture

From the Latin word cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate", culture generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance.1 Culture is the particular configuration of behaviours, norms, attitudes, values, beliefs and basic assumptions that differ from society to society. This means that culture is not objective in the sense that phenomena in the natural world are (or seem to be) objective. Culture can look different depending upon who does the looking, when they look and from what direction. This makes culture difficult to grasp.2 Among one of the classical definitions of culture the following has been stated by Kroeber and Kluckhohn: Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behaviour, acquired and

1 2

Harper, Douglas (2001). Online Etymology Dictionary

Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach , Thomson, 2002.

transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values 3.

Furthermore, culture has two main aspects which must be taken into consideration: an objective one and a subjective one. The objective aspect of culture refers to the system of meanings shared by a social group and piled up during the course of generations. The subjective aspect refers to the baggage of beliefs, attitudes, self definition, norms, roles and values which an individual possesses thanks to his/her belonging to a specific culture.4 The elements present in the subjective culture which are organized around a central theme are defined by Triandis (1996) cultural syndromes,5 which are, as an example, the level of uprightness-laxity or active-passive activities which are required by a specific culture, such as the tendency to express or avoid certain emotions, or to give more importance to instrumental aspects or to expressive ones (such as taking care of social relations). So, culture gives to an individual a cognitive aspect, represented by a mix of knowledge, and a prescriptive aspect, which is a behavioral guide. The differences between cultures depend on that part of knowledge or prescriptions not shared and which distinguishes one cultural group from another.6 Culture in a general sense is human software and know-how, all that is learned in the process of being human: an open-ended learning, never complete, always in flux and not necessarily bound to a particular location. Then there are cultures, or forms of emotional and cognitive learning that occur in social settings such as nations, ethnic groups, localities and cities, which are usually embedded in religions and civilizations. Cultures interact, clash, or harmonize and are mediated through culture.7 Cultures can be "understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another".8 Symbols provide the limits of cultured thought: members of a culture rely on these symbols to frame their thoughts and expressions in intelligible terms. In short, symbols make culture possible, reproducible and readable.

Kroeber, A.L, & Kluckhohn, C. Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. New York: Random House, (1952).
4
5 6

Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006.

Triandis, H.C. The psychological measurement cultural syndromes . American Psychologist, (1996).

Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006.

Jan Nederveen Pieterse, Ethnicities and global multiculture, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers inc., 2007 Findley, Carther Vaughn and John Alexander Rothney (2006). Twentieth-century World. Sixth edition, p. 14.

7 8

Culture can also be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. In fact culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society."9 RSAL DECLARATION ON CULTURAL

Above all, culture is not a rationally based belief system, but refers rather to taken-for-granted beliefs, values, norms, and basic assumptions that have proved useful in adapting to uncertainty and integration. As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, games, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief. So, whenever and wherever people come together over time, culture develops. Furthermore, the essence of culture is that it is10: Learned Shared Interrelated Adaptive

Which also means that culture is the determinant of the meaning applied to things and actions. Symbols, in fact, are the basic unit of cultural expression being part of action, behaviour and communication. Symbolism and culture are key aspects of organizations, and their expression in an organization context affects the whole of the organization, in particular its communication.

But culture does not mean civilization. It's not necessary to have cities in order to have a culture. Every society does the best it can with its circumstances. Any given social group, and therefore the culture that reflects it, is therefore neither more advanced nor more backward than any other; it is simply the way it is because it works that way. If the circumstances should change due to environmental change, population pressure, or historical events, then the culture changes.

10

Williams, Raymond. Keywords, "Culture" Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach , Thomson, 2002.

2.

Cultural evolution and subcultures

Culture is not a static phenomenon, it evolves constantly and invisibly. Especially in the age of information and technology, where it is available a huge amount of data about different cultures, the interconnection between cultures is greater. Also global migration helps cultures to get into contact more easily, mix, fuse and generating new cultural flavors. This means that the need of mutual understanding is increasingly urgent, both in relation to social and business environment. Man must be prepared to confront cultures traits and scenarios. Man needs to learn how culture evolves, what culture means to him and for him, needs to understand its consequences, needs to evaluate its reasons of existence and power. Again, this must be achieved both in society and in a business context. I find that this aspect of culture is the core to the public relations process and de velopment. I believe that public relations is culture in itself, because it cannot accomplish its programs and projects without culture. If culture did not exist Im quite sure that neither wo uld public relations. Everything would be static, predictable, every human being would be identical to another, there wouldnt be any kind of conflict or misunderstanding. Everything would be extremely flat and boring. The opposite of what culture is and of what communication as a social phenomenon and public relations as a profession are: in constant movement and, therefore, change.

Subculture Cultures are not only identifiable as macro blocks, but at the same time present many subcultures, meaning groups with distinctive characteristics within a larger culture. So, a subculture is a group of people with a culture (whether distinct or hidden) which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong. If a particular subculture is characterized by a systematic opposition to the dominant culture, it may be described as a counterculture. Subcultures are social, with their own shared conventions, values and rituals, but they can also seem 'immersed' or self-absorbed, another feature that distinguishes them from countercultures. Subcultures can be perceived as negative due to their nature of criticism to the

dominant societal standard. In essence, subcultures bring together like-minded individuals who feel neglected by societal standards and allow them to develop a sense of identity. 11 Large societies often have subcultures, or groups of people with distinct sets of behavior and beliefs that differentiate them from a larger culture of which they are a part. Subcultures can be distinctive because of the age, race, ethnicity, class, location, and/or gender of the members. The qualities that determine a subculture as distinct may be linguistic, aesthetic, religious, political, sexual, geographical, or a combination of factors. Members of a subculture often signal their membership through a distinctive and symbolic use of style, which includes fashions, mannerisms. The above is applicable in society or in a working environment, especially if we are dealing with cross-cultural businesses and multinational corporations. So, cultures are externally affected via contact between societies, which may also produce -- or inhibit -- social shifts and changes in cultural practices. The cultural and psychological change caused by a long period of contact with people who belong to different cultural groups is called acculturation12. This is a process regarding mutual influence which involves many consequences for the dominant group as well as for the minority one. War or competition over resources may impact technological development or social dynamics. Additionally, cultural ideas may transfer from one society to another, through diffusion or acculturation. Diffusion of innovations theory presents a research-based model of why and when individuals and cultures adopt new ideas, practices, and products. Related processes on an individual level include assimilation (adoption of a different culture by an individual) and transculturation, a term coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in 1947 to describe the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures.

3.

Cultural differences and cultural distances

Cultures can be different not only between continents or nations, but also within the same company or even family. The differences can also depend on cultural distances. Cultural distance can be measured taking into consideration a series of aspects, such as language, the type of social and economic structure, religion, the political system, the level of
11 12

Dick Hebdige, Subculture the Meaning of Style, (1979). Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006. 8

education, the idea of truth, esthetical criteria, and so on. Cultural distance is preeminently (even if not only) a structural distance. But this could be an effective distance or a perceived distance, and they may not necessary coincide. The perceived distance is generally malleable, because it can increase or decrease according to how much the context favours assimilation or contrast. Language and behavior are among those structural factors which contribute to the perception of distance or vicinity.13

4.

Multiculturalism

The term multiculturalism generally refers to an applied ideology of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a specified place, usually at the scale of an organization such as a school, business, neighborhood, city or nation. Some countries and some international corporations have official policies of multiculturalism aimed at recognizing, celebrating and maintaining the different cultures or cultural identities within that society or company to promote social cohesion. A multicultural area (which can be a nation, a country, a region, a city, a small town or even a classroom) is so defined because it brings together many cultures at the same time, in the same place. But the cultures that are present in a multicultural environment remain separate, like bubbles in a bathtub: many bubbles in the same water, every bubble touching and pushing the outside area of the nearest bubble, often bending it, invading it, until it breaks. Similarly this happens in multicultural areas. People from different cultures will mix, the cultures will mix, but always maintaining their cultural origin and sometimes generating confusion in the communication process, breaking possible balances. This is one of the areas that should be taken care of by public relations. In society, and in some cases in an organizational setting, multiculturalism is the other aspect of supranational integration, which tries to reach an equal relationship among the cultures existing within the same citizenship or context. The debate regarding multiculturalism moves towards the recognition of equal dignity of group and community cultural expressions which cohabit in a democratic society. This concept can be expressed in legal language: every human being has the

13

Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006. 9

right to grow up in a culture, his or hers own culture, not the one to which a majority tends to assimilate him/her. In societal terms, unfortunately, the perception of multiculturalism is blurred by the existence of other problems, such as the explosion of certain racist episodes and the difficulties of a multiethnic society, with which multiculturalism often risks being confused. Simply put, it all depends on the lack of knowledge of each others culture, of each others self being, of simple respect for one another. People forget to communicate correctly with each other, simply because they do not have the knowledge of the power of communication and how, through it and thanks to it, understanding can be shared. This is where public relations has a very important role to play in creating understanding through the knowledge and sharing of culture. It bridges peoples needs to learn to share relational spaces, to understand how to interrelate both in societal and organizational environment, and to adapt to each other consciously towards true intercultural relations through cross-cultural communication.

5.

Intercultural relation matches intercultural competence

Leaving aside sociological and anthropological concerns regarding intercultural concepts, from my point of view an intercultural environment is a relational space in which two or more defined cultures coexist sharing mutual understanding. While multiculturalism shares the relational space but not the mutual understanding, thus potentially (and in many cases in reality, as media and experience shows us) triggering human conflict which influences social and organizational peace, an intercultural relational and space-shared environment is the true focus upon which public relations should be inspired to take action. Action which needs to involve all levels both in the social and in the organizational field. In order to achieve this goal, it is important to gain specific Intercultural competences (or Cross-cultural competence - 3C), which is the ability for successful communication with people of other cultures. A person who is interculturally competent captures and understands, in interaction with people from foreign or different cultures, their specific concepts in perception, thinking, feeling and acting. This helps to free people from those prejudices and stereotypes which act as barriers in the intercultural communication process.

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6.

The importance of Culture worldwide: UNESCOs commitment and duty

The importance in focusing on culture, the strength of its diversity, and the need to aim at cohesion of human kind both in the societal and organizational context, is also taken into great consideration by Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which (in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity) describes culture as follows: "... culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs".14 The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO affirms that the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of humanity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of man and constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfill in a spirit of mutual assistance and concern which furthermore states the importance of cultural diversity an d the exercise of cultural rights in the international instruments enacted by UNESCO,15 Reaffirming that culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs, 16 Noting that culture is at the heart of contemporary debates about identity, social cohesion, and the development of a knowledge-based economy, Affirming that respect for the diversity of cultures, tolerance, dialogue and cooperation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding are among the best guarantees of international peace and security, Aspiring to greater solidarity on the basis of recognition of cultural diversity, of awareness of the unity of humankind, and of the development of intercultural exchanges, Considering that the process of globalization, facilitated by the rapid development of new information and communication technologies, though
14 st

UNESCO. 2002. Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. Adopted by the 31 session at the General Conference of Unesco, Paris, 2 November 2001. 15 In Unesco -Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity Among which, in particular, the Florence Agreement of 1950 and its Nairobi Protocol of 1976, the Universal Copyright Convention of 1952, the Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Cooperation of 1966, the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 1970, the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice of 1978, the Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist of 1980, and the Recommendation on Safeguarding Traditional Culture and Folklore of 1989. 16 In Unesco - Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity This definition is in line with the conclusions of the World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT, Mexico City, 1982), of the World Commission on Culture and Development (Our Creative Diversity, 1995), and of the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development
(Stockholm, 1998).

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representing a challenge for cultural diversity, creates the conditions for renewed dialogue among cultures and civilizations, Aware of the specific mandate which has been entrusted to UNESCO, within the United Nations system, to ensure the preservation and promotion of the fruitful diversity of cultures, Proclaims the following principles and adopts the present Declaration . Thus demonstrating the global importance of taking care of culture, its effects and its power in human coexistence and cohesion, both for social and business reasons. Among the 12 Unescos articles stated in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (all of which are of great importance and value), for the purpose of this paper I found particularly interesting the following which I directly relate to communication and public relations strategies:

Article 1 - Cultural diversity: the common heritage of humanity Culture takes diverse forms across time and space. This diversity is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations.

Article 2 - From cultural diversity to cultural pluralism In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among people and groups with plural, varied and dynamic cultural identities as well as their willingness to live together. Policies for the inclusion and participation of all citizens are guarantees of social cohesion, the vitality of civil society and peace. Thus defined, cultural pluralism gives policy expression to the reality of cultural diversity. Indissociable from a democratic framework, cultural pluralism is conducive to cultural exchange and to the flourishing of creative capacities that sustain public life.

Article 3 - Cultural diversity as a factor in development Cultural diversity widens the range of options open to everyone; it is one of the roots of development, understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence.

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Article 4 - Human rights as guarantees of cultural diversity The defense of cultural diversity is an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human dignity. It implies a commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the rights of persons belonging to minorities and those of indigenous peoples. No one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit their scope.

Article 5 - Cultural rights as an enabling environment for cultural diversity Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and interdependent...

Article 10 - Strengthening capacities for creation and dissemination worldwide In the face of current imbalances in flows and exchanges of cultural goods and services at the global level, it is necessary to reinforce international cooperation and solidarity aimed at enabling all countries, especially developing countries and countries in transition, to establish cultural industries that are viable and competitive at national and international levels.

Article 11 - Building partnerships between the public sector, the private sector and civil society Market forces alone cannot guarantee the preservation and promotion of cultural diversity, which is the key to sustainable human development. From this perspective, the pre-eminence of public policy, in partnership with the private sector and civil society, must be reaffirmed.

7.

Communication and intercultural communication

If communication is the process which sees the exchange of information between two or more people (Watzlawick), intercultural communication can be considered as the exchange of information between people who belong to groups or social categories which are holders of cultures at least partially different. It is a relationship between people who do not share the same system of meanings. It is therefore evident the necessity to understand the complexity of the relation exchange and of the communication process.17 The process includes the exchange of information and messages through an intentional and conscious use of mutually intelligible
17

Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, 2006. 13

symbol systems. Even though habits and emotions are part of the communicative process they are generally regarded as sources of communication that do not involve conscious intention. 18 In communication there are both universal and cultural specifics, and in any case all cultures use the same forms of communication, obviously adapted to each context and culture: Oral communication Written communication Non verbal communication

What is important for any form or kind of communication is that it must be effective, meaning that the information must be received as accurately in terms of content and meaning as intended by the sender.19 At the same time, a correct communication process needs to be bidirectional and symmetrical, meaning that it triggers a monitored loop system in which the feedback obtained must undergo a carefully controlled listening process. It is a negotiation process necessarily involving communication which, in turn, is effective when it listens to the publics (stakeholders) being taken into consideration, helping to improve the communication system and, at the same time, to change social and corporate organization. The effect of listening to chosen publics helps to improve social and organizational settings. This gives public relations and its practitioners a much more important and relevant role than the one existing today. Part of the difficulty of our profession is to identify and deal with barriers to communication, which are anything that prevents a message from being received or understood. Barriers are usually of human origin and can be listed as follows 20: Socio-cultural barriers. Considering that communication always involves other people, it is important to notice that an individual can be a carrier of culture but one person cannot create culture, because culture is a group or social phenomenon. Psychological barriers. These are related to the individual and his/her mental and emotional state.

18
19

Maureen Guirdham, Communicating across cultures at work, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2005 Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach , Thomson, 2002. 20 Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach , Thomson, 2002.

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Organizational barriers. Primarily related to the organizations structure, culture, patterns of work and communication flows.

In order to embark in the intercultural communication process it is possible to identify the following skills and disciplines: Cross-cultural competence Language proficiency Regional /context knowledge Communication strategy skills and awareness

The above are inextricably linked and their mix will vary depending on the context in which they are employed. According to Bloom, it represents an effective framework to describe the overlap area between the first three disciplines: at the receiving and knowledge levels cross-culture competence can operate with near independence from language proficiency or regional knowledge, but as one approaches the internalizing and evaluation levels the required overlap area approaches totality.21 Cross-culture competence is a very important aspect and skill in the intercultural communication process, but I also believe that cross-culture competence can be a successful tool only when inserted in a public relations program.

Cross-cultural communication or intercultural communication is therefore the field of study and the specialized professional area of public relations that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds endeavor to communicate and, at the same time, how it can be strategically and effectively done. As an example, until some years ago businesses developed programs to train employees to understand how to act when abroad, focusing primarily on language gaps. Current cross-cultural training in businesses also includes focus on culture training, establishing and understanding how people from different cultures communicate with each other, producing some guidelines with which people from different cultures can better communicate with each other. But its still not enough.

21

BLOOM BS (ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the classification of educational goals Handbook I: Cognitive Domain New York: McKay

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Cross-cultural communication is a very complex field and study area. It is a combination of many other fields, such as anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, communication and communication strategy.

PART TWO

Practical approach In this section I discuss how culture and public relations are inevitably linked and necessary to one another with the help of the following arguments: Defining pr and its link to culture Corporate culture: cultural organization and communication Practical link between the application of pr and the use of culture as a communication tool Public relations governs relations, relational spaces and cultural relations Cultural and territorial pr infrastructure The Euro--Mediterranean example Culture PR: Key elements and factors

8.

Defining pr and its link with culture

Public relations has been defined in many ways by its different National and International professional association bodies and all declare, even if using different words, the same concept. The CIPR (UK) states that public relations is the planned and sustained effort to establish good will and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics 22 The definition points out the following three aspects: PR is a discipline or profession which carefully plans its tasks and strategies, meaning that it is a cause-effect strategic discipline, where planning is carefully taken into consideration as well as every detail. Therefore, Pr does not relate to casual actions or behaviours.

22

www.CIPR.co.uk part of the definition of public relations

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Sustained effort clearly indicates that pr obtains its best results on the long term. Certainly in planning it will be necessary to foresee short term, medium term and long term goals, but these exist within a more complex and lasting strategic frame. Mutual understanding includes the knowledge of culture: the organizations culture, its publics culture, the employees culture, the markets or the environments culture in which the organization operates, the public relations practitioners culture.

Culture and public relations have in common an evolving existence: culture is imperceptibly but constantly changing; public relations is also known as a discipline and a profession always searching for new adjustments. Arent we all constantly stimulated to update our professional knowledge on what and how we can operate competitively in a changing environment? It may depend on the (unconscious) need to follow change, at the end of which cultural change exists and must be understood.

9.

Corporate culture: cultural organization and communication

The human race has evolved and grown as a result of its ability to organize: we organize ourselves into families, tribes, clans, ethnic groups, religions, professions, institutions, nations, etc.23 All organizations are created and organized through a communication process and are maintained by people communicating with each other.24 Corporate culture. Every organization has its own unique culture or value set. Usually organizations don't consciously try to create a certain culture. It is in fact created unconsciously, based on the values of the top management or the founders of the organization. It is formed by the moral, social and behavioral norms of the organization which in turn is based on the beliefs, attitudes, and priorities of its members. So, corporate culture exists apart from the awareness of it by the members of the organization or those in contact with that organization, referring to stakeholders, publics, etc. It is important to share, to monitor and to measure corporate culture awareness in order to deal with prejudices and stereotyping, which, as we mentioned before, represent serious barriers to communication.

23 24

Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach, Thomson, 2002. Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach, Thomson, 2002.

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It is also important to understand that corporate culture has two main aspects. The first one depends on the cultural values that top management decides to have in their corporate mission and vision, which means that it is the created part of corporate culture. The second aspect is related to where the company is located, to the culture of its members, to the culture shared with its stakeholders, to its market and environmental culture. I would define this second aspect as the part that naturally shapes corporate culture. The first one is foreseeable, the second is not immediately identifiable. The first one may try on its own to define corporate culture of an organization, but it will always be unconsciously and invisibly influenced by the second aspect which must be analyzed, understood and monitored. The two aspects determine the total corporate culture of an organization. This is where I consider the role of public relations is important: in defining an intercultural pr program or corporate culture pr plan, where it becomes essential to analyze, monitor and guide on a long term scale the evolving culture of the organization, considering its internal and external influence. To achieve this, organizations also need to open corporate communication channels vertically both up and down the structure as well as horizontally across the organization, increasing corporate communication and cultural skills. I believe that firms with strong cultures achieve higher results because employees sustain focus both on what to do and how to do it. This is carried out through cultural and communication strategy. We could also refer to Organizational culture which is defined by Brent Ruben and Lea Stewart25 as the sum of an organization's symbols, events, traditions, standardized verbal and nonverbal behavior patterns, folk tales, rules, and rituals that give the organization its character or personality. Ruben and Stewart note that organizational cultures are central aspects of organizations and serve important communication functions for the people who create and participate in them. These functions include providing employees with a sense of individual and collective identity, contributing to the establishment of structure and control within the organization, aiding the socialization of employees through learning about the customs and traditions of the organization, and fostering cohesiveness among employees.

25

Brent D. Ruben, Lea P. Stewart Communication and Human Behavior (5th Edition), Allyn & Bacon, 2005.

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10. Practical link between the application of pr and the use of culture as a communication tool Public relations must decide to apply cultural aspects for any public relations plan, making culture a standardized and essential part in communication programs and strategies. It would be a great mistake for a pr professional not to consider the relevance of culture in the communicational setting for and in which he/she is working, because public relations needs culture as a communication tool in order to achieve its goals. But culture represents a special and unusual kind of tool, which is never the same because of its natural fluid movement. So public relations needs first of all to understand what culture is as a tool and which aspects can be used or be useful for pr purposes. I would distinguish general aspects from specific ones, both for pr and culture. We would find general or standard pr principles, which must be transmitted and applied on a wider or global scale. In every cultural context it is possible, at the same time, to identify standard cultural principles which are present on a wide scale in the environment focused upon by public relations. But because within any cultural context (it could be a nation, a town, a company or a family) we can find subcultures or even slight cultural differences (which create distances), it is necessary to identify the best pr cultural tools in order to establish, define and plan communication effectively. Standard pr and culture are therefore linked with specific pr and cultural tools. Culture as instrument. Culture must therefore be considered as a set of tools which can be used in different ways and for different reasons, and where the context assumes a very important role in determining which cultural instruments will and should be used and which ones must be put aside. Every situation and every relation can at the same time make certain cultural environments accessible and increase the probability of their being used during dialogue and relational interaction.

11.

Public relations governs relations, relational spaces and cultural relations.

Public relations creates and maintains the reputation of an organization, where reputation (good or bad) is the consequence of certain actions through communication. But if reputation is the consequence of public relations decisions and actions, it means that managing relations is essential for public relations strategies.
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So, the core of public relations is to govern relations. These exist in a relational space which becomes the new focus of public relations practitioners: to build relational spaces with our publics or stakeholders. This means that the public relator also has the task of enabling people to interact with the organization, with other publics, in accordance with the relational approach.26 This cannot be done without a clear knowledge of culture and its effects. Which also means that relations without cultural knowledge of relations cannot be a true core for pr. This is a new public relations view, because it forces scholars and practitioners to widen the field for pr professional tasks, competences and application.

12.

PR Cultural and Territorial Infrastructure.

If the cultural context is in the hands of pr practitioners, it is necessary to determine what makes the context. As mentioned before, public relations must take into consideration that it is dealing on the one hand with general principles, i.e professional characteristics which make pr applicable in any part of the global arena, and on the other with specific principles (or applications), which are those variables related to the context and to the territory and which we need to pay attention to. The two principles, generic and specific, go together and must be drawn up so as to understand how to apply them in a specific culture or in a certain country. A public relations territorial infrastructure27 is a frame-work formed by the following elements: The political system The economic system The legal system Civil society The socio-cultural system Media system It then becomes PR cultural and territorial infrastructure because all the elements listed above will be differently treated, used and perceived according to the culture and the cultures existing in a given context or territory. This means that any organization and its prs must be aware of the characteristics of each variable identified in the same territory or context, as well as knowing the dynamics of those
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Toni Muzi Falconi, Le relazioni Pubbliche, video libro, Sossella editore, 2008. Toni Muzi Falconi, Le relazioni Pubbliche, video libro, Sossella editore, 2008.

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phenomena, local and international events which can or could influence and modify the characteristics of those variables, obviously affecting public relations effectiveness. Culture dynamics therefore must be considered, monitored and appropriately used.

13.

The Euro-Mediterranean example

The importance of using culture and cultures in public relations programs can be explained giving an interesting example. Supposing that institutions and corporate organizations decided to develop business or other relations with and within countries of the Mediterranean area. The enduring greatness of the Mediterranean is in the longevity of its cultural pluri-universes developed not within one sea, but within a complexity of seas.28 For the last 10-15 years the Mediterranean area has been taken much more into consideration than in the past. It is a critical zone because of its major social and cultural differences and consequent distances, but at the same time its enormous economic potential attracts active interest from all over Europe. Every day many companies, universities, institutions tie new relations with other organizations within this area, and even if in comparison to other global zones the Mediterranean area is not huge, nonetheless it has severe difficulties in creating true economic development because of the cultural distances and misunderstanding existing today. Wars and conflicts at present taking place in some of the countries, urgently increase the need for bridging peaceful and robust relationships through dialogue and communication. In this case I find that culture is a powerful tool for communication strategy in two different instances: the first one relating to developing social mutual understanding, among people and citizens, young and old, through the aid of cultural knowledge. The second relating to the use of culture and cultural pr tools in preparing business related pr programs and strategies. Both instances (social and corporate-business) are essential in the achievement of a stronger Mediterranean area (in full respect of the culture and of the identity of each group and country) and a potentially solid economic and developing zone, where cooperation and not partnership is needed. This means triggering multicultural dialogue thanks to specific intercultural relations, and can be carried out through pr and culture public relations in order to achieve a correct and peaceful cooperation among countries or those countries which decide to dialogue in a more constructive way.

28

Franco Cassano e Danilo Zolo, LAlternativa Mediterranea, Feltrinelli, 2007.

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I insert Unescos Mediterranean Program as follows: The UNESCO General Conference at its 27th session assigned to the Organization a coordinating role for UNESCO's initiatives on the Mediterranean, falling within UNESCO's fields of competence. The Director General has decided to decentralize it to Cairo making it the first major Mediterranean Program operating from the heart of the Arab world. The Program also concentrates on the promotion of three closely linked emblematic activities, conceived as networks: The Navigation of Knowledge, Network of Historical Naval Dockyards; The Network of Protected Areas, Parks and Gardens of the Mediterranean; The Network of Handicrafts. Apart from these working fields, it also insists upon the necessary struggle against digital divide and negative stereotypes in education. The Program is developing around the following major concerns: promotion of inter-cultural dialogue; fostering a culture of peace; laying foundations for sustainable co-development. It is guided by the Recommendations of the 1982 World Conference on Cultural Policies in Mexico City and by the principles set out in documents such as the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Convention on Climate Change or the 1995 Carthage Charter on Tolerance in the Mediterranean. It is also guided by the conclusions of the World Commission on Culture and Development (Our Creative Diversity, 1995), and of the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development (Stockholm, 1998). And it anchors the principles of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity adopted by UNESCO in 2001. Furthermore a new Cultural Policies for Development program was approved last autumn by UNESCOs 30 th General Conference.29 Unescos program shows clearly the need of applying Culture Public Relations strategies, skills and tools in order to achieve the stated goals in the societal context. The same can and should be considered applicable to all programs (business, institutional, governmental, academic, not for profit, etc.) which need to be started in this complex area.

14.

Culture PR. The key elements and factors

Culture exists because man exists. Public relations also exists because of mans existence and capacity to communicate. Therefore culture and public relations are bound to be considered, studied and applied in an inextricable form. So it could be stated that:
29

www.Unesco.org

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Public relations is culture Pr uses culture Pr needs to understand culture Culture is multiform as pr is Without cultural awareness it is impossible to be effective in an International market where intercultural contacts and relationships governance are more and more frequent than in the past. This is a new challenge for public relations which must consider the following key factors for successful Culture PR: Research methods for communication and culture Understand verbal and non-verbal codes used to transfer information between people Awareness on how verbal and non-verbal signals are interpreted differently Increase listening: Culture is learned by listening to, and observing the behavior of, other members within a group/context Increase awareness of how people from different cultures encode and decode messages differently Improve Intercultural Communication Research cultures and communication conventions of those whom they propose to meet Investigate the culture's perception of your culture Intercultural competence training and skills Increase awareness of Internal and external social and corporate complexity Act in a culturally responsible way Capitalize diversity as a basis of relationship

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Conclusions Over the years people tend to behave similarly, showing a standard cultural and behavioural pattern. But, at the same time, those patterns, develop in new cultural forms. This is what public relations needs to learn: firstly, the long lasting cultural frame for humans and, secondly, the specific cultural characteristics which are inherent in a specific moment, context or company, which are due to evolve quickly and silently. Public relations, because it is the director of the communication orchestra, has the task of defining the tools necessary to deepen its knowledge of the silent cultural change. Tools which have the task to evaluate how, why, by whom and in which direction behaviours and attitudes tend to change in a certain context. Managing this complicated task, public relations will obtain a more profound knowledge of communication determination. It would not only be a technical strategy, but a human relational and cultural strategy driven by profound understanding of culture and cultural change.

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References and bibliography

Angelica Mucchi Faina, Comunicazione Interculturale, Laterza, Roma, 2006 Franco Cassano - Danilo Zolo, Lalternativa Mediterranea, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2007 Jan Nederveen Pieterse, Ethnicities and global multiculture, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers inc., 2007 Laurie J. Mullins, Management and organizational behaviour, FT Prentice Hall, 2005. Maureen Guirdham, Communicating across cultures at work, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2005 Michael J. Rouse-Sandra Rouse Business communication. A cultural and strategic approach, Phil Clements and John Jones, The Diversity training handbook, Kogan Page, 2006. Thomson, 2002. Toni Muzi Falconi, Le relazioni Pubbliche, video libro, Sossella editore, 2008. Unesco - Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, 2002 www.cipr.co.uk www.federculture.it www.ferpi.it www.unesco.org

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