Dean Kruckeberg

Universal ethics code: Both possible and feasible

Abstract No insurmountable barriers preclude the development of a binding code with the public relations professional community, although it might be a logistically difficult and sobering task. Public relations does not have to become a legally protected profession or be governmentally licensed and regulated. Rather, a professional model similar to that used by Certified Public Accountants is more appropriate, because such a model recognizes that not all the activities of its practitioners can be exclusionary and limited to those in professional practice. Dean Kruckeberg is coordinator of the public relations degree program in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Northern Iowa. This article was part of a debate presented at the annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Montreal, Canada, August 1992.

The Future of PR Education: Some Recommendations.

Abstract This article contends that public relations is a professional occupation that has become more than a subset or specialization of other disciplinary areas. Perspectives of professional and disciplinary areas that have had a strong influence on public relations education must be reevaluated. The integrity of public relations professional education must take precedence over academic unit perspectives and biases; furthermore, public relations as a professional occupation is ideological—with its own set of professional values and beliefs. The new Commission on Public Relations Education must recognize public relations is an occupation that requires its own identity as well as clearly defined professional parameters.

A global perspective on public relations ethics: The Middle East

Abstract Sophisticated public relations is being practiced in the Middle East. However, the models used in that geo-political region are not identical to U.S. models, nor to those in other Western countries usually considered part of the “First World.” In particular, Moslem culture heavily influences much of Middle East practice. Some contemporary public relations literature indicates that the only “ethical” public relations practice embraces a “two-way symmetrical” model. However, a counterthesis contends that public relations is culturally relative in both its theories and in its techniques— inferring that a range of asymmetrical models may be most appropriate for a given culture and its social/political/economic systems. It reasonably follows that a cultural relativism capable of embracing a range of public relations models would require a like “relativism” in the consideration of professional public relations ethics. However, this consideration may not be problematic in much of the Middle East. Throughout parts of that geo-political region, nothing inherently precludes the practice of “two-way symmetrical” public relations in situations and environments where public relations would be practiced. In fact, given Middle East/Moslem culture, such model may be the most likely to evolve. Neither is satisfaction of the “ethical” demands of public relations inherently precluded in much of the Middle East, i.e., “ethics” within the particular context of “two-way symmetrical” practice that is advocated in some contemporary public relations literature. Dean Kruckeberg is professor of public relations and coordinator of the public relations degree program in the Department of Communication Studies, University of Northern Iowa.

Women and Public Relations Education and Practice in the United Arab Emirates.

Abstract In 1995, 20 women students will be admitted into the newly-designed public relations major program at the United Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain. The program is based on the American model for an undergraduate public relations curriculum. This article explores the context of the decision to implement such a model and to use such a perspective. It does this by examining the history of public relations education in the Arabian Gulf area and the meaning of public relations in that context. In addition, it reports on the findings of the first field study of public relations practice in the U.A.E. It concludes with an examination of the role of Emirati women in the culture and their future in public relations practice. Creedon is director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. Al-Khaja is an assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communication, United Arab Emirates University. Kruckeberg is coordinatir of the public relations degree program at the University of Northern Iowa.

The Death of the Concept of Publics (Plural) in 21st Century Public Relations

The concept of publics (plural) must be questioned because of todays communication and transportation technology. A difficult-to-explain-and-predict chaos theory has ensued as professional media have lost their monopoly of knowledge to an immense number of purveyors of seemingly infinite user-provided content traveling on inexpensive and easily accessible electronic channels of communication. Much of this content is ideological, refocusing responsibility on consumers. The only strategic public that can be identified with certainty is the general public during a time in which infinite numbers of volatile publics worldwide can form immediately and unpredictably and can act seemingly chaotically and with unforeseen power. The authors call for a re-definition of public relations in todays mediated society.

Pitfalls and promises of transparency in the digital age

This article re-examines transparency as it is conceptualized in communication, particularly in public relations, and it introduces the concept of pseudo-transparency. Transparency in the public relations literature is rarely examined from a critical perspective. We conclude from our re-examination that transparency is a product of modernism and neoliberalism; as such, we argue that the concept is used by organizations, that is, governments, civil society organizations, and corporations, to reproduce and to maintain a status quo to be accepted without interrogation or critical inquiry. Based on this re-examination, we advocate that public relations practitioners must be at the forefront in resolving ethical issues that are related to transparency and to pseudo-transparency in contemporary global society.

Significance of the NCA's "Dialogue on Public Relations Education" Conference.

Abstract The National Communication Association (formerly Speech Communication Association) devoted its Summer 1998 Conference to public relations education. The authors of this article contend that this conference, “Dialogue on Public Relations Education” held July 9 through 12 in Arlington, Virginia, and the massive formative research that was performed in preparation for this conference were seminal, not only in examining current public relations practice and its education, but also in advocating education norms for the future. The conference also helped formalize an emerging and much-need ecumenism among the diverse public relations divisions of scholarly associations and among educator sections of the sometimes competitive professional associations. This ecumenical endeavor has helped unify and focus the efforts of all stakeholders to assure high-quality public relations education that will best meet the future needs for public relations professional preparation.

“Walking the environmental responsibility talk” in the automobile industry: An ethics case study of the Volkswagen environmental scandal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the corporate behavior of Volkswagen in its emissions scandal. It describes and analyzes a complex ethics dilemma within the purview of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS) and examines how this dilemma impacts critical stakeholders, thus offering several “opportunities to learn” for professionals. Design/methodology/approach The case takes a stakeholder perspective, applying Cavanagh et al. (1981) and Gao’s (2008) ethical judgement framework. It is situated within a qualitative approach to textual analysis. Social actors, topics and evaluative statements were identified and grouped into broader categories. Findings Six major stakeholders were directly affected by Volkswagen’s behavior: customers, investors and shareholders, the US Environmental Protection Agency, German authorities, European institutions and society-at-large. Stakeholder concerns were condensed into three dominant themes: economic, legal and environmental. According to the ethical judgment framework, Volkswagen corporate behavior showed ethical problems, theoretically demonstrating that under no ethical principle was Volkswagen’s actions justifiable, even under instrumental justifications. Research limitations/implications The analysis was primarily based on corporate material and news media reporting. Consequently, diverse managers’ prospectives and opinions are not entirely captured. Practical implications This paper offers several “opportunities to learn” for corporate communication professionals. Originality/value The focus on stakeholder perspectives allows professionals to take an outside-in approach when evaluating the impact of corporate actions on stakeholders’ interests. The case analysis through Cavanagh et al. (1981) and Gao’s (2008) ethical judgment framework provides a practical theoretical instrument to assess corporate behaviors that can be used both as pre- and post-evaluations of corporate actions on CSR and CS issues.