Intercultural communication competence and preferred public relations practices
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how individual-level intercultural communication competence (ICC) represented by cultural empathy, open-mindedness, and flexibility predicts preferred use of symmetrical, two-way, conservation, and ethical public relations practices (PRPs) among public relations (PRs) students.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modeling was used to analyze self-report data from 268 PRs students surveyed at a southern university.
Findings
Results indicated that empathy, open-mindedness, and flexibility together significantly predicted the preferred use of all four PRPs. The three ICC variables each had a positive direct effect on symmetrical and ethical PRPs. Empathy and flexibility each had a positive direct effect on two-way and conservation PRPs.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides evidence that the PRPs resulted from Excellence Theory, despite controversies over their practicality, are closely and positively related with ICC qualities such as empathy, open-mindedness, and flexibility among future practitioners. Future research should overcome the limitations in this study by examining current practitioners instead of PR students who are the future practitioners, investigating the PRP instruments’ criterion-related and construct validity, as well as exploring different levels and types of ICC.
Originality/value
This study is new in bridging the gap between preferred PRPs and the qualities needed for those PRPs, thereby addressing two limitations in the current intercultural PRs research.
Keywords
Citation
Ni, L., Wang, Q. and De la Flor, M. (2015), "Intercultural communication competence and preferred public relations practices", Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 167-183. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-07-2012-0061
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited