Challenges for public relations : working in an international framework Kate

Western models of public relations tend to dominate the discipline, but the efficiency of such models in light of global public relations and the richness of alternative – particularly South East Asian – approaches will be interrogated in this paper. There are few scholars who take a critical approach to public relations practice, or consider the significance and practice of public relations in nonWestern and developing nation contexts. Those who do tend to approach international public relations as an opportunity that offers the multinational company competitive advantage and sound image management in international markets, rather than as the potential for developing ethical and reciprocally meaningful communication practices. This paper aims to address issues of globalisation and the demands of ethical approaches and social responsibility by developing a context-sensitive orientation to the discipline. The complexities resulting from the internationalising of the field, specifically in terms of education and professional practice, will be explored and illuminated through reference to case studies in SE Asia and Australia.