Global and Multicultural Public Relations

4Professionalism and Ethical Reasoning

Keywords

integrity; ethical decision‐making; professional responsibilities; codes of ethics; values

Central Themes

• The practice of public relations can present unique and challenging ethical issues that should be considered when making decisions and acting on behalf of organizations and stakeholders.
• Protecting integrity and the public trust is fundamental to the profession's role and reputation.
• Organizations are responsible for their actions; so too are public relations and communications management professionals.
• Practicing across borders may place the values of home and host societies on a collision course, which calls for the articulation of professional, corporate, and industry codes of ethics and the clear setting of aspirational values.

Introduction

The recruitment, hiring, and training of public relations professionals in various world locations are complex but important tasks. There are locations where talent is abundant. There are places where public relations is taught in higher‐education institutions. Other would‐be professionals study journalism and gain additional training in seminars and conferences. It is not uncommon to find lawyers, business administrators, and engineers managing the public relations function in all types of organizations worldwide.

Most multinational corporations (MNCs), multilateral organizations, agencies, and consultancies normally staff the public relations function with a combination of ...