All roads lead down under? Ethnocentrism among Australian corporate communication practitioners

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article explores a topic that has not yet been in the focus of public relations research: ethnocentrism among corporate communication practitioners. We compare survey results from Australia with those from three European countries (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) and one Southeast Asian country (Indonesia). The results show a higher degree of ethnocentrism in Australia. The marketised higher education system in Australia and a strong commitment to the positivistic ideology of US functionalism contributes to an instrumental and technical understanding of corporate communication that leaves little room for critical self-reflection and cultural open-mindedness.