Exploring global public relations in a Korean multinational organization in the context of Confucian culture

Abstract

This study explores how a Korean multinational organization manages its global public relations and how the culture variable influences its global public relations execution. This study focuses on the question of whether societal culture supersedes organizational culture in public relations practices. Qualitative data collected from document analysis and long interviews revealed that the organization is practicing global public relations rather than international public relations. At the core of global public relations practice, the organization's corporate philosophy is playing a role of generic principles. The evidence from interviews showed that practitioners in the organization are using dual cultural measures. In a domestic setting, societal culture, especially Confucian tradition, is prominent because the organization has to adjust to the social norm to survive in Korean markets. However, societal culture cannot play as much influence in a global setting as it does in a domestic setting.