The structure and evolution of global public relations: A citation and Co-citation analysis 1983–2019

Abstract

As a subfield of public relations, global public relations has grown significantly over the past three decades. However, the state of knowledge about its structure and evolution remains unexplored. Who are the key players and what are the key works in the global public relations literature? Which primary research topics have been investigated over time? This study answers these questions by using bibliometric methods to examine published articles in scholarly global public relations research from 1983 to 2019. A total of 35,982 citations from 521 articles permit us to conclude that the field of global public relations has experienced exponential growth, especially during the last decade. Public Relations Review has been the primary outlet for publishing articles on global public relations. The topics of interest during this period can be generally categorized into three groups: culture or cultural dimensions of global public relations, application of public relations theories (e.g., Excellence Theory) and perspectives to other countries, and the introduction of public relations in other countries. The topic of public relations roles appeared in research only in 2000−2009, while public diplomacy emerged as a new theme in the literature in 2010−2019.