Since 1990, the concept of international public relations (IPR) is attracting more and more attention of PR practitioners, scholars, PR associations (International Public Relations Association) ) and international companies and organisations. This growth is extraordinary but also haphazard. An increasing number of countries are adapting American or European public relations principles and they are also making it their own by adjusting these principles to their cultural values and believes. (Wakefield) However, other countries consider public relations practitioners only as communications technicians and usually they do not reach management roles as an expert and responsible of communication, where they are in charge of the PR problems and their solutions, as well as developing programmes for their client or organisation.
IPR in the twenty-first century is the area of PR practice that has grown most rapidly. Despite its interest, IPR theory and investigation has been poor and most of the existing studies come from other disciplines such as marketing, human resources and management.
Now lets see some of the current definitions:
Dennis L. Wilcox (2001), Agee and Ault defined IPR as “the planned and organised effort of a company, institution or government to establish mutually beneficial relations with the publics of other nations”.
Tench, Ralph (Exploring PR) says “IPR is the planned communication activity of an (multinational) organisation, a supra- or international institution or government to create a positive and receptive environment through interactions in the target country which facilitates the organisation (or government) to achieve its policy or business objectives without harming the interest of the host publics”.
Booth (1986) implied that the only true international practicioners are those who ‘understand how business is done across national borders’ and perform in that context.
However, in all these definitions there is an important aspect, and an essential practice in public relations, that is missing. That is mutual understanding and relationship building between an organisation (global) and its public (local country)
The CIPR has a number of sectoral groups run by members of the Institute and one of this groups in International Public Relations, for members working in-house or in consultancy in an international context, or who wish to develop their careers in an international direction. It is an opportunity for both networking and training.
