Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Due to the process of globalization, the field of public relations has been influenced by international practices. Public relations practices in European countries and in Asian countries have been well discussed by previous researchers. However, public relations practices in African cultures are under-investigated. Thus, this study aims to describe work-related cultural values and practices of public relations in Ghana. The results of this study will extend the knowledge of international public relations about African cultures.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: We utilized qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine how appearance-related communications within one’s family relate to eating pathology and internalization of cultural appearance norms. College women completed standardized measures of these factors and responded to open-ended questions regarding appearance-related communication within the family. Findings are examined within a feminist framework.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper investigates the ways in which parties stake out left-right positions that deviate from the mean positions of their supporters. Previous research has demonstrated a tendency for parties to adopt positions that are relatively more extreme than their supporter mean positions, but there are at least two lines of argumentation (one based on coalition bargaining considerations, the other on vote maximization) that also imply the presence of relative moderation – a tendency for moderate parties to be more moderate than their supporters. Using surveys covering 31 countries compiled by the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems, this investigation shows that, despite the extraordinarily close correspondence between the two sets of positions, parties in coalitional systems do display both types of effect. Further investigation indicates that coalition maneuvering, rather than vote maximization, motivates this behavior.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: (to be uploaded)

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Government public relations focuses on the use of communication to achieve specific goals such as nation building. This article proposes that deliberation and deliberative processes define the public relations practice of a democratizing nation such as Singapore. We posit that as a country becomes more democratic, deliberation also becomes a more prominent feature of government public relations. Using quantitative content analysis, this study evaluated 37 National Day speeches delivered by three Singaporean Prime Ministers on the occasion of Singapore’s National Day. Our findings show that as the Singaporean political leadership moves away from a top-down approach and towards a more participatory style of government, the frames found in the speeches emphasize greater public participation and engagement in public debate on issues that shape the country’s future. As it emphasizes equal opportunity for citizens to speak and be heard, this model of government public relations moves away from the traditional public information model and approaches a two-way symmetrical model.