Introduction

Public relations have been integral for most if not all businesses regardless of the geographical location involved. Making people buy into an idea is never an easy thing. There are varied dynamics that the people involved ought to take into consideration to make it possible for the relevant business to thrive. It is more of a strategic communication that helps in building mutually beneficial relationships that exist between businesses and the public (Gregory & Halff, 2013). Publicity is always good for business as it helps in ensuring that the business enjoys a favorable level of loyalty from consumers. To some extent, it goes a long way in creating a lasting positive impression compared to advertisement since this is what the public associates with the business. The emergence of globalization has brought some changes to the concept of public relations. Businesses have had to make some adaptations since globalization brings about some complexities that did not exist before. The cultural differences that exist in markets from different countries call for creativity from businesses to ensure that they thrive at all times (Bardhan, 2013). There is the need of understanding the different dynamics that exist to ensure success in the prevailing endeavors.

Globalization has made the geographical boundaries small as it has helped bring people, organizations, and groups together. Issues taking place in one country have the ability to affect people in other countries due to the interdependence that exists. As a result, public relations are easily affected by international practices emanating from different cultures due to globalization proponents. There is a need for organizations to build and maintain favorable relationships with international stakeholders. Organizations operating in global markets ought to be prepared to encounter the possibility of resistance from host cultures the moment they have established subsidiaries or branches in these countries (Bardhan, 2013). The public is always skeptic of businesses operating at the international level. As a result, it has become significant for businesses to develop their skills, sensitivity and knowledge while conducting public relations in international set-ups.

In the globalization age, organizations have to exhibit some degrees of professional, cultural competence to ensure that they thrive in the quest of favorable public relations. In the light of globalization, organizations are expected to discard any preconceived ideas they might have regarding a certain market. Most of these ideas might be myths of stereotypes that do not exist. Relying on secondary information can be detrimental to business since it is difficult to substantiate the truth and fiction (Sriramesh et al., 2015). To thrive, there is need of enhancing due diligence before embarking on the development of public relations. Among the issues to assess is the value of public opinion in the geographical area of interest. This understanding helps an organization in deciding on the weight that will be bestowed on the public relation campaigns that will be enhanced. Assessing what exactly makes the consumers in this geographical area tick will be critical.

For effectiveness with enhancing cultural competence, the organization would be forced to change its hiring aspects. There will be a need of employing natives from the region so that they can help in analyzing different aspects of the people. These employees would be integral since they have a lot of knowledge that is not privy to the organization. They will be the guardians and will be tasked with directing the organization when it is following a path that is likely to result in the creation of a negative image. To some extent, employing natives acts as a positive public relations act due to the message that it sends to the public. There is a demonstration that the company cares for the needs of the people since it has provided them with an opportunity to earn a living (Sriramesh et al., 2015). The aspect portrays the company in a good way, and this pushes the natives to accept the business. There will be a drive for them to establish some form of loyalty to the organization too. They want to see the business thrive due to the positive implications that it has on the people.

Globalization also calls for the need of the organization to understand all the dynamics of the political and legal systems in the host country to help shape favorable public relations. Different countries have deferring political ideologies. It would be for the benefit of a business if it took the time to understand the dos and don’ts in this case. Establishing favorable relationships with the government is paramount in building a good public image (Baylis, 2017). This is because the government will keep on commending the business with every opportunity that presents itself. This form of publicity goes a long way into helping the business to become endearing to the masses. In case the business goes against the government regulations, gaining negative publicity is inherent since the government has the resources of ensuring this. When it comes to the legal system, it is upon the business to get an understanding of all the legal requirements of conducting business within a certain geographical area. This calls for engagement with professionals that are highly knowledgeable in this area. Acting in accordance with the required regulations helps the business to avoid costly lawsuits. The lawsuits not only bring about monetary losses in terms of fines but also work to ruin the publicity of the business (Baylis, 2017). When people see a business being reported for various wrongdoings, there would be skepticism on whether to indulge with the business in future. This shows how the lack of understanding various legal requirements in the global market would work in enhancing negative public relations.

Public relations would also be enhanced in a globalized economy by understanding the poverty and illiteracy levels, extent of activism in the region, and level of economic freedom among others. Poverty and literacy levels usually help to determine the complexity that will be involved in the communication mix. The message that an entity is sending should be easy to understand for the targeted population for there to be a positive impact. There should not be any ambiguity at any time. Lack of understanding might be detrimental since the people might think the entity’s intentions are not clear hence remain suspicious of its activities (Bardhan, 2013). The extent of activism, on the other hand, is important since activists tend to force businesses to practice social responsibility. The objective here is to ensure that the organizations involved are fulfilling varied societal expectations. In an area where activism is high, it means that the public is also on a high alert on this issue. This is something that an organization can take advantage of. The key here would be showcasing high levels of social responsibility. Given the awareness that the public has on this issue, it is likely to be noticed. The social responsibility being exercised will result in favorable public relations that will result in the acceptance of the business. When it comes to economic freedom, it tends to define the extent of entrepreneurship. When the freedom is extensive, it means that public relations can be dynamic.

It is apparent that globalization has made the functions of public relations more complex. This is because entities have to think globally at all times for them to become competitive and successful. There is a need for every public relations function to conform to international standards and requirements. What works for one market might be inferior or even detrimental in another market. This means that organizations ought to approach different markets differently. This calls for adequate research to ensure that all the relevant requirements have been put into consideration at all times (Bardhan, 2013). Such an aspect results to the utilization of numerous resources and time to help establish what works for a particular market and what should be avoided at all costs.

Conclusion

The emergence of globalization has changed the dynamics of public relations. Organizations have to think global while making public relations decisions as opposed to thinking local. There is a need of understanding all the markets as every decision made might have an implication on more than one market. The best ways to prevail the era of globalization includes developing positive relationships with international stakeholders. There is a high probability of the international market presenting varied challenges, and this calls for a business to develop skills to deal with any prevalent issues. Developing professional cultural competence is highly recommended too. This is because the public will pay more attention to the business that shows to understand them, and shows this in the way it executes its activities. Employing native personnel is also important as they help in guiding the business to avoid actions that might be detrimental given their knowledge of the market and the people. Having a clear understanding of the legal and political systems is important. These aspects are likely to affect the image of the business in one way or another. Being in good terms with both systems acts as a positive publicity for the business.

Bibliography

Bardhan, N. (2013). Constructing the Meaning of Globalization: A Framing Analysis of the PR Strategist. Journal Of Public Relations Research , 25 (5), 391-410.

Baylis, J. (2017). Globalization of world politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Oxford: Oxford university press.

Gregory & Halff, a. (2013). Divided we stand: Defying hegemony in global public relations theory and practice? Public Relations Review , 39 (5), 417-425.

Sriramesh et al., k. (2015). Public relations and communication management. New York: Routledge.

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