The document summarizes research on global public relations and communication management from a European perspective. It addresses 5 core research questions through a mixed-methods study including surveys of 579 European communication heads. Key findings include: 1) International communication is a daily practice for 90% of respondents, with 1 in 5 overseeing communication in over 20 countries. 2) Developing culturally sensitive strategies and understanding stakeholders are the main challenges. 3) Only about half of communication heads report solid international structures. Strategies for internationalization include management structures, multilingual communication, and working with agencies. Future challenges include balancing centralization/decentralization and developing globally experienced staff.

1. Global public relations and communication management:
A European Perspective
Dejan Verčič, Ansgar Zerfass, Markus Wiesenberg
Research Colloquium, World Public Relations Forum, Madrid, September 2014
1 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
Universität Leipzig. Paving ways since 1409.

2. Agenda
Global public relations and communication management
Five core research questions
Methodology
Findings
Outlook and perspectives
Questions & Answers
2 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

3. Global public relations
Theoretical framework for
global public relations
3 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
Glocalization and world class
public relations
Generic principles and
specific applications
Cross-national conflict shifting
English as business lingua franca

4. Research questions
RQ 1: How important is international communication for European CCOs?
RQ 2: What are the main challenges for international public relations practice?
RQ 3: How is international public relations function organized?
RQ 4: What strategies are used to internationalise communication function?
RQ 5: What are the main challenges in international public relations for the future?
4 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

5. Methodology: mixed methods design
Quantitative survey
 part of a larger online survey among
communication professionals in
Europe (n = 2.802) in March 2013
 sub-sample analyzed:
579 communication heads
of listed companies (53.9%)
or private companies (46.1%)
 53.9% female; 46.1% male
 74.6% with more than 10 years
experience on the job
 statistical data analysis
5 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
Qualitative survey
 structured questionnaire with eight
open-ended questions
 invitations sent to 281 CCOs of global
companies in Europe in August 2013
 Respondents: 42 global communication
heads of listed and private companies,
average: 67,000 employees, based in
12 different countries
 30 male and 12 female
 inductive content analysis

6. How important is
international communication
for European CCOs? RQ1
6 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

7. International communication is a
daily business for 90%
7 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
n = 579 heads of communication (CCOs) of companies in
Europe. The values show how many of the respondents
approved each statement. Significant differences between
listed and privately-owned companies (chi-square test, p
≤ 0.05, Cramér’s V = 0.209).
Listed
companies
Privately-owned
companies
Overall
Frequency % Frequency % %
Yes, regularly 199 63.4 140 52.8 58.5
Yes, sometimes 89 28.3 96 36.2 32.0
No 26 8.3 29 10.9 9.5

8. One out of five CCOs oversees
communication in more than 20 countries
8 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
n = 579 heads of communication (CCOs) of companies in
Europe. The values show how many of the respondents
approved each statement. Significant differences between
listed and privately-owned companies (chi-square test, p
≤ 0.05, Cramér’s V = 0.132).
Listed
companies
Privately-owned
companies
Overall
Frequency % Frequency % %
Up to 5 countries 106 36.8 113 47.9 41.8
6 to 10 countries 59 20.5 51 21.6 21.0
11 to 20 countries 47 16.3 28 11.9 14.3
More than 20 countries 76 26.4 44 18.6 22.9

9. International is perceived as very important
9 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
n = 579 heads of communication (CCOs) of companies in
EuropeAll items are measured on a 5-point scale
ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). *
= p ≤ 0.05.
Listed
companies
Privately-owned
companies
Overall
M SD M SD M t df
Communicating internationally
is important for the organisation
4.26 1.131 4.03 1.226 4.15 2.377* 543
Communicating internationally
will become more important
within the next three years
4.22 1.083 4.12 1.118 4.17 1.042 554

10. Europe, North America, East Asia top the list
10 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
n = 579 heads of communication (CCOs) of companies in
Europe. The values show how many of the respondents
approved each statement.
Listed
companies
Privately-owned
companies
Overall
Frequency % Frequency % %
Europe 286 99.3 234 99.2 99.2
North America 124 43.1 97 41.1 42.2
East Asia 92 31.9 67 28.4 30.3
Middle East 84 29.2 64 27.1 28.2
Latin America 90 31.3 62 26.3 29.0
South and Southeast Asia 78 27.1 62 26.3 26.7
Africa 64 22.2 45 19.1 20.8
Pacific 51 17.7 47 19.9 18.7

11. What are the main challenges
for international public
relations practice? RQ2
11 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

12. Major challenges
12 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
n = 450 heads of communication (CCOs) of companies in
Europe. All items are measured on a 5-point scale
ranging from 1 (not challenging) to 5 (very challenging). *
= p ≤ 0.05.
Listed
companies
Privately-owned
companies
Overall
M SD M SD M χ2 Φ
Developing communication
strategies with social, cultural and
political sensitivity
3.86 1.004 4.00 0.979 3.93 9.859* .145
Monitoring public opinion and
understanding stakeholders
3.83 0.979 3.98 1.044 3.90
Understanding structures of media
systems and public spheres
3.72 1.066 3.86 1.053 3.78
Hiring and leading local
communication experts for the
own organisation
3.39 1.178 3.36 1.203 3.38

13. How are international public
relations functions organized? RQ3
13 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

14. Only about half of the CCOs report solid
structures for international communication
14 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
•n = 579 heads of communication (CCOs) of companies in
Europe. All items are measured on a 5-point scale
ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
** = p ≤ 0.01.
Listed
companies
Privately-owned
companies
Overall
M SD M SD M t df
My organisation has solid
structures and strategies for
international communication
3.67 1.155 3.37 1.164 3.53 3.096** 559

15. Centralization
“Central structure (with standards and policies)
is key! The rest may be democratic, but causes
chaos and unwanted ‘independency’ with strange
strategies and statements.”
(Head of Corporate Communication, Austria)
15 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

16. Aligned decentralization
“Aligned Decentralisation: meaning headquarters
responsible for the corporate story (vision,
mission, values, global strategy, targets),
corporate standards (global messages, policies
such as corporate design and key-wording), while
regional/national communications units should
ensure aligned transformation in
regional/national/local statements. However,
online communications remain global dues to the
‘flat world’ we live in.”
(Head of Corporate Communication, Switzerland)
16 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

17. Decentralization
“My approach is decentralised management to be
closer to the business, but with clear guidelines
and a lot of communication with the central.”
(Director of Communication, Spain)
17 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

18. What strategies are used to
internationalise
communication function? RQ4
18 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

19. Strategies used to internationalize the
communication function
19 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
n = 451 heads of communication (CCOs) of companies in
Europe. All items are measured on a 5-point scale
ranging from 1 (not challenging) to 5 (very challenging).
Listed
companies
Privately-owned
companies
Overall
M SD M SD M
Implementing management structures
(planning, organisation, evaluation)
3.36 1.019 3.51 1.051 3.43
Communicating in multiple languages 3.26 1.283 3.32 1.194 3.29
Enforcing corporate design rules 3.03 1.252 3.23 1.129 3.12
Selecting and working with
3.06 1.106 3.16 1.199 3.10
communication agencies in those
countries

20. What are the main challenges
in international public
relations for the future? RQ5
20 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

21. From comms departments to comms companies
“We will see a move from companies that have
communication departments to communicating companies.”
(Head of Communication Services, Switzerland)
“1) Communication skills and capabilities need to be made
part of the skills set of all leaders in the organization.
2) Communication training and social media enablement
for all employees.
3) Communication related items will have to be part of
values, vision and mission.”
(Head of Group Communication, Germany)
21 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

22. Further questions for research
 How to balance centralization / decentralization,
central authority and local autonomy?
 How to tackle diversity?
 How to develop globally experienced staff? How
to educate them and how to train them?
 How to prepare global comms initiatives?
 Should global comms planning processes
become compulsory?
22 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

23. Questions & Answers
23 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg

24. Dr. Dejan Verčič
Professor of Public Relations
University of Ljubljana
dejan.vercic@fdv.uni-lj.si
24 / Verčič, Zerfass & Wiesenberg
Dr. Ansgar Zerfass
Professor of Communication
Management
University of Llubljana
zerfass@uni-leipzig.de
Markus Wiesenberg
Research Associate
University of Leipzig
markus.wiesenberg
@uni-leipzig.de