Are hospitals our friends? An exploratory study on the role of Facebook in hospital organizations’ dialogic communication

Rooted in the dialogic public relations model, the aim of this paper was to analyze the way in which hospital organizations use Facebook to communicate and build relationships with their patients and followers. Using a content analysis of Facebook profiles, there is a reflection on how dialogic principles are applied in the management of Facebook by hospitals in Portugal. Special attention will be paid to communication regarding the Zika virus, which was of public interest at the time the empirical analysis was carried out. The study demonstrates that Portuguese hospitals are present on Facebook but do not use the social network dialogically or to communicate about topical themes of public interest.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The (in) communicability of corporate social responsibility – a Portuguese insight

From the perspective of a group of public relations consultants and communication directors operating in Portugal, this chapter discusses the complexity inherent to CSR communication. Some of the key questions to be addressed include: are so-called sustainable and socially responsible business strategies, in fact, indicators of genuine corporate change? Or is CSR per se insincere and should CSR communication be considered as a mere invention of PR? CSR will be equated, first, from the analysis of the dialectic relationship between activist movements, government regulation and business discourse and action. Then, some core principles for communicating CSR are highlighted, as well as the dangers and dilemmas in communicating CSR policies from a PR theoretical framework.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Talk to me and I will talk for you: Relationships between citizens and politics using the example of Portuguese Members of Parliaments’ online communication

In line with the “relationship management” theory, which claims that in order for an organization to be successful it needs to put ef-ort into establishing and nurturing relationships with its publics and balance mutual interests (Ledingham, 2006, 2011), the main goal of this chapter is to analyse whether or not online communication tools stimulate citizen-politician relationships. In particular, we aim to find out and reflect on how social media is being used to foster interaction and dialogue between citizens and Members of Parliament, specifically at the Portuguese Parliament – Assembleia da República. Our main focus is on this relationship, considering the representative democratic principles that work towards public dialogic needs in a framework of legitimization and transparency, and isolating it from structures and interactions on the platforms made available centrally by the political party or by the Parliament.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Handbook of non-profit communication

This handbook brings together multidisciplinary and internationally diverse contributors to provide an overview of theory, research, and practice in the nonprofit and nongovernmental organization (NGO) communication field. It is structured in four main parts: the first introduces metatheoretical and multidisciplinary approaches to the nonprofit sector; the second offers distinctive structural approaches to communication and their models of reputation, marketing, and communication management; the third focuses on nonprofit organizations’ strategic communications, strategies, and discourses; and the fourth assembles campaigns and case studies of different areas of practice, causes, and geographies. The handbook is essential reading for scholars, educators, and advanced students in nonprofit and NGO communication within public relations and strategic communication, organizational communication, sociology, management, economics, marketing, and political science, as well as a useful reference for leaders and communication professionals in the nonprofit sector.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Introducing Nonprofit Communication and Mapping the Research Field

The declining informal collaboration corresponds to less civic engagement, political equity, solidarity, trust, and tolerance as well as associational life. In 2020, a case study of two NPOs revealed that one was adopting a strong entrepreneurial orientation, while the other integrated the traditional community orientation with more professionalization, confirming to partial marketization tendencies. The NGO-ization of society, visible in the increasing number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) at the national and transnational level, tend to somewhat contradict Putnam’s thesis. On the other hand, the number of NGOs is not per se revealing of the quality of citizen participation in those organizations. The terms NGOS and nonprofit can be applied to the same organizational forms – some authors tend to consider the former as a type of nonprofit. Interestingly enough, in the diversity of approaches, and even definitions of this object, there is a common use of the excluding element to classify it: nongovernmental and nonprofit.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Political Public Relations: origins, challenges and applications

When compared to corporate public relations, political public relations are still a new field of study, which nonetheless has a great development potential. This article presents a reflec-tion on public relations in the political sphere, by remembering its conceptual grassroots and studying the challenges imposed on its practice by the new media. Grounded in the relationship management theory and in the ideal of symmetrical and dialogic communication, this article, presents possible paths for applied research in the field of political public relations

A relevância das novas tecnologias na comunicação organizacional: o caso dos websites nas universidades portuguesas

A revolução digital protagonizada pelo aparecimento da internet motivou um conjunto de transformações económicas, politicas, culturais e sociais, que provocaram profundas alterações no contexto em que se desenvolvem todas as atividades humanas. A sociedade de informação, fruto do advento desta nova tecnologia, representou um momento de importantes e decisivos progressos quer na comunicação individual quer na comunicação organizacional. É precisamente no contexto organizacional que este estudo pretende focar-se, ao discutir as potencialidades que as novas tecnologias trazem para a comunicação organizacional, tendo como particular enfoque a relevância dos websites como meios de comunicação e, as instituições de ensino superior portuguesas como estudo de caso. Para compreender se, de facto, as páginas de internet carecem de particular importância no panorama comunicativo das universidades portuguesas, utilizaram-se como métodos a análise documental e a recolha de dados. Os resultados desta investigação sugerem a relevância das páginas web no contexto comunicacional das universidades portuguesas, como veículos de informação de primeira instância.The digital revolution led by the rise of the internet led to a set of economic, political, cultural and social transformations which caused profound changes in the context in which all human activities are developed. The information society, the result of the emergence of this new technology, consisted of a moment of important and decisive progress in both individual and organizational communication. It is precisely the organizational context this study intends to focus on, by discussing the potential that new technologies bring to organizational communication, with particular focus on the relevance of websites as means of communication and Portuguese higher education institutions as a case study. To understand if, in fact, internet pages are in need of particular importance in the communicative scene of Portuguese universities, document analysis and data collection were the methods that have been used. This investigation’s results suggest the relevance of web pages in the Portuguese universities communicational context, as first instance information carriers.Publicação realizada no âmbito da Bolsa de Doutoramento com a referência PD/BD/114002/ 2015 co-financiada pelo Fundo Social Europeu (FSE), pelo Programa Operacional Potencial Humano (POPH) e por fundos nacionais do Ministério da Educação e Ciência (MEC), através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

A theoretical reflection on thermalism and communication: future perspectives in times of crisis

The purpose of this article is through a systematic literature review (SLR) to present a conceptual approach to the importance of communication for thermalism. An in-depth analysis of scientific publications provides a conceptual understanding about the definition of thermalism and the importance of communication in the thermal sector. The intention is also to identify the major challenges for communication in thermalism in times of crisis. The literature on conceptual approaches in the field of thermalism is almost non-existent, and this is an important contribution of the research presented. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the objectives, an SLR was carried out, through the Preferred Reporting Items Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Statement method, using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 139 articles were found, of which only 26 were used for the qualitative analysis. EndNote 20 and Nvivo software were used to identify the articles for the study, their analysis and systematization of the collected information. Findings: The results, among others, through an in-depth analysis of scientific publications, clarified the definition of thermalism and provided relevant results for better understanding of the importance of the dimensions of communication for thermalism. Research limitations/implications: The research addresses the current scarcity of academic work on the importance of communication applied to a thermal destination and the lack of relevant strategic models for the diffusion/promotion of a destination. Finally, a limitation was the fact that only 2 databases were considered and only journal articles were included. As a future line of research the authors propose extending the theme to thermal tourism experiences. In addition, scientific studies focusing on water-based experiences connected with thermalism are almost non-existent and very relevant for the future of the sector, as well as studies in the area of communication with the following research questions: where do tourists consult information when choosing a travel destination? and what are the appropriate communication channels to reach the thermal market?; We close this reflection by concluding that the thermal tradition, through the know-how of the medical class, the properties of thermal waters and the cultural history associated with its early days, stimulated more recently by implementing innovations, will regain its role in preserving health and well-being through thermal water and the exploitation of territories' endogenous resources. These factors are the basis through which communication sciences can create strategies adapted to each country to promote a thermal destination brand. Practical implications: Research in tourism destination management has provided solutions, through communication, to problems that are faced daily by countries, and the authors hope this research also contributes to the recovery of thermal tourism destinations in times of crisis. It is also from this perspective that based on the main themes and dimensions of communication identified in the SLR that the authors propose the Corporate, Organisational, Skills, Management and Online (COSMO) model to help promote resilient thermal destinations prepared for future crises. The diversity and originality of this research model will be useful for destination promoters, spa managers and communication professionals. Social implications: This study contributes to the literature by providing a theoretical framework of excellence in thermalism. One possible way to solve the ambiguity of terms related to thermalism is to consider another more comprehensive term as a combination of different approaches. The aim is not to create an academic division, but rather to contribute to better conceptual understanding, from a theoretical and paradigmatic perspective, of what thermalism is. Here, a new targeted and more comprehensive concept emerges, which from the academic perspective of communication sciences will lead to prevention for a new way of feeling good with life, contributing to promoting thermal destinations in the world with a greater understanding. Originality/value: For better understanding of the concepts, this study proposes a new definition of thermalism. As research related to thermal destinations, through communication management contributes to attract tourists, promote experiences, provide the human capital of the sector with skills and create authentic and resilient place brands. It is from this perspective that the model was proposed, based on the dimensions of communication related to the main themes obtained through the SLR. This model supports a plurality of communication strategies, with different characteristics and objectives but which meet a collective purpose: to disseminate information about thermalism, in order to build collective knowledge to promote thermal destinations. The analysis highlights the need for further research into thermalism, with special focus on communication.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Professional associations or activists? The case of CONFERP in defending an ethical identity for public relations in Brazil

Ethics have taken a central position in professional and academic circles in the debate about public relations, what public relations does and how it should be practised today. Despite the fertile theoretical ground, in this article we have decided to discuss the theme from the perspective of professional associations and councils, which from the start focused on thinking about the ethical dilemmas that run through professional praxis. The first part of this article discusses major international codes of ethics for public relations adopted by the main international public relations associa- tions in order to map the main institutionalized values. Codes are a moral reflection focused on a profession’s rights and duties and establish the basic moral rules demanded in that profession. They are, for that very reason, the first step towards self-regulation of professional conduct, a fundamental step in the professionalizing and legitimation process of any professional activity. The second part narrows the analysis to the situation in Brazil. Public relations practice in Brazil offers a rich field of study to understand the pro- fession’s ethical questions. Starting with a brief analysis of the development of regulation for the profession in Brazil, we shall focus our attention on the Conferp System and its defence of ethical PR practice. The ultimate aim is to understand what major values underlie public relations practice in Brazil and how they contribute to solidifying it as a profession.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio