CR Vol. 11 (1), 2001 CROSS-CULTURAL PUBLIC RELATIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR AMERICAN AND ARAB PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS by Ali Kanso, Abdul Karim Sinno, and William Adams EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study provides practical guidelines for public relations campaigns targeted at Arab and American audiences. The authors examine various cultural frameworks for conceptualizing differences and similarities in the Arab and American cultures. They conclude that both cultures suffer considerably from biases and stereotypes. INTRODUCTION There has been an increasing need for public relations practitioners to develop an understanding of not only how cultures differ, but also how cultural differences impact public relations practices. Many of the modern public relations techniques have been primarily introduced by Western practitioners and scholars for Western audiences in Western settings. Unfortunately, the more refined a practice is for one culture, the more likely it is to produce different or even adverse effects in another culture. While international public relations takes the lead as the fastest growing area in public relations (Botan, 1992; Morley, 1998; Pavlik, 1987), little research has examined the impact of culture on public relations campaigns and programs (Sriramesh, Kim & Takasaki, 1999). Much of the material available lacks a theoretical base (Wakefield, 1996). The necessity to recognize and deal with the implications of cultural differences has been echoed by scholars and practitioners. Reed (1989), for instance, urged practitioners to be "cultural savvy" and Farinelli (1990) warned that the U.S. leadership position will be seriously threatened "unless everyone in the U.S. public relations industry begins to view the world differently." Every aspect of public relations activities—whether it be source, audience, message, or medium—is inherently tied to the communication process. While this may not be a profound statement for public relations practitioners, such a statement alerts communication scholars to the fact that every aspect of the communication will in some way reflect the culture. As Smith (1966) pointed out, communication is culture. Thus, when American practitioners venture into new cultural markets, every aspect of campaign design will be riddled with cultural variations. And for every cultural variation, pitfalls abound. Almost every public relations textbook alludes to the complications inherent in the communication process. The increased mobility of many people, shifting patterns of immigration within societies, global economy, and increasingly sophisticated communication technologies all challenge professionals in public relations to communicate with culturally diverse public (Vercic, Grunig, & Grunig, 1996). 65