Practicing public relations in Canada and the United States has both differences and similarities in terms of educational orientation, required skills, and constructs involved in communication and public relations integration. In this respect, public relations as a discipline in Canada is often regarded as semi-profession because it relies more on developing technical skills rather than on expanding communications orientation (Flynn and Sevigny 8).
Lack of communication perspectives does not allow Canadians to embrace the issues of diversity. In this respect, the US culture of public relations is centered on promoting communication and cooperation, as well as facing the challenges of diversity in the workplace (Timms 3). Therefore, the main difference between representing the culture of public relations in both countries lies in the degree of its application to a business environment. Thus, Canadian practices are more linked to educational issues, although they lack a theoretical foundation, whereas the American vision of public relations is associated with business activities.
Despite the differences in theoretical orientation, the culture of public relations can still be compared and identified in terms of immigration policy and crisis management (Likely 655). In particular, both countries practice the excellence theory that focuses on the value of public relations in business organizations. Specific attention is paid to social corporate responsibility (Grunig 1). Both Canadian and American theorists consider public relations to be an important contribution to the management field. Finally, the engagement in public relations in Canada and the United States is also associated with the globalization process (Canada-U.S. Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs n. p.).
In particular, both countries resort to similar practices to meet the international standards of cooperation and communication. More importantly, the Canadian and American communication departments are working on developing efficient communication strategies to face such urgent issues as cross-cultural interaction and morale and ethics in managing cultural diversity. Therefore, ethics is another important dimension that is considered within the context of public relations practices in both countries. Some specific laws and regulations contribute to the development of new ethical codes.
Works Cited
Canada-U.S. Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs. 2012. Web.
Flynn, Terence, and Alexandre Sevigny. “The Paradox of Public Relations/Communications Management Education in Canada: Taught but not Studied.” The McMaster Journal of Communication, 6.1 (2009): 7-12. Web.
Grunig, James. n. d. Excellence Theory in Public Relations. Web.
Likely, Fraser. n. d., A Different Country, A Different Public Relations: Canadian PR in the North American Context. Web.
Timms, Rebecca. n. d., Public Relations in the United States. Web.