Public Relations Practitioners Use of Social Media in Kuwait Organisations: Alternative Public Relations Model in Kuwait

The Internet has significantly altered the manner in which people communicate and this has also affected how businesses communicate with their various audiences. Public relations practitioners are among those that have been using digital media in order to achieve their communication goals. Focusing on social media, this research critically compares the use social media adopted by the public relations practitioners in Kuwaiti public institutions and private commercial institutions. The research aims to develop the public relations body of knowledge by conducting an empirical investigation of public relations practitioners’ practice of social media in Kuwaiti organisations, which is a significantly understudied context. This research employs relationship management function and online cultivation strategy of public relations and social presence and media richness theories to develop the theoretical framework to examine the strategic communication in Kuwait. In order to investigate the role of social media in Public and private commercial institutions in Kuwait, social media semiotic analysis was used to investigate the public engagement undertaken by the organisations on social media (Instagram) between October 2017 and October 2018. This was supported by the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with public relations practitioners and managers across both private and public institutions in Kuwait. The research findings contribute to develop historical narrative around digital media and society in Kuwait and build a culturally appropriate, alternative public relations practice model. The research aims to have a deeper impact on the public relations practitioners’ practices and to contribute towards developing a social media framework that is culturally appropriate in Kuwait. The final chapter includes the discussion of an alternative model of PR for Kuwaiti practitioners, along with a discussion of practitioner and theoretical implications of the research.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Alsulaimi, Maryam

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/45876464-1562-4cce-b7b4-1fd784d7e1df/download