Abstract
Police force is an important element of society which has been vigorously investigated by scholars and thoroughly examined by social researchers. This paper intends to explore the Kuwaiti police in relation to its community from a public relations perspective. The co-creational approach, a major public relations theoretical concept, assumes that both the police and the Kuwaiti community are co-creators of meaning. Therefore, identifying these co-creators’ perspectives is essential in order to understand the phenomenon at hand. This paper utilizes the qualitative paradigm that acknowledges the importance of the participants’ frame of reference. Twenty-two participants, of community members and police officers, are interviewed and their answers coded and transcribed. These semi-structured interviews have been the basis of the data collection process, which is structured around formally existing concepts (relational elements of trust, satisfaction, control mutuality and commitment). The qualitative sampling techniques of quota and purposive sampling are also used. In the analysis, the two themes of Faith and Communitarianism emerge, representing a key context for the public relations theorist. They contribute to our understanding of public relations in the context of Kuwaiti police-community relations. The findings highlight important issues that form obstacles to a better police-community relationship. The most salient of which is the organization’s communication style. This paper has extended the body of knowledge on public relations in the specific context of police public relations in Kuwait. Furthermore, this thesis demonstrates how environmental/contextual factors (Kuwaiti history, culture and economic conditions) could influence organization-public relations.
Author Information
Talal M. Almutairi, Ministry of Interior, Kuwait
Paper Information
Conference: MediAsia2015
Stream: Advertising
This paper is part of the MediAsia2015 Conference Proceedings (View)
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