Introduction Sriramesh, Van Ruler & Zerfass Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, Betteke van Ruler & Ansgar Zerfass One could make a reasonable argument that public relations is an ancient practice (going back millennia) although it has been popularly perceived as a 20th century phenomenon. Scholarship in public relations, however, is more recent in origin with a history of less than four decades. During these formative years, the body of knowledge has expanded signi- cantly, which is laudable. However, there is potential for growth and improvement in many areas of the public relations literature. Over the decades, among other things, public re- tions scholarship has largely remained parochial to specific regions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Latin America, German speaking Europe, etc. as evidenced in the bibliographic references of many essays in this volume itself where authors predo- nantly cite work from their own regions. This is often necessitated by linguistic differences with only English serving as the universal language that helps permeate knowledge through most regions. Pedagogical and methodological factors also have played a role in the regionalization of the body of knowledge. However, we believe that knowledge flo- ishes most when it is shared across different kinds of barriers. Globalization has made it essential for us to recognize this reality more than ever. This volume tries to bridge the gap and presents theories and concepts from researchers around the world.

This volume is a major contribution to the transnational debate on public relations research and communication management. It presents dominant concepts and research findings from the scientific community in Germany in English language. At the same time, the compilation contains a selection of the most influential and relevant approaches from European and international researchers. Editors and contributors are renowned academics from all over the world. This book honours Günter Bentele, one of the leading minds of public relations research, while also providing academics, students and communication managers insights into effective public relations practice based on empirical evidence.

Public Relations, Intereffication and Trust.- Public Relations Theory: The Reconstructive Approach.- The Intereffication Model: Theoretical Discussions and Empirical Research.- Trust and Credibility - Prerequisites for Communication Management.- Advancements in Communication Management.- Corporate Communication Revisited: Integrating Business Strategy and Strategic Communication.- Organization and Communication: An Integrative Approach to Public Relations and Communication Management.- Organizational Communication and Public Relations: A Conceptual Framework for a Common Ground.- The True, the Good and the Beautiful: Reputation Management in the Media Society.- Internal Communication and Leadership.- Internal Communication as Management of Trust Relations: A Theoretical Framework.- Evaluating Strategic Communication: Theoretical and Methodological Requirements.- Political Public Relations: Research on its Success and its Influence on German Media Coverage.- Public Relations and Public Diplomacy: Some Conceptual Explorations.- Communication Management, Organizational Communication and Public Relations: Developments and Future Directions from a German Perspective.- European Perspectives in Communication Management.- Reflection: Legitimising Late Modernity.- Public Relations, Persuasion and Propaganda: Truth, Knowledge, Spirituality and Mystique.- Public Relations and Power: How Hard is Soft Power?.- Intangible Assets and Communication.- Glocalising Public Relations and Crisis Communication: Bridging Gaps of Trust in Multicultural Societies.- Risks and Crises in Virtual Publicity - Can Publicity Crises Be Prevented by Public Relations in the Cyberspace?.- Communication Management in Europe - Challenges and Opportunities.- International Challenges for PublicRelations.- Excellence Theory in Public Relations: Past, Present, and Future.- Rhetorical Perspective and Public Relations: Meaning Matters.- Reconsidering Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Public Relations and Ethical Engagement of Employees in a Global Economy.- Linking Stakeholder Relationships and Corporate Reputation: A Public Relations Framework for Corporate Sustainability.- Situating Science: Public Relations, Status, and Theoretical Trends.- Globalization and Public Relations.