Central and Eastern European Public Diplomacy: A Transitional Perspective on National Reputation Management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a new model for the measurement of the constitution and effects of the country image as a central target construct in international public relations. Design/methodology/approach – The authors combine concepts from reputation management (Eisenegger and Imhof, 2008; Ingenhoff and Sommer, 2007), national identity theory (Smith, 1987), and attitude theory (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980) to derive a four-dimensional model, conceptualizing country images as stakeholder attitudes toward a nation and its state, comprising specific beliefs and general feelings in a functional, normative, aesthetic, and emotional dimension. Furthermore, the authors develop a path model to analyze the country image’s effect on stakeholder behavior. This model is operationalized and tested in a survey regarding the country image of the USA and its effects on travel behavior. Findings – Results show how functional, normative and aesthetic image dimensions vary in affecting the formation of the affective image component. It is also demonstrated how the affective image di-mension acts as a mediator in the image’s effect on stakeholder behavior. Practical implications – For international public relations and public diplomacy practice the developed model supplies a new approach for country image analyses which will serve and improve the development and evaluation of cross-national communication strategies. Originality/value – The paper introduces a new theory-grounded approach to clarify the dimensionality of the country image construct. It is the first to operationalize cognitive and affective dimensions of the country image by combining formative and reflective indicators in a mixed specified construct.

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Storytelling in EU public diplomacy: reputation management and recognition of success

Place Branding and Public Diplomacy ◽

10.1057/s41254-019-00138-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 143-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elsa Hedling

Keyword(s):

Public Diplomacy ◽

Reputation Management

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‘Welcome to the virtual state’: Estonian e-residency and the digitalised state as a commodity

European Journal of Cultural Studies ◽

10.1177/1367549417751148 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 543-560 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Piia Tammpuu ◽

Anu Masso

Keyword(s):

Media Coverage ◽

Nation Branding ◽

Virtual State ◽

Reputation Management ◽

Special Issue ◽

National Space ◽

National Media ◽

Global Access ◽

National Reputation ◽

Transnational Space

In this article, we examine the reconstruction and commodification of the national space through digital technologies by using the case of Estonian e-residency. E-residency or ‘virtual residency’ is an initiative of the Estonian government which gives foreigners global access to Estonian e-services via state-issued digital identity. We explore the ways in which the ideas of the ‘virtual state’ and ‘virtual residency’ have been employed for purposes of nation branding and national reputation management, and how the different logics of nation branding and nation building combined in the concept of e-residency have been negotiated in the national context. The study draws on a qualitative textual analysis of the official website of e-residency directed at foreign audiences and the national media coverage of the project addressing domestic publics. The analysis indicates that while the imagery constructed around the notions of the ‘virtual state’ and ‘virtual residency’ makes it possible to turn the national space into a commodity, presented outwards as a globally extensible and open transnational space, domestically it makes it possible to appeal to ‘intact national space’ and to legitimise e-residency as a ‘socio-culturally safe’, digitally mediated internationalisation of the society. This article forms part of the Theorizing Media in Nation Branding Special Issue.

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