Keywords

Country Image, International Public Relations, Intercultural Communication, International events.

Abstract

Studying country image in public relations has become essential to developing practices for countries engaging with international audiences. Hosting international events highlights the need for international public relations, where the country must adapt its culture and create culturally sensitive strategies to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds (Edwards, 2018). In this dissertation, Expo 2023 was employed as an international event to analyze Qatar’s country image among foreign and Qatari audiences. The dissertation aimed to understand the differences between their perspectives on Qatar and determine whether cultural tendencies impacted the country’s image. Additionally, the relationship between intercultural competency and country image was examined using Cultural Intelligence as a measurement tool. The 5D Model in country image by Ingenhoff et al. (2020) and Hall’s (1976) cultural contexts served as the theoretical framework. A survey was distributed in collaboration with the Expo 2023 Qatari committee to reach foreign audiences who attended or heard about the event. The survey was also distributed via WhatsApp groups to Qatari citizens. In total, 365 responses were analyzed. Results revealed that cultural differences shaped perceptions, as high-context and low-context audiences interpreted messages differently, and individuals with higher cultural intelligence expressed more favorable views of Qatar. The goal of this dissertation was to understand international audiences’ perspectives on Qatar after hosting this event and to inform the development of international public relations practices. Furthermore, this dissertation contributed to the advancement of country image measurement in public relations.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Nan, Yu

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029726

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

UCF Downtown

Subjects

Public relations--Research; Intercultural communication--Research; International relations and culture; National characteristics, Qatari; Cross-cultural studies--Evaluation

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