COUNTRY REPUTATION AS A NEW DIMENSION OF REPUTATION STUDIES: A RESEARCH ON PERCEPTION OF GOVERNED AS INTERNAL TARGET AUDIENCE TOWARDS COUNTRY REPUTATION

Abstract

Country reputation has started to be examined in public relations discipline as a new dimension of reputation studies. Rareness of academic studies which are about country reputation draws attention. Also, these studies focuse on how a country is perceived from reputational perspective by citizens of other countries. To determine a perception of a country reputation, it is significant to present how a country is evaluated by its citizens who can be identified as an internal public audience. In order to demonstrate significance of this statement, in this article, a research has carried out in Istanbul. A questionnaire form has been designed and questions about country reputation dimensions have asked to participants. Findings have demonstrated that, as internal target audience governed has a positive perception about emotional and cultural appeals, also they have a neutral perception about financial, leadership, social and physical appeals. People who have stated their wish to live in a different country, think that Turkey does not have financial, leadership, social and physical appeals. Moreover, findings point out that efforts towards public relations practices which are proper to contemporary public relations approach by public institutions have influence on a perception of a country reputation.