SINGAPORE, 1st September, 2021 – The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Ethics Council and the Ethics and Compliance Initiative (ECI) have joined forces to launch a new research project to capture the global state of ethics and compliance in PR and communications.

The study is the first of its kind in the PR and communications industry, and it is the first effort by the PRCA and ECI to work together as part of a new strategic partnership.

The joint survey, based on the ECI’s long-standing Global Business Ethics Survey® (GBES®), will be fielded to PR practitioners worldwide. Findings will pinpoint global insights on areas such as pressure in the workplace to compromise ethical standards, reporting misconduct, and perceived retaliation after reporting misconduct.

The survey will also capture how PR professionals of diverse nationalities, gender, race and ethnicity, and age cohorts perceive ethics issues in their workplaces.

The new PRCA and ECI partnership will provide both membership bases with access to professional development opportunities, and a platform for innovative discussion centered on workplace integrity and ways to reduce risk of ethical misconduct in PR and communications.

PRCA Director General Francis Ingham MPRCA said:
“For the first time in our industry, we have an opportunity to quantify in statistical terms the real ethical challenges confronting public relations professionals across the world.
“With the help of ECI’s wealth of subject-matter expertise and independent perspective, our Ethics Council will be able to deliver the undisputed international benchmark on the state of ethics and compliance.”

ECI CEO Dr. Patricia Harned, said:
“PR and communications professionals play a critical role in the success of the organizations they serve; their work often involves unique ethics-related challenges.  ECI is honored to work with PRCA to better understand the ethics landscape for the PR and communications profession. We are also excited that this study is a first step in a larger partnership with PRCA.”

-ENDS-

About ECI:
The Ethics & Compliance Initiative is composed of two nonprofit organizations; the Ethics Research Center and the Ethics & Compliance Association, which together pursue a mission to empower organizations to build high-quality ethics and compliance programs. Founded in 1922, ECI is widely recognized as a leading independent research organization with regard to organizational culture, values, and strategies to reduce reputational risk.

WHO WE ARE

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is the world’s largest professional PR body.

We represent more than 35,000 PR professionals in 70 countries worldwide. With offices in London, Singapore, Dubai, and Buenos Aires, we are a global advocate for excellence in public relations.

Our mission is to create a more professional, ethical, and prosperous PR industry. We champion – and enforce – professional standards in the UK and overseas through our Professional Charter and Code of Conduct. The Code compels members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice.

We deliver exceptional training, authoritative industry data, and global networking and development opportunities. We also manage the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), the umbrella body for 41 PR associations and 3,000 agencies across the world, and LG Comms – the UK’s national body for authorities raising standards of local government communication.