طراحی مدلی در خصوص نقش روابط عمومی در ارتقای تصویر ذهنی جامعه از شرکت‌های خودروسازی

محمد  نعمتی شمس آباد; افسانه  مظفری; زهرا  خرازی آذر

Authors

Mohammad Nemati Shams Abad Ph.D. Student of Communication, Department of Communication and Knowledge Science, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author
Afsaneh Mozaffari Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Knowledge Science, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Corresponding author
Zahra Kharazi Azar Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Knowledge Science, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author

Keywords:

Public relations, mental image, automotive companies, corporate social responsibility, branding

Abstract

This study aims to develop a comprehensive model explaining the role of public relations in enhancing the public mental image of automotive companies through organizational, communicative, and social dimensions. This research employed a qualitative approach using grounded theory methodology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with fourteen senior public relations managers and corporate social responsibility officers from Iranian automotive companies, each having at least 20 years of professional experience and postgraduate education. Purposeful sampling was applied, and data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding to construct a paradigmatic model. The findings revealed 13 main categories organized into six dimensions. Causal conditions included public opinion pressure, brand competition intensity, and media-related challenges. Contextual conditions encompassed ownership structure, organizational culture, and institutional environment. Intervening conditions consisted of social capital and media literacy. Interactive strategies involved transparent communication and social branding. Public relations emerged as the core phenomenon, while outcomes included improved public mental image, increased customer loyalty, and stronger social support. The results indicate that effective public relations in the automotive sector requires a strategic, integrated, and stakeholder-oriented approach that simultaneously addresses contextual and intervening factors to enhance public perception.

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