Email this article 
Public Relations to Foster Organization's Values and Identity: The Case of Muhammadiyah
Abstract
This study examines the strategic role of public relations in religious organizations, focusing on how Muhammadiyah employs communication to foster its organizational values and reinforce its identity. By adopting Pacanowsky’s cultural approach to organizational theory, the research delves into how symbols, narratives, and rituals inherent in Muhammadiyah’s culture are effectively integrated into its public relations strategy. A qualitative methodology was employed, including in-depth interviews and document analysis, to explore how these cultural elements are embedded in communication practices. The findings reveal that Muhammadiyah carefully aligns its public relations efforts with its organizational culture, enabling an authentic representation of its values to internal and external stakeholders. The study underscores the significance of maintaining consistency between an organization's identity, values, and communication strategies, particularly for religious institutions. It concludes that strategically incorporating cultural elements into communication not only preserves organizational integrity but also enhances the institution's relevance and influence in its broader societal context.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abdulabbas Hammoodi, S., & Shuker Al-Hinkawi, W. (2023). The role of spatial value in the reconstruction of religious buildings Mosul city: – A case study. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 14(10), 102164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2023.102164
Akmaliah, W. (2020). The Demise of Moderate Islam: new media, contestation, and reclaiming religious authorities. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 10(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v10i1.1-24
Alkathiri, E. S., & Alharbi, M. F. (2024). A scoping review of arab public relations scholarship. Public Relations Review, 50(2), 102435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2024.102435
Andersson, R. (2024). Public Relations Strategizing: A Theoretical Framework for Understanding the Doing of Strategy in Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 36(2), 91–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2023.2259523
Andreis, F. de, & Leopardi, F. (2021). Members and Culture, an Interwoven Dichotomy in Organizations. 5th EMAN Conference Proceedings (Part of EMAN Conference Collection), 325–333. https://doi.org/10.31410/eman.2021.325
Arifianto, A. R. (2020). Rising Islamism and the Struggle for Islamic Authority in Post- Reformasi Indonesia. TRaNS: Trans -Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia, 8(1), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.1017/trn.2019.10
Baker, L. M. (2009). Tell Me a Story. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 56(4), 429–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/10349120903306798
Bakir, V., Herring, E., Miller, D., & Robinson, P. (2019). Organized Persuasive Communication: A new conceptual framework for research on public relations, propaganda and promotional culture. Critical Sociology, 45(3), 311–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/0896920518764586
Bankins, S., & Waterhouse, J. (2019). Organizational Identity, Image, and Reputation: Examining the Influence on Perceptions of Employer Attractiveness in Public Sector Organizations. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(3), 218–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2018.1423572
Barton, G., Yilmaz, I., & Morieson, N. (2021). Authoritarianism, Democracy, Islamic Movements and Contestations of Islamic Religious Ideas in Indonesia. Religions, 12(8), 641. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12080641
Beyene, K. G., Nadew, S., Ali, W. G., Gebrehiwot, A. G., & Atsibeha, S. G. (2022). How to write standard operating procedures: values and a practical guide. International Journal of Drug Regulatory Affairs, 10(4), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.22270/ijdra.v10i4.557
Brown, A. D. (2022). Identities in and around organizations: Towards an identity work perspective. Human Relations, 75(7), 1205–1237. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726721993910
Brown, G. (2019). Civic Islam: Muhammadiyah, NU and the Organisational Logic of Consensus-making in Indonesia. Asian Studies Review, 43(3), 397–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2019.1626802
Choi, M., & McKeever, B. (2022). Social media advocacy and gun violence: Applying the engagement model to nonprofit organizations’ communication efforts. Public Relations Review, 48(2), 102173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2022.102173
Cloutier, C., & Ravasi, D. (2020). Identity Trajectories: Explaining Long-Term Patterns of Continuity and Change in Organizational Identities. Academy of Management Journal, 63(4), 1196–1235. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1051
Criscione-Naylor, N., & Dobrev, P. (2023). A New Perspective on Fostering Organic Diversity Within Organizations. Journal of Business Diversity, 23(4), 37–49. https://doi.org/10.33423/jbd.v23i4.6736
Efendi, D., Kurniawan, N. I., & Santoso, P. (2021). From fiqh to political advocacy: Muhammadiyah’s ecological movement in the post new order indonesia. Studia Islamika, 28(2), 349–383. https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v28i2.14444
Eise, J., & Rawat, M. (2023). Spiritual but not religious seek unrestricted connection to selves, others, and earth: Formative research on the explosive growth of an ‘inactive public’ beyond the organization. Public Relations Review, 49(1), 102276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2022.102276
Fahm, A. O. (2020). Remaking society from within: An investigation into contemporary Islamic activism in Nigeria. Heliyon, 6(7), e04540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04540
Falcão, P., Ramalho, N., & Nobre, M. (2021). Stakeholder management: the new role of business diplomacy. Journal of Business Strategy, 42(6), 399–405. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-01-2020-0016
Fortunato, J. A. (2021). Institutional crisis assessment and mission-driven response in practice: One religious-affiliated university’s response to the Catholic priest sexual abuse and cover up crisis. Public Relations Review, 47(5), 102111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102111
Fotaki, M., Altman, Y., & Koning, J. (2020). Spirituality, Symbolism and Storytelling in Twentyfirst-Century Organizations: Understanding and addressing the crisis of imagination. Organization Studies, 41(1), 7–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840619875782
Fu, J. S., & Wang, R. (2024). Multiple pathways to organizational legitimacy: Information visibility, organizational listening, and cross-sector partnerships. Public Relations Review, 50(4), 102484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2024.102484
Ganiem, L. M., Setiawati, R., Suardi, S., Nurhayai, N., & Ramdhani, R. (2024). Society in the Digital Era: Adaptation, Change, and Response to Communication Technology. Journal International Dakwah and Communication, 4(1), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.55849/jidc.v4i1.639
García, C. (2021). Real Madrid and public relations: applying the circuit of culture to organizational values. Soccer & Society, 22(5), 442–456. https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2020.1824909
Gede Agung, D. A., Nasih, A. M., Sumarmi, Idris, & Kurniawan, B. (2024). Local wisdom as a model of interfaith communication in creating religious harmony in Indonesia. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9(January), 100827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100827
Giol-Calefariu, E. (2023). Organizational Culture within Cultural Institutions. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. Series VIII: Performing Arts, 15(64), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.31926/but.pa.2022.15.64.3.7
Harris, L. (2023). Private View? The Organisational Performance of ‘Privateness’ and ‘Publicness’ at an Art Gallery. Cultural Sociology, 174997552211476. https://doi.org/10.1177/17499755221147610
Heath, R. L. (2021). Immovable objects/irresistible forces: Intelligences of sociopolitical decision making. Public Relations Review, 47(2), 102013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102013
Heckert, R., Boumans, J., & Vliegenthart, R. (2022). How Multiple Identities Can Impact the Legitimacy of an Organization. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 16(4), 555–571. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2022.2070754
Ihlen, Ø., Gregory, A., Luoma-aho, V., & Buhmann, A. (2019). Post-truth and public relations: Special section introduction. Public Relations Review, 45(4), 101844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.101844
Jerab, D. A., & Mabrouk, T. (2023). The Role of Leadership in Changing Organizational Culture. SSRN Electronic Journal, September. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4574324
Jubba, H., Awang, J., & Sungkilang, S. A. (2021). The Challenges of Islamic Organizations in Promoting Moderation in Indonesia. Wawasan: Jurnal Ilmiah Agama Dan Sosial Budaya, 6(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.15575/jw.v6i1.12948
Kelmendi, J., Shala, V., Krasniqi, D., & Beqiri, A. (2024). The influence of organizational culture and communication on leadership style. Quality - Access to Success, 25(201), 215–224. https://doi.org/10.47750/QAS/25.201.23
Khoiruddin Zuhri, M., Maulana, M. D., & Mufti, M. (2024). Tolerant Movement from Below: Grassroot Agency for Religious Moderation in Indonesian Socio-Political Contexts. At-Tafkir, 16(2), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.32505/at.v16i2.9139
Kia, N., Halvorsen, B., & Bartram, T. (2019). Ethical leadership and employee in-role performance. Personnel Review, 48(7), 1716–1733. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-12-2018-0514
Kim, H.-J. (2023). Collegial Leadership and Election in Muhammadiyah: Institutional Ways to Diffuse the Religious Authority of Leaders. Studia Islamika, 30(2), 211–234. https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v30i2.33741
Lam, L., Nguyen, P., Le, N., & Tran, K. (2021). The Relation among Organizational Culture, Knowledge Management, and Innovation Capability: Its Implication for Open Innovation. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010066
Latief, H., & Nashir, H. (2020). Local Dynamics and Global Engagements of the Islamic Modernist Movement in Contemporary Indonesia: The Case of Muhammadiyah (2000-2020). Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 39(2), 290–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/1868103420910514
Lee, Y. (2022). Dynamics of Symmetrical Communication Within Organizations: The Impacts of Channel Usage of CEO, Managers, and Peers. International Journal of Business Communication, 59(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488418803661
Lock, I., & Jacobs, S. (2024). Identity resilience in times of mediatization: Comparing employees’ with citizens’ perceptions of a public organization. Public Relations Review, 50(1), 102416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102416
Luqman, K. (2023). Haedar Nashir Tegaskan Islam Berkemajuan Jadi Identitas Muhammadiyah. Kompas.Tv.
Ma, X., Ma, L., & Liu, B. F. (2023). Should relationships be at the heart of public relations? A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of organization-public relationships. Public Relations Review, 49(5), 102388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102388
Marsen, S. (2020). Navigating Crisis: The Role of Communication in Organizational Crisis. International Journal of Business Communication, 57(2), 163–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488419882981
Men, L. R., Chen, Z. F., & Ji, Y. G. (2021). Cultivating Relationships with Startup Employees: The Role of Entrepreneurs’ Leadership Communication. Management Communication Quarterly, 35(4), 518–545. https://doi.org/10.1177/08933189211017918
Morehouse, J. (2024). Clarifying covenants and delineating devotion: Explicating religious public relations relationship frameworks. Public Relations Review, 50(1), 102399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102399
Morehouse, J., & Lemon, L. L. (2023). Beyond reputational and financial damage: Examining emotional and religious harm in a post-crisis case study of Hillsong Church. Public Relations Review, 49(1), 102282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2022.102282
Nashir, H. (2015). Muhammadiyah a Reform Movement. In Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (1st ed.). Muhammadiyah University Press.
Nordby, H. (2021). Communication and Organizational Culture. In A Closer Look at Organizational Culture in Action (Issue May). IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92318
Oh, J., & Ki, E.-J. (2024). Can we build a relationship through artificial intelligence (AI)? Understanding the impact of AI on organization-public relationships. Public Relations Review, 50(4), 102469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2024.102469
Onose, I., Onose, R.-M., & Abalasei, B.-A. (2023). The Role of Mass Media in Promoting the Dual Career of the Performance Athlete. Behavioral Sciences, 13(3), 196. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13030196
Pacanowsky, M. (2016). Communication in the Empowering Organization. Annals of the International Communication Association, 8985(May). https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.1988.11678696
Pacanowsky, M. E., & Donnell-trujillo, N. O. (1982). Communication and Organizational Cultures. THE WESTERN JOURNAL OF SPEECH COMMUNICA TION, 46(Spring), 115–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570318209374072
Page, T. G., & Capizzo, L. W. (2024). Toward a tent-driven model of organizations: Stakeholders, permeability, and multiple identities in public relations theory. Public Relations Review, 50(1), 102429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2024.102429
Patterson, E., & Agarwal, R. (2023). Reducing the gap between rhetoric and reality: Use of Digital Service Standards for public service innovation through digital transformation in Australia. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 82(4), 557–589. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12615
Pawlewicz, K., & Senetra, A. (2024). Religious involvement in the context of public moral standards and sustainable social development – A case study of Polish voivodeships. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 95(July), 102016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2024.102016
Pemer, F. (2021). Enacting Professional Service Work in Times of Digitalization and Potential Disruption. Journal of Service Research, 24(2), 249–268. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670520916801
Permadi, I., Samudra, R. J., Utomo, Y. R. P., & Hidayati, D. M. (2022). Al maun and climate crisis: Dynamic between Muhammadiyah and indigenous communities in 21th century. Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah, 42(1), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.21580/jid.v42.1.11216
Qodir, Z., Jubba, H., Hidayati, M., Abdullah, I., & Long, A. S. (2020). A progressive Islamic movement and its response to the issues of the ummah. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 10(2), 323–352. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v10i2. 323-352
Rezmer, W. (2016). Inter-religious Relations in the Polish Armed Forces 1918-1939. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 236(December 2015), 374–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.12.057
Schot, E., Tummers, L., & Noordegraaf, M. (2020). Working on working together. A systematic review on how healthcare professionals contribute to interprofessional collaboration. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 34(3), 332–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2019.1636007
Sharma, S., & Aparicio, E. (2022). Organizational and team culture as antecedents of protection motivation among IT employees. Computers & Security, 120, 102774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2022.102774
Shin, J.-H. (2023). Moral conflict and dynamic equilibrium: Public relations as strategic conflict management. Public Relations Review, 49(3), 102321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102321
Singh, P., & Singh, S. (2024). Understanding Social Media Application for Sustainable Development Goals. International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 12(7), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v12.i7.2024.5691
Smollan, R. K., & Morrison, R. L. (2019). Office design and organizational change: The influence of communication and organizational culture. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 32(4), 426–440. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-03-2018-0076
Smudde, P. M. (2021). Internal public relations’ role with workplace, spirituality, and religion. Public Relations Review, 47(5), 102121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102121
van Rooij, B., & Fine, A. (2018). Toxic corporate culture: Assessing organizational processes of deviancy. Administrative Sciences, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8030023
Watkins, B., & Lewis, R. (2014). Initiating dialogue on social media: An investigation of athletes’ use of dialogic principles and structural features of Twitter. Public Relations Review, 40(5), 853–855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.08.001
Wiesenberg, M. (2020). Authentic church membership communication in times of religious transformation and mediatisation. Public Relations Review, 46(1), 101817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.101817
Wuestenenk, N., van Tubergen, F., Stark, T. H., & Ellemers, N. (2024). How Do Personal Opinions Relate to Online Expressions? An Experimental Study Among Muslim Minority Groups in The Netherlands. Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502241259919
Zainuddin, Sa, R., & Noupal, M. (2021). Islam Progressive: Studying the Concept of Progressive Islam of Muhammadiyah. IJMMU: International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 8(11), 692–695. https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v8i11.3457
Zimand-Sheiner, D., & Lahav, T. (2022). Plain old Bess in a different dress? Disruptions of public relations in the digital age. Public Relations Review, 48(5), 102250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2022.102250
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18196/jkm.23747
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 Komunikator
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Komunikator Supported by:
Program Studi Ilmu Komunikasi Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Politik Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta,
Jl. Lingkar Selatan Yogyakarta 55183 Po Box 1063, telp. (0274) 387656 pesawat 175, fax: (0274) 387646, email: jurnal.komunikator@gmail.com komunikator@umy.ac.id, website: journal.umy.ac.id
Komunikator Incorporates with:
Komunikator is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.