The #NORA Research Fellowship was created to support and publicize the work of early- and mid-career researchers from Nordic institutions who focus on corporate communication, strategic communication and public relations. #NORA Research Fellows are selected from a competitive pool of international applicants from across the Nordic region and oversee a substantive research project that yields several outputs geared towards research-practice partnerships and transfer. More information about the Research Fellowship here.
In her 2024/2025 #NORA fellowship, Dr. Zhao studies crisis communication in the face of geopolitical risks for organizations. In today's intricately connected global economy, organizations face unprecedented challenges due to escalating geopolitical tensions, which have significant impacts on corporate reputation, stability and operational continuity. Hui Zhao's research aims to delve into these issues, particularly within the Nordic context which is uniquely impacted due to its proximity to geopolitical hotspots like Russia and strategic regions such as the Arctic. Specifically, the project will examine how businesses navigate the turbulent waters of geopolitical risks and crises, concentrating on the development and implementation of effective crisis management and communication strategies that protect corporate reputation and maintain stakeholder trust. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research involves conducting semi-structured interviews with professionals from Danish corporations currently confronting geopolitical challenges. The objective is to uncover practical insights into how these companies assess, prepare for, and mentally become ready to respond to geopolitical risks, which will inform the enhancement of their crisis communication and management strategies. Ultimately, this study will significantly enhance the broader understanding of risk mitigation, crisis management, and crisis communication within a geopolitical framework. It will offer valuable strategies for organizations both in Nordic countries and globally.
Hui Zhao, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Strategic Communication at Lund University. Her research interests center on the intersection of communication, management, and business, particularly focusing on the communicative activities of organizations in global environments. Her specialized areas include crisis communication, digital media, and social change. Dr. Zhao has published extensively in international peer review journals in the field of public relations and communication such as the Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, International Journal of Communication, and Business Horizon, among others. She has received several accolades, including seven best paper awards and the most downloaded paper awards from internationally acclaimed academic communities, including the International Communication Association (ICA). Additionally, she is the leader of the European Network of Emerging Scholars (EUNES) at EUPRERA and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Public Relations Research and Asia in Focus.