Rita Linjuan Men, Ph.D., APR
Associate Professor - Department of Public Relations
Bio
Rita Men, Ph.D., APR, is an associate professor in the Department of Public Relations at the University of Florida. Men’s background is based primarily in corporate communication research and consulting. Her research interests include internal communication, leadership communication, measurement and evaluation, relationship/reputation management, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurial communications.
Men has published more than 60 articles in leading refereed journals, such as Communication Research, New Media and Society, Journal of Public Relations Research, Management Communication Quarterly, Public Relations Review, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, among others, and as book chapters. She is the lead author of two books, Excellence in Internal Communication Management (Business Expert Press, 2017) and Strategic Communications for Startups and Entrepreneurs in China (Routledge, 2020). She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, Public Relations Journal, Communication Research Report, and Journal of Interactive Advertising, and has served as a reviewer for numerous journals and conferences. Men received over 20 top paper and research awards and recognitions from national and international communication associations and conferences. She is the 2010 recipient of the Ketchum Excellence in Public Relations Research Award from the Institute for Public Relations, a three-time Arthur W. Page Legacy Scholar, a 2017-2022 Plank Scholar of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, and the 2016 recipient of the PRIDE Outstanding Journal Article Award for Outstanding Innovation, Development, and Educational Achievement in Public Relations from the National Communication Association. Men’s work has been cited over 3,200 times with Google Scholar Citations h-index 27 and i10-index 36 as of August 2020.
Accredited in public relations and as a Page Up member of the Arthur W. Page Society, Men’s professional experience includes corporate communication, marketing, and public relations research. She has worked internationally with Alibaba Group, Inc., Ketchum, Inc., and provided management communication consulting for various multinational corporations and non-profit organizations. She is the advisory board member of the International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC) and the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC). She also served as Chief Research Editor for the Institute for Public Relations’ Organizational Communication Research Center (2016-2020). Men has been invited to speak in multiple countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas including recently serving as the instructor of the Employee Communication Master Class for the Executive Master in Corporate Communication program at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in the Netherlands.
Men earned her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Miami, and holds an M.Phil in Communication from Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, and a B.A. in International Communication with an honors minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Zhejiang University, China.
News
- Cen April Yue, Rita Men and Mary Ann Ferguson Receive Journal of Business Communication Outstanding Article of Year Award (October 29, 2020)
- “Vision, Passion, and Care:” The Impact of Charismatic Executive Leadership Communication on Employee Trust and Support for Organizational Change (October 21, 2020)
- CJC Doctoral Students and Faculty Receive 2020 PRSA Educators Academy Awards (October 19, 2020)
- Examining the Effects of Internal Communication and Emotional Culture on Employees’ Organizational Identification (July 15, 2020)
- CJC Doctoral Student Co-Authors Two Articles on Internal Communication (June 22, 2020)
- All News About Rita Men
Publications
Refereed Journal Articles
Men, L. R., O'Neil, J., & Ewing, M. (2020). From the Employee Perspective: Organizations’ Administration of Internal Social Media and the Relationship between Social Media Engagement and Relationship Cultivation. International Journal of Business Communication. DOI: 10.1177/2329488420949968
Men, L. R., Neill, M., & Yue, C. A. (Accepted). Examining the Effects of Symmetrical Internal Communication and Employee Engagement on Organizational Change Outcomes. Public Relations Journal.
Men, L. R., Yue, C. A., & Liu, Y. (2020). "Vision, passion, and care:” The impact of charismatic executive leadership communication on employee trust and support for organizational change. Public Relations Review, 46(3). DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101927
Thelen, P., Robinson, K., Yue, C. A., & Men, L. R. (Accepted). Dialogic Communication and Thought Leadership: Twitter Use by Public Relations Agencies in the United States. Journal of Promotion Management.
Yue, C., Men, R., & Ferguson, M. (2020). Examining the effects of internal communication and emotional culture on employees’ organizational identification. International Journal of Business Communication, https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488420914066.
Men, L. R., O'Neil, J., & Ewing, M. (2020). Examining the effects of internal social media usage on employee engagement. Public Relations Review, 46(2). DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101880
Qin, Y., & Men, R. (2019). Exploring negative peer communication of companies on social media and its impact on organization-public relationships. Public Relations Review. DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.05.016
Neill, M. S., Men, R., & Yue, C. A. (2019). How communication climate and organizational identification impact change. Corporate Communications: An International Journal. DOI: 10.1108/CCIJ-06-2019-0063
Kelleher, T., Men, R., & Thelen, P. (2019). CEO ghost posting and voice: Effects on perceived authentic leadership, organizational transparency, and employee-organization relationships. Public Relations Journal, 12(4), 1-23. Retrieved from https://prjournal.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Ghost-Posting-Updated-090519.pdf
Men, R., Li, P., & Yue, C. A. (2019). An exploratory study of stewardship for Chinese nonprofit organizations. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing.(https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.1655).
Yue, C. A., Thelen, P., Robinson, K., & Men, R. (2019). How do CEOs communicate on Twitter? A comparative study between Fortune 200 companies and top startup companies. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 24(3), 532-552.
Men, R., Sung, Y., & Yue, C. (2019). Relational antecedents of employee engagement: A test of the investment model predictions. Public Relations Journal. Retrieved from https://prjournal.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Relational-Antecedents-of-Employee-Engagement-Manuscript-Final.pdf
Yu, C., Men, R., & Ferguson, M. (Accepted). Bridging Transformational Leadership, Transparent Communication and Employee Openness to Change. Public Relations Review.
Yang, A., & Men, R. (2019). Political information use on WeChat and political discussion in China: toward a networked political discussion model. Chinese Journal of Communication. DOI: 10.1080/17544750.2019.1618354
Men, R., & Yue, C. (2019). Creating a positive emotional culture: Effect of internalcommunication and impact on employee supportive behaviors. Public Relations Review. DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.03.001
Ewing, M., Men, L. R., & O’Neil, J. (2019). Using Social Media to Engage Employees: Insights from Internal Communication Managers. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 13(2), 110-132. DOI: 10.1080/1553118x.2019.1575830
Men, L. R., & Sung, Y. (2019). Shaping Corporate Character Through Symmetrical Communication: The Effects on Employee-Organization Relationships. International Journal of Business Communication. DOI: 10.1177/2329488418824989
Thelen, P., & Men, R. (2018). Strategic Use of Facebook for Public Engagement in Higher Education Institutions. Public Relations Journal, 12(2). Retrieved from https://prjournal.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Thelen_Men_StrategicUseofFacebook.pdf
Men, L. R., & Robinson, K. L. (2018). It’s about how employees feel! examining the impact of emotional culture on employee–organization relationships. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 23(4), 470-491. DOI: 10.1108/ccij-05-2018-0065
Tsai, W. S., & Men, R. (2018). Social messengers as the new frontier of organization-public engagement: A WeChat study. Public Relations Review, 44(3), 419-429. DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2018.04.004
Men, R., Yang, A., Song, B., & Kiousis, S. (2018). Government-public relationship cultivation in the digital era: The impact of public engagement and political leadership communication on social media. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12, 252-268.
Men, L. R., Tsai, . S., Chen, Z. F., & Ji, Y. G. (2018). Social presence and digital dialogic communication: engagement lessons from top social CEOs. Journal of Public Relations Research, 30(3), 83-99.
Men, R., Chen, Z., & Ji, G. (2018). Walking the talk: An exploratory examination of executive leadership communication at start-up companies in China. Journal of Public Relations Research, 30(1-2), 35-56.
Tsai, W. S., & Men, R. (2017). Consumer engagement with brands on social network sites: A cross-cultural comparison of China and the USA. Journal of Marketing Communications, 23(1), 2-21.
Jiang, H., & Men, R. (2017). Creating an engaged workforce: The impact of authentic leadership, transparent organizational communication, and work-life enrichment. Communication research, 44(2), 225-243.
Men, R., Ji, Y., & Chen, Z. (2017). Dialogues with entrepreneurs in China: How startup companies cultivate relationships with strategic publics. Journal of Public Relations Research, 29(2-3), 90-113.
Tsai, W. S., & Men, R. (2017). Social CEOs: The effects of CEOs’ communication styles and parasocial interaction on social networking sites. New media & society, 19(11), 1848-1867.
Chen, F., Ji, G., & Men, R. (2017). Strategic use of social media for stakeholder engagement in startup companies in China: A triangulated analysis. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 11(3), 244-267.
Men, R., & Tsai, S. (2016). Public engagement with CEOs on social media: Motivations and relational outcomes. Public Relations Review, 42(5), 932-942.
Men, R., & Jiang, H. (2016). Toward an integrated model of internal relationship management: Understanding the interplay between authentic leadership, organizational culture, and symmetrical communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 10(5), 462-479.
Men, R., & Muralidharan, S. (2016). Understanding Social Media Peer Communication and Organization–Public Relationships Evidence From China and the United States. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. DOI: 10.1177/1077699016674187
Tsai, S., & Men, R. (2016). Social CEOs: The effects of CEOs’ communication styles and para social interaction on social networking sites. New Media & Society. DOI: 10.1177/1461444816643922
Men, R. (2015). Employee engagement in relation to employee--organization relationships and internal reputation: Effects of leadership communication. Public Relations Journal, 7(2).
Men, R., & Hung-Baesecke, C. F. (2015). Engaging employees in China: The impact of communication channels, organizational transparency, and authenticity. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 20(4), 448-467.
Muralidharan, S., & Men, R. (2015). How peer communication and engagement motivations influence social media shopping behavior: Evidence from China and the United States. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(10), 595-601.
Men, R., & Tsai, W. S. (2015). Infusing social media with humanity: Corporate character, public engagement, and relational outcomes. Public Relations Review, 41(3), 395-403.
Men, R. (2015). The internal communication role of the chief executive officer: Communication channels, style, and effectiveness. Public Relations Review, 41(4), 461-471.
Men, R. (2015). The Role of Ethical Leadership in Internal Communication: Influences on Communication Symmetry, Leader Credibility, and Employee Engagement. Public Relations Journal, 7(1).
Smith, B. G., Men, R., & Al-Sinanc, R. (2015). Tweeting Taksim communication power and social media advocacy in the Taksim square protests. Computers in Human Behavior, 50, 499-507.
Men, R. (2014). Internal reputation management: The impact of authentic leadership and transparent communication. Corporate Reputation Review, 17(4), 254-272.
Men, R., & Tsai, W. S. (2014). Perceptual, attitudinal, and behavioral outcomes of organization--public engagement on corporate social networking sites. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(5), 417-435.
Men, R. (2014). Strategic internal communication: Transformational leadership, communication channels, and employee satisfaction. Management Communication Quarterly, 28(2), 264-284.
Men, R., & Stacks, D. (2014). The effects of authentic leadership on strategic internal communication and employee-organization relationships. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(4), 301-324.
Men, R. (2014). Why leadership matters to internal communication: Linking transformational leadership, symmetrical communication, and employee outcomes. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(3), 256-279.
Men, R., & Tsai, W. S. (2013). Beyond liking or following: Understanding public engagement on social networking sites in China. Public Relations Review, 39(1), 13-22.
Tsai, W. S., & Men, R. (2013). Motivations and antecedents of consumer engagement with brand pages on social networking sites. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 13(2), 76-87.
Men, R., & Stacks, D. W. (2013). The impact of leadership style and employee empowerment on perceived organizational reputation. Journal of Communication Management, 17(2), 171-192.
Men, R., & Tsai, W. S. (2013). Toward an integrated model of public engagement on corporate social networking sites: Antecedents, the process, and relational outcomes. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 7(4), 257-273.
Men, R. (2012). CEO credibility, perceived organizational reputation, and employee engagement. Public Relations Review, 38(1), 171-173.
Tsai, W., & Men, R. (2012). Cultural values reflected in corporate pages on popular social network sites in China and the United States. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 6(1), 42-58.
Men, R., & Hung, C. F. (2012). Exploring the roles of organization-public relationships in the strategic management process: Towards an integrated framework. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 6(2), 151-173.
Men, R., & Tsai, W. S. (2012). How companies cultivate relationships with publics on social network sites: Evidence from China and the United States. Public Relations Review, 38(5), 723-730.
Men, R. (2012). Revisiting the continuum of types of organization-public relationships: From a resource-based view. Public Relations Journal, 6(1), 1-19.
Men, R. (2011). How employee empowerment influences organization--employee relationship in China. Public Relations Review, 37(4), 435-437.
Books
Men, R., Ji, Y. G., & Chen, Z. F. (2019). Strategic Communication for Startups and Entrepreneurs in China. London, UK: Routledge.
Men, R., & Bowen, S. (2017). Excellence in Internal Communication Management. New York, United States: Business Expert Press.
Book Chapters
Men, R., Robinson, K., & Thelen, P. (2019). Measurement and evaluation in public relations. In Carolyn Kim (ed.). Public Relations: Competencies and Practice. London, UK: Routledge.
Men, L. R., & Tsai, W. S. (2018). Authenticity. In The International Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication (pp. 1-6). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/9781119010722.iesc0009
Men, R. (2017). Corporate internal relations: Theoretical foundations and current issues. In The Imagination of Public Relations. Beijing, China: Peking University Press.
Men, R., & Tsai, S. W. (2016). Gearing toward excellence in corporate social media communications: Understanding the why and how of public engagement. In Public Relations and Participatory Culture: Fandom, Social Media, and Community Engagement (pp. 89-102). New York: Routledge.
Stacks, D. W., Dodd, M. D., & Men, R. (2013). Corporate reputation measurement and evaluation. (pp. 559-573). Craig, EC John Wiley \& Sons.
Stacks, D. W., Dodd, M., & Men, R. (2011). Public relations research and planning. .
Research
Research Keywords
public engagement, corporate communication, organization-public relationship management, reputation management, internal communication, employee relations,leadership, measurement and evaluation, social media public relations, international public relations
Courses
Syllabi from the current and three previous semesters:
- PUR 4932 - Internal Communications and Employee Engagement - Fall 2020 (PDF)
- PUR 4800 - Public Relations Campaigns - Spring 2020 (PDF)
- PUR 4932 - Internal Communications and Employee Engagement - Spring 2020 (PDF)
- PUR 4932 - Internal Communications and Employee Engagement - Fall 2019 (PDF)
- PUR 6934 - Internal Communications and Employee Engagement - Fall 2019 (PDF)