History of Public Relations in MTR Corporation Limited Since 1975

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Research in Social Sciences

Year: 2026

[PDF]

History of Public Relations in MTR Corporation Limited Since 1975

Eugene Chan

ABSTRACT:

The aim of this study is to give a holistic and longitudinal coverage of practice of public relations (PR) at MTR Corporation Limited since its establishment in 1975 up to its transformation into a global transit operator by 2025. To be specific, it aims at (1) mapping the evolution of MTR PR as one-way public information towards two-way symmetrical communication; (2) investigating how PR strategies have assisted to not only expand its network (e.g. R + P property developments) but have also made it crisis-resistant (e.g. SARS, Typhoon Mangkhut, 2019 protests), (3) how digital platforms, CSR initiatives, and stakeholder co-creation have helped shape corporate reputation, and (4) what new challenges and possibilities the PR practice The paper contains a scholarly gap by connecting historical PR research on railroad PR, investigations of transit‐oriented development in cities, and the latest thinking in digital‐communication theory to demonstrate how the PR blueprint used by a single transit organization helps reveal and predict much broader changes in the nature of corporate/societal relationship.

Keywords: Public Relations, MTR Corporation, Historical Analysis, Crisis Communication, Stakeholder Engagement.