A LINGUOCULTURAL MODEL OF TRUST CONSTRUCTION IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK ONLINE PUBLIC RELATIONS DISCOURSE

Abstract

Trust is a central but culturally contingent concept in public relations (PR), particularly in digital environments where organizations must communicate under conditions of uncertainty and reputational risk. While trust has been extensively theorized in organizational psychology and PR studies, less attention has been paid to its linguistic and linguocultural realization across languages. This paper proposes a Linguocultural Trust Construction Model (LTCM) that integrates organizational trust theory (Mayer, Davis & Schoorman, 1995), sociological approaches to trust (Luhmann, 1979), discourse-pragmatic frameworks (Hyland, 2005), and intercultural rapport management (Spencer-Oatey, 2008). Using a comparative analysis of English and Uzbek online PR texts (corporate apologies and institutional press releases), the study demonstrates that while both languages draw on similar trust dimensions—competence, integrity, benevolence, and accountability—their linguistic realization differs systematically. English PR discourse prioritizes procedural transparency and explicit responsibility-taking, whereas Uzbek PR discourse emphasizes relational reassurance, institutional authority, and culturally grounded politeness strategies. The findings highlight trust as a performed linguistic practice shaped by culture, with implications for cross-cultural PR, translation, and professional communication.