Social impact refers to the lasting positive and negative effects an organization's decisions or actions have on individuals, communities, and society. These effects can be real or perceived, intended or unintended, and often involve complex stakeholder relationships (Hurst et al., 2023). 

Similar to social impact research, a large portion of social value studies have traditionally centered on the activities of non-profits and social enterprises. Current reviews that address social value from a business perspective do not include an organizational communication or public relations perspective; there is a gap in understanding how professionals worldwide conceptualize social value or how their activities connect to this concept. 

This study explores the concept of social value in organizational communication/public relations through the lens of a typology developed by de la Cruz Jara and Spanjol (2024). Their framework identifies five distinct approaches to social value: maximizing, individualistic, stakeholder, virtuous, and normative. This typology allows cross-cultural comparisons to understand how public relations professionals in different countries conceptualize social value. 

The research utilizes a mixed-methods approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, to explore and define the concepts of social impact and social value, identify the domains where social impact and social value are utilized, examine how these concepts are defined in the national contexts of Türkiye, Uruguay, Colombia, and Lithuania. By exploring the national differences, we aim to shed light on the nuanced understanding and application of social impact and social value within the discipline in four countries.