Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media

Zainab Jaffar Alhalal; Dalia H. Eldardiry

doi:10.31127/tuje.1968535

Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media

Abstract

TThis study examines how Bahraini architectural firms utilize social media for professional branding. Adopting a qualitative mixed-methods research design, the research investigated the Instagram activity of four firms and evaluated them across six dimensions of ethical branding: Ethical Transparency, Brand Identity, Originality and Enjoyment, Narrative Depth and Interest, Cultural Sensitivity and Localization, and Authenticity. This investigation is supported by two questionnaires targeting practitioners and the audience, as well as semi-structured interviews. The research concludes that Bahraini practices shine in narrative storytelling and cultural localization but underperform in transparency, brand consistency, and clarity of authorship. The research proposes professional standards for digital branding ethics, including caption regulation, process-centric storytelling, and visual identity systems. The research finds that Instagram can be used as an ethics-focused platform for architectural representation, with the potential to reconcile creativity and regulatory responsibility in digital practices in Bahrain.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This study was undertaken as a part of the postgraduate courses of the Department of Architecture and Interior Design, College of Engineering at the University of Bahrain, titled “ARCH 631: Professional Practice”. The authors offered their gratitude to the professionals who were interviewed for their time and contributions to the success of this study, whether directly or indirectly.

Project Number

/0000-0002-1044-249X

Ethical Statement

The author warrants that the manuscript is the author's original work and has not been published before (if excerpts from copyrighted works are included, the author will obtain written permission from the copyright owners and show credit to the sources in the manuscript). The author also warrants that the article contains no libellous or unlawful statements and does not infringe on the rights of others.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Architectural Engineering

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Zainab Jaffar Alhalal ^*
0009-0001-0945-1946
Bahrain

Dalia H. Eldardiry
0000-0002-0317-2743
Saudi Arabia

Publication Date

October 16, 2026

Submission Date

June 11, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 26, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1968535

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA65PP85JB

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Jaffar Alhalal, Z., & H. Eldardiry, D. (2026). Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media. Turkish Journal of Engineering, 10(4), 1578-1594. https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1968535

AMA

1.Jaffar Alhalal Z, H. Eldardiry D. Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media. TUJE. 2026;10(4):1578-1594. doi:10.31127/tuje.1968535

Chicago

Jaffar Alhalal, Zainab, and Dalia H. Eldardiry. 2026. “Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media”. Turkish Journal of Engineering 10 (4): 1578-94. https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1968535.

EndNote

Jaffar Alhalal Z, H. Eldardiry D (October 1, 2026) Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media. Turkish Journal of Engineering 10 4 1578–1594.

IEEE

[1]Z. Jaffar Alhalal and D. H. Eldardiry, “Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media”, TUJE, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 1578–1594, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.31127/tuje.1968535.

ISNAD

Jaffar Alhalal, Zainab - H. Eldardiry, Dalia. “Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media”. Turkish Journal of Engineering 10/4 (October 1, 2026): 1578-1594. https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1968535.

JAMA

1.Jaffar Alhalal Z, H. Eldardiry D. Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media. TUJE. 2026;10:1578–1594.

MLA

Jaffar Alhalal, Zainab, and Dalia H. Eldardiry. “Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media”. Turkish Journal of Engineering, vol. 10, no. 4, Oct. 2026, pp. 1578-94, doi:10.31127/tuje.1968535.

Vancouver

1.Zainab Jaffar Alhalal, Dalia H. Eldardiry. Professional Practice in the Digital Age: Evaluating Ethical Branding of Bahraini Architectural Firms on Social Media. TUJE. 2026 Oct. 1;10(4):1578-94. doi:10.31127/tuje.1968535