Introduction
Public relations is a complex and hybrid field in mass communications. With the global aspect of most businesses nowadays, it has been an important aspect in terms of an organization’s public image, issue management, among others. The processes of public relations must be understood and effectively applied. In this orientation, this paper aims to discuss how a good understanding of public relations theory can help gain management recognition for the practice of public relations. In other words, this paper aims to illustrate how the principles and theories of public relations, if understood completely, can support the outstanding performance (or perceived excellence) of the company or organization which will eventually contribute to the recognition of the business or organization’s success in the aspect of implementing strong and effective communications with its stakeholders and public (Austin & Pinkleton, 2001, p. 8). This will highlight the importance of public relations in making an organization convey how it has been doing. It will emphasize the need for learning and professionally practicing the core principles of public relations and how this knowledge can translate into the organization’s development of effective strategies and tactics in managing its “public” (2001, p. 9).
As such, this paper shall elaborate on the various concepts and definitions of the following: public relations theory, management recognition and public relation practice. Secondly, it shall link these definitions as to how one organization must understand and make into effective and practical applications the public relations theory. Specific examples will be illustrated to highlight the link between public relations theory and practice and how these relationships contribute to organizational success. Ultimately, the enhanced recognition of the management principles and practice of an organization is achieved with the successful utilization of press relations theories. The paper will have a logical conclusion to this important discussion.
Definition of Terms and Parameters
Some scholars consider public relations as a special management function which creates and maintains acceptance, co-operation, mutual communication, and understanding between an organization and its publics (Seitel, 2007). According to the Public Relations Society of America (2012) the essential practice of public relations consists of the following:
- Advancing and protecting the free flow of precise and real information;
- Promoting informed decision making via open communication;
- Securing confidential and private information;
- Developing healthy and fair competition among PR professionals;
- Avoiding conflicts of interest;
- Developing more public trust in the PR profession.
According to Broom, Casey & Ritchey (1997), there is no single theory which encompasses all of one’s grasp of public relations and its applications. A public relations theory provides an understanding of the way actions and events happen in the PR processes (Tench & Yeomans, 2009). Public relations managers make use of various theories when they make decisions on establishing an organization’s successful relations with its stakeholders. These include theories of persuasion and social influence, systems and organizational theories, and communications theories (Moss & DeSanto, 2012).
Management recognition will pertain to the process of publicly acknowledging and rewarding an organization for its quality management in any aspect of its operations such as corporate social responsibility, media relations, among others (Bernstein & Rakowitz, 2012). In this case, the management recognition for practice of public relations will not directly award organizations for their public relations activities but how public relations works in winning recognition for their organization’s efforts in the aforementioned operations (i.e. CSR, community relations, branding, etc.)
Theory and Practice in Public Relations
According to Moss & DeSanto (2012), the management contexts in which the significance of the understanding of public relations and its applications to a management’s success in terms of its various organizational aspects such as corporate branding and reputation, government relations and community communications, ethical awareness, and legal considerations. In short, the authors stress the importance of public relations to organizational effectiveness. The range of public relations inside an organization is critical and the management should be aware of this. They must be able to relate theoretical percepts and principles of public relations and turn them into workable activities and programs which will eventually redound to enhancing their image, brand, reputation, since this is what public relations is all about (Seitel, 2007).
Organizational Theory, Community Relations, and CSR: The Case of GSK
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a world renowned pharmaceutical company reaps this effective public relations practice through its well intended community program called European Community Partnership Programme. Focusing on children’s health, GSK partnered with Ireland’s Barretstown in 1994 to improve community health. The company provided first class medical facilities on the camps they made for children with serious illnesses (Tench & Yeomans, 2009).
As Servaes (2012, p. 644) put it, public relations helps an organization develop good relationships with its publics and it enhances its value to society as well as to its own organization. Organizations practice social responsibility when they take the interests of publics into account as well as their self-interests. In this case, public relations in the area of corporate social responsibility and community relations successfully paved the way for GSK to strengthen its hold in the local markets and enhance its brand while claiming more public patronage and respect.
Corporate Branding and PR Theory
According to Signitzer & Coombs (1992, p. 138), there is a present dynamic integration of public relations theories and marketing communications theories. This is brought about by the convergence in the social and technical environment of companies and organizations. They use the same media and have almost the same generic causes and interest. PR has expanded its spheres of activity towards traditional marketing areas and their functions overlap with marketing communications (1992, p. 139). This is clearly illustrated in corporate branding.
The Foxconn factories assemble millions of iPhones and iPads every year. The public investigation of the labor situations in Apple’s Foxconn factories in China revealed that majority of its Chinese workers had worked 11 days or more without rest (2012, p. 1). Apple’s local partner in China is said to be one of China's largest private-sector employer. The report also included Apple’s Guanlan, Longhua and Chengdu manufacturing plants. These three factories employ a total of 178,000 workers (2012, p. 1). Tacitly, the results of the audit were handed by the independent agency auditor called Fair Labor Association. The report did not even include the company’s child labor cases.
Even with this negative news, Apple is still and continues to be the leading global brand. The company maintains “a humanistic corporate culture and a strong corporate ethic, evidence by its volunteerism, support of good causes or involvement in the community” (Kahney, 2002, p. 1). This shows the inter linkages of public relations and marketing communications theories and brand strategies which catapult Apple into a global stardom.
Apple’s public relations department provides the public with constant up to date information about its products and organization. It helps to protect Apple’s products and informs the public with positive reinforcement by providing accessible information about Apple. For instance, the press information loaded in their website includes: product information, media enhanced images, a press release library, executive management profiles, and its board of directors data. Apple also has ample media helpline on their webpage.
Apple’s public relations are also vital in its corporate responsibility. It supports Apple's environment friendly activities. This public relations message is intended for the younger public. Their concept is to “go green." Hence, it helps in convincing the younger buyers that they actually help the environment when they patronize Apple products instead of any other brand. Apple also has an effective campaign for the proper recycling of their products. It has developed recycling programs in 95 percent of their global operations.
Public Information Model and BBC’s Afghan Media
This public relations model is a very significant principle in public relations as it geared away from false information into more enlightened public information during the twentieth century (Tench & Yeomans, 2009). It also ushered a more ethical practice in public relations. This model is used generally used by government agencies, military units, and law enforcement agencies.
British media mogul BBC is able to use this public relations model to assist developing countries and countries in democratic transition to build media expertise for the common good. In the case of Afghanistan, BBC was able to establish a new media in this war torn country through its BBC’s World Service Trust (Tench & Yeomans, 2009). After it suffered 25 years of conflict, Afghanistan now welcomes the future with an invigorated Afghan media geared towards contributing to its nation building and cultural development.
BBC’s main role was to help develop the media infrastructure by teaching Afghan media professionals in various media operations, specifically on the needed broadcasting skills and principles, staff development and the likes. It has helped Afghanistan in setting up a new public service broadcasting body and a firm and independent media network to ensure the public of a democratic society.
Conclusion
Public relations has been extending its foundations as a formal and scientific field of discipline. It is multi disciplinary and as such, prior qualifications of the related PR concepts and theories must be institutionalized so as to secure the generally accepted and clear definitions of PR concepts in order to effectively assess those (Coombs & Holaday, 2001).
In further analysis, the applications and practice of public relations have been more associated with its techniques than by its theory. Most public relations’ contributions in organizations and management are seen through its effective implementations in almost all aspects of an organization. Aside from this, public relations professionals have also focused more efforts in the general aspect of mass media communications ((Coombs & Holaday, 2001). They generally believe that they could influence the greater public by publicity alone. This is also supported by the massive and dynamic developments in mass media tools such as the Internet and all its networked tools.
Initially, public relations scholars heavily borrowed from other academic disciplines such as communication and social sciences, including psychology. However, public relations has become more identified as a management function. Presently, it is also acknowledged through its indirect contributions to the overall performance of the business and non business organizations. Hence, this paper presented various successful companies by highlighting their public relations programs. While most may consider these under the more familiar and general concepts of CSR, media relations, community relations, this paper reiterates that these are all subsumed under public relations.
In this regard, scholars and practitioners must really emphasize the very nature of the public relations discipline so as to ground themselves more clearly of the paradigm and orientations used in evaluating public relation theories and events (Leichty, 1998). It seems to show that the strengthening of the functions of science in the discipline of public relations is in order. To begin with, the deeper study on the proper status of public relations as an art or a science is crucial. It will aid in the emphasis of the fundamental operating principles, dynamics and outcomes of public relations studies. It is sad to note that until now there is still a contention among scholars whether public relations is an art or a science (Leichty, 1998).
The multidisciplinary nature of public relations is a major challenge in this assessment. As dynamic as it is, public relations continues to emerge with other disciplines (as shown above with its links with marketing theories). It is very well related to various disciplines like public affairs, corporate communications, marketing, advertising, corporate social responsibility, etc. It is also composed of different subsets like media relations, community relations, employee relations, government agencies linkages, investor relations, among others. As it is widely practices, PR also comes out in various channels and it uses a wide range of communication channels.
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