The practice and study of public relations has grown significantly within Europe over the past decade, yet as a discipline, it remains a relatively unexplored field. This volume of papers brings together contributions from some of the leading international public relations academics and practitioners who provide valuable insights into the theories underpinning current public relations thinking and practice, and illustrate the diversity of perspectives that characterize this evolving area. Key issues discussed include:- * the contribution of public relations to strategic management in organizations * the feminization of public relations * the function of rhetorical study in our understanding of modern corporate dialogue * international perspectives of public relations. A valuable aid to both students and practitioners, this fascinating book challenges some of the traditional assumptions about public relations practice.
This volume is a major contribution to the trans-national debate on public relations research and communication management. It presents dominant concepts and findings from the scientific community in Germany in English language. At the same time, the compilation contains a selection of the most influential and relevant approaches from European and international researchers. Editors and contributors are renowned academics from all over the world. This books honours Guenter Bentele, one of the international spearheads of public relations research, and gives academics, students and communication managers a focussed insight into the field.
This volume presents a global view of the current themes in public relations research. It contains comparative studies of public relations practice in different countries and explores issues such as the relationship between PR and journalism, and the history of PR and journalism.
Culture, Race, and Class-Based Perspectives in Public Relations, edited by Damion Waymer, covers timely and understudied topics in the field of public relations (PR). Via research, case analysis, and theoretical discussion, the contributors to this volume explore the ways that scholars can address issues of voice (or the lack thereof) that marginalized publics have encountered in the past or are currently encountering in regard to matters of culture, race, and class. A central question this book asks is what role can and does a greater understanding of culture, race, and class play in helping scholars, teachers, students, and practitioners to aid in society becoming a better place to live and work? Culture as well as other divisive social constructs such as race and class must be unpacked, problematized, and considered carefully before the fully functioning vision of society can be deemed possible. Some topics included are the Black Panther Party and Native American Activist rhetorical PR, risk equity, critical race theory, and pedagogical approaches to teaching culture, race, and class. This edited volume serves an important early step by scholars—via the context of public relations—in this process of advocating social justice as well as organizations' role in helping society achieve these ends.
Although there is a small body of feminist scholarship that problematizes gender in public relations, gender is a relatively undefined area of thinking in the field and there have been few serious studies of the socially constructed roles defining women and men in public relations. This book is positioned within the critical public relations stream. Through the prism of ‘gender and public relations’, it examines not only the manipulatory, but also the emancipatory, subversive and transformatory potential of public relations for the construction of meaning. Its focus is on the dynamic interrelationships arising from public relations activities in society and the gendered, lived experiences of people working in the occupation of public relations. There are many previously unexplored areas within and through public relations which the book examines. These include: the production of social meaning and power relations advocacy and activist campaigns for social and political change the negotiation of identity, diversity and cultural practice celebrity, bodies, fashion and harassment in the workplace notions of managing reputation and communicating policy. In extending the field of inquiry, this edited collection highlights how gender is accomplished and transformed, and, thus how power is exercised and inequality (re)produced or challenged in public relations. The book will expand thinking about power relations and privilege for both women and men and how these are affected by the interplay of social, cultural and institutional practices. Winner of the Outstanding Book PRide Award, awarded by the National Communication Association (NCA).
Public relations practitioners are often called upon to help chart their organization's strategic development, thus functioning as managerial decision makers linking the organization to its larger environment. This book is about understanding organizations, especially the role played by organizational decision making in the development and implementation of public relations programs and activities. It emphasizes the ways in which an organization's culture and decision making processes ultimately influence the success or failure of their public relations efforts. The research, case studies, and author's interpretations and suggestions explore the often confusing netherworld of organizational mindsets -- particularly as those world views affect the organization's relations with clients and other stakeholders. Understanding organizational politics is the way to understanding how and why decisions are made by the organization's dominant coalition. The primary goal of this text is to enhance our understanding of the ways in which organizations "work" -- the political process that accompanies organizational decision making. As an instrumental participant in the organizational political process, the public relations practitioner must posess knowledge and understanding of the organization's political process in order to succeed within that organization. Given the need for public relations practitioners to form coalitions, negotiate consensus, and advocate organizational interests, the political system metaphor is most approriate for understanding the relationship between organizational power and organizational public relations. This book, then, "steps back" from a focus solely on the design of public relations programs, and instead examines how the impetus for those programs emerges within the organization as a result of organizational politics in action. Its special features include: * practitioner responses at the end of each chapter providing commentary on the usefulness of the ideas presented; * sidebars from popular sources illustrating theories; * new case studies; * merging of management and organizational theory and research with communication theory and research; * a focus on external stakeholders from both an advocacy and a collaborative frame resulting in the creation of a "collaborative advocacy" framework for external communication; and * an extended examination of ethical considerations pertaining to organizational decision making and communication.
The public relations industry is undergoing a revolution in using data to define promotional programs, to measure influence and to address the needs of clients with more precision than ever. Applying tools that range from online surveys to social-media listening to applying big data with sophisticated algorithms, today’s PR professionals are data-driven in virtually everything they do. Data-Driven Public Relations Research is the first book for PR students and practitioners to offer an overview of these new practices as well as a glimpse into the future of these new applications, including "big data" and some of the applications from real-world PR campaigns and strategic planning. It includes contemporary cases involving brand name companies who are blazing new trails in the use of metrics in public relations. This book presents a practical, accessible approach that requires no prior training or experience, with easy to follow, step-by-step measurement examples from existing campaigns. Using Excel, the book enables readers to export lessons from the classroom to the office, where use of statistical packages is rare and can give PR practitioners the advantage over competitors. This pragmatic approach helps readers apply metrics to PR problems such as: Finding the best target audiences Understanding audience communication needs and preferences How best to present research outcomes How to manage major projects with specialized research firms. Accompanying electronic resources for the book include sample answers to the book’s discussion questions, PowerPoint lecture slides for instructors and sample research exercises using Excel.
International Public Relations: Perspectives from deeply divided societies is positioned at the intersection of public relations (PR) practice with socio-political environments in divided, conflict and post-conflict societies. While most studies of PR focus on the activity as it is practiced within stable democratic societies, this book explores perspectives from contexts that have tended to be marginalized or uncharted. Presenting research from a diverse range of societies still deeply divided along racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic lines, this collection engages with a variety of questions including how PR practice in these societies may contribute to our understanding of PR theory building. Importantly, it highlights the role of communication strategies for actors that still deploy political violence to achieve their goals, as well as those that use it in building peace, resolving conflict, and assisting in the development of civil society. Featuring a uniquely wide range of original empirical research, including studies from Israel/Palestine, Mozambique, Northern Ireland, former Yugoslavia, former Czechoslovakia, Spain, Malaysia and Turkey, this groundbreaking book will be of interest not only to scholars of public relations, but also political communication, international relations, and peace and conflict studies. With a Foreword by Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, Editor of The Global Public Relations Handbook
The comprehensive guide to applied PR theory in the 21st century Public Relations Theory explores the central principles and theoretical components of public relations and their practical applications in actual situations. This informative text helps readers to understand the concepts, approaches, and perspectives of PR theory and learn development methods, implementation strategies, management techniques, and more. Chapters written by recognized experts on each topic provide readers with knowledge on how, when, and why appropriate theories are applied. Focusing on how organizations and individuals integrate theory in a public relations framework, each chapter explains one function, explores its potential challenges and opportunities, provides an example of the function in practice, and offers discussion questions and additional reading suggestions. Unique in structure, this text arranges chapters by function, rather than theory, allowing readers to see how multiple theories can be applied to each public relations function and how theories can be used in different professional settings. Comprehensive treatment of topics including social and emerging media, globalization, public diplomacy, corporate and investor relations, and others ensures relevant and timely coverage of contemporary PR issues. Demonstrates how public relations theory is applied in real-world practice Illustrates how successfully applied public relations theories lead to positive outcomes Discusses the relevance of public relations with accessible and engaging language Offers multiple perspectives from leading international public relations scholars Includes pedagogical tools including chapter discussion questions, practical examples, tables, and suggested reading lists Public Relations Theory: Application and Understanding is suitable for instructors and graduate and advanced undergraduate students in courses on public relations theory, as well as practitioners seeking further knowledge on the most current developments in the field.
The practice and study of public relations has grown significantly within Europe over the past decade, yet as a discipline, it remains a relatively unexplored field. This volume of papers brings together contributions from some of the leading international public relations academics and practitioners who provide valuable insights into the theories underpinning current public relations thinking and practice, and illustrate the diversity of perspectives that characterize this evolving area. Key issues discussed include:- * the contribution of public relations to strategic management in organizations * the feminization of public relations * the function of rhetorical study in our understanding of modern corporate dialogue * international perspectives of public relations. A valuable aid to both students and practitioners, this fascinating book challenges some of the traditional assumptions about public relations practice.
