2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

Theme 3: Influence-related definitions
The third primary theme identified among these definitions focuses on factors that
influence perceptions about the public relations field, including the media, practitioners’
behavior, and the general public. Whereas 32% (n=80) of students defined public relations in
terms of influence before completing the course, 30% (n=76) cited definitions of influence after
completing the course: 1) practitioner behavior influences perceptions about public relations,
2) the media influences perceptions about public relations and 3) the general public influences
perceptions about public relations. (See Table 1)
General Discussion /Conclusions
Four overarching conclusions can be drawn from this study. First and foremost, this
study demonstrates how reflection can serve as a viable assessment technique for public
relations educators. Second, in terms of content revealed during the reflection exercise, results
indicate that overall perceptions about the public relations industry are more positive after
respondents engaged in some general education about the public relations field. As such,
continued education about our profession is critical. Third, as revealed from this thematic
analysis, three themes seem to resonate among the public relations definitions provided by these
adult students: 1) ethically-oriented definitions 2) influence-related definitions and 3) social
responsibility definitions. Finally, from the analysis of respondents’ statements and comments,
we can clearly observe negative versus connotative terms that have been revealed among this
sample.
With regard to public relations education, this study substantiates the point that ethical
and social responsibility concerns are key drivers in our field. Therefore, it is vital to establish
and strengthen public relations coursework that focuses on ethics and social responsibility.
Moreover, social responsibility education needs to migrate from a focus on issues-based, standalone
societal issues/trends to a more integrated focus on individual and corporate sustainability,
which includes coverage of topics such as philanthropy, community responsibility, economies,
and social entrepreneurship. Our findings suggest that education will continue to play a
significant role in managerial-oriented and societal-driven perceptions among future public
relations practitioners.
One of the limitations of this study was that the sample size is relatively small in
comparison to the total number of domestic and international graduate public relations programs
that presently exist. We acknowledge that the results are not generalizable to all graduate
students – but only to students enrolled in this class at this specific institution. However, we
believe our work takes a first necessary step required to establish a baseline for use in future
examinations. The next step is engage in a more robust analysis between and among institutions
and various graduate programs.
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