2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

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A Thematic Macro-analysis of PR Effectiveness Research Jee Young Chung University of Alabama jchung@bama.ua.edu Abstract This study analyzes how public relations effectiveness research has been studied in peerreviewed scholarly journals during the past three decades. Based on public relations literature, the study conceptualized PR effectiveness research as conflict, relationship, reputation, and image management. A total of 77 articles in three public relations journals published between 1975 and 2007 were content analyzed. The findings show quantitative comparison of four management research, various applied theories and theoretical models, contexts, and research methodology. Introduction What is the effectiveness of public relations in an organization? This question is always on both practitioners’ and researchers’ minds in public relations discipline. At the same time, the notion of evaluation and measurement of public relations has been a focus for both academy and practice. Exactly 30 years ago, in 1977, to find answers for the above question and for measurement of public relations, a National Conference on Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Relations was held at the University of Maryland, College Park, Md. It seems that attention to public effectiveness research started early along with the appearance of the first public relations academic journal, Public Relations Review. What has been done for PR effectiveness research during past 30 years? Unfortunately, as the concept of PR effectiveness is hard to define (Hon, 1997, 1998; Jo, Hon, & Bruner, 2002), many researchers have struggled with PR effectiveness research regarding definitions and measurement. On the other hand, many public relations theories have emerged during this same time. Sallot, Lyon, Acosta-Alzuru, and Jones (2003) found that there has been considerable theory development research in public relations discipline since 1990s. Then, does this abundant theory development research in public relations contribute to conceptualize PR effectiveness or guide PR effectiveness research? This study aims to (1) conceptualize PR effectiveness research from management philosophies through literature review: conflict management, relationship management, reputation management, and image management, and analyze (2) how these four types represent PR effectiveness research; (3) how it has been developed during the past three decades: applied theories and theoretical models, research methodology, and applied context. Literature Review Measuring Public Relations Effectiveness The results of the conference in 1977 demonstrated the importance of research in public relations so as to identify audiences, determine a corporate image, or evaluate the effect of a specific PR program (J. Grunig, 1977). For example, AT&T’s measurement program of public relations explained that AT&T adapted six broad public relations activities to measure public relations effectiveness for Bell System: administration of public relations program, employee publications, advertising, community relations, and educational relations (J. Grunig, 1977). It seems measuring PR effectiveness was really about measuring impacts of PR campaigns or media relations. Since then, evaluation and effectiveness of PR programs have been the focus of 6
many researchers and professionals in public relations (Hon & J. Grunig, 1999; Hon & Brunner, 2001; Pieczka, 2000; Broom & Center, 1983; Broom & Dozier, 1983; Dozier, 1984). After 20 years later, The Institute for Public Relations issued a paper regarding the state of knowledge on the measurement and evaluation of public relations. However, the main focus of the paper was still in measuring public relations short-term outputs (Hon & J. Grunig, 1999). At the same time, while many researchers were agonized with measuring public relations results or the conceptualization of PR effectiveness, Hon (1997) suggested the concept of PR effectiveness with clear explanations. Hon (1997) conceptualized PR effectiveness from four stages (i.e., individual, program, organizational, and societal levels) and pointed out that organizational-level effectiveness was critical to demonstrate PR effectiveness to its organization’s overall goal. Hon (1997) argued that the critical point is that PR effectiveness should evaluate “the value public relations programs bring to an organization” (p. 4). PR effectiveness synonymously represents the value of public relations that contribute organizational effectiveness overall. In this notion, previous evaluation of public relations shortterm output is considered as program-level PR effectiveness. After conceptualizing PR effectiveness, Hon (1997) found many variables of PR effectiveness through interviewing both practitioners and CEOs. In her findings, practitioners reported many specific variables that relate to their actual tasks: goal achievement, increasing understand/facilitating two-way communication, building relationships, disseminating the right message, working through the PR process, communicating strategically, earning respect, promoting and fostering good media relations, changing attitude/behavior, and affecting legislation. However, CEOs had a little different perspective: creating the right image, objectives, making a bottom-line contribution, supporting other function’s goals, representing the whole organization, and disseminating the right message (Hon, 1997). These findings guided many researchers to find factors that affect PR effectiveness. Most of them developed the notion that quality relationship can probe PR effectiveness (Hon & Brunner, 2001; Hon & J. Grunig, 1999; Jo et al., 2004). On the other hand, whereas a relationship is one side of the coin, conflict is the other side of it. Huang (2001) said that public relations effectiveness has been measured by both organization-public relationship and conflict resolution. Likewise, the notion of creating right images or representing whole organizations mentioned by CEOs in Hon’s (1997) research can be related to image management and reputation management. In a world of increasing competition, a good image and strong reputation are a competitive advantage, public relations focuses not only on building quality relationships, but also on communicating an organizations’ image and reputation. The paradigm to evaluate public relations is shifted from “how PR program such as media relations, or community relations affect publics’ beliefs, attitudes, or behavioral intention?” to “how public relations build long-term relationship or communicate corporate image and reputation, or handle conflicts with publics to reach organizations’ overall effectiveness.” Therefore, four management philosophies (i.e., conflict management, relationship management, image management, and reputation management) have substantially emerged for PR effectiveness in organizational-level. In this study, organizational level of PR effectiveness is considered. Management Philosophies for PR Effectiveness Conflict Management. The use of conflict as a theoretical base to communicate for public relations is common for researchers. Conflict is “the notion of perceived incompatibilities” 7
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Page 3 and 4: Page Pedagogy Posters _____________
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Page 9 and 10: evenue, or activists provide suppor
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Page 17 and 18: fifteen years, and it is now a grow
Page 19 and 20: Ni, L. (2006). Relationships as org
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Page 23 and 24: Barriers to Online Course Delivery
Page 25 and 26: and “Learners are able to track a
Page 27 and 28: an excellent tool for collaboration
Page 29 and 30: audiences. Further, it is critical
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Page 35 and 36: Technorati. Retrieved on May 15, 20
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Benoit, W.L. (1995b). Sears repair
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IMC and its Integration into Progra
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umbrella. This arrangement more clo
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3B: How do institutional factors pr
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academic units. Responses were code
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RQ3A: How do institutional factors
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The lowest mean scores, ranging fro
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In this study, respondents’ perce
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At this juncture, the challenge for
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education. Journalism & Mass Commun
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However, many inside the public rel
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Core Determinants UTAUT contains fo
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H5a: Computer self-efficacy will NO
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Table 2 Descriptive Statistics for
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Although hierarchical multiple regr
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Table 8 HMR Results for Facilitatin
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use blogs. In fact, nearly 86% of r
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Venkatesh, V. (1999). Creation of f
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What’s Guiding the Profession? An
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process. Arnett, Arneson, and Bell
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The interview process was guided by
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chef’s feelings or the server’s
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If you’re going to work with [com
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Professionals, however, offered sev
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Hemingway, C. A. (2005). Personal v
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Causing Our Own Problems? Women as
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What’s Critical About PR and New
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• PR strategy is still developed
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Discussion in Terms of Strategy, Et
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How the PRSA’s Certification in E
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1) How did the PRSA certification e
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Frances Lilly in a similar white pa
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Concerned that its sexual harassmen
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All respondents agreed that e-learn
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DL 3.0 were simple text and graphic
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technology that we lose sight of th
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Lowery, S. A., & DeFleur, M. L. (19
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and student groups in research clas
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Adoption of Participatory Adult Lea
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all had the same instructor, the sa
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Table 1: Thematic Analysis Results
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Improving Feedback, Interaction and
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will realize they all are expected
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How to Win Friends and Impact Stude
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6. After reviewing assignments to m
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The pre-assessment survey results s
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messages and she never even called
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Who Should Teach Investor Relations
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Relations Society of America (PRSA)
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From Britney Spears to Burger King:
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governmental entities. The professo
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Show Me! Portfolios as Instruments
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The Student. In a real sense, what
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Gill, K. (ed.). (1993). Process and
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Courses of Study The courses in the
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Table 1. Cluster Comparison of Grad
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Appendix Name________________ Semes
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Outcome Clusters (italicized are ne
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innovation; (2) Successful collabor
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Breaking Ground In A Public Communi
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O A Video Documentary O A mini-vide
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Reflection as an Assessment Tool in
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Creating a Multi-Layered Case Study
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Finally in phase three of the case
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Example 2 Online Assignment: Studen
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New Methods of Student-to-Student a
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2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

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