Public Relations 2003 Abstracts
Public Relations Division
A (Re)Conceived Feminist Paradigm for Public Relations and its Application to the Theory or Organization-Public Relations • Linda Aldoory, Maryland and Elizabeth Toth, Syracuse • This review essay sought to advance the use of a feminist paradigm in the research and understanding of the practice of public relations. Work by feminist scholars is substantial, but must move beyond androcentric principles and alienation from public relations scholars who do not conduct feminist research or do not consider themselves feminist. This essay posits that five concepts from the feminist paradigm should enrich and advance knowledge about public relations: analysis of gender, power, diversity, ethics/values, and reflexivity.
A “Dynamic” Public Relations Case Class: I Don’t Know Anything About Science and You Want Me to Say What? • b j Altschul, American • A dynamic approach to part of the public relations case studies class facilitates student mastery of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Using a combination of asynchronous learning for research and discussion, role-playing and in-class Socratic Dialogue for negotiation and conflict management, and culminating in a mini-campaign, student teams represent stakeholder clients with widely divergent perspectives on a controversial topic in the news, a scientific issue that affects daily life and communication of strategic policy decisions.
The Relationship between Corporate Philanthropic Activity and Corporate Financial Impact: Getting Beyond the Inconsistent Results of Previous Studies • Jiyang Bae and Margarete Rooney Hall, Florida • The main purpose of this paper is to re-examine the relationship between corporate philanthropic activity and its impact on corporate financial performance. Several scholars have tried to measure the relationship. But they have not produced consistent results because of methodological inconsistencies. After modifying three methodological factors as potentially creating the inconsistent results, this study suggests that corporate philanthropic activity does partially affect the corporate bottom line.
The Role of Clients in Public Relations Campaign Courses • Vince Benigni, College of Charleston, I-Huei Cheng and Glen Cameron, Missouri • Extending Benigni and Cameron(1999), this study provides a current review of teaching methods for the public relations campaigns course based on a national survey. In addition to offering up-to-date descriptions of how the campaigns course is constructed and valued in public relations programs, this study analyzed what may be important factors that influence the course outcomes.
The Gray Areas of Ethical Decision-making The Emergence of an Ethical Action Continuum Among Public Relations Practitioners • Lois A. Boyton, North Carolina • This paper explores the action taken by public relations practitioners when confronted with ethical situations. In-depth interviews were conducted to ascertain actions taken by public relations practitioners within a decision-making process. Findings indicate that each practitioner made decisions within the context of a decision-making role. Additionally, the analysis reveals an ethical action continuum that addresses not only the extremes of acting ethically or unethically, but also intermediary stages of consensus, compromise, and opting out.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of How the General Public Views PR Practitioners: The Results of a Hybrid Survey/Experiment Employing a Nationwide Sample • Coy Callison, Texas Tech • Public perception of PR practitioners was measured using a telephone survey with a source manipulation experiment interwoven into a standard opinion poll. The nationwide sample (N=593) revealed that sources affiliated with the organization on whose behalf they speak are viewed more negatively than unaffiliated sources. Additionally, PR practitioners were judged no more critically than other affiliated sources. Finally, a multi-item measure of public relations in general demonstrated that perceptions of practitioners are stable across demographics.
The Use of Persuasive Appeals and PR in Travel/Tourism Post-9/11 • Ann R. Carden, SUNY-Fredonia • This paper examines the effect of 9/11 on the types of persuasive appeals travel destinations are using to adjust to changing travel patterns and on the amount of public relations used in promotion. An exploratory study of 46 public relations practitioners in the travel and tourism industry found that entertainment and humor, rather than factual appeals, were being used by more destinations, and that public relations efforts had increased, while marketing and advertising efforts decreased.
When [Professional] Worlds Collide: The Implications of Kasky V. Nike for Public Relations Practice • Erik L. Collins, Christopher S. MacDonald and Michael Witkoski, South Carolina • This paper examines the past and present status of commercial speech protection in the United States, the nature of Nike Corporation’s campaign defending its overseas labor practices, the legal controversy these efforts created culminating in Kasky v. Nike, and what the landscape of protection for public relations speech may resemble after a decision is rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States.
The Public Relations Internship Experience: A Comparison of Student and Site Supervisor Perspectives • Emma Daugherty, California State-Long Beach • Internships are seen as valuable learning experiences for students by the public relations academy, including the Commission on Public Relations Education, the Public Relations Student Society of America, and The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Still, with all the importance placed on experiential-learning experiences for public relations, journalism, and mass communication students, scant literature exists on the subject. Much of the literature is anecdotal or descriptive in nature.
Describing Volunteerism: The Theory of Unified Responsibility • Mohan J Dutta-Bergman, Purdue • In recent years, non-profit organizations have faced an increasing challenge in recruiting volunteers. Proposing the theory of unified responsibility, the paper argues that a sense of responsibility emanates across the personal and social domains of individuals that volunteer. Drawing a psychographic profile of the volunteer, this paper explores the role of dieting, exercising, consumerism, and environmental consciousness. Strategic applications for recruiting volunteers are suggested based on the formative research.
A Public Relations View of Employee Benefits Communication • Alan R. Freitag and Gaelle Picherit-Duthler, North Carolina-Charlotte • Management and administration of employee benefits rightfully fall under the purview of the organization’s human resource department. So, too, has responsibility for benefits communication, though human resource managers are not necessarily the best qualified to administer a communication effort. The researchers use data from two surveys to show the criticality of benefits to recruiting, retention and motivation of quality employees, the prevalence of particular communication approaches and channels, the perceived effectiveness of those channels, and employees’ media preferences in regard to benefits communication.
Nation Building, Branding, and Boosterisim in Cyberspace: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa Presidential Websites • T. Kenn Gaither, North Carolina • This study is a quantitative content analysis of the 8 official English-language, Sub-Saharan Africa presidential websites to determine how these sites relate to public relations practices and traditional propaganda theory. Most propaganda theory research has dichotomized propaganda through the use of nominal labels such as “good” propaganda and “bad” propaganda. This study obviates this notion by considering propaganda as related to, and distantly part of, public relations practices and international government relations.
Integrating Editorial Presentation and Public Relations Publications: New Frontiers for Convergence and Collaborative Learning • Jennifer George-Palilonis, Robert S. Pritchard and Betsey Hatch, Ball State • Graphic journalists and public relations specialists are often compelled to work with a broad array of specialists and experts in writing, reporting, advertising, graphic design, public relations, photography. However, in the controlled environment of the classroom, it’s often difficult to emulate the cross-disciplinary collaboration necessary to effectively teach these communication skills. This paper provides a case study and analysis of one such project that served as an experiment in collaborative teaching and learning.
Prepared for Practice? Student Perceptions about Requirements and Preparation for Public Relations Practice • Karla K. Gower and Bryan H. Reber, Alabama • An online survey was administered to 117 junior and senior public relations majors at seven American universities. Students strongly affirmed skills and understandings identified in previous studies as important to the practice of public relations. When asked about their preparedness in the same areas, their responses differed significantly suggesting at least some feelings of lack of preparation for professional practice in some areas. Respondents also suggested an understanding of the organizational role of public relations practitioners.
Congressional Press Secretaries: A Survey of Their Relationships with Reporters and Views of Media Coverage • Ethnie Groves and Jennifer Greer, Nevada-Reno • This survey investigated who congressional press secretaries are, what they think of reporters, and how they view congressional news coverage. The 173 responses indicated that press secretary demographics have barely changed since the 1980s, their relationships with reporters are positive, and they don’t give high marks to coverage of Congress. Relationships and views of media coverage were partially related, and significant demographic differences emerged on how press secretaries relate to the press.
PRSA: Scale Development for Exploring the Cross-Cultural Impetus of Public Relations Strategies • Yi-Hui, National Cheng- Chi University-Taiwan • The purpose of this paper is to develop a cross-cultural, multiple-item scale for measuring public relations strategies, i.e., the Public Relations Strategy Assessment (referred to as PRSA). The scale was developed not only to fulfill the standards of reliability and validity in measurement, but also to acquire cross-cultural comparability. After a discussion of the conceptualization and operationalization of the dimensions of public relations strategies, the procedures used in constructing and refining a multiple-item scale to measure the construct are described.
How to Measure Organization-public Relationships: Measurement Validation in a Company-retailer Relationship • Samsup Jo, Florida • In spite of attempts to develop operational measurements of organization-public relationships, the development of global public relations has been limited in other cultural contexts. The basic premise of this study supposes that global relational elements can be found when an organization engages in organization-public relationships. For this study, a setting for an organization-public relationship is Samsung Electronics located in South Korea and its retailers. Two hundred fourteen retailers and two hundred forty seven Samsung managers in Korea participated in this study.
Nonprofit Organizations’ Use of the World Wide Web: Are they Sufficiently Fulfilling Organizational Goals? • Seok Kang and Hanna E. Norton, Arkansas Tech • This study explores nonprofit organizations’ Web sites to determine the extent to which the organizations utilize benefits of the Web to accomplish their organizational goals. A sample of the 100 largest NPOs in the United States was used for the study. Results found that the selected NPOs were effectively using the Web to present traditional public relations materials and connect with publics. However, the organizations were largely unsuccessful in making interactive, relational communications with publics.
Relationship Maintenance Strategies on Websites • Eyun- Jung Ki, Florida • This study conducted a content analysis of 2002 Fortune 500 company Web sites to explore how corporations strategically and effectively manage relationships with their publics by utilizing their Websites. Adopting relationship maintenance strategies such as positivity, openness, sharing of task, networking and access, this study revealed that openness was most commonly evident at the highest level of the Web sites, while networking was measured least frequently and the lowest level.
Examining the PRSA Code of Ethics: Toward Ethical Advocacy • Hyo-Sook Kim, Maryland • This paper aimed to examine the PRSA Code of Ethics and to suggest necessary change that would help public relations achieve one of its goals: ethical profession. In particular, the primary interest is in specifying more clearly public relations as ethical advocacy. For this purpose, the grounds for discussion were set by exploring the following questions: What is a profession? Is public relations recognized as a profession?
Exploring the Effects of Organization-Public Relationships (OPRs) on Attitude toward the Organization, Brand, and Purchase Intention • Jeesun Kim, Soobum Lee and ByengHee Chang, Florida • This study investigated the effects of organization-public relationships (OPRs) on attitude toward the organization (Ao), brand (Ab), and purchase intention (P1). For this purpose, this study devised an integrated model which holds that the effects of OPRs on PT are mediated by Ao and Ab and that the effect of Ao is mediated by Ab. Estimated coefficients and model fit indices by SEM showed this model is appropriate. Comparisons with competing models confirmed these results.
Exploring Public Relations Agency Roles in Korea: An Application of Grunig’ Excellence Theory • Cheolhan Lee, Missouri • The purpose of this study is to explore the expectations public relations practitioners and clients have of the role of public relations in Korea. This paper examines Grunig’s Excellence Theory of Public Relations whether it can be applied to the practices of public relations agencies in Korea. The theory suggests effective public relations should follow these characteristics such as (1) public relations practitioners should be managers, (2) practitioners should be practiced according to the two-way symmetrical model, and (3) organizations’ woridviews should be symmetrical.
Media Relations in Korea: Cheong between Journalist and PR Practitioner • Jonghyuk Lee and Dan Berkowitz, Iowa • This study applied the concept of Cheong – the fundamental foundation for Korean relationships – to analyze the relationship between journalists and PR practitioners in Korea. Research drew on in-depth interviews with ten pairs of journalists and practitioners. Respondents said they felt Cheong through common experiences and that Cheong provided a positive force for their interaction. Further, journalists and practitioners said that Cheong did not bring negative effects to the role of journalism in a democratic society.
Practicing Public Relations in China: A Case Study of a Multinational Public Relations Firm • Yi Luo, Maryland • This study of a multinational public relations firm in China seeks to examine (a) how public relations is currently practiced in China, (b) the application of the two generic principles of public relations: two-way symmetrical communication and support for diversity, and (c) a multinational public relations firm’s sensitivity to societal culture. The results supported the global public relations theory, specifically two-way symmetrical communication and support for diversity for one multinational public relations firm in China.
Utilizing John Bawls’ “A Theory of Justice” To Examine the Social Utility of Contemporary Public Relations • David Martinson, Florida International • This paper asserts that efforts to examine the social utility of contemporary public relations must go beyond talk of a injecting views in a “marketplace of ideas.” It examines the social utility of public relations from a distributive/ social justice perspective based on the work of the widely respected American philosopher John Rawis.
Third Party Endorsement Influence on Perceptions of Social Marketing Campaign Attitudes, Credibility, Effectiveness, and Involvement • Jenson Moore and Terry Kinney, Minnesota • This study examines the public relations concept of third party endorsement in regards to a social marketing campaign. It was hypothesized that third party endorsements would not influence the perceived legitimacy of the campaign. In order to test this, a 2X3 (advertisement appeal type: fear, humor by third party endorsement type: no endorsement, supporting, opposing) experimental design was used. The findings supported the assumption that third party endorsements do not significantly influence perceptions.
Treading Through aCrisis: Exploring How Bridgestone/Firestone and the Media Framed an Issue and an Image • Bestey Neibergall, Minnesota • Bridgestone/Firestone faced a nationally newsworthy crisis when vehicles equipped with its tires were connected to at least 30 deaths. How media frame such crises potentially impacts public opinion and future viability of corporations. Therefore, stakes are high for public relations strategists to effectively manage crisis messages. The purpose of this study is to explore what roles Bridgestone/Firestone and the media played in communicating complicated events, and to what extent Bridgestone/Firestone’s corporate image changed.
The Influence of Gender on Publicity and Media Relations: Differences in Discourse • Kim Newman, Syracuse • This study examined to what extent media relations is influenced by gender, hypothesizing that women focus more than men on interpersonal relationships. A national email survey of PR practitioners included the Bern Sex-Role Inventory (B SRI) and “Perceived Masculinity” Scale (PMQ). Findings showed practitioners perceived certain traits as gendered yet there was no significant difference in how they rated themselves. Results indicated practitioners tended to exhibit what is defined as feminine behavior.
Protracted Strategic Risk Communication: A Longitudinal Analysis of Community’s Zones of Meaning • Michael J. Palenchar, Florida and Robert L. Heath, Houston • This study replicates and extends elements of Heath and Abel’s (1996) and Heath and Palenchar’s (2000) analysis of the impact of sustained strategic risk communication. Through random telephone surveys (n=400), the authors confirmed and strengthened some of the conclusions of the two previous studies in relation to identifying and better understanding community zones of meaning. Identifiable community zones of meaning related to risk perception are becoming apparent.
Communicating for Technical Change: Business to Business communication with Small Manufacturing Firms • Danielle C. Pontiff, Louisiana-Lafayette • In business-to-business public relations, practitioners are often asked to encourage change in the adoption of new technologies. This study focuses on the challenge faced by business-to-business public relations practitioners who work to encourage the adoption of e-business applications among small manufacturing firms. While the adoption and use of e-business applications have been increasingly encouraged in the manufacturing industry, research indicates that smaller firms are less likely to adopt and use technology unless they perceive beneficial characteristics.
Legitimate Strategy versus Smoke Screen: Framing Philip Morris’ Name Change to Altria • Cristina Popescu, Florida • Using the theory of framing in constructing and maintaining corporate reputations, this paper addresses the case of Philip Morris Companies, which changed its name to Altria Group in January 2003. The research compares the frames used by the company to justify the name change with the framing used by the mainstream media to reflect the event, and the reaction of various publics published online. Different frames are exemplified and implications are provided.
Web Power: Examining Practitioners’ World Wide Web Use and Its Effects on Their Decision-Making Power in Public Relations • Lance V. Porter, Buena Vista Pictures, The Walt Disney Company and Lynne M. Sallot, Georgia • Using a national email survey, this study examines how public relations practitioners are using the World Wide Web to gain power in their organizations. To measure power, the study uses Finkelstein’s (1992) conceptualizations and operationalizations of power, derived from “Upper Echelons” theory from the strategic management literature. Results suggest that practitioners are effectively using the World Wide Web to some degree, and that the Web will play an increasingly prominent part in the strategic practice of public relations in the future.
Symmetric Stance versus Asymmetric Public Relations Strategy: A Case Study of Corporate Social Responsibility Programs • Qi Qiu and Glen T. Cameron, Missouri • Applying the excellence theory and taxonomy of message function to Avon and Ford’s two breast cancer programs, the discourse analysis of corporate discourse and media coverage finds that the programmatic context proposes a special case for the theory. In both real-life cases, the stance that balances public and organization interests is symmetric, following from the original philanthropic impetus.
Building Public Relations Definitions Typologies Among Practictioners and Educators • Bryan H. Reber and Chandler Harris, Alabama • Twenty-six public relations leaders – practitioners and educators – sorted 30 words to build definitions of public relations and identify typologies by definition. Four definitional factors emerged – the Dialogic, Deliberative, Evaluative and Ethical. The Deliberative and Evaluative factors were dominated by practitioners and educators respectively. Three factors defined public relations as strategic. At least two factors defined public relations two-way, responsive, tactical, practical, managerial or honest.
Maybe We Should Just Agree to Disagree? Journalism and Public Relations Educators’ Attitudes Toward Public Relations and the Degree of Coorientational Accuracy that Exists Between Them • Thomasena Shaw and Bonnie Riechert, Tennessee • The literature indicates that a complex relationship exists between journalists and public relations practitioners; can the same be said for their relationship in the academy? To what extent is behavior based on respondents’ personal constructions of the world and perceptions of orientations of those around them, however (in)accurate? A web-based survey was sent to 768 journalism and public relations educators. Surprisingly, the former provided greater evidence of coorientational accuracy than their public relations counterparts.
Is Media Relations All There is to Public Relations? Differences in Perceptions Between Public Relations and Journalism Educators • Thomasena Shaw and Candace White, Tennessee-Knoxville • This study explores whether journalism and public relations programs belong in the same academic department, and if academic programs may be in part responsible for perpetuating myths and stereotypes and contributing to negative perceptions of the public relations profession. A web-based survey was sent to 768 journalism and public relations educators. The study found that journalism educators do not differ as substantially and negatively in their opinions of public relations as the literature may suggest.
The Effects of Consumer Knowledge on Information Processing Toward the PR Editorials • Alex Wang, Emerson College • This study investigates how consumers first used different processing strategies, corresponded to their knowledge structure, to process and evaluate information and then formed their attitudes toward the PR editorials (APR) and purchase intent. The results first reveal that consumers’ knowledge structure do not seem to change the way they perceive how credible the PR editorials are. The findings also suggest that both category-based and piecemeal processing enhance consumers’ recalls of selling points from the PR editorials.
An Empirical Analysis of the Influence of Perceived Attributes of Publics on Public Relations Strategy Use and Effectiveness • Kelly Page Werder, South Florida • This study replicated and extended previous research by examining the influence of problem recognition, constraint recognition, involvement, and goal compatibility on use of informative, facilitative, persuasive, and cooperative problem solving strategies. Members of PRSA (n=403) were surveyed using direct mail and online modes of administration. Results indicate that perceived attributes of publics significantly influence public relations strategy use in organizations. In addition, attributes of publics were significant predictors of strategy effectiveness.
Organization-Public Relationships, Organizational Representations, and the Overall Evaluation of Organizational Performance: A Causal Model • Sung-Un Yang and James E. Grunig, Maryland • The purpose of this paper is to explain causal relationships among organization-public relationships, organizational representations, and evaluation of organizational performances. Authors posited that active communication behavior and familiarity are correlated causes of organization-public relationships, while the quality of organization-public relationships affects the overall evaluation of organizational performance directly as well as through organizational representations. To test this causal model, five Korean organizations were studied with 317 residents in a metropolitan city of Korea.
Press Release and World System: How the U.S. Major Newspapers Use Press Releases from Different Countries? • Juyan Zhang, Missouri • Using the agenda building theory and the three-tiered world system theory, this research examined how the U.S. major newspapers used the press releases from different countries. The research found that press releases from the semi-periphery nations were more used than those from the core nations and the periphery nations. Press releases from the core nations were more used than those from the periphery nations. A majority of the quoted press releases appeared at least in the New York Times.
Using Celebrity Endorsers to Increase Publicity Effects of Marketing Communications • Xinshu Zhao, North Carolina; Hyun Seung Jin and Soontae An, Kansas State • This paper investigates the effects of celebrity endorsement on the effectiveness of a televised commercial in terms of 1) the publicity that the commercial receives from the media, 2) TV viewers’ attitude toward the commercial and 3) TV viewers’ memory of the commercial. The researchers recorded the commercials aired during five Super Bowl broadcasts; 1992-1996, interviewed randomly selected viewers for their reactions toward the commercials, and analyzed the news coverage of the commercials.
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