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PurposeAs an important group of internal stakeholders, communication professionals carry the responsibilities to communicate with multiple groups of audience and foster trusted and satisfied relationships, both internally and externally. However, while busy with taking care of various stakeholders, the trust–satisfaction perception of communication professionals is underrated. Therefore, this paper aims to shift the investigation of the trust–satisfaction relationship from general employees to this unique group of communicators. By incorporating three key factors in an institutional environment (i.e. job engagement, leadership performance and organizational culture and support), the authors further investigate the moderated mediating effects of those factors on the trust–satisfaction relationship.Design/methodology/approachA national online survey of communication professionals working and living in the USA was designed to test the trust–satisfaction relationship. Surveyed communication professionals were asked to evaluate their own perceptions on various institutional factors. A conceptual moderated multiple-mediation structural model was proposed and tested to identify the impact of a complicated institutional environment on the perceived trust–satisfaction relationship.FindingsResults confirmed a strong positive impact of trust in organization on communication professionals' perceived job satisfaction. Results also confirmed the mediating effects of job engagement and communication leaders' performance on such a trust–satisfaction relationship. The authors' moderated mediation analysis indicated the important role of organizational culture in this complicated institutional environment and its indirect impact on the trust–satisfaction relationship.Originality/valueThe research explored several important factors within a complicated institutional environment and their potential impact on trust–satisfaction relationship. More significantly, the authors focused on one unique group of internal stakeholders, communication professionals, by analyzing how these institutional factors affect their very own perceptions. Even though communication professionals carry the responsibilities of acting as the communication and strategy facilitators on behalf of their organization, their perceptions on trust and satisfaction are equally important and deserve more attention. Results of our research promote the understanding of the complicated mechanisms within corporate communication for an enhanced trust–satisfaction relationship between communication professionals and their organization.

The study examines the impact of critical organizational factors (organizational culture and excellent leader performance) on public relations professionals’ overall job satisfaction by focusing on testing the joint mediating effects work engagement and trust could generate. A national online survey of 838 public relations professionals working in a variety of organizations was used as the empirical data to test the relationships in a proposed conceptual model. Results confirmed the strong impact organizational culture and leader performance could have on public relations professionals’ work engagement, trust, and job satisfaction. More importantly, results revealed the significant joint mediating effects of engagement and trust on professionals’ job satisfaction, when supportive organizational culture and excellent leader performance were achieved. The study concludes with research and practical implications.

Leadership is widely recognized as a key determinant in the functioning and wellbeing of individuals, groups, and organizations (van Knippenberg and Stam (ed.) in Oxford Handbook of Leadership and Organizations, Oxford University Press, 2014; Van Vugt et al., in American Psychologist 63:182–196, 2008). Leadership cannot be separated from communication; research reveals organizational leaders spend 70–80% of their time communicating (Wajcman and Rose in Organization Studies 32:941–961, 2011). In this chapter, we explore leadership communication and elaborate the inherent link between leadership and communication, review theoretical frameworks that provide best practice insights for leadership communication, and discuss communication channels leaders can utilize to communicate, connect, and engage with stakeholders. Important topics like leadership communication in turbulent times of change and crisis, and leaders’ self-reflection are also discussed.

Although millennials have been extensively examined in the popular and academic literature, there have not been sufficient studies in strategic communication that help us fully understand this uniq...

Purpose How to effectively manage information flow continues presenting challenges for effective responsive strategies in communication, reflecting the magnitude and impact of a data-driven and strategy-oriented market environment globally. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discover how concerns related to the rise of social media have affected communication leaders’ operational and managerial practice from an international perspective. The overarching aim is to better understand these concerns in order to contribute to effective responsive strategies in communication practice in the future. Design/methodology/approach The authors relied on data from an international online survey of public relations and communication professionals in multiple countries who were asked their perceptions and behaviors concerning the impact of information flow and the digital revolution on their practice. ANOVA analyses and hierarchical regression models were used to identify the heterogeneity across five clustered groups of countries. Findings Results confirmed a strong desire among communication professionals in multiple countries to learn more about information management in practice. Results identified the overall patterns of responsive strategies that have been widely adopted by public relations professionals in specific country clusters across the globe. In order to better manage social media and the digital revolution, all five of the surveyed country clusters indicated that it is effective to integrate more social media strategies and to train employees in social media. Originality/value The research has explored the importance surrounding information management in an era of widespread digital content, including how concerns in this area have affected strategic decision-making in communication practice. Equally important, the authors provide a more global perspective on this critical topic by analyzing communication professionals’ perceptions in grouped country clusters. Results of the research have identified the similarities and differences in responsive strategies to cope with information flow concerns across grouped country clusters.

Synopsis This study uses a model of excellent public relations leadership to examine gender differences in perceptions of professional leadership among Russian public relations practitioners. Analysis of a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews indicate that Russian women place greater importance on leadership than Russian men. However, female practitioners seem hesitant or unable to take a leadership role due to a perfect storm of gender effects: existing societal and professional gender stereotypes, male-dominated societal and organizational culture, and lack of support from educational programs and professional associations, among others. While experiencing this perfect storm, female professionals assumed a traditional gender role rather than a professional leadership role. In addition, those women who were top leaders in organizations did not necessarily desire leadership nor saw themselves as leaders in the communication field.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concepts of issue legitimacy and organizational legitimacy, providing a new measure of each construct. The scales were developed and tested using data collected through a statewide survey of Alabama residents. Assessments of issue legitimacy were based on perceptions of direct-to-consumer advertising, whereas assessments of organizational legitimacy were based on perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry as a whole. The findings provide evidence that organizational legitimacy can be reliably measured using a five-item scale and issue legitimacy can be reliably measured using a six-item scale. The implications of the results and potential uses of the scales are discussed.

This study investigates the role of leadership in facilitating strategic communication management and effective public relations practice by proposing a set of dimensions measuring corporate communication executives’ perceptions on leadership. A measurement methodology was applied and suggested to facilitate empirical investigation. Data from two groups of senior corporate communicators and public relations executives (N = 384) nationwide were used to assess the validity and reliability of proposed leadership dimensions that contribute to effective communication management. Results from both groups demonstrated strong support for the proposed higher-order measurement model. The analysis suggested that 6 major dimensions (self-dynamics, team collaboration, ethical orientation, relationship building, strategic decision making capability, and communication knowledge management capability) are crucial for communication executives to expand their influence in the institutional context and generate desired comm...

To better understand leadership in public relations and explore its value in successful communication management, this article captured the perceptions of mid- and senior-level public relations executives (N = 222) regarding the important qualities and dimensions of excellent leadership in the practice. According to study participants, strategic decision-making capability, problem-solving ability, and communication knowledge and expertise are the three most important qualities of excellent leadership. In addition, respondents said that on-the-job experiences, individual initiative and desire, and role models are the most valuable sources of leadership skills and development. About half of the respondents indicated that excellent leaders in public relations are different from leaders in other fields in three ways: They must hold a compelling vision for communication, possess comprehensive understanding of media and information systems, and effectively develop and implement strategic communication plans. Pr...

This study investigates viewer recognition of brands placed in films, according to film genre, gender, and previous viewing experience. A sample of 137 moviegoers watched 12 film clips representing three popular genres (action, comedy, and drama) and reported their recognition of brand placements. Results suggest that brand recognition is more common in drama films. Previous viewing experience and gender did not make significant differences in brand recognition. It is suggested that brand placements require more public relations research.

PurposeThis study sets out to understand the extent to which public relations practitioners use dissent tactics in the face of organizational unethical decisions, and to examine how organizational environment facilitates such dissent.Design/methodology/approachA web‐based survey was conducted with the assistance of the research team of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). A systematic random sample of 6,126 practitioners was drawn from the 2008 PRSA membership directory.FindingsThe results reaffirmed that “assertive confrontation” was the most frequently adopted tactic to resist an unethical organizational decision. Practitioners were more likely to confront management in an organization where top leaders do not support or exhibit ethical behavior. When an organization does not have an ethics code, practitioners were more likely to agitate others to oppose the unethical decision. Selective use of information and sabotage tactics were adopted when an organization does not value open communication.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was limited to practitioners in the USA, and the response rate was very low (4.02 percent).Originality/valueAs one of the grounding studies in public relations dissent, this research contributes to better understanding how public relations practitioners make an effort to promote organizational ethics by resisting unethical organizational decisions. The study also sheds light on the characteristics and nature of dissent in public relations, an important but little explored area in the field.

This study investigated the public's perception toward organizational crisis response strategies by using a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subject factorial design with level of responsibility (individual vs. organizational level), organizational response (causal and treatment responsibility), and two countries (the United States vs. South Korea). Students responded to hypothetical news stories. The results showed that students in a highly collectivistic culture had more anger, negative attitudes, and impressions toward the organization than students in a highly individualistic culture, when the organization used the individualistic-level strategy. The results suggest organizations may benefit by using a strategy in which they accept responsibilities for crises.

Pasadeos, Renfro and Hanily (1999) investigated the public relations literature's most-cited works in the 1990s and identified research networks. In the present study we expand that work by examining public relations scholarship ten years later. We identify current authors and their publication outlets, taxonomize most-cited works, and draw a co-citation network. Further, we compare current findings with those of ten years earlier and speculate on the state of public relations as a scholarly discipline.

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the opinions of newsletter editors in the Sierra Club in an effort to understand the roles an editor and newsletter content play in building relationships in an activist setting. There are two goals: to examine editorial decision making in an activist organization; and to examine the role of interpersonal interaction as part of an organizational‐public relationship (OPR).Design/methodology/approachIn‐depth interviews with 14 Sierra Club newsletter editors examined issues related to newsletter content choice, issue frames, sources, and mission.FindingsThe findings illustrate normative practices for grassroots gatekeepers. Editors saw their role as facilitating relationship building and activism among members. This has theoretical implications for OPR theory by suggesting a new facilitative relationship type.Research limitations/implicationsAs all qualitative research, the findings of this study are not generalizable. This study is further limited because it focuses on a single organization and one communication channel.Practical implicationsMost editors suggested that content selection was based on the expertise of the editor or an editorial or executive board. This provides strategic communication opportunities for both the national and the grassroots organization, if the editorial decision making model is identified by strategists.Originality/valueMid‐level gatekeepers, such as newsletter editors, are an important public to study because of their potential impact on key publics. This paper provides both practical and theoretical implications. Practical implications include insights into how some activist gatekeepers make decisions and into information salience.

Responses from 869 public relations practitioners were examined to see how female and male practitioners perceive and enact power-influence in public relations, including perceptions of power-influence, resources, preferred influence tactics, constraints on power, persuasive appeals, and what it means to “do the right thing” in public relations. Male and female practitioners shared similar definitions of power-influence in practice and similar beliefs in the value of personal advocacy and ethical appeals to influence decision making. Practitioners illustrated differences in the value of influence resources, choice of influence tactics, perceptions of constraints on practice, and style and vocabulary of dissent.

This study investigates Russian (n=206) and American (n=204) public relations students’ perceptions of relationships between ethics and public relations practice. The results suggest that, although there are some similarities, students in the two countries view professional public relations ethics and leadership quite differently. Russian participants were more likely than their American counterparts to see obstacles that might hav e prev ented them from ethical conduct. More American than Russian participants reported intentions to confront an unethical decision of superiors.

Interviews were conducted with 97 high-level U.S. communications managers to assess factors related to professional success in public relations. The executives most commonly defined success in managerial and strategic terms and indicated that excellent communication skills and a proactive nature were crucial to success in the field. However, the results suggested that success follows diverse pathways, which appear to be linked by 10 patterns or themes. These include the power of performance, varied experiences, dense networks of relationships, complex communication skill sets, and passion for work and the profession. Some modest gender differences were noted. The study captures perceptions about success among top public relations leaders, a group little represented in the literature on this topic. The research also bears implications for education, practice, and organizations that seek to hire and develop successful communications professionals.

PurposeTo examine how public relations practitioners define influence and where they find influence.Design/methodology/approachDepth interviews with 162 public relations practitioners.FindingsPublic relations professionals defined influence in terms of shaping decisions, having access, and being heard. They said they were most influential in crisis situations and when preparing communication messages or plans. They are least influential in strategic decision making, when they are perceived as technicians, and in interactions with senior executives. The most common influence tactic used by these professionals was rational influence.Practical implicationsThe authors suggest eight tenets regarding influence for public relations practitioners.Originality/valuePractitioners have long noted the need for increased influence across the organization. But, there is little scholarship that examines just how public relations pracitioners should increase their influence and ascent to organizational decision making circles.

Master and sub frames used by the Sierra Club to communicate with its members and the public were identified in Sierra Club chapter newsletters, regional and national newspapers via content analysis to identify the occurrence of message frames and sources. Frames in three areas – drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), coal-fired power plants (CFPP), and sprawl – were analyzed. Sprawl was the most mentioned subject in all three media. Sierra Club themes were found infrequently, suggesting the need to focus frames. But, Sierra Club frames appeared with greater frequency than competing frames. Environmental sources were the majority in the sampled articles, suggesting the opportunity for powerful framing of public opinion, with focused message frames and trained environmental spokespeople at all levels, i.e., national, regional, local. New theoretical ground for public relations scholarship is opened and findings could influence message strategies of activist and corporate or government organizations.

Symmetrical public relations theory acknowledges primacy of the dominant coalition in making organizational decisions and influencing public relations practices but reveals little about this powerful inner circle. Drawing from interviews with 21 public relations executives, this article opens up the dominant coalition and reveals its complex power relationships and a matrix of constraints that undermine and limit the function, rendering it difficult for practitioners to do the "right" thing, even if they want to. If public relations is to better serve society, professionals and academics may need to embrace an activist role and combine advocacy of shared power with activism in the interest of shared power.

Public relations researchers and practitioners acknowledge the importance of chief executive officers (CEOs) to the function and to organizational image, but studies of CEOs in media coverage are rare. This study used content analysis of 4 newspapers during the period from 1990 through 2000 to assess trends in the salience and valence of CEO press coverage and to examine dimensions of CEO images in the coverage. Results suggest increasing salience and a somewhat positive valence in coverage, as well as a sharp focus on competency and personal dimensions of CEO images. The study contributes to a thin literature on the topic by developing a baseline of data about CEOs and press coverage and by assessing implications of the findings for theory and practice.

This study compares public relations models reflected in the Web sites of Korea’s 100 largest companies and 100 randomly selected Fortune 500 companies. The literature suggests that Korean public relations practices and models are more craft oriented, while those of U.S. companies may be more professionally oriented. However, this study of Web site menu items (information, function, activity) found few differences, and many similarities, between public relations models reflected in the Web sites of both groups of companies. Korean Web sites were more interactive and used multimedia approaches far more often than American Web sites, suggesting that new technologies may be spurring development of professional public relations practices in Korea.

This research surveys public relations practitioners at leading corporations to determine what anticipated benefits drive investments in new communication and information technologies. The dominant symmetrical model in the public relations literature highlights efficiency and relationship‐building benefits, but research here incorporates control benefits of new technologies that are under explored—a voiding media gatekeepers, enhancing stakeholder monitoring and surveillance, and capturing more stakeholder data. Results of a survey with practitioners at 107 of the Fortune 500 companies suggest that efficiency benefits are especially important and that control and relationship‐building benefits are more or less equally important considerations. The research contributes to our understanding of control aspects of new technologies and underscores the need for more critical research into ethical concerns associated with such controls.

This study examined how similarly or differently American and Korean public relations practitioners use dissent tactics. The results showed that assertive confrontation was the most frequently adopted tactic among practitioners in both countries. However, Korean practitioners were more likely to work to sabotage implementation of unethical decision, and to leak information to external stakeholders than the US counterparts. This study will shed light on the impact of cultural difference on public relations practitioners’ dissent selection on unethical management decisions.

Most of the active learning literature focuses on approaches in undergraduate courses. However, active learning also can benefit students in public relations and integrated communication courses at the graduate level. This case report describes how three active learning approaches—research and field work, student accountabilities for learning, and student reflection and reflexive exercises—were used in a graduate class project to help a Fortune 50 consumer products company identify and address real-time merger communication issues.

Relationships between economic power and political influence have long been of interest to scholars in several disciplines. Despite an extensive literature and rich theorizing on the topic, however, we still know little about how economic producers attempt public policy influence and the extent to which they may be successful. In this chapter, the authors argue that a communication perspective on the public policy process sheds new light on relationships between business organizations and political influence. Drawing from the political science, agenda-setting, framing, and issues management literatures, three interrelated communication processes that bear heavily on public policy formation are elaborated—issue selection, issue framing, and issue management. The literatures are critically reviewed and then integrated in a series of 36 propositions regarding what we think we know about the communication strategies and tactics business actors employ in the policy process and the conditions in which such appr...

Several years ago in Miami we presented a conference paper regarding the importance of leadership and role modeling. The authors bring the topic to life by grounding it in rich quantitative and qualitative data that were gathered in 2012 in their global study of communication leadership, the largest study of its kind in their field. The authors are interested in leaders at all levels in the function, and the term dispersed leadership captures these idea-leaders can be found at all levels in diverse nations, organizations, professional associations, and groups, and functions. One useful approach to studying the complex topic of leadership is by using metaphor. In the scholarly literature, Parry argued that leadership is fundamentally about sensemaking and that leaders are sensemakers. The global study of leadership in public relations was carried out under the auspices of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama (UA).

This chapter discusses the themes and their implications, and takes a look at future leaders in public relations. It presents implications of the study for practice, education, and future research. The national and cultural comparisons are fraught with problems. If the profession is serious about trying to improve overall leadership in public relations and communication management, then we believe there are some important considerations and steps to take in each of these arenas. University public relations education programs are a growth industry, though program contents and requirements range widely from technical-practical concentrations to theory-heavy orientations. The global study provides a baseline of data regarding leadership dimensions, development needs, key issues and strategies in the field, self-perceptions about a variety of topics, insights about future leaders, and the influences of culture and structure on leaders' roles and responsibilities. The success of global corporations increasingly relies on their ability to transfer competitive communication strategies to local subsidiaries.

This research examines corporate public rhetoric used to describe and justify business restructuring activities in the past decade, during which more than 40 million American jobs were eliminated. The study is grounded in content analysis of 340 Shareholder Letters found within the annual reports of 53 corporations which restructured operations during the period 1989‐1997. The findings suggest that American CEOs use isomorphic restructuring idioms and three common justification themes in public statements. These common idioms, along with the prevalence of restructuring actions by well‐known corporate actors, and incorporation of restructuring responsibilities into the job requirements of employee teams, may contribute to the legitimation of ongoing business restructuring practices and corresponding job losses.

This research examines attempts by the Business Roundtable (BRT) to influence federal policy agendas regarding four private issues (i.e., policy issues not salient on media and public agendas). BRT's information subsidies are studied along with media coverage, public opinion, and policy agenda developments. Results suggest that BRT uses information subsidies to control the scope of issue conflict and that these subsidies influenced the policy agenda for study issues. Corporate influence on private issues may alter the traditional agenda-setting process, and an alternative, elitist model is proposed.

This study conceptualizes organizational public relations as attempts to construct ideological world view. Three aspects of ideological world view—distortion, legitimation, and terrain of struggle—are elaborated and then grounded in a case study of the public relations practices of The Upjohn Company, a pharmaceutical manufacturer and researcher, during the Halcion(R) (sleeping pill) crisis in the 1980s. The case study reveals how such practices helped create a supportive scientific world view for Halcion, which may have contributed to the product's steady growth in sales and profits during the decade, despite intense media scrutiny and criticism and the restrictive actions of health authorities in some countries.