Managing intractability: Wrestling with wicked problems and seeing beyond consensus in public relations.

Managing perceived intractable problems—seemingly irrevocable, difficult-to-solve, often values-driven conflicts—is a regular occurrence for public relations practitioners. Yet, understanding and managing such problems is often outside of the bounds of public relations theories aimed primarily at building consensus. This paper builds on existing conflict-centered literature by carving out a place for dissensus-oriented or agonistic public relations theories and practices. Through interviews with 41 public relations practitioners facing perceived intractable scenarios and the integration of dissensual and agonistic perspectives of Lyotard (1984), Rancière (2010), and others, the paper provides evidence of these approaches in everyday practice. Finally, it offers a framework for social issue engagement that orients agonistic and dissensus-minded professional practices alongside consensus approaches. • The study builds theory around managing contentious issues in public relations. • The research proposes a new framework for social issue engagement, integrating dissensus, agonism, and contingency theory. • The project connects conflict and postmodernism with practitioner input to provide guidance for intractable situations. • Methodologically, the qualitative study utilizes 41 in-depth practitioner interviews to ground findings in professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]