A Comparative Analysis of International Public Relations Practices, Phase Two: Interpretations of Differences and Similarities between Professionalization in Austria, Norway, and the U.S.

A study examined the similarities and differences which exist in the professionalization of public relations in Austria, Norway, and the United States. Subjects, 136 of 188 members of the Public Relations Verband Austria, 150 of 300 members of the Informasjonsforeningen (Norway), and 272 of 500 members of the Public Relations Society of America, completed questionnaires. Differences and similarities were isolated by examining concepts of the ideal job, the actual job, public relations development, and public relations role. Cultural values, educational systems, and history were used to explain the differences and similarities. Results indicated that: (1) practitioners in all three countries evidenced similarities in the autonomy dimension of the ideal job but differences on the prestige dimension; (2) practitioners differed on the autonomy dimension of the actual job; (3) even though it was anticipated that American public relations practitioners would have the strongest public relations development scores, there were strong reasons why Austrian practitioners actually scored higher than those in America; (4) public relations history fails to account (but education can) for Austria having the highest percentage of managers. Findings provide a starting point for identifying which elements of public relations practice should be standardized and which should be customized. The finding of a shared view of autonomy in the ideal job held by all practitioners suggest that public relations has made progress toward developing a professional attitude. (Three tables of data are included.) (RS)