James E. Grunig, Professor EmeritusDepartment of CommunicationDepartment of Communication

University of MarylandCollege Park Maryland USACollege Park, Maryland, USA

Research IN public relations.Used by practitioners in their work.Used by practitioners in their work.

Research ON public relations.Constructive, critical research by academic scholars C , yon the practice of public relations.

Research FOR public relations.pApplied basic research to develop concepts and tools for the practice of public relations.

Explain and measure the value of theExplain and measure the value of the communication function to organizations and to society (research on public relations)relations). Define the role of public relations in organizational strategy and governance o ga at o a st ategy a d go e a ce(research on public relations).Develop concepts, tools, and measures for communication professionals to use incommunication professionals to use in strategic management (research for public relations.

Public relations participates in strategic decision-making to help manage the behavior f h i iof the organization.

Public relations is a bridging activity to build relationships with stakeholders rather than arelationships with stakeholders rather than a set of messaging activities designed to buffer the organization from stakeholders.

h d lEmphasis is on two-way and symmetrical communication of many kinds to provide publics a voice in management decisions and topublics a voice in management decisions and to facilitate dialogue between management and publics.

By cultivating relationships with strategic stakeholders and publics.

Relationships have value because they:Reduce costs◦ Reduce costs.◦ Increase revenue.◦ Reduce risk◦ Reduce risk.◦ Directly lead to reputation (organizational

behaviors recalled by publics)behaviors recalled by publics).◦ Are intangible assets.

1. Participating in management decision-making to identify consequences that createmaking to identify consequences that create stakeholders.

2 Segmenting stakeholders and publics2. Segmenting stakeholders and publics.3. Using communication to cultivate

relationships with strategic publicsrelationships with strategic publics.4. Influencing management behavior.

Mitigating iss es and crises5. Mitigating issues and crises.6. Measuring the quality of relationships.

Model of Strategic Management of Public Relations

ManagementDecisions

No Consequences

Organizational Rep tation

Consequences Consequences

Reputation Communication Programs

(Relationship Cultivation Strategies)

Relationship Outcomes

Stakeholders

P1 PiP2

Achievement of Organizational Goals

C i

Publics

Crises Behavior of

Publics Creates

Issues

All public relations involves issues management. It is not a specialized function.management. It is not a specialized function.Publics create issues out of consequences.Issues are “managed” by managing dialogueIssues are managed by managing dialogue with publics.

Most crises are caused by management decisions. Crisis planning is more important than the plan that results.Crisis scenarios can help with planning.Surviving the crisis may depend on the g y prelationships already in place.

Th l i hi i i lThe relationship principle.Organizations can withstand both issues and crises

fbetter if they have established good, long-term relationships with publics who are at risk from decisions and behaviors of the organization.decisions and behaviors of the organization.

The accountability principle.y p pOrganizations should accept responsibility for a crisis even if it was not their fault.

The disclosure principleThe disclosure principle. At the time of a crisis, an organization must disclose all that it knows about themust disclose all that it knows about the crisis or problem involved.

The symmetrical communication principle.At the time of a crisis, an organization must consider the public interest to be at least as important as its own interestleast as important as its own interest.

Trust.One party’s level of confidence in andOne party s level of confidence in and willingness to open itself to the other party.(e.g., “Whenever this organization makes an important decision I know it will be concerned about people likedecision, I know it will be concerned about people like me.”)

Mutuality of controlMutuality of control.The degree to which parties agree on who has rightful power to influence one another.(e.g., “The management of this organization gives people like me enough say in the decision-making process.”)

CommitmentThe extent to which each party believes and feels that the relationship is worth spending energy to maintain and promoteand promote.(e.g, “I feel that this organization is trying to maintain a long-term commitment to people like me.”)

Satisfaction.The extent to which each party feels favorably toward h h b b hthe other because positive expectations about the

relationship are reinforced.(e.g., “Both the organization and people like me benefit from the relationship.”)

Symmetrical strategies are most effective e geffective, e.g.,◦ Access.

Di l d◦ Disclosure and openness.◦ Participation in mutual networks.◦ Shared tasks.◦ Involvement of leadership.◦ Continuing dialogue.

Asymmetrical strategies are leastff ieffective, e.g., ◦ Avoidance.◦ Contention.◦ Accommodation.

Most thinking about and measurement of reputationMost thinking about and measurement of reputation reflect a symbolic, interpretive, approach to public relations—that you can “manage” a reputation by managing messagesmanaging messages.Reputations consist of what members of different publics think and say about an organization. p y gReputations held by strategic publics usually consist of recalled behaviors—good and bad.These reputations are a product of relationshipsThese reputations are a product of relationships.Thus, public relations executives should “manage” reputations by counseling management on what the p y g gorganization should do—i.e., on how to behave—and by cultivating relationships with publics.

Environmental scanning.Identifying stakeholders and segmenting publics.Scenario building.Evaluating public relations programs.g gEstablishing an ethical framework for public relations.Empowerment of the public relations function.Institutionalizing public relations as a strategic management function.