This study of Indiana hospital public relations professionals investigated factors predicting a person's participation in management decision-making. A telephone survey was conducted of professionals directing public relations activities in Indiana hospitals, yielding 55 usable responses.Each respondent was asked the likelihood he or she would be called on by top hospital management to help solve hospital problems, and the likelihood that his or her advice would be seriously considered when making major decisions about programs or policies. Each of the seven questions was answered using a Likert-type scale, with values assigned from 1.0 (highly unlikely) to 5.0 (highly likely). Values were averaged for a total "influence" score.A stepwise multiple regression measured the relationship between influence scores and eight variables: age, gender, salary, department size, education, manager score, technician score, and use of research and evaluation. Only the manager score, research score, and department size were found to be related to influence. / Department of Journalism

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1961.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1957.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1961.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1957.

The fields of public relations and marketing are experiencing interdisciplinary assimilation, especially in the health care industry and specifically in hospitals. With the recognition of this basic trend many questions have been raised by public relations practitioners, marketers, and health care administrators dealing with present and anticipated functions of these public relations/marketing departments.To survey the status of public relations and marketing in Indiana hospitals the study's research question became: What is the status of the functions of public relations and marketing in Indiana hospitals?A questionnaire was the basic research tool in this study of the status of hospital marketing and public relations. The questionnaire included three sections: 1) hospital demographics; 2) identification of public relations and marketing functions performed; and 3) professional staff demographics. This study's universe was defined as healthcare marketing/public relations professionals in the State of Indiana and therefore drew its sample from the Indiana Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing membership list, 1993.The researcher's survey findings led her to the conclusion that because marketing is such a new and powerful force in Indiana's hospital industry, it is swiftly integrating its functions into traditional hospital public relations programs and even rising to a position of primacy over traditional public relations programs. / Department of Journalism

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the Masters Degree of Technology (Public Relations Management), Department of Public Relations Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / In South Africa, the media coverage and the general perceptions of the public about public hospitals have been pervasively negative and this has resulted in the overshadowing of the good work being done in hospitals. In an effort to overcome these negative perceptions, the Kwazulu-Natal Department of Health has introduced the practice of public relations in public hospitals since 2001. This effort is in line with the National Health Act 2004 (Act No 61 of 2003). The act is described by the Health Systems Trust to rest heavily on the Constitution which, amongst other things, requires the State to take reasonable legislative and other measures to progressively achieve the right of access to health care services, and reproductive health care, within its available resources. The rationale behind the introduction of public relations was that, by managing and influencing the public’s perceptions, public relations professionals in public hospitals would initiate a sequence of behaviours that would contribute towards the achievement of the hospitals’ objectives. However, are relevant stakeholders aware of the presence, the role and the functions of public relations in public hospitals? Based on the above, this study seeks to evaluate public relations practices within selected public hospitals in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The study is qualitative, cross-sectional and descriptive in nature. Data will be collected through observation, questionnaires and interviews. The findings revealed that a lot more needs to be done by both the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal and hospital CEOs in order to benefit greatly from the practice of public relations in public hospitals as public relations practitioners are under-utilized. Issues of budget constraints, lack of public relations understanding by hospital CEOs are some of the factors impacting negatively the function of public relations in hospitals. It is more of a technical role that public relations practitioners play in public hospitals. This study came to the realisation that not enough attention is given to the practice of public relations in public hospitals. One of the major recommendations is that public relations practitioners should participate in the strategic management processes and be part of the planning process and they should use public relations strategies to build harmony between the hospital and all its external and internal publics. For public hospitals to realise the need and value from the function of public relations, they have to appreciate that the practice of public relations has grown over the years and they have to employ effective public relations practitioners in order to accomplish their goals.

Text in English / The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of community members regarding their participation in hospital boards in Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, North West Province. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive research was conducted on a purposively selected sample of community members who served in the board for a minimum period of two years. Data were collected by means of individual interviews and analysed by means of thematic data analysis. Three themes that emerged from data analysis were creation of opportunities, benefits and challenges. A mix of positive and negative experiences was expressed by community representatives regarding their participation in hospital boards. Participants described their experiences as enjoyable and empowering while others described it as a learning experience through which they acquired knowledge and new skills. The challenges experienced whilst serving in hospital boards included ineffective communication, poor relations and role conflict as a result of lack of role clarification. The findings from the study may be used to enhance the effectiveness of hospital governing boards through the participation of community members. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Text in English / The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of community members regarding their participation in hospital boards in Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, North West Province. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive research was conducted on a purposively selected sample of community members who served in the board for a minimum period of two years. Data were collected by means of individual interviews and analysed by means of thematic data analysis. Three themes that emerged from data analysis were creation of opportunities, benefits and challenges. A mix of positive and negative experiences was expressed by community representatives regarding their participation in hospital boards. Participants described their experiences as enjoyable and empowering while others described it as a learning experience through which they acquired knowledge and new skills. The challenges experienced whilst serving in hospital boards included ineffective communication, poor relations and role conflict as a result of lack of role clarification. The findings from the study may be used to enhance the effectiveness of hospital governing boards through the participation of community members. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)