This thesis adds conceptual and practical value to the field of public affairs (PA). It connects scholarship from the fields of competencies, careers and knowledge, with the theory and practice of PA. The review of literature clearly demonstrated that a gap existed. This then provided a basis for a mixed methods study that enabled the creation of a model of contemporary UK PA practice; a PA knowledge architecture that supports practice; a conceptual PA competency typology on which a competency framework can be built; and an illustrative PA competency framework that reflects a twenty-first century profession. The study was guided by a critical realist worldview that suggests reality is complex and to understand any phenomena a broad a set of research instruments is necessary. The study, therefore, integrated qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative study consisted of 31 interviews with PA practitioners and those involved in policy making that allowed the gathering of rich data mirroring the complexity of work and policy construction. A survey of 50 practitioners also informed the study by helping to illuminate relationships and added greater depth. The research also integrated content analysis by reflecting on four competency frameworks against best practice scholarship to provide practical insights. Findings suggest an evolving field that combines both cohesion and diversity that can be integrated into an embryonic professional identity that reflects a broad set of agreed competencies and knowledge. This is shaped by postmodernist trends in identity and knowledge construction rather than that which mirrors the traditional concept of what defines a profession. Limitations relate to its scope: a UK focus. Further studies in different cultural and political settings need to be encouraged and perhaps longitudinal studies developed to look at the longer-term impact of whether a competency approach can lead to improved performance.

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No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-124). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-124). Also available on the Internet.

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on October 6, 2009). Thesis advisor: Maria Len-Ríos. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis deals with the use of social media in marketing and corporate communication. The theoretical part focuses on the reasons why users use social media and why they are connecting with brands and presents the most important social media platforms on the Czech market and their marketing potential. The practical part is focused on the analysis of the use of social media by Czech beer brands using analytical tool Socialbakers Analytics. Following is a comparison of corporate communication of a major world brewing company. The final part of the thesis evaluates a conducted online survey focused on the use of social media by Czech users and their approach to the possibility of encountering the corporate communication of Plzeňský Prazdroj on social media platforms. The conclusion contains recommendations on channels and topics used in corporate communications on social media channels of this Czech brewing company.

Digital communication tools and practices improve the spread and impact of organisational messages. Quite often, however, they also pose moral problems. This article examines how often public relations practitioners encounter moral issues in their day-to-day work, how they assess digital communication tools and practices in terms of ethics, and the resources on which they rely to tackle moral challenges. Four research questions were addressed in an online survey among 2,324 practitioners who work in PR departments of organisations or in PR agencies across Europe. Results show that PR practitioners face more moral challenges in their daily work than they have faced in the past. Regarding digital communication tools and practices, they report moral concerns especially related to using bots, exploiting personal data for big-data analyses, paying social media influencers, and using sponsored content. Personal values and beliefs are the most important resource for dealing with moral issues—whether because only a minority of practitioners has participated in any formal ethics training within the past three years, or because existing ethical guidelines are outdated. Results call for the development of ethical guidelines that can provide explicit advice in the area of digital communication. Furthermore, structured training programs and ethics courses in graduate programs are needed to enhance practitioners’ ethical knowledge.