As Arnold (2002) and Pritchard et.al. (2004) noted, one of the keys to success in public relations includes mentoring. Mentoring has been used among public relations practitioners to develop knowledge and skills and obtain career counseling. However, little work has been done to quantify the value practitioners ascribed to mentoring relationships.This study used Q methodology to examine feelings and thoughts of some of the top public relations mentors and proteges, attempting to fill that gap and quantify the value public relations professionals placed on mentoring relationships.The sample consisted of 20 public relations practitioners, ten mentors and ten proteges. Each sorted a sample of 48 Q statements containing positive and negative statements on four categories.The findings suggest that most public relations practitioners have quite positive feelings about mentoring; however, gender composition is still an issue in conflict. A mentor's experience, ability, and confidence are considered more when identifying a superior mentor. / Department of Journalism

Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Innovations in computer technologies have provided the ability to access information from all over the world by the stroke of a finger. These technologies have given birth to the growing practice of telecommuting. There is much research available on telecommuting. However, there is a lack of research on this phenomenon in the public relations sector. This study seeks to fill this void by investigating the telecommuting behaviors of public relations professionals and providing a foundation from which further studies can be built. Survey questionnaires were completed by 122 Public Relations Society of America members. The questionnaires contained measures regarding perceived relative advantages of telecommuting, demographic variables, and telecommuting behavior. There were many important findings from the study. Interestingly, telecommuting is in the late majority phase of the diffusion process. It is also gender related. Surprisingly, this study found more men are likely to telecommute than women. Certain variables were found to be associated with telecommuting. Specifically, selfemployed individuals and those with more years in PR were more likely to telecommute. Most of the PR professionals who reported telecommuting did so in an unstructured manner. The main reason reported for telecommuting was to complete their unfinished work from the office. The majority of PR professionals did view telecommuting as valuable. However, here were differences in the perceptions of relative advantages with full- or part-time telecommuting. The advantages of full-time telecommuting only appeared to be attractive to those individuals who presently telecommute. Over two-thirds of the respondents who did not telecommute were found to be interested in telecommuting on a part-time basis. And most PR professionals, whether telecommuter or not, believed telecommuting will become a standard practice in the future.

This research examined at the influence of a public relations professional's personal faith on their professional ethical attitudes. The research question for this study stated: Does a public relations practitioner's religious faith directly influence their ethical practice?A Q-study was completed by forty-five public relations professionals. Data analysis yielded two factors the "God Centered" and the "Profession Driven". The God Centered participants mutually agreed upon statements that placed their faith in a central part of their professional career, and agreed they were accountable to God for their professional career. The second group that emerged were identified as Profession Driven, representing their association with professional based ethics. The respondents in this factor indicated that they strongly agree with the professional provisions suggested in the PRSA Code of Ethics 2000, placing an emphasis on honest counsel, loyalty, and fairness. The second factor viewpoint also strongly agreed that personal goals and values directly influenced their professional ethics.These two factors and the previous literature illustrated the influence of personal standards when making professional ethical decisions. / Department of Journalism

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iii, 43 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-43).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 155 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 08, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-58).

The study of leadership has been ongoing for many years. Although the characteristics of leaders seem to have remained somewhat similar over time, research has changed. Up until recently, researchers have based their research tools on a questionnaire developed by Stogdill in 1955. This study took a different approach, using Q-methodology. The objective of this study was to determine what characteristics top public relations professionals in Indiana believed were necessary to be a leader in the profession and whether education-level, experience-level, and gender played a role in their decisions.A total of 21 professionals volunteered to participate in the study. They were each asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and sort 60 leadership-based statements according to their level of agreement. The program, PQMethod was used to analyze the responses. Based on the outcomes, the respondents fell into one of two categories, Authoritarian Leaders or Democratic Leaders. After reviewing the questionnaires, it was noted that distinct demographic differences existed between the two categories. The analysis from PQMethod also revealed the most important characteristics the respondents felt are necessary to be a leader in the profession, as well as the least important characteristics.This study took a closer look at Indiana public relations professionals who held top positions within their organization. This study applied an attitudinal research approach to leadership-related concepts in the field. Although the results cannot be generalized to all leaders in the public relations industry, it does provide insight to the subject and a starting point for additional research. / Department of Journalism

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 12, 2009) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ball State University, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Sept. 01, 2009). Research paper (M.A.), 3 hrs. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-42).