This dissertation looks at U.S. public diplomacy practices in a country that until twenty years ago was controlled by a hard-line Communist regime: Romania. The study investigates the relationship management approach to public diplomacy employed by U.S. diplomats in Romania and it is the first to empirically test the application of relationship management theory of public relations to public diplomacy. Through in-depth interviews with six former U.S. diplomats who served in Romania during 2001-2009, we learn how diplomats must find various ways to build and maintain relationships with the civil society to which they are assigned. The findings reveal that U.S. diplomats’ main role in Romania was to engage in direct relationships with members of the civil society and facilitate bilateral relationships between members of the two countries. In addition, this study found a new role of diplomats abroad, that of building communities of like-minded people in the society in which they operate. This study expands the theoretical framework in public diplomacy by proposing two new models for public diplomacy practice. First, under the relational paradigm, this study establishes the goal of public diplomacy as the management of long-lasting relationships between members of two countries, with the aim to create hubs of networks in the countries of interest. Under the relational paradigm, the newly proposed model for the relationship management process provides an in-depth understanding of how U.S. diplomats engage with members of the Romanian civil society in order to accomplish the public diplomacy goal. Second, to better understand the uniqueness of the relationship management process between any two countries in the world, this dissertation proposes a framework of public diplomacy built on seven relational dimensions identified here as image, reputation, trust, credibility, communication, dialogue, and relationships. Testing the relationships management theory in public diplomacy is an important undertaking, which could broaden the scope of public diplomacy and can provide a framework for a comparative line of research between public diplomacy and public relations.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Xiaochen Zhang / This study examined crisis communication on social media applying relationship management theory. There are few credibility checks on social media platforms, and some say publics no longer believe messages through this type of media (Domonoske, 2016; Ho, 2012). However, many people get news from social media platforms and trust the information they read (Turcotte, York, Irving, Scholl, & Pingree, 2015). Crisis theories suggest strong relationships are less affected by crisis situations, and relationships are heavily based on trust (Broom, Casey, & Ritchey, 1997; Coombs, 2000; Coombs & Holladay, 2006; Ledingham, 2003). Through a survey, this study found a statistically significant positive relationship between perceived organization-public relationship, trust and, credibility in crisis communication on social media within the Millennial and Generation Z groups. These generations are the most active on social media, and this study challenged the claim that they do not believe information online (Richards, 2017; Statista, 2016).

This thesis presents a public relations perspective of the sharing economy by exploring how three prominent sharing economy companies, Airbnb, Uber and TaskRabbit, communicate to form a relationship with key stakeholders, including customers and service providers. Employing a qualitative, thematic analysis, this study analyzed each company's website communication and found the relationship qualities of social trust, safety and support to be prominent elements of relationships communicated by each company. Serving as one of the only public relations studies to address the sharing economy, this thesis extends relationship management theory's application to a new socioeconomic movement and situates current sharing economy research in a new context of public relations. This study provides important communication insights for organizations in the sharing economy that rely on strong organization-public relationships in order to be successful, and it unites public relations and sharing economy research. / Master of Arts / This thesis provides the academic discipline of public relations with a new context for understanding the way organizations communicate relationships with the general public and their customers or independent workers (gig workers) in a new environment called the sharing economy. The sharing economy has dramatically altered the way people consume products and services, as it allows people to temporarily share goods and services with strangers through an online platform. The study analyzes three prominent sharing economy companies, Airbnb, Uber and TaskRabbit, using a qualitative method to explore this new, peer-to-peer business model. Through analyzing each company's website communication, the study revealed that companies in the sharing economy communicate the relationship qualities of social trust, safety and support with the public.

Universities and colleges in the U.S. are constantly mentioned in lists such as The Princeton Review's Top Party School list or similar rankings that can potentially impact the institution, as well as local news coverage regarding the institution's ranking and the drinking and partying habits of its student body. This study explores media coverage of party schools through a lens of framing and relationship management theories. Through a quantitative content analysis of news frames used in local news coverage of universities or colleges with noted "party school" reputations in the 2016 to 2017 academic school year, as well as frames represented in the official university responses, this study uncovers how universities with these noted reputations are framed by the local news media. In addition, the study explores the ways in which university responses to media coverage impact the potentially mutually-beneficial relationship between higher education institutions and its stakeholders, as it is a primary function of public relations (Kim et al., 2007). In order to examine the predominant frames used by local news media in college towns and "party school" university responses, frames of negative emotional appeal, morality, human interest and harm reduction were explored to determine their salience in written messages found in news headlines and university responses. The results of this study provide explanations to a phenomenon that largely impacts the reputation of a higher education institution in the U.S., as well as implications for the management of relationships between the media and universities. / Master of Arts / Universities and colleges in the U.S. are constantly mentioned in lists such as The Princeton Review’s Top Party School list or similar rankings that can potentially impact the institution, as well as local news coverage regarding the institution’s ranking and the drinking and partying habits of its student body. This study explores media coverage of party schools, pertaining to how they are portrayed in the media as well as how they manage relationships with stakeholders. This study analyzes news frames used in local news coverage of universities or colleges with noted “party school” reputations in the 2016 to 2017 academic school year, as well as frames represented in the official university responses, to uncover how universities with these noted reputations are portrayed by the local news media. In addition, the study explores the ways in which university responses to media coverage impact the potentially mutually-beneficial relationship between higher education institutions and its stakeholders, as it is a primary function of public relations (Kim et al., 2007). Frames were explored to determine their prevalence in messages found in news headlines and university responses. The results of this study provide explanations to a phenomenon that largely impacts the reputation of a higher education institution in the U.S., as well as implications for the management of relationships between the media and universities.

Despite a growing amount of research on social media, little research has been conducted to investigate why consumers connect with brands on Facebook. As companies continue to expand their presence to the social networking website, a gap in research on social media has formed. This study focuses on consumer's connection with a brand on Facebook. To do this, this research focuses on the connection of consumers with Oreo on the website to identify the environment created that engages those who connect with the brand online. Oreo was selected as the focus of the research due to its popularity on Facebook as well as the steady engagement that occurs on its page. Utilizing a phenomenological method, this qualitative study features 12 interviews in which current Oreo fans on Facebook discussed their experience and motivations for connecting with the brand. The interview questions were designed to investigate whether the tenets of relationship management theory and Ledingham's (2003) five dimensions of organization-public relationships (trust, openness, investment, involvement, and commitment) aligned with interaction on Facebook. Overall, the responses of the participants identified a connection between organization-public relationships and engagement on social media.

Inom de flesta industrier är konkurrensen hård, byggindustrin är inget undantag. Ett sätt att stå sig stark på marknaden är att finna andra konkurrensmedel än de traditionella: pris och kvalitet. Detta examensarbete syftar att undersöka eftermarknadens betydelse för entreprenadbolag och fastighetsägare. Examensarbetet är skrivet tillsammans med byggentreprenören Zengun vars avsikt är att förbättra sin hantering av eftermarknaden. Med hjälp av Zenguns beställare har studien genomförts explorativt med fokus på relationen mellan entreprenören och fastighetsägaren under tiden efter ett byggprojekts färdigställande. Intervjuer har genomförts med representanter från Stockholms fyra större fastighetsägare och representanter från två byggentreprenörer. Studien tar avstamp i teorier om servicemarknadsföring, kund-leverantörsrelationer och organisationsteori för att på ett akademiskt sätt analyseras och diskuteras genom empiriska data.  Studien visar att eftermarknaden inom byggbranschen inte fungerar på ett tillfredställande och effektivt sätt. Det synsättet delas av representanter från både fastighetsägare och entreprenadbolag. Byggentreprenörer lägger ned lite tid och energi på eftermarknaden trots att det är eftermarknaden som utgör majoriteten av en byggnads livslängd. En anledning till det är svårigheterna för entreprenörer att se lönsamhet i investeringar på eftermarknaden. Eftermarknadsrelaterade arbeten uppfattas ske på bekostnad av produktionen av nya projekt, där produktionens framdrift prioriteras. För att lyckas på eftermarknaden är det viktigt att förstå vilka långsiktiga fördelar den kan ge. Med en separat organisation för eftermarknaden tar entreprenören bort intressekonflikten mellan produktion i projekt och eftermarknadsrelaterade arbeten. Den separata eftermarknadsorganisationen skapar förutsättningar för andra enheter hos entreprenadbolag att bli mer lönsamma. Dessutom uppstår en möjlighet att stärka relationen till fastighetsägaren och dess förvaltning vilket kan generera nya uppdrag. För att eftermarknadsorganisationen ska fungera krävs det att vissa faktorer, förutsättningar och risker tas i beaktande. Om hänsyn tas till detta och företag kan ändra sitt synsätt och organisation kring eftermarknaden kan den göras mer effektiv och värdeskapande för både byggentreprenadbolag och fastighetsägare. / In most industries, competition is hard, the construction industry is no exception. One way of standing strong in the market is finding other means of competition than the traditional: price and quality. This master thesis aims at investigating the importance of the aftermarket for contractors and property owners. The thesis is written together with the construction company Zengun, whose intention is to improve its management of the aftermarket. The study has been conducted exploratively with focus on the relationship between the contractor and the property owner in the time after completion of a building project. Interviews have been conducted with representatives from four of Stockholm's major commercial property owners and representatives from two construction companies. The thesis starts with theories of service marketing, relationship management theory and organizational theory which are subsequently analyzed and discussed. The study shows that the aftermarket in the construction industry does not work satisfactorily and efficiently. This view is shared by representatives from both property owners and construction companies. The contractor does not spend a lot of time and energy on the aftermarket, even though it is the aftermarket that constitutes the majority of a building's technical service life. One reason for this is the difficulty for the contractor to see the profitability in aftermarket investments. Aftermarket-related work take place at the expense of the production of new projects, where new production is prioritized. To succeed in the aftermarket, it is important to understand what long-term benefits it can provide. With a separate aftermarket organization, the contractor eliminates the conflict of interest between production in projects and aftermarket-related jobs. The separate aftermarket organization creates the conditions for other units of construction companies to become more profitable. In addition, there is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship with the property owner and its facility management unit which can generate new projects. In order for the aftermarket organization to work, it requires that certain factors, conditions and risks be taken into account. If this is considered and the contractor can change their approach and organization in the aftermarket, it can be made more effective and adding value for both construction companies and property owners.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / William Adams / This is an exploratory study on the existing transition efforts of the Kansas State University Graduate School for master’s degree students. There are a variety of graduate students at Kansas State University with many different graduate program experiences. This study identifies the current status of incoming master’s degree students outreach and details experiences of transitioning graduate students to make suggestions on future strategies. It is vital to identify if, and which, programs are catering to the different needs of these students during their socialization into their graduate program. The study has three main objectives: (1) determine the level of personal contact and emphasis on relationship-building during a master’s degree student’s transition, (2) identify the general efforts and practices of specific master’s degree programs and the Kansas State University Graduate School, and (3) to document the needs of students as they transition into graduate school at Kansas State University. The research was conducted through use of confidential one-on-one in-depth interviews with nine Kansas State University graduate program directors and two Graduate School administrators. Ten newly admitted to the Kansas State University graduate program in the spring of 2013 were interviewed. The qualitative approach to this study enabled the researcher to get detailed testimonials and experience-based knowledge from all of these key stakeholders. Overall, the study revealed that graduate students value face-to-face and personal interaction and showed that student-to-student contact is a preferred component to a successful socialization of graduate students. The needs of transitioning graduate students included assistance with course scheduling, assistantship responsibilities, advisor selection, and an overall understanding that graduate school is different from undergraduate school. Future graduate program strategies that would assist in the successful socialization of graduate students include: orientations, meeting with graduate program directors, social and networking opportunities, and workshops. Involvement in student organizations and utilization of on-campus resources are also a part of most of the graduate programs, and graduate school transition outreach. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher offers suggestions to the Graduate School, graduate programs, and incoming students in order to help enhance the transition experience of master’s degree students into graduate school at Kansas State University.

xviii, 197 p. / Whistleblowing has been a topic of media interest since the Vietnam War, and it continues to resonate strongly with the public. Several well-publicized whistleblowers have done much more than catch the attention of the world media. They arguably have changed the world. Whistleblowing refers to the reporting of illegal, wasteful, or unethical activities (i.e., wrongdoing) by current and former employees of an organization. Triggered by several highly publicized corporate financial failures, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires publicly traded companies to provide an anonymous channel for employees to report financial wrongdoing and provides protection for those who do. Using resource dependence perspective and relationship management theory, this study uses e-mail to distribute an online survey to top-ranking public relations executives in the Fortune 1000 corporations to identify what role public relations executives have played in developing and publicizing anonymous whistleblowing channels, their knowledge of wrongdoing in their own organizations and elsewhere, their attitudes and actions related to the wrongdoing, the consequences of their actions, and their relationships with their organizations. The study finds that only one-fifth of respondents helped develop the required anonymous communication channel, but two-thirds helped publicize it; almost one-half of respondents are aware of wrongdoing in their corporations or in other organizations, and two-thirds of those report such activities; those who report wrongdoing do so through internal channels within the corporation, with one exception; few who report wrongdoing suffer retaliation; and the vast majority enjoy positive relationships with their organizations. However, a small number of respondents experienced retaliation, and the research points to a broader exploration of this topic among public relations personnel within Fortune 1000 corporations to determine to what extent status, relationships, and benefits such as the "golden handcuffs" influence whistleblowing. Future research on whistleblowing and ethics in public relations is warranted. / Committee in charge: Dr. Patricia A. Curtin, Co-Chairperson; Dr. H. Leslie Steeves, Co-Chairperson; Dr. James K. Van Leuven, Member; Dr. Michael Russo, Member; Dr. Anne Parmigiani, Outside Member

After facing the economic recession, the South–African and global business sectors started revaluating their human capital and the positions they represent within an organisation. Each individual now had to prove that they contributed towards the organisation’s bottom line, as each and every cent had to be counted and accounted for. Some functions within organisations could easily prove their contribution towards the bottom line by providing production or sales outputs. The public relations practitioners and the corporate communication efforts they offered, however, faced a bleak future, as their contribution towards the tangible assets was very rarely recognised (Kim, 2000:276). The financial services sector however, in which an advisor’s contribution towards the organisational bottom line is easily quantified, started to acknowledge the need for this sector to improve upon its ‘softer’ intangible assets such as client communication and client relationships. The sector believes that communication establishes relationships, and sound client relationships is the only way to sell financial products and services, as people seldom entrust their life earnings or financial dreams to strangers (Christiansen & DeVaney, 1998:7). Public relations practitioners know how to use communication optimally in the quest for building client relationships, and financial services need those skills in order to sell their products and contribute towards the bottom line. These two functions could thus work together towards the achievement of their goals - public relations to prove their bottom line contribution, and the financial services sector towards improving client relationships. These statements led to the general Research Question of this study: “What is the nature of the relationship between (i) corporate communication efforts, (ii) client communication satisfaction and (iii) client relationship satisfaction, and these concepts’ relationship to (iv) client economic contribution, within a financial services organisation?” This Research Question is answered from the systems theory as meta–theory with the support of the strategic communication, excellence and relationship management theories, and Futurum Financial Group (FFG) services as the financial services organisation for this study. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was followed to establish the constructs, and the relationships between the constructs. The Financial Advisors and public relations practitioner in FFG have a good understanding of the need for strategic communication efforts, and a relationship between their efforts and the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction could therefore be indicated. A further relationship between the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction and the client economic contribution was also established. Recommendations to improve the situation within FFG included a better focus on database administration, corporate communication consistency, Financial Advisor diligence, and providing clients with more frequent updates regarding their financial situation. The greatest strengths were client–advisor trust and corporate communication professionalism. This study thus contributes to the argument that communication efforts add tangibly, by means of client economic contribution, to the organisation’s bottom line, within the financial services industry. The study furthermore provides some recommendations for the financial services industry to improve their communication skills in order to build client relationships. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

After facing the economic recession, the South–African and global business sectors started revaluating their human capital and the positions they represent within an organisation. Each individual now had to prove that they contributed towards the organisation’s bottom line, as each and every cent had to be counted and accounted for. Some functions within organisations could easily prove their contribution towards the bottom line by providing production or sales outputs. The public relations practitioners and the corporate communication efforts they offered, however, faced a bleak future, as their contribution towards the tangible assets was very rarely recognised (Kim, 2000:276). The financial services sector however, in which an advisor’s contribution towards the organisational bottom line is easily quantified, started to acknowledge the need for this sector to improve upon its ‘softer’ intangible assets such as client communication and client relationships. The sector believes that communication establishes relationships, and sound client relationships is the only way to sell financial products and services, as people seldom entrust their life earnings or financial dreams to strangers (Christiansen & DeVaney, 1998:7). Public relations practitioners know how to use communication optimally in the quest for building client relationships, and financial services need those skills in order to sell their products and contribute towards the bottom line. These two functions could thus work together towards the achievement of their goals - public relations to prove their bottom line contribution, and the financial services sector towards improving client relationships. These statements led to the general Research Question of this study: “What is the nature of the relationship between (i) corporate communication efforts, (ii) client communication satisfaction and (iii) client relationship satisfaction, and these concepts’ relationship to (iv) client economic contribution, within a financial services organisation?” This Research Question is answered from the systems theory as meta–theory with the support of the strategic communication, excellence and relationship management theories, and Futurum Financial Group (FFG) services as the financial services organisation for this study. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was followed to establish the constructs, and the relationships between the constructs. The Financial Advisors and public relations practitioner in FFG have a good understanding of the need for strategic communication efforts, and a relationship between their efforts and the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction could therefore be indicated. A further relationship between the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction and the client economic contribution was also established. Recommendations to improve the situation within FFG included a better focus on database administration, corporate communication consistency, Financial Advisor diligence, and providing clients with more frequent updates regarding their financial situation. The greatest strengths were client–advisor trust and corporate communication professionalism. This study thus contributes to the argument that communication efforts add tangibly, by means of client economic contribution, to the organisation’s bottom line, within the financial services industry. The study furthermore provides some recommendations for the financial services industry to improve their communication skills in order to build client relationships. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.