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The Face of Public Relations in Australia An inquiry into academic and practitioner perceptions of practice, power, and professionalism in contemporary Australian public relationsByrne, Katrana Helen, n/a January 2008 (has links)
This dissertation presents research into the public relations field in Australia,
including its background, design, results and recommendations. Research
investigated areas of convergence and divergence of ideas about public relations
practice between Australian practitioners and academics. The project was inspired
by a significant gap in the Australia-specific public relations literature, as there is
limited or no in-depth empirical investigation into notions of meaning, dimensions of
practice, professionalism, organisational power, and education, in the public relations
field in Australia.
While research has been conducted into how those outside the profession view
public relations, few have asked those within the industry (practitioners and
academics) about their understanding of public relations in Australia, nor compared
these findings to locate and analyse spaces of convergence and divergence of
meaning.
Inquiry was facilitated through the administration of two online questionnaires; one
targeted to those identifying as public relations practitioners, and the other for those
who identified as public relations academics. Each questionnaire comprised six
sections, and sought a mixture of in-depth qualitative and quantitative data on the
following areas:
o Meaning, scope and agreement of the term 'public relations'
o The dimensions of public relations
o Perceptions of public relations practice
o Perceptions of public relations scholarship
o Perceptions of public relations education
o Respondent demographics
As non-probability sampling was applied to this study, it is not possible to report a
response rate. That said, a total of 40 academic and 107 practitioner responses
were received and comprise the data set. Administration of the questionnaires
generated a significant amount of both qualitative and quantitative data.
The results were diverse and intriguing, leading to a number of specific
recommendations and suggestions for further research. For example, the study
found that:
o There exists a gap between respondent definitions of the term 'public
relations' and respondent reports of public relations practice;
o Both public relations academics and practitioners underestimate the
professional practice of their practitioner colleagues;
o While most practitioners see academics as adding value to the public
relations field, a considerable proportion do not, yet findings indicate that
academics may not be as out of touch as practitioners imagine;
o Both public relations academics and practitioners conceive notions of
professionalism in the same manner; and
o Both groups identify writing and interpersonal skills as the most valuable skills
for a public relations practitioner to possess, and both groups also prioritise
knowledge of public relations specific theory and principles. Practitioners
also prioritise the need for greater attention to general business practices in
public relations education, while academics determine a need for greater
emphasis of ethical standards and research competence.
This research project closes with a number of direct recommendations and areas for
further inquiry. Among these, it is suggested, for example, that academics become
mindful of underestimating professional practice as doing so may perpetuate
negative images of the field. Rather, academics should be encouraged to seek out
opportunities for collaboration with practitioners. Dialogue between academics and
practitioners can enhance accurate understanding of, not only the dimensions of
practice, but also the value of academia, in the field. Via these, and the other key
lessons and recommendations, the findings and results of this research project have
dramatically furthered efforts to map the landscape of public relations in Australia.
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Developing a framework for public relations practice : a study of the financial services sector in GhanaAnani-Bossman, Albert 06 1900 (has links)
The goal of the study was to develop a framework for public relations practice in the financial services sector. The study was based on four key objectives. In line with the first objective, chapters 2 and 3 reviewed how public relations was conceptualised and practiced by reviewing literature. Three worldviews, the North American, the European and African worldviews, were discussed by looking at their similarities and differences. The literature also reviewed the development of public relations from these three perspectives. Literature revealed that different models influence practices in different cultural settings and that effective PR practice cannot be premised on a single model.
Objectives 2, 3 and 4 empirically analysed the conceptualisation and practice of public relations in terms of the purpose (models) and roles (activities). The study employed the one-on-one interview technique to gauge the views of communication managers in the financial services sector. The result of the study was discussed and analysed in chapter 5. Findings showed that PR was not strategic and mostly had a marketing orientation. Significantly, most of the communication managers had marketing backgrounds, which invariably affected their concept and practice of public relations. Another key finding was that public relations measurement and evaluation was based on outputs and outtakes more than outcomes. Moreover, methods used were mostly unscientific in nature. PR strategies were based on audience satisfaction surveys rather than perception and attitudinal research. Practitioners are not part of the dominant coalition. The findings showed that practitioners faced a number of challenges that compromised the effectiveness of their work, including management’s value and perception of their work, lack of in-depth knowledge about the profession itself, budgetary constraints and inability to sometimes influence decisions because of their position in the organisational structure.
The findings of the study, together with findings in the literature, were used to develop a framework for effective PR practice in the sector. The framework differs in certain aspects from some of the recommendations made by literature for excellent public relations practice. The framework also incorporates recommendations aligning to the reality of public relations practice within the Ghanaian cultural and political environment. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil.(Communication)
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