This study explored the effect of public relations message strategies on beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions of individuals regarding boater safety. An experiment was conducted using seven safety messages. Specifically, Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1975) theory of reasoned action and J.E. Grunig’s (1997) situational theory of publics were used to examine the communication effects of message strategies proposed by Hazleton and Long’s (1988) public relations process model. The findings of this study support the predictions of the theory of reasoned action—that salient beliefs predict attitude toward behavior and attitude toward behavior and subjective norm predict behavioral intent. Of the three attitude items measured— attitude toward message, attitude toward issue, and attitude toward organization—salient beliefs had the greatest effect on the attitude toward issue measure. Subjective norm was shown to be the stronger predictor of the three attitude items. In addition, support was found for the predictions of the situational theory of publics. The independent variables—problem recognition, constraint recognition, and level of involvement—were found to predict information seeking behaviors. However, the use of public relations message strategies in boater safety communication produced minimal effects on the same variables. It was determined that the power strategies, threat and punishment and promise and reward, would be most effective when communicating to a passive public such as the sample tested in this study. This study is significant to public relations literature because it examined how active boaters and non-boaters perceive safety messages. There appeared to be no research on the use of safe boating messages. Thus, there was no research on how public relations messages about boater safety affect boaters’ attitudes, awareness, and behavioral intentions prior to the implementation of this study. Determining effective boater safety messages will help to reduce boater accidents, injuries, and fatalities in years to come (U.S. Coast Guard, 2009), making this study both necessary and original.

Utilizing communication and activist organization perspectives, this empirical study examined activist message strategies and how they influence variables related to the receiver of activist communication. Specifically, J.E. Grunig's (1997) situational theory of publics and Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) theory of reasoned action were used to explain the communication effects of the seven activist message strategies developed from Hazleton and Long's (1988) public relations process model. The findings of this study support the premise of situational theory of publics and contribute to the extension of the theory through the inclusion of goal compatibility as a predictor of information seeking behavior and the use of alternative items to operationalize information seeking behavior, such as visiting a Web site. Only partial support was found for the predictions of the theory of reasoned action. Attitude toward behavior was not found to have a significant influence on behavioral intent. However, the importance of subjective norm to the prediction of behavioral intent was reiterated. Also, the proposition that message strategies influence behavioral intent via their influence on attitude toward strategy was supported. Finally, results of this study partially supported the hypothesis that receiver variables are influenced by activist message strategies. Problem recognition, goal compatibility, attitude toward strategy, and attitude toward behavior were found to be affected by activist message strategies. Problem recognition was influenced most by the persuasive strategy, goal compatibility was most influenced by the threat and punishment strategy, and attitude toward strategy and attitude toward behavior were both influenced most by the cooperative problem-solving strategy. Overall, the results of this research suggest that, of the seven activist message strategies, activist organizations will be most successful using persuasive and coercive strategies. This important finding offers a recommendation to activist organizations regarding the most effective strategy to use in message development.

In September 2008, the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted that Hurricane Ike would make landfall on Galveston Island as a strong category three storm. This led the NWS to release a statement of 'certain death' if people did not adhere to the emergency evacuation messages. Millions of people fled the Texas coast. Using Hazleton and Long's (1993) taxonomy of public relations strategies, experimental methods were conducted with various evacuation messages to test emergency communication. Grunig's (1997) situational theory of publics was used to determine strategy influence. Problem recognition, constraint recognition, and level of involvement were tested. In addition, tests were conducted to measure source expertise, trust, and attitude depending on the message source. Results indicated that a national message source produced higher constraint recognition than a local message source. The national message source produced higher expertise, trust, and attitude then a local message source. The threat and punishment strategy produced the highest level of information-seeking behavior. Information-seeking behavior was the lowest when a persuasive strategy was used. Constraint recognition produced the weakest effect on information-seeking behavior. In conclusion, emergency management communicators must use the correct message strategy to have an effect on information-seeking behavior.