Strategic Public Relations Essay: Planning And Managing

Methodology

Discuss about the Strategic Public Relations Management for Planning and Managing.

The evaluation of Public Relations Management is the central concern of this specific study. Public relations management is an essential function of an organization that helps to establish as well as maintain mutual beneficial relationship between the organization and the publics (Bowen & Martin, 2010). The prime reason of choosing this particular topic is that it is one of the most complex organizational practice on which the success or failure a business majorly depend. The aim of the study is to analyse the importance of public relation management in a business. The study brings out the ways through which excellent public relations can be established. Specific methods and techniques are incorporated in order to analyse this particular topic. The structure of the document is illustrated in the below section that helps to create a mind map of the entire study.

Table 1: Structure of the Study

(Source: Created by author)

The study pursues some specific methods and technologies in order to obtain its objectives. However, Documentary research process is the prime method that has been pursued in this study.

Documentary research is the process of gathering data and information from the researches that are previously done by others (Grunig, 2013).  In order to be more precise, the study here considers academic journals, books and relevant websites. These secondary sources help to enhance the accuracy of the present research and bring out own viewpoints on the basis of gathered data and information. Through studying several documents, the required context has been focused by contributing low cost. The reason behind choosing documentary research is the time and budget constraints that restrict the research to some extent. The limitation of the study would be manifested at the end of the study.

This particular section of the study analyse the collected information in a depth manner. More specifically, it defines the concept of excellent public relations and its importance in the organizations. Along with that, it identifies the essential factors which are contributed to excellent public relations. Besides, it emphasizes on the guidelines which can be used in order to staff the public relations or communication department of an organization effectively. Moreover, the discussions of conducting strategic public relations take place in this section.

As per the discussion of (Dozier, Grunig & Grunig, 2013), the organizations are concerned more about their public relations management and thus sometimes they hire public relations professionals. In this context, it is important to mention that sometimes one public relation professional engage in one single organization. On the other way, some professionals work for public relation firms that work with a number of companies simultaneously. Besides the businesses, they work for non-profit charities, health care centres, government agencies, trade association and many more. In supporting the discussion, Austin & Pinkleton (2015) stated that the managers tend to construct a positive image about their business among the people outside their organizations. Black (2013) argued that in public relation management, they do not consider only the people of outside their business. It is also mentioned that the publics of an organization include employees, customers, dealers, suppliers, media and the general public as well.

Results and Discussion

Culbertson & Chen (2013) discussed about ‘Excellence Theory’ of Public Relation Management in order to establish a clear concept about the topic. It is mentioned that the theory elaborates how the organizations are benefitted more by strengthening their public relations. The theory defines that a good relationship with public helps the organizations to develop as well as acquire their desired goals. Further, the organizations are able to reduce the cost of advertisements. It is because when the organizations successfully build trust with the publics, publics become loyal towards their business. Furthermore, the theory explains that better public relation management system help to know their public better. Thus, the managers are able to enhance their service quality by valuing their needs and increase their revenue by fulfilling the demand of the customers. In this context, Toth (2013) added that the managers should incorporate symmetrical communication programs in order to build long term public relations. It is also mentioned that it is a long term goal that the managers should monitor effectively.

On the other way, Gandy (2013) opined that excellence public relation management can be characterized into four major categories. Firstly, the excellence theory leads the business to concentrate on empowering their public relation functions. Carroll & Buchholtz (2014) argued that empowerment of public relation is one of the most critical management functions that need effective strategies to deal with. Secondly, the communicators play an effective role in strengthening the public relations. Gandy (2013) stated that the executives of the public relation management system play the managerial and administrative role in business. They are the key people who manage the entire stakeholder team and relation between them majorly depends on their management policies. Thirdly, public relation is categorized under the communication function of an organization. In this context, Carroll & Buchholtz (2014) argued that the managers should separate the public relation process from other management functions. Lastly, the management body of an organization should incorporate effective public relation models. This category concentrates on both the internal and external communication. Along with that, the relation between the public and the managers is built on the basis of two-way symmetrical model (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2014).

According to Shani & Chalasani (2013), organizational structure has an impact on the public relation and communication process. This is because communication majorly depends on the flow of information and reporting structure. It has been found that in a number of organizations the managers monitor their team in the base of hourly production. Numerous supervisors and administrative staffs maintain a systematic process in order to make smooth communication. This process helps them to create good public relation between the employees and the managers. In supporting the discussion, Olkkonen & Luoma-Aho (2015) discussed about four essential factors which play essential roles to fit public relations in the organizational structure. These factors include multi divisional structure, network structure, matrix structure, and virtual structure. Multi divisional factor is adapted by the organizations where the headquarters coordinate and control the entire financial system of all the company divisions. Some of the organizations are grouped into a number of divisions according to geographical region, customer type, and products. The divisions have the responsibilities to keep a record of their daily activities and inform their management team of headquarter. After gathering the data of all the company divisions, they staffs of the headquarters determines their performance status. According to the status, specific strategies are formulated. Besides, the network structural factor is incorporated when one single organization is involved in partnership business with other organizations. In such cases, the flow of information depends on all the organizations that are involved in partnership. Smith (2012) argued that these networks make the public relationship more complex where production and performance depend on the mutual agreements. Communication process needs to be smoother when collaboration is needed to solve the problems and make strategic move. Bingham & O'Leary (2014) opined that matrix structural factor is involved in the flexible and dynamic organizational operations. In order to be more precise, the performance and the working system changes according to the requirements. On the other way, virtual structural factor affects the public relations when company depends on the independent workers for their high skills and knowledge in technology. In such cases, communication plays a major role to establish a long term public relation with their key employees.

Excellent Public Relations

As stated by Cutlip (2013), the head of the public relation units plays a significant role in establishing long term public relations. Some factors are there that affect their roles and practices. The major factor is the capabilities of aligning present scenario with ultimate objective of the business. The view of present scenario of business helps them in future scanning process. These factors are essentials as it helps the heads of the public relations to focus on strategic management process. They should guide all the stakeholders in uncertainties and make the actions back to the organizational goals.

Huang-Horowitz (2015) discussed that some crucial factors are there that are widely related to the public relation models. The factors are named as ROPE process that includes Research, Objectives, Programs, and Evaluation. Research is the process of identifying publics, their needs and problems along with their roles and responsibilities. In PR model, objective is the most major factor which needs to be clear so that the managers are able to solve the problems from their root. The third factor is to implement program which would accomplish the ultimate objectives of the business. Along with this, evaluation is the factor that helps to determine whether the program is working or not.

As per the statement of Holtzhausen (2013), organizational culture actively shapes the management style of the organizations along with the day-to-day behaviour of the employees. It is mentioned that cognition is the crucial factor in the culture of an organization. The relation between the managers and the public majorly depend on their beliefs, values, norms, and ideologies. In cohesive culture, the behaviour of every member is clearly understood and thus the public relation is comparatively better in this cultural organization. On contrast, ambiguous culture delivers more challenges as the expected behaviour of people is not understood clearly.

Cutlip (2013) evaluated that some guidelines are there that helps the public relation and communication department to establish an effective relation between them. Cutlip (2013) discussed about the Linear communication model which is a one way communication process where message is transmitted by the sender and absorbed by the receiver. This particular model formulates guidelines in order to make the customer relationship strong. The communication driven activities are taken place in marketing and sales. The biggest challenge is that the receiver can interpret the message and bring a negative meaning as it is one way communication process. The senders are the organization who should ensure that their message would be interpreted in a positive manner. Gandy (2013) argued that two way symmetric model of communication is way more effective as it allows both the sender and receiver to communicate with other. Here, the guidelines follow a specific process where sender delivers message and receiver delivers feedback according to the message. Through creating a mutual satisfactory situation, it helps to establish a long term public relation.

Essential factors in excellent public relations

As per the discussion of Holtzhausen (2013), the managers or the head of the public relation department should maintain some specific process in order to conduct strategic public relation. These are manifested in the below section:

• Firstly, the goals and objectives of the public relation management process should be formulated as well as defined clearly
• The head of the public relation department should identify the ‘Publics’ or the targeted people with who the company would establish a long term relation
• Develop strategies and policies to fulfil the public relation plans
• Develop details of the entire process and draft budget
• Send message to the public who have been considered in the public relation plan

Conclusion

The study concludes that public relation is crucial in management process in order to establish a long term relation with their stakeholders. It brings out some significant guidelines that help the organization to improve their public relation management system. Time constraint and budget constraint are the major barriers in this research study. As the research has to be completed within specific time period with limited budget, documentary research has been chosen here. It is recommended that primary research can be done in the future researches with same topic. In order to be more precise, primary research would help to gather raw data which can be more reliable.

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