What is Public Relations?

Public relation means the relationship any institution has with the public, and it is also thought to be a strategic management function. The public is any group of individuals who have a common interest (Tamborini, 2005). Through communication, a company always looks forward to maintaining a healthy relationship with different groups of people (Tamborini, 2005). This is a simple definition of the word public relation from the previous readings. However, it very difficult to act and define public relations .Because of the significant changes taking place across the globe combined with the advancement of technology, the public relation has become a global activity (Storey, 2003). According to James Grunig public relation can be thought to be how the organization manages its communication with the public (Storey, 2003). The success of a company mainly depends on the relationship the company has with its consumers, suppliers, government, employees and the media (Storey, 2003). Because every organization has public relation practitioners who are responsible for any communication between the organization and the public, it is okay to classify public relation as a management function

Organizations are thought to have different management functions which help them to act effectively (Gregory, 2010). These management functions may include legal finance, human resources, and marketing. Each of these functions contributes effectively to the growth and goals of the organization (Tamborini, 2005). Public relation happens to be a unique function because it helps the organization to maintain a healthy relationship with its essential stakeholders through communication. Communication is essential while trying to keep a long-term, trusting and satisfactory relationship with the stakeholder and the public. However public relation can be used to add value to the organization if it is used strategically. All primary functions in an organization are meant to achieve the goals of the organization. Communication strategy is key between these functions. The failure in many businesses is caused by poor communication. Business must effectively communicate with its suppliers, shareholders, and customers (Ledingham, 2009). For every category, the organization must come up with messages and a plan and how to reach them in the most effective means. Although public relation is critical and very much important for a business, it is usually practiced differently, depending on the mandate given to the top communicator.

Public relation professionals can be communication managers or communication technicians in an organization (Ledingham, 2009). From the previous readings, we identified fours specific roles of communication individuals they include the three types of  communication managers and the technician role. Most public relation practitioners usually begin their careers as just technicians. Practioner’s in these level are not involved in identifying problems and coming up with solutions, but they use their tactics on the skill of writing (Gregory, 2010). However either a manager or a technician the primary goal is usually to give information to the public to help them make decisions based on their mutual interest (Fitzpatrick & Bronstein, 2006). The problem-solving individual must work closely with public relation managers in solving the different issues in the organization (Grunig, 1993). However, technicians do not have a huge role to play they only help in executing the strategy once it is decided. The communication managers  are usually involved in strategic thinking in the organization (Scheufele, 2000). He must be in a position to conduct research and come up with good decisions which can assist the organization in coming up with better strategies of managing communication with the public (Fitzpatrick & Bronstein, 2006). From the previous study, we found out that the significant predictors of excellence in an organization are identified by looking at whether the role of the public relation communicator is a technician role or a managerial role. In the organization where the public relation is a managerial role, the management can significantly affect the organization positively.

Functions of Public Relations

  Many organizations view public relation as just some simple set of tactics. Those who play these roles are seen as empty-headed people who only understand  party planning (Grunig, 1993) . However, from the previous study, we know that public relation is an essential function of the organization which should be led by strategies. Communication programs should be developed based on some extensive research to address some business objectives with a target audience (Scheufele, 2000). The result of these should be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively.

James Grunig and Hunt first practiced the models of public relation as a communication tool in the year 1984. During these periods many other scholars of public relation were also doing different studies to find out how and why these models were being practiced by public relation practitioners (Grunig, 2011). The four models are public information model, two-way symmetrical model, two-way asymmetrical model, and press a gentry’s model. James Grunig conducted the first study on behavior public relation in 1975 and published it in 1976 (Noelle-Neumann, 1974). These study meant to analyze how different public relation Practioners perform communication function and why their behaviors are always different (Gregory, 2010). To categorize the behaviors of public relation practitioner a new model was introduced which is known as the excellent public relations models. Although models cannot adequately describe the reality, there is great need to come up with models which can be used as a base when describing something (Grunig, 2011). These four models of public relations and communications are effectively being used by researchers to understand some behaviors and practices in campaigns and advertisement. The models are still in use even today where there are used to send the message from the sender who is the organization to the receiver who is the public.

Press gentry’s model is commonly used to attract the attention of the media while public information model is frequently used to send a message to the public (Luoma-aho, 2015). This model is commonly used by government agencies, non-profit making organization, education institutions, and corporations. Two-way asymmetric model is used to manipulate and persuade the public to act according to the interest of the organization. On the other hand, a two-way symmetrical model is used by the organization to have a win-win situation which brings about a mutual understanding between the public and the organization.

In recent years the word public has been used to mean stakeholders. Stakeholders can be divided into hate holders, faith holders, hate holders and fake holders. Faith holders include those stakeholders who usually trust the organization and can recommend it to some other people (Luoma-aho, 2015) (Ledingham, 19). These stakeholders with a positive attitude help generating the organization social capital which can be used on both bad and good times (Luoma-aho, 2015). Their trust in the organization is not easily shaken; they support the organization through their behaviors, emotions, and beliefs (Noelle-Neumann, 1974). Many fans can be said to be faith holders to the origination or teams they support. The role of faith holders is usually seen during a crisis. Where the fans who are further referred to as the faith holders help in managing the crisis.

Management Functions in Organizations

  On the other hand, we have hate holders kind of stakeholders. They are though top hate the organization and usually harm it by the way they act. (Noelle-Neumann, 1974) Hate holding does not come about because of dissatisfaction, but it usually has a target. In recent years stakeholders have a way of demonstrating their emotions and making others to join them (Heath, & Coombs, 2006). Negative reports usually make headlines not a positive reports especially when it comes to online platforms (Heath, & Coombs, 2006). Hates usually comes from negative emotions which arise from poor interaction and acts (Gregory, 2010). One example of hate holder is when Edward Snowden leaked confidential information of the US government (Heath, & Coombs, 2006). One of the significant factor that is thought to cause hate holding to include failure to meet expectations which ends up bringing anger, regret, sadness, and dissatisfaction. Violence happens to be one of the primary emotions that bring about hate.

  Lastly, we have the fake holders. They include socio-bots, opinions, and stakeholders which are usually generated by people or software and they are known to support or oppose an issue(Heath, & Coombs, 2006). Faith holders and fake holders are said not to exist in reality. However their influence on the organization is usually considerable (Scheufele, 2000). As customers review increase the pressure to come up with good content also increases. Fake holders are generally seen in the customer review sites from some counterfeit reviews.

In conclusion, public relation function should be carried out strategically in an organization. It should not be viewed as just a mere function but as a communication strategy to convey information to various stakeholders (Jefkins,   2016). When communication is effective in an organization, it leads to the smooth running of the organization which in turn makes the company have a huge amount of profits (Jefkins,   2016). Thus public relations practice need to be carried out by communication managers rather than technicians. Communication managers are effective when it comes to identifying problems and coming up with solutions on how to solve them. In fact, most organizations need only to improve their communication strategy for them to experience rapid growth in other functions of the organizations.

References

Grunig, J., 2011. Public relation and strategic management. [Online]

Available at: file:///C:/Users/User3/Downloads/2640217_688246995_Grunig2011Publicrelationsandst%20(1).pdf[Accessed 21 September 2018].

Grunig, J. E., 1993. Image and Substance: from symbolic to a behavioral relationship. [Online]

Available at: file:///C:/Users/User3/Downloads/2640216_1258079498_Grunig1993ImageandsubstanceFro%20(5).pdf[Accessed 21 September 2o18].

Ledingham, J. A., 2009. Explicating Relationship management as a general theory of the public. [Online] [Accessed21 September 2018].

Luoma-aho, V., 2015. Understanding Stakeholder Engagement:. [Online]

Available at: e:///C:/Users/User3/Downloads/2640219_933295614_Luoma-aho2015Understandingstak%20(7).pdf[Accessed 21 September 2018].

Noelle-Neumann, E., 1974. The Spiral of Silence. [Online]

Available at: file:///C:/Users/User3/Downloads/2640228_1745141029_Noelle-NeumannUnknownThespiral%20(1).pdf[Accessed 21 September 2018].

Scheufele, D. A., 2000. Agenda-Setting, Priming, and Framing Revisited: [Online]

Available at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/992024517522054/[Accessed 21 September 2018].

Storey, A. C. G. &. D., 2003. The influence of presumed influence. [Online] [Accessed 21 September 2018].

Tamborini, B. B. L. a. R., 2005. Third-Person Effect and Internet. [Online]

Available at: file:///C:/Users/User3/Downloads/2640227_1965856290_Leeetal-2005-JournalofCommunic%20(2).pdf[Accessed 21 September 2018].

Fitzpatrick, K., & Bronstein, C. (2006). Ethics in public relations: responsible advocacy. Thousand Oaks, Calif, SAGE Publications(online). https://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=996360. (Accessed 21 September 2018)

Heath, R. L., & Coombs, W. T. (2006). Today’s public relations: an introduction. Thousand Oaks, Calif, SAGE Publications (online). https://www.worldcat.org/title/todays-public-relations-an-introduction/oclc/300296898(Accessed 21 September 2018)

Jefkins,   F. (2016). Public Relations. Elsevier Science (online). https://www.myilibrary.com?id=932312. (Accessed 21 September 2018)

Gregory, A. (2010). Planning and managing public relations campaigns a strategic approach. London, Kogan Page. (Online ) https://www.dawsonera.com/guard/protected/dawson.jsp?name=University%20of%20Strathclyde&dest=https://www.dawsonera.com/depp/reader/protected(Accessed 21 September 2018)