The book “An Overview to the Public Relations Function” contains a detailed overview of the field of public relations (PR) and encompasses an array of notions necessary for management employees to enhance their PR skills. With professional and academic language intertwined, the authors try to answer the question whether and in what way a PR manager can use their communication skills and bring the establishment to success. The chapter under consideration “Organizational Factors Contributing to Excellent Public Relations” encompasses critical aspects of influence that the structure and culture of an establishment have on the PR function.
The authors refer to a well-known work by James Grunig that declares diversity as an ultimate value of the establishment. Further, they allocate the C-suite’s views on the whole field of PR practice and what PR-related factors can prove a valuable asset on the way to success. Among these factors, the authors emphasize the importance of PR being acknowledged by the C-suite, autonomous decision-making, and internal organizational communication. In relation to the latter two, the authors go into detail to enlist the cultural aspects of a successful PR management body.
The chapter supports the view that PR is not only to be appreciated and valued by the C-suite but the representatives of PR departments should also be present in the dominant coalition. It is stated that, unless an establishment is solely aimed at media interaction and self-advertisement, the members of the C-suite should have a profound communicational expertise. The chapter adopts this theory and further develops it, stating the irreplaceability of PR management, basically meaning that the image should be maintained and promoted as indispensable and unique – by taking timely and competent actions.
Every action should be preceded by competent decision-making, which is why, as the authors state, decision-making should be encouraged. That said, the authors advocate for a decentralized culture as the optimal way to promote active decision-making and participation. Research shows that employees feeling that decision-making has taken a slow route lack motivation and feel they are underestimated and belittled. Which is why, the authors state, either horizontally or vertically decentralized system is the point of optimum for enhanced managerial decision-making and internal communication – which, in turn, contributes to excellence in public relations.
A diverse internal culture of the organization subsumes, for instance, the inclusion of female and ethnic employees into PR. It is stated that such diversity not only contributes to the image of an establishment but also helps get a multidimensional picture of real life and conditions beyond the organization – e.g., culturally diverse staff can better interact with the stakeholders and share their experiences to enhance communication. For that purpose, the authors emphasize the importance of non-authoritative organizational structure for PR quality improvement.
It is stated that the design and structure of the establishment can either facilitate acquiring external knowledge or back off the knowledge flow. It is especially critical that the decision-making evidence is kept updated to use the most relevant information and data sources. The authors also assert that an established relationship with regard to report-making is sufficient in keeping the PR and C-suite intact; internal communication, they state, should be running smoothly to ensure the establishment is functioning at its best.
To sum it up, the chapter under consideration is devoted to the characteristics of PR the authors believe are essential for the optimal functioning of an establishment. Among these characteristics, the authors consider it necessary to enlist the importance of PR recognition by the C-suite, the organizational culture, and structure. It is asserted that the C-suite should be well aware of the critical impact that well-established public relations has on the organization’s performance.
The authors also promote cultural diversity in organizations so as to enlarge the number of sources and the quality of information gathered. Cultural diversity among the employees is also essential for a better image. They state the importance of corporate decision-making and assert that every action should be decided upon by the means of a decentralized structure that fuels the employees’ participation.
Works Cited
Bowen, S., B. Rawlins, and T. Martin, An Overview to the Public Relations Function, New York, NY, Business Expert Press, 2010.
Easterby-Smith, M., R. Thorpe, and P. Jackson, Management Research, 4th edn., Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage, 2012.
Foss, N. J., J. Lyngsie, and S. A. Zahra, ‘The role of external knowledge sources and organizational design in the process of opportunity exploitation’, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 34, no. 12, 2013, pp. 1453-1471.
Grunig, J., Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management, London, U.K., Routledge, 2013.
Kanihan, S. F. et al., ‘Communication managers in the dominant coalition: Power attributes and communication practices’, Journal of Communication Management, vol. 17, no. 2, 2013, pp. 140-156.
Sriramesh, K., and D. Verčič, Culture and Public Relations: Links and Implications, London, U.K., Routledge, 2012.