Excellent Public Relations (PR)

In the quest for knowledge and skills that are industry relevant, it is natural for practitioners and the public to view PR as a mere marketing tool, a set of techniques or tactics and, thus, ignore the necessity of a theory of management to underpin PR's marketing function.
The emphasis on techniques is also reinforced by popular books on PR such as Confessions of a PR Man (Wood with Gunther, 1988) by a former executive of Carl Byoir and Associates and Power and Influence by Hill and Knowlton's former CEO (Dilenschneider, 1990).
However, Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management (Grunig, 1992, 55) argued that practitioners cannot achieve excellence "if the schema for public relations in the organization (the component of worldview related to public relations) conceives of public relations as asymmetrical, in a neutral or advocacy role, and solely technical in nature". He further asserted that "excellent public relations is based on the worldview that public relations is symmetrical, idealistic in its social role, and managerial."

The Role of Worldview in PR Excellence
Understanding worldviews is necessary in order to make a distinction between excellent and less excellent public relations.
Worldview is defined as "a set of images and assumptions about the world" (Kearney, 1984, 10). The term 'image' has two meanings - one is the "literal sense of a visual representation in the mind" and the other is "organizing principles that have variously been called schemata, Gestalten, plans, structures, and so on" (1984, 47).
The ability of a worldview (and the theories it generates) to solve important problems is probably its most useful criterion. A worldview is deemed useful if it is able to produce public relations programs that provide the best strategies to resolve conflict in society, resolve conflict at the national and international level, convince organizations to be more socially responsible, or assist organizations to be more effective.
Grunig (1992, 38) concluded that an excellent worldview for public relations is one that is "logical, coherent, unified and orderly - the internal criteria. It should also be effective in solving organizational and human problems ... - the external criterion. Finally, it should be ethical in that it helps organizations build caring - even loving - relationships with other individuals and groups they affect in the society or the world."

Symmetrical vs Asymmetrical Public Relations
The dominant worldview in public relations is the asymmetrical view that public relations is "a way of achieving an organization's objectives without having to change its behavior or compromising" (Grunig, 1992, 39). This dominant paradigm or mind-set is based on "powerful effects model" (that communication or public relations have "powerful effects" on their target audience) which leads organizations away from being effective and does not serve their long-term interests.
In order to be effective in the long-run, organizations should adopt the symmetrical view that public relations involves "compromise and negotiation and not a war for power" (1992, 39).

Four Models of Public Relations
1. Press Agentry
PR strives for publicity in the media in almost any way possible
2. Public Information
PR uses journalists in residence to disseminate objective but only favorable information about the organization
3. Two-way Asymmetrical
The organization uses research to develop messages that are most liketly to persuade publics to behave as the organization wants
4. Two-way Symmetrical
The organization uses research and dialogue to manage conflict, improve understanding, and build relationships with publics

Critique of Asymmetrical Public Relations (APR)
Grunig (1989) argued that asymmetrical PR:
- "steers public relations practitioners towards actions that are unethical, socially irresponsible, and ineffective"
- "practitioners ... presuppose that the organization knows best and that publics benefit from "cooperating" with it
- practitioners with a social consience ... sometimes convince themselves that they are manipulating publics for the sake of those publics (Olasky, 1984)
- that the mutual benefits of asymmetrical public relations is self-deceptive

Characteristics of APR:
1. Internal Orientation
Members of the organization look out from the organization and do not see the organization as outsiders see it ("blinkered view")
2. Closed System
Information flows out from the organization and not into it (one-way communication)
3. Efficiency
Efficiency and control of costs are more important than innovation
4. Elitism
Leaders of the organization know best. They have more knowledge than members of the publics. Wisdom is not the product of a "free marketplace of ideas"
5. Conservatism
Change is undesirable. Outside efforts to change the organization should be resisted; pressure for change should be considered subversive
6. Tradition
Tradition provides an organization with stability and helps it to maintain its culture
7. Central Authority
Power should be concentrated in the hands of a few top managers. Employees have little autonomy. Organizations should be managed as autocracies.
(Grunig, 1989, 32-33)

Presuppositions of Symmetrical PR (SPR):
1. Interdependence
Organizations cannot isolate themselves from their environment. Although organizations have boundaries that separate them from their environment, publics and other organizations in that environment "interpenetrate" the organization.
2. Open System
The organization is open to interpenetrating systems and freely exchanges information with those systems
3. Moving Equilibrium
Organizations as systems strive toward an equilibrium with other systems, an equilibrium state that constantly moves as the environment changes. Systems may attempt to establish equilibrium by controlling other systems; by adapting themselves to other systems; or by making mutual, cooperative adjustments. The symmetrical worldview prefers cooperative and mutual adjustment to control and adaptation.
4. Equity
People should be given equal opportunity and be respected as fellow human beings. Anyone, regardless of education or background may provide valuable input into an organization.
5. Autonomy
People are more innovative, constructive, and self-fulfilled when they have autonomy to influence their own behavior, rather than having it controlled by others. Autonomy maximizes employee employee satisfaction inside the organization and cooperation outside the organization.
6. Innovation
New ideas and flexible thinking rather than tradition and efficiency should be stressed.
7. Decentralization of Management
Management should be collective; managers should coordinate rather than dictate. Decentralization increases autonomy, employee satisfaction, and innovation.
8. Responsibility
People and organizations must be concerned with the consequences of their behaviours on others and attempt to eliminate adverse consequences.
9. Conflict Resolution
Conflict should be resolved through negotiation, communication, and compromise and not through force, manipulation, coercion, or violence.
10. Interest-Group Liberalism
Classical liberalism, which typically champions big government, can be as close-minded as classical conservatism, which typically champions big business. Interest-group liberalism, however, views the political system as a mechanism for open negotiation among interest or issue groups (Grunig, 1989; Lowi, 1979). Interest-group liberalism looks to citizen groups to "champion interests of ordinary people against unresponsive government and corporate structures (Boyte, 1980, 7)

Critique of SPR
- the approach is unrealistic or idealistic
- organizations hire public relations practitioners as advocates to advance their interests and not as altrustic people who succumb to the publics' unreasonable demands

Notes for Contemporary Issues in PR Comm, Diploma in Corp Comm, Olympia College
(Mondays, 6:30-9:30pm)