The purpose of this study is to explore immersive simulation as a pedagogical method to provide public relations students with the practical experience of media conference coordination and delivery. This experimental research involved surveying public relations writing students in Queensland, Australia before and after the simulation of a media conference in an immersion facility; images and video were projected onto three walls to simulate a range of different scenarios. The survey results indicated that students enjoyed the immersive simulation activity, that it enhanced their learning and analytical skills, and recommended the use of immersive simulation as a public relations teaching tool in the future. Based on the results of this study, public relations educators are encouraged to consider using immersive simulation as a pedagogical tool in their courses to enhance student learning when providing students with 'real life' experiences is unfeasible.
Knowledge, skills, and abilities, referred to as KSAs, as well as competencies, overall competency or competence and, most recently, capabilities, are major foci in human resource literature, particularly that related to recruitment and professional development. They also have increasingly become a focus of study in public relations and corporate, government, and organisational communication. A number of national and global studies have been undertaken to identify the KSAs, competencies, and capabilities required to effectively undertake PR and communication management roles today and in the future. Recently, the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management completed an extensive review of professional qualifications and educational standards to produce a Global Body of Knowledge (GBOK), and in 2016 commenced a further stage of this research to develop a Global Capabilities Framework. This paper reports findings of a study undertaken to inform a capabilities framework for public sector communication professionals that supports and adds to the findings of the Global Alliance study and provides specific insights into the capabilities required in government communication today and into the future.
Researchers investigating investor relations (IR) in general and the growth of alternative finance in particular are popularising the term strategic financial communication to cover a broader remit than traditional IR territories. Despite their efforts, IR and public relations (PR) research in this area remains limited. In increasing that research, we examine five diverse equity crowdfunding (ECF) platforms in different nations to evaluate what is involved in opening up financial practices through engaging strategically with diverse communities, and through balancing risk communication. We found that despite the potential for enlarging the egalitarianism by extending participation more widely, major disparities and tensions remain. Platform businesses, caught between limited internal resources and external legal restrictions, tend to limit the investor pool; withdraw from responsibilities; perform mostly one-way communication; restrict community discussions; and bias their risk communication. These, in turn, can adversely influence risk management, especially for new and inexperienced investors and investment communities. Accordingly, we suggest how academics and professionals in IR and PR can better realise the rare combination of enlarging both economic equality and organisational profitability. We end by arguing that strategically developing financial communication through ECF in prosocial ways can enable IR and PR to contribute to the fully functioning society.
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370 has been one of the most highly discussed and debated crises in recent times. The situation has put the organisation into the spotlight of global attention both as a business entity and as an extension of the Malaysian government. Drawing on mediating the media model (Pang, 2010) and information processing and knowledge management framework (Coombs, 2012), this study evaluates the air carrier's relationship with the media and online communication strategies during the crucial first two weeks of the crisis. The data were collected from Malaysia Airlines' traditional and new media public relations practices and were analysed using a qualitative case study methodology (Yin, 2009). This study argues that the unfavourable representation of Malaysia Airlines by its media stakeholders was complicated by both controlled and uncontrolled crisis elements ranging from information void to fragile relationship with the press.
This study is part of a first time international collaboration surveying senior communication practitioners. This research concerns only the NZ sample (N=107). The work investigated the extent to which these practitioners perceived that six key roles should be played by the PR/Communication department and whether these roles have actually been adopted in their organizations. Results from this research indicate that the key role least supported, on average, by respondents pertained to communicating rather than formulating policy. In contrast, the highest rating was associated with defining the company’s identity and core value. Importantly, for the latter key role, ratings were not significantly different for participants working in organizations that adopted (vs. did not adopt) the practices comprising this key role. With one exception, average ratings of key roles did not differ significantly for respondents working in central marketing communication and central PR/Communication departments.
The public does not take every corporate social responsibility (CSR) behavior as good, and reward the corporation. Instead, people make attribution of motive for the seemingly social responsible action and respond accordingly. Based on attribution theory and using experimental research method, this study tested how prior CSR record influenced the public's attribution of altruistic motive for a corporation's single CSR initiative, which further influenced the effectiveness of the CSR initiative in terms of attitude toward the corporation, reputation evaluation, word of mouth (WOM) communication, and purchase intention. Results showed that the public in general had a high level of suspicion about the corporate motive for launching a CSR initiative. However, in comparison to the corporations with negative prior CSR record, corporations with positive record were more likely to be attributed of altruistic motive, which tends to generate positive reaction from the public. Motive attribution was demonstrated as a robust mediator in the relationship between prior CSR record and the public's reaction. Interestingly, it was found that the public's reaction can be significantly improved by one single CSR initiative for corporations with negative prior CSR record, but not for those with positive record. More discussion on the implications of the findings was conducted.
This study examines public apology in the context of the retail industry, specifically the Australian supermarket industry. The study revisits Benoit’s (1995) Image Restoration Theory in order to extend its application to Australian supermarkets. Image Restoration Theory provides a typology of five strategic responses for reparation of image following a crisis, controversy or challenge. Using a multiple case study approach, this study analyses the strategic responses provided by Australia’s two major supermarkets – Coles and Woolworths – to protect their image in the wake of a crisis. The severity level of each crisis is determined and the findings of this study reveal the act of apologising (the Mortification strategy in Image Restoration Theory) is only employed in the most serious of the four cases. The study’s findings are extended to discuss the reasons why Australia’s two major supermarket corporations do not apologise (say ‘sorry’) to their customers, shareholders, suppliers and stakeholders.
Angelina Tu is a senior public relations practitioner and educator based in Singapore. She also has extensive media coaching and corporate training experience and has previously worked alongside with Kaplan, PSB Academy, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Institute of Business, NTUC Learning Hub to train corporate executives in email communications, crisis communications as well as business communications presentation and writing.
Compared with the burgeoning literature on social media use in business organisations, few studies have investigated how social media can aid non-profit organisations such as universities to achieve engagement objectives. Engagement and community building are important for universities in the context of student recruitment, retention, and satisfaction, as well as staff relations and public relations. To advance understanding of this under-studied area, this research examined the use of social media in a New Zealand university. Based on in-depth interviews and content analysis, this study explored the reported tension between the interactive participatory culture of social media and the promotional use for one-way information transmission and persuasion – in short, the shift from passive spectatorship to active co-production. Given the young and social media-savvy nature of universities’ key audience – students – this analysis argues that social media can play a facilitative role in university engagement and community building, but that a participatory co-production approach must be used rather than running social media as a ‘spectator sport’ platform for all but professional content production.
On May 21, 2015, The Guardian newspaper reported that TEDxSydney had designed a new national campaign to change social attitudes towards people living with disabilities (Davey, 2015). The campaign, announced at the Sydney Opera House, was due to be launched in December 2015 to coincide with the United Nations International Day of People with Disability and was framed as being in memory of Stella Young, a writer, comedian and disability advocate, who died in December 2014. Arguably it was an innovative campaign, with the potential to put disabilities on the social media map. As with many social campaigns at the time, the initiative was primarily built around a hashtag (#StellasChallenge) and sought to engage with both the disabled and the non-disabled. While the objective of the exercise was framed as "changing social attitudes", the subsequent engagement between the organisation, TEDxSydney, and representatives of the disabled community was arguably not what TEDxSydney had intended. Ironically, the campaign was said to be inspired by Stella, who had proclaimed that she despised "inspiration porn" related to those with disabilities (Davey, 2015). Using a case study approach methodology, this paper provides an analysis of #StellasChallenge to develop an in-depth understanding of what innovative engagement does-and importantly does not-mean in the digital public sphere, through the broad lens of health at the community, organisational and individual levels of society. The paper highlights the challenges inherent in the digital world when attempting to innovatively engage with publics on sensitive, complex and deeply personal issues, such as disability and more broadly health. It draws on theory and practice in digital advocacy, public relations, web communication, health communication, issues management and stakeholder and community engagement. In the spirit of innovation (the theme of the 2016 PRIA national conference and research symposium where an early version of this paper was presented), this paper includes first-hand insights and critical reflections by one of the activists who campaigned against the #StellasChallenge initiative.
National sport codes are in the position of being leaders for upholding and promoting social responsibility values, due to their engagement with the public and media commentary. Sport is ideally placed to be lead awareness for social issues, particularly around equality and inclusion. In Australia, the biggest national sport code is the Australian Football League(AFL) governed by its Commission. The AFL Commission is very aware of its ability to lead social discussion and drive policy around many community issues and challenges. The code at its professional level has evolved from a localism culture to a 'commodified sport', characterised by high-level business objectives, technology and sport elitism. The code has a strong emphasis on brand and reputation resulting in advanced professionalism and commercialisation. The Commission endeavours to protect its brand, and appears well aware of the importance of 'social responsibility positioning' in order to manage and enhance its brand. This paper looks at the social agenda the AFL promotes and analyses its positions against Organisational-Public Relationship theory to understand if the AFL motive is for commercial branding or is for contributing to the greater good in the communities it AFL operates in. This case study reviews the social agendas the AFL promotes through its media and community presence. The case study approach of comparing the analysed media and policy output from the AFL against contemporary academic literature on social responsibility will aid sports organisations in developing their strategic communication.
This paper examines the way media relations is practiced in Thailand, focusing on differences in how professionals work and how commonly held Thai practices deviate from the default standard of the West. The methodology involved a series of semi-structured in-depth expert interviews with expatriate professionals who work in PR in Thailand. They were asked to address the issues of media relations practices, media events management, online communication and social media, as well as relationships with clients.
Public relations (PR) scholars have long emphasised the importance, as well as the prevailing lack of, cross cultural awareness and international PR skills. As political and economic powers are shifting from West to East, it becomes even more imperative that the public relations industry embraces diverse modes and styles of communication by moving beyond its traditional focus on Western inspired practice, as reflected in the popularity of US and UK based textbooks, and the prevailing focus of scholarly research on familiar (usually Western) cultural context. Recognised as a culturally diverse nation, this paper investigates if Australia's multicultural fabric is reflected amongst its communication professionals and hence shapes the characteristics and communication styles of the local public relations industry. Given its geographic location, Australian communicators should theoretically be well positioned and equipped to play a prominent role across Oceania and the Asian continent.Based on first hand insights from Australian communication professionals from diverse backgrounds, both in terms of ethnicity, as well as country of origin, this exploratory study provides an insight into the cultural fabric of the Australian public relations industry. Findings challenge the assumption that the nation's multicultural make up has shaped its communication industry. Whilst participants emphasise the value of an international perspective and diverse cultural backgrounds, the Australian PR industry is still perceived as largely white, Anglo-Saxon, with a continuing dominance of female professionals. Based on practitioners' first hand insights, the industry has failed to recognise diversity as part of its occupational identity.
The main purpose of this article is to challenge the normative ideal of public relations, usually shaped by a Western perspective, highlighting there is a broad typology of non-Western PR models, which are the norm across the world. This article emphasizes how public relations principles of excellence are not only exceptionally met but also suggests that Western public relations can learn from the rest of the world about, for example, how personal relations can enrich the profession. Using a qualitative method, this paper compares two populated countries with large economies, China and Mexico. The main finding of the article is that there are important forces, such as patronage relationships and economic structures, which place limitations on the trend toward homogenization in how the public relations discipline is understood, as well as in the convenience and even need of looking for a set of universal public relations standards.
Most public relations (PR) leadership studies identify leadership attributes without contextualization to the profession. The purpose of this study is to investigate specific functions and behaviors of PR leaders in relation to their professional contexts (i.e. routine or non-routine) and organizational positions (i.e. decision-making or not). Three online focus groups were conducted with twelve PR leaders in Singapore. Findings revealed that leadership for PR decision-making positions included being proponents of their organization's values and mission under routine circumstances, and effective, empathetic and ethical spokespersons enforcing a consistent message under non-routine circumstances. Leadership for PR in non-decision-making positions included serving as advocates of the PR profession under routine circumstances, and organizational supporters ensuring a consistent message under non-routine circumstances. This study contributes to the current PR leadership literature as a preliminary model of situational PR leadership is proposed. Findings also confirm a growing need for PR leaders to be active in dominant coalitions, holding important positions no lesser than leaders of other corporate functions.
Public relations (PR) offers strategies that may create positive change in response to gender-based violence (GV). It can be transformative in influencing people's attitudes and choices. However, PR has traditionally focussed on managing relations with stakeholders to build the image of corporate institutions. This has meant that the professional and academic interests of PR have often become aligned with profit-making institutions. Instead, from a critical perspective, PR can be used in non-profit sectors, including non-government or voluntary organisations with an interest in organising campaigns to promote community health and wellbeing. It can function as a discursive tool to promote the voices of marginalised people to transform society and promote equality. Such an example can be found in activism against GV. Literature on activism against GV is reviewed in this paper to identify how PR strategies are used amongst activists to organise campaigns. The use of PR has appeared as a community action tool and as an individual communicative technique to organise activists, to promote the GV agenda, and to attain public support for eliminating GV. The value of PR in addressing difficult issues such as GV offers hope, especially in the developing world where large scale social intervention programs are not feasible.
The growing adoption of social media in PR practice has provided opportunities for newer audience measurements and contributed to cultivating newer conceptions of their audience. This study conducts a historical textual analysis of articles in PR Week US to establish the conception. The analysis maps the structural transformation of the field that has guided the PR industry’s reconceptualisation of their audiences from the quantity of media placements to the quantity and the quality of behavioural outcomes.
During a crisis, the crisis response strategies used reflect the extent to which an organisation accepts responsibility for the crisis. These strategies could subsequently affect the organisation's image and reputation. Thus, organisations are advised to be strategic in their choices of crisis response strategies through an analysis of the crisis situations. This study examines a crisis caused by an organisation's appointed advertising agency whose actions led the organisation to be accused of interfering with press freedom. This study uses content analysis to analyse the news coverage on the crisis response strategies used and the tone of the coverage. It found that justification was the most frequently used strategy. When the strategy of excuse was reported in the news coverage, the overall tone of the coverage was likely to be negative. The implications of the findings are also discussed.
Australian local councils must change entrenched aspects of organisational culture if they wish to become more responsive to public expectations about online engagement (Katz & Halpern, 2013). Whilst some Australian local councils are responding to this challenge by introducing a greater focus on social media and re-structuring the roles and functions in communication teams (Oliveira & Welch, 2013), little is known about the perceptions and experiences of staff during this process. In particular, little is known about the effects of change on workplace resistance amongst practitioners, particularly around issues relating to their time and the value attached to certain kinds labour. Drawing on an analysis of interview material conducted with an Australian local council in 2015, this article reports on the emerging sites of tension for public relations practitioners in one local council during its transition to greater online engagement. It concludes that more research is needed into the ways in which changing work practices impacts on the possibilities for resistance within female-dominated local government communication teams.
