Public Relations and Other Corporate Functions Essay Example
In the past, public relations was used by organizations for short-term goals, along with diverse advertising and marketing strategies. Nowadays, it has become an essential element for smooth organizational functioning. Public relations is often mistaken for advertising and publicity, but it is a distinct organizational function. While advertisement is purely a marketing function, public relations is purely a management function, according to Reilly (1981). There is often confusion between public relations and publicity, but they are separate entities. Public relations professionals aim to establish and maintain strong relationships with key publics by providing favorable and honest information. In contrast, the role of the press is to inform the public about current events. Both public relations and the press have similar elements but are fundamentally different. Both public relations and the press should adhere to ethical standards (Lordan, 2005).
Public relations is a versatile
...discipline that has a significant impact on nearly everyone, playing a fundamental role in our daily lives. When organizations effectively manage their public relations, they create value and influence the public through various campaigns and tools. From an organizational perspective, public relations establishes a crucial connection between the organization and the general public. Its primary objective is to establish positive communication and relationships with consumers of products or services.
The role of a public relations practitioner is essential in creating and nurturing sustainable communication channels between the organization and its stakeholders. According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), these practitioners engage in activities such as programming, writing, building relationships, editing press releases, speeches, and newsletters. They also organize special events and participate in research and evaluation processes (Lovell, 1982).
Some schools of thought
believe that public relations practitioners play multiple key roles for organizations by maintaining continuous contact with the publics that impact the organization's activities. Public relations practitioners play a vital role in establishing a company's public image. Johnston & Zawawi (2000) argue that these professionals should approach their duties ethically, truthfully, and creatively.They are responsible for arranging meetings with current and potential clients and investors, necessitating effective communication skills both within and outside the organization. According to Newsom et al (2000), creativity in problem-solving is important as it enhances credibility with customers. Despite challenges, these practitioners remain confident extroverts who gather and organize data to assist others. Bernays emphasizes the need for a deep interest in solving public problems in this field. Known for their indomitable personalities, they can transform organizations through dedicated work. Their constant interaction with both the organization and the public requires them to be skilled communicators. Some even consider them superhuman due to their extensive audience research abilities.
The text underscores the importance of effective public relations for organizations. Understanding its role fully entails considering the evolution of the public relations industry. Successful task completion necessitates public relations efforts regardless of an organization's size. The Public Relations Society of America, with approximately 20,000 members, stands as the largest professional organization in this field. Furthermore, a study by Ciudad (2002) and others reveals an increasing trend of women choosing careers in public relations.
Many companies prefer to have females in their PR departments because they possess qualities such as patience, politeness, initiative, and organizational expertise. According to Peart and McNamara (1996), over 50% of PR practitioners in the United States, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand
are women, indicating a growing presence of women in important management roles within public relations. Now that we have provided this brief introduction, we can proceed to examine the historical developments of public relations, which will enhance readers' understanding.
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