Public Relations Theories-ppt PDF

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Public relations theories...

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What%is%a%Theory?%   A"theory"can"be"defined"as"a"prediction"of" how"events"and"actions"are"related."""   Communication"theories"detail"the"reactions" that"follow"from"actions,"allowing"those"who" understand"them"to"explain,"and"even" predict,"the"consequences"of"certain"patterns" of"communicating."""

What%is%a%Theory?%   Theories"that"predict"how"audiences"will" react"in"certain"situation"or"to"certain" messages"are"especially"helpful"to"public" relations"practitioners."""   Achieving"persuasion"and"information" objectives"with"every"message" communicated"is"central"to"successful"pubic" relations"practice."""

What%is%a%Theory?%   Theories"help"guide"message"design"so" whatever"is"being"communicated"has"the" best"chance"of"achieving"the"goals"outlined"in" a"public"relations"program."""   To"achieve"success,"understanding"of"the"

theories"that"underpin"pubic"relations"is" extremely"important."

  While"there"are"many"theories"that"can"be"

applied"to"public"relations,"those"that"are" perhaps"most"useful"fall"into"one"of"three" categories:""   relationship"theories;""   cognition"and"behavior"theories;"and"   "communication"theories.""

  Relationship%theories:%%  Explain"how"entities"interact.""  They"not"only"outline"how"public"relations"fits"into"

organizational"structures,"but"how"stakeholders"fit" into"the"mix"of"publics"upon"whom"practitioners" focus."

  Theories%of%cognition%and%behavior:%  Help"explain"how"audiences"assimilate"and"then"

act"upon"information"received."""  Knowledge"of"cognition"and"behavior"theories" enable"practitioners"to"anticipate"how"an" audience"will"respond"to"various"messages."  This"knowledge"enables"them"to"nudge"publics"to" perform"in"a"manner"that"is"most"positive"toward" the"client.""

  Theories%of%mass%communication:%  %Outline"the"reasons"the"public"responds"to"

messages,"and"how"interpretation"of"information" received"can"influence"perceptions.""

  Theories"of"Relationships"   systems"theory"   situational"theory;"and"   "conflict"resolution.""

  Systems"Theory"   Argues"that"the"attitudes"and"actions"of"an"

organization"or"public"contribute"to"a"causeL effect"chain"reaction"within"their"environment.""" −  Systems"theory"is"useful"to"public"relations" because"it"helps"the"practitioner"manage"the" organization’s"relationships.""" −  Emphasizes"interdependence"between"an" organization"and"its"internal"and"external" environments."

  Systems"Theory"   Close"systems:"" −  focus"on"the"history"of"the"organization"and"

make"decisions"based"on"past"experiences."""   Open"systems:" −  "focus"on"input"from"external"publics"and" the"organization’s"external"environment."

  Situational"Theory"

Based"on"the"premise"that"people"will"act"on"an" issue"or"situation"when"they"believe"it"affects"them" personally"and"their"actions"can"make"a"difference."" There"are"three"variables:"   Problem%recognition%

−  People"must"be"able"to"see"the"potential"of"an"issue" to"affect"them"personally."   Constraint%recognition% − 

People"must"see"that"they"can"do"something"about"the"issue."

  Situational"Theory"

Based"on"the"premise"that"people"will"act"on"an" issue"or"situation"when"they"believe"it"affects"them" personally"and"their"actions"can"make"a"difference."" There"are"three"variables:"   Problem%recognition%

−  People"must"be"able"to"see"the"potential"of"an"issue" to"affect"them"personally."   Constraint%recognition% − 

People"must"see"that"they"can"do"something"about"the"issue."

  Situational"Theory"   Level%of%involvement% −  %People"must"care"about"resolving"the"issue."

 

Conflict%Resolution%Approaches% Conflicts"involve"an"individual"or"group"actively" opposing"another"because"of"difference"in"values" and"goals."""

  There%are%four%ways%conflicts%can%be%resolved"   Separate"the"people"from"the"problem."   Focus"on"interests,"not"positions."   Invent"options"for"mutual"gain.""   Insist"on"objective"criteria"

  Cognition%and%Behavior%   Cognitive"theories"deal"with"thought"

processes""   Behavioral"theories"deal"with"action.""   "Public"relations"practitioners"find"it"useful" to"think"about"effects—how"the"client’s" behavior"affects"others.""Words"and"actions" are"given"personalized"meanings"by" others,"and"sometimes"that’s"not"the" intended"meaning.""

  Cognition%and%Behavior%

  The%social%exchange%theory:%% −  argues"that"people"generally"act"in"ways"that"they" assume"will"reduce"costs"and"increase"rewards."" −  "PR"practitioners"try"to"make"decisions"based"on" the"assertion"that"people"will"factor"in"the" consequences"of"their"behavior"before"they"act.""" −  Practitioners"must"try"to"keep"costs"low"and" rewards"high"in"everything"from"survey"responses" to"product"recalls.""

  Cognition%and%Behavior%

 When"the"situation"is"complex,"the" practitioner"must"employ"a"payLoff"matrix" to"evaluate"all"possible"decisions"with"their" accompanying"costs"and"rewards."

  Cognition%and%Behavior%

  Social%learning%theory% −  argues"that"personal"example"and"mass" media"can"be"important"for"acquiring"new" behaviors.""New"behavior"is"likely"to"occur" when"it"is"seen"as"potentially"rewarding.""

Theories%of%Mass%Communication%   Use"and"Gratification"Theory"   Agenda"Setting"Theory"

Theories%of%Mass%Communication%   Use"and"Gratification"Theory"   Argues"that"people"are"active"users"of" the"media"and"choose"how"and"when"to" use"the"media"based"on"its"gratification" for"them."""   Public"relations"practitioners"should" research"why"particular"publics"use"the" media."""

  Agenda"Setting"Theory"   Based"on"the"assumption"that"although" media"can’t"tell"people"what"opinion"to"hold" about"an"issue,"it"has"influence"on"what"issues" people"think"about."""   The"agenda"setting"theory"proposes"that" media"has"the"potential"to"build"issue"or" product"awareness"and"increase"the"salience" of"an"issue."

 

Excellence"theory"  Model"1"–"Press"Agentry"" - This"model"is"used"more"often"than"we"would" prefer.""""Grunig"and"Hunt"in"1984"revealed"that" 15%"of"PR"practitioners"used"this"approach.""Later" research"showed"that"most"PR"practitioners"use" this"strategy."  Model"2"–"Public"Information" –  Truth"in"this"model"is"essential,"as"the"practitioner" is"transferring"accurate"information"to"publics."" This"approach"is"used"especially"by"government" agencies.""It#is#a#one*way#flow#of#information."

 

Excellence"theory"  Model"3"–"TwoLWay"Asymmetric"–"Also"called"

the"Scientific"Persuasion"Model" –  In"this"model"the"practitioner"uses"social"science" theory"and"research,"such"as"surveys"and"polls,"to" help"persuade"publics"to"accept"the"organization’s" position.""There"is"feedback,"but"it"is"used"in"the" interest"of"the"company" –  Nexflix"changing"policies"about"renting"DVDs"and" streaming"without"feedback"from"customers,"and" the"resulting"crisis"is"an"example."

 

Excellence"theory"  Model"4"–"TwoLWay"Symmetric"–"also"called"

the"mutual"understanding"model" - In"this"model"the"practitioner"tries"to"achieve" dialogue,"not"monologue." - Management"or"the"publics"may"make"changes"in" behavior"as"a"result"of"the"communication" program" - Research"and"social"science"theory"are"used"not"to" persuade"but"to"communicate." - Effective"public"relations"programs"based"on"this" model"are"called"“excellent”"programs."

 

Excellence"theory"   Public"relations"programs"are"more"likely"to"be"excellent"

when"public"relations"is"an"integral"part"of"an" organization’s"strategic"management"process,"and"when" managed"strategically."   Public"relations"programs"are"managed"strategically"when" they"identify"stakeholders"and"resolves"issues"through" symmetrical"communications"programs"early"in"the" development"of"issues."

 

Excellence%theory%  

Excellent"public"relations"programs"have"the" characteristics"below."

–  Public Relations is part of top management in the organization –  Programs are designed to build relationships with all key stakeholders –  Public relations, through research, identifies who the organization’s key stakeholders are and ranks them in order of importance

–  An ongoing public relations plan is developed for each public/stakeholder o  Strategies and tactics are developed and implemented, for example, to lessen the likelihood of crises (treating a sniffle before it becomes a flu)...