Abstract
This article traces the origins and continuing development of a research
tradition that conceptualizes public relations as a strategic management
function rather than as a messaging, publicity, and media relations
function. The tradition began serendipitously with the development
of the situational theory of publics in the late 1960s, followed
by the application of organization theory to public relations, the
symmetrical model of public relations, and evaluation of communication
programs. The Excellence study, which began in 1985, brought these
middle-level theories together and produced a general theory, a theoretical
edifice, focused on the role of public relations in strategic management
and the value of relationships with strategic publics to an organization.
Since the completion of the Excellence study, scholars in this research
tradition have continued to improve and furnish the edifice by conducting
research to help public relations professionals participate in strategic
decision processes. This research has been on environmental scanning
and publics, scenario building, empowerment of public relelations,
ethics, relationships, return on investment (ROI), evaluation, relationship
cultivation strategies, specialized areas of public relations, and
global strategy. I conclude that the greatest challenge for scholars
now is to learn how to institutionalize strategic public relations
as an ongoing, accepted practice in most organizations.
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