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Excellence in Public Relations and
Communication Management
James E. Grunig
Department of Communication
University of Maryland
About the Excellence Study
310 organizations
Communication heads, CEOs,
3,400 employees
Canada, UK, and US
1,700 questions from each organization
24 qualitative cases
Research Question 1
The Effectiveness Question
How, why, and to what extent
does communication affect the
achievement of organizational
objectives?
Organizational Effectiveness
For many years, organizational scholars
have debated the question of what
makes an organization more effective.
To show that public relations has value
to the organization, we must be able to
show that effective communication
programs and functions contribute to
organizational effectiveness.
Value of Public Relations
To an Organization
Public relations contributes to
organizational effectiveness when it helps
reconcile the organization's goals with the
expectations of its strategic publics. This
contribution has monetary value to the
organization. Public relations contributes
to effectiveness by building quality, longterm relationships with strategic publics.
Effectiveness at the Societal
Level
Organizations have an impact beyond
their own bottom line. They also affect
other individuals, publics, and
organizations in society. As a result,
organizations cannot be said to be
effective unless they also are socially
responsible; and public relations can be
said to have value when it contributes to
the social responsibility of organizations.
Value of the
Public Relations Function
CEOs report 186% return on investment
in communication function for all
organizations
CEOs with excellent communication
programs report 225% return on
investment in public relations
Effects of Excellent
Communication
Programs meet communication objectives.
Good, long-term relationships are
established with publics.
Reduces costs of regulation, pressure, and
litigation by managing conflict.
Employees are satisfied with the
organization.
Research Question 2
The Excellence Question
What characteristics of a public
relations/communication department
increase the likelihood that it will
contribute to organizational
effectiveness?
Public Relations Unit Headed by a
Manager Rather Than a Technician
Technicians are essential to carry out
day-to-day communication activities.
Yet, excellent public relations units
have at least one senior manager who
directs public relations programs or
this direction is supplied by other
members of the dominant coalition
who have no knowledge of public
relations.
Empowerment of Public Relations in the
Dominant Coalition or a Direct Reporting
Relationship to Senior Management
In effective organizations, the senior
public relations person is part of or has
access to the group of senior managers
with greatest power in the organization.
Integrated Public Relations
Function
Excellent departments integrate all public
relations functions into a single department
or have a mechanism to coordinate the
departments. Only in an integrated system
of public relations is it possible for public
relations to develop new communication
programs for changing strategic publics.
Public Relations a Management
Function Separate From Other
Functions
Many organizations splinter the public relations
function by making it a supporting tool for other
departments such as marketing, human
resources, law, or finance. When the public
relations function is sublimated to other
functions, it cannot be managed strategically
because it cannot move communication
resources from one strategic public to another-as an integrated public relations function can.
Involvement of Public Relations
in Strategic Management
An organization that practices public
relations strategically develops
programs to communicate with the
strategic publics, both external and
internal, that provide the greatest
threats to and opportunities for the
organization.
Strategic Management
Issues management is the link between
public relations and strategic
management.
Involves scanning the environment.
Results in identifying publics likely to
make issues out of managerial decisions.
Leads to developing relationships with
those publics.
Two-way Symmetrical Model
of Public Relations
Two-way symmetrical public relations is
based on research and uses communication
to manage conflict and improve
understanding with strategic publics.
Excellent public relations departments
model more of their communication
programs on this model than on the press
agentry, public information, or two-way
asymmetrical models.
Dimensions of
Excellent Communication
Symmetrical
Two-way
Ethical
Interpersonal OR mediated
A Symmetrical System
of Internal Communication
Excellent organizations have decentralized
management structures that give autonomy
to employees and allow them to participate
in decision-making. They also have
participative, symmetrical systems of
internal communication. Symmetrical
communication with employees increases
satisfaction with the organization because
employee goals are incorporated into the
organizational mission.
Organizational Context for
Excellence
Excellent public relations departments
are nourished by participative rather
than authoritarian cultures, activist
pressure from the environment, and
organic rather than mechanical
management structures.
Knowledge for Managerial Role
and Symmetrical Public Relations
Excellent programs are staffed by
professionals--people who are
educated in the body of knowledge, are
active in professional associations, and
read professional literature.
Diversity Embodied in All Roles
The principle of requisite variety states that
effective organizations have as much
diversity inside the organization as in the
environment. Excellent public relations
includes both men and women in all roles,
as well as practitioners of different racial,
ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
Globalization of Public Relations
 Generic principles
The characteristics
Of excellent public relations
 Specific applications needed for
Culture
Political system
Economic system
Extent of activism
Level of development
Media systems
Research on PR Excellence in
Slovenia
1992 survey of 30 Slovenian
companies conducted by PR
institute/PRISTOP.
1993 qualitative study of
PRISTOP.
Slovenian Excellence Study
Generic principles cluster into the same
excellence scale as in Anglo countries.
Excellent public relations is practiced less
extensively in Slovenia.
Slovenian practitioners less involved in
strategic management and less valued by
top management.
Slovenian Excellence Study
Less knowledge to practice the
managerial role and two-way
symmetrical communication.
Activist pressure similar to Anglo
countries, but CEOs and PR Heads
less likely to engage activists and
communicate with them.
Slovenian Excellence Study
Internally, Slovenian organizations
have more authoritarian cultures,
asymmetrical communication, and
employee dissatisfaction.
Qualitative Study of PRISTOP
Generic principles apply in Slovenia.
Especially important are:
–
–
–
–
Power of the public relations function.
Professional knowledge.
Separation from other functions.
Symmetrical employee communication.
Few managers understand strategic
management.
Ethics should be a generic principle.
Some Specific Applications
Heads of PR made more visible to top
management and empowered.
Continuing education in PR required.
Women empowered.
Research included in program, at first for
no cost.
Activists brought into organizations.
More Specific Applications
A world view—a definition—of PR
developed with clients.
Adverse publicity used to call
management’s attention to the underlying
reasons for the publicity.
Symmetrical communication introduced
incrementally.
Books: The Excellence Series
James E. Grunig (ed.). (1992). Excellence in
Public Relations and Communication
Management. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
David M. Dozier with Larissa A. Grunig &
James E. Grunig (1995). Manager’s Guide
to Excellence in Public Relations and
Communication Management. Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
Books: The Excellence Series
Larissa A. Grunig, James E. Grunig, &
David M. Dozier (2002). Excellent Public
Relations and Effective Organizations: A
Study of Communication Management in
Three Countries. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
Books:
Women in Public Relations
Larissa A. Grunig, Elizabeth Lance Toth, &
Linda Childers Hon (2001). Women in
Public Relations: How Gender Influences
Practice. Guilford Publications.