Public Relations Essay Example for Free

Public Relations Essay The corporate scandals of 2002 has affected business organization’s climate that company’s reputation becomes paramount to its success if not its survival. The impact of this corporate greed has wide implications that hit average Americans in the form of unemployment, and exhausted retirement savings. During this time of organizational crises, corporate credibility is at an all time low and public doubts have spread over into investment market. This situation made it necessary to restore public confidence and trust that public relations professional can adequately provide. Public relations therefore play an important role in restoring public and confidence and trust in corporate world. Keywords: Crises, scandal, greed, credibility, doubts, market, confidence Synonyms, related terms: Crises– dilemma; related terms:   problems, Corporate scandal – Business organization’s disgrace; related terms: Company issues, negative organizational comment Corporate greed – business organization’s greediness for profit; related terms: Corruption, fraudulent, bribery Corporate credibility – business organization’s integrity, related terms:   Honesty, credibility, reliability, and uprightness Public doubts – public suspicions; related terms: fears, uncertainties, worries Investment market – Potential business, related terms: business enterprise, business venture Public confidence – public trust; related terms: patronage, loyalty Search statements: Three statements that will be the basis of this research are as follow: 1. Public Relations are a position in a company that does make over to enhanced company refutation. 2. Public Relations help companies gain positive corporate image 3. Public relations is a set of management, supervisory, and technical function The question above gives a particular significance on Public Relations particularly when a certain business organization, or when somebody in a high place wanted to have some make over of his reputation. Public relation is all about relating or communicating to the public a relationship that is largely mediated by the press. According to an article published by the University of Texas in Austin entitled Career Opportunities in Public Relations Public Relations as an agency, communicates the message to the press rather than directly to the particular target. The objective of PR according to the article is to use the Media in order to create a very powerful message or to be able to project a good image in the eyes of the public (Communication Career Service). Public relations work in the corporations, among individual and other organizations with messages to communicate. However, David W. Guth author (95) of Organizational Crises Experience and Public Relations Roles cited Scott M. Cutlip, Allen H. center, and Glen M. Groom four –pronged model of public relations roles: the expert- prescriber (or the definer of problems and implementor of solutions), the communication facilitator (or the mediator concerned with maintaining two-way communications),   the communication technician (or the non-manager concerned with preparation of communications), and the problem-solving process facilitator (or the Collaborator with other managers in defining and solving problems (Guth, F. 1995, p.4) Based on the above models of Public Relations, it is no wonder that Public relations play an important role in crises management. The expert prescriber or the definers of problems and the implementers of solution are the very public relations model that addressed management crises in business organization. Guth also cited a similar model developed by James Grunig and Todd T. Hunt that reinforce public relations a function of the organization and its environment. The four models of public relations served to either to make over of one’s image, or to enhance company refutation. 2. Public relations help companies gained positive corporate image. The University of Texas in Austin article pointed out that, an â€Å"in-house† public relation’s department is responsible with the corporate image and identity. The PR facilitates everything about the company relations and dealings particularly with the media and other stakeholders of the company. The PR department arranges every thing, from product marketing communication, sending out press releases to the media, and cultivating congenial relationships. Hugh M. Culbertson and Ni Chen explain (1996) that public relations are â€Å"a bit of everything which promotes and helps a smooth functioning of the organization† (p. 183). Culbertson and Chen emphasized those public relations connections to marketing have identified PR to help build product identification with the company. Thus, Culbertson and Chen cited that most senior executives and practitioner identified public relations as, â€Å"an effort, to build and maintain the positive image of the organization† (p. 184). Public relations practitioners in today’s changing and confrontational era are expected to plan for, and manage corporate crises. Public relations have evolved from being a mere message carrier to accommodating, listening to public, assessing their needs, demands and expectations, and resolving conflict between groups. 3. Public Relations are a set of management, supervisory and technical function. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) cited in their paper a popular publication that offered explanation that Public Relations is a management function that assess public attitudes, categorizes the policies and procedures of an individual or organization with the public interest, and plans, and implement a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. It is quite apparent that the scope of Public Relations encompassed the whole of a business organization from trouble shooting of the management crises to product identification with the company, down to building positive image of the company. The PRSA noted that today, public relations profession are being sought after not just for roles in developing improved relationship with multi cultural communities, but also for skills and public relation function that affects all sections of society. The PRSA article aptly stated that the functions of Public Relations today take many forms in various organizations, including titles such as public information, public affairs, investor relations, corporate communications, marketing communications, corporate affairs, marketing or product publicity, and consumer service or customer relations (Miller, D. Ford, R.., 2003, p. 2). According to Miller and Ford, seasoned public relations practitioners often carry the title of vice presidents with salaries from $75, 000 to $200,000. Because public relations practitioners are engaged in multiple functions, they tend to be well paid. The salary survey 2003 reveals that the average beginning salary in public relations for a newly hired with baccalaureate degree is between $35, 324- 36,667. The task that a public relations practitioner includes analyzing, issues, problems, and opportunities, defining goals and so forth which can be compared to managerial, supervisory, and technical functions. Over all, Public Relations are important components not only of business organizations but also of rich and famous who wanted to project their better side before the public eye. The Public Relations is the troubleshooter during when there is crises management, and the endorser of new products in order for it to be identified with the marketing company.   Public Relations role in the business society benefits not only corporate owners and those that have the need to polish their image before the public but the practitioners as public relations is fast becoming an industry of its own although currently there is misunderstanding between the difference of the role of marketing and public relations. Erica Austin and Bruce Pinkleton (2006) noted that public relations strive hard to help organizations develop and preserve the variety and relationship that ensure the long-term success.