Week 8

See public relations as a link between organisations and their environment

Public relations enable organisations to communicate effectively with its environment. It strives to maintain and strengthen present ties and also to forge new relations. These composed of both internal and external relations. Internal relations is made up of mainly employee communication which needs to be optimised in order to build a strong foundation of workers who is clear of the organisations’ undertakings and goals and thus able to commit to their work. External relations revolve around how PR department use corporate communication to maintain the organisations’ ties with other organisations and important stakeholders.

Use systems theory to guide your understanding and practical application of public relations

Systems theory provides a framework through which to view organisations and their relationships with the environment (Mehta.A & Xavier.R., 2009). It works like a tower made out of building blocks, each building block matters and if one fails to hold up, their entire tower will fall or sway or it might be because of gush of wind that blows the tower down. In the same way, the organisation is seen as a system where it has to create its goals (as shown by the building blocks) and how these goals helps it to adapt to the environment (as shown by the wind) in order to keep the organisation grounded (or the tower to stand).

Organisational systems rely on the exchange of inputs and outputs between the environment and the organisation (Mehta.A & Xavier.R., 2009). Inputs are resources both material and non-material, which is then transformed into output by the organisation in the form of material like products , services or actions undertaken by the organisation like plant closure or even retrenchment.

We will discuss how open and closed system is applied in public relations:

Closed systems

Closed system is when an organisation strives to work independently of their environment. Their environment is considered exclusive to them or that they are in a league of their own. As a result, their PR practitioners adopt a one way communication which revolves mainly of its own organisation concerns. Their PR practitioners also would only resort to attending to the environment’s concerns in times of crisis, again working in favour of the organisation.

Open systems

Is the opposite of closed systems. It views environment as essential to its organisation. Its’ boundaries are permeable and thus facilitates the exchange of inputs and outputs between the organisation and the environment. PR practitioners in an open system, attempts to address any concerns or changes to its organisation caused by the environment. They also practise two way communications so that any solution or actions undertaken would benefit both itself and the environment such as its key partners or stakeholders. They would also constantly address the people’s concern through their actions.

Define the roles and key areas of focus for the public relations team within an organisation

Public relations have to work with other departments in an organisation. It is not able to stand alone or remain submissive to other departments. It has to hold its place in the dominant coalition which it often competes with departments like the marketing, legal and human resources department.

Public relations and the marketing department

Both of these departments takes a customer focus however PR sees customer as part of an environment while the marketing department depends on consumers. While there has been recent discussions on the marketing-PR mix concept, their different underlying roles still needs to be emphasised upon. PR unlike the marketing department considers non-customer relationships such as relations with employees and stakeholders. However, at times these two departments have to work together such as product launches or times of crisis. Public relations help the marketing department to sell their products and services while the marketing department helps the public relations sector to gain the confidence of customers and non-customers in the environment.

Public relations and the legal department

Legal department and public relations often clash on the grounds of public opinion versus the law. Both parties have to discuss the extent of disclosure that the organisation should give to the public and reach a common consensus. Public relations practitioners have to strengthen their relationship with lawyers and to always discuss how their actions would affect the organisation’s reputation. PR practitioners should also equip themselves with knowledge on law ranging from federal to industrial laws. During times of crisis, the legal department takes the lead on the disclosure of information that the PR department can release.

Public relation and the HR department

HR department and PR must have a stable of strong working relationship in daily operations and especially in times of crisis. PR and HR department work together to minimise the impact that output decisions like restructuring and retrenchment of jobs.

Understand the differences between internal and external publics and audiences

Internal publics and audiences: Employees, consumers, stakeholders, clients, suppliers, regulators

External publics and audiences: Media relations, activists, community members,

Identify and understand how a range of external forces, including conflict, activism, and corporate social responsibility, affect the practice of PR.

Corporate social responsibility or (CSR) is the responsibility that organisations have towards its environment. PR practitioners have to show that the organisations take responsibility of the societal effects that they have created. This encompasses financial, social and ecological factors.

Conflicts are often caused by the activist publics which is ‘a group of two or more individuals who organise to influence another public or publics through action that may include education, compromise, pressure tactics or force’. (Grunig et al., 2002, 446). PR practitioners should be concerned with activists who voices out about organisational decision making. Activist public might work for or against the organisation and it is important that PR practitioners address some of their concerns as they have the potential of bringing down an organisations’ reputation. Their actions often mirror that of public relations tactics especially with the use of technology that PR practitioners have adopted.

The practice of community engagement is part of the boundary spanner role that PR plays. Kim Johnston (2007) noted that it provides a ‘framework for diversity’. This diversity mentioned here is the various effects that is made to the environment. This serves useful to PR practitioners, especially in open systems, which has to constantly engage the environment to ensure the organisation’s relevance. The community needs take precedence over the organisation wants. Considering much of the community interest means that the organisation gain in terms of social capital and thus strengthens their position in the environment.