Monday, March 8, 2010

Week 10

Week 10's reading is "Public Relations Management in Organizations", by Amisha Mehta and Robina Xavier (2009).

From this reading, I got to know about PR has 2 sides of communication, and that is either a "closed" or "open" system.

According to Cutlip, Center & Broom (2006) cited in Mehta and Xavier (2009), closed system in public relations means that the PR practitioner or the organization in general, uses a one-way communication method, whereby the organization is less likely to interact with its environment or the public. As Skinner and Shanklin (1978) cited in Mehta and Xavier (2009) say that this system practiced in PR is to protect the corporation's image. And due to its nature of minimal contact with the general public, the corporation is unable to grab hold and make use of opportunities that the corporation might have to put forward its objectives and not to mention, its inability to deal with problems that might come in its way (Mehta & Xavier, 2009).

Personally, this form of communication is not transparent with the public as it only gives out information that it wants the public to know, but it does not exchange views with the public. The public does not get to have a say in what or how it feels about the organization, so that the organization can address the issue.

In an open system however, Cutlip, Center & Broom (2006) and Morgan (1998) cited in Mehta & Xavier (2009) states that such systems usually communicate with their publics in order to gain inputs and exchange outputs. Thus, with this exchange of views, the organisation is said to be more effective and efficient in adapting to crisis and change-prioritizing the changes in its surroundings.

On this point, I think that corporations that practice open communication systems are socially responsible as they think of how their actions would affect the society at large. As they hear and engage the public, such corporations are able to better handle crises and situations. This in turn benefits both the corporation and the public.

Having said that, ends my take on Public Relations management in organizations.

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