This book is the final product of the "excellence project"--a comprehensive research effort commissioned by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation. Going well beyond any of the previously published reports on the Excellence study, this book contains many new statistical analyses of the survey data and more details from the case studies. Discussing theory and data related to several ongoing discussions in the communication profession, this book answers the following questions: *How can we show the value of public relations? *What is the value of relationships? *How do relationships affect reputation? *What does it mean to practice communication strategically? *How can we measure and evaluate the effects of public relations programs? *Should communication programs be integrated? *How does the new female majority in the profession affect communication Excellence? This book, as well as the research it reports, is the product of symmetrical communication and collaboration. As such, it is intended for scholars, applied researchers, students, and informed professionals who understand the value of research in developing a profession, such as public relations. Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods will make it easier to understand the book; however, the results are interpreted in a way that makes the analyses understandable even to those with little or no knowledge of statistics and research methods.

This book is the initial volume coming out of the "excellence project"--a comprehensive research effort commissioned by the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) Research Foundation. The purpose of this project was to answer two fundamental questions about public relations: What are the characteristics of an excellent communication department? How does excellent public relations make an organization more effective, and how much is that contribution worth economically? The research team began its work with a thorough review of the literature in public relations and related disciplines relevant to these questions. What started as a literature review, however, has ended in a general theory of public relations, one that integrates most of the wide range of ideas about, and practices of, communication management in organizations.

This book reports findings of a three-nation study of public relations and communication management sponsored by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation. The Excellence Study provides communication managers and public relations practitioners with information critical to their own professional growth, and supplies organizations with tools that help them communicate more effectively and build beneficial relations with key publics. Communication excellence is a powerful idea of sweeping scope that applies to all organizations -- large or small -- that need to communicate effectively with publics on whom the organization's survival and growth depend. The essential elements of excellent communication are the same for corporations, not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, and professional/trade associations. And they are applicable on a global basis. The study identifies three spheres of communication excellence. These spheres consider the overall function and role of communication in organizations, and define the organization of this book. They are: * the core or inner sphere of communication excellence -- the knowledge base of the communication department, * the shared expectations of top communicators and senior managers about the function and role of communication, and * the organization's culture -- the larger context that either nurtures or impedes communication excellence. This text also examines communication excellence as demonstrated in specific programs developed for specific publics.

What is public relations? What do public relations professionals do? And what are the theoretical underpinnings that drive the discipline? This handbook provides an up-to-date overview of one of the most contested communication professions. The volume is structured to take readers on a journey to explore both the profession and the discipline of public relations. It introduces key concepts, models, and theories, as well as new theorizing efforts undertaken in recent years. Bringing together scholars from various parts of the world and from very different theoretical and disciplinary traditions, this handbook presents readers with a great diversity of perspectives in the field.

The public relations landscape has changed dramatically from what it was in 1989, when the original Public Relations Theory volume was published. Reflecting the substantial shifts in the intervening years, Public Relations Theory II, while related to the first volume, is more a new work than a revision. Editors Carl H. Botan and Vincent Hazleton have brought together key theorists and scholars in public relations to articulate the current state of public relations theory, chronicling the ongoing evolution of public relations as a field of study. The contributors to this volume represent the key figures in the discipline, and their chapters articulate the significant advances in public relations theory and research. Working from the position that public relations is a theoretically grounded and research based discipline with the potential to bring numerous areas of applied communication together, Botan and Hazleton have developed this volume to open up the public relations field to a broad variety of theories. Organized into two major sections--Foundations, and Tools for Tomorrow--the volume presents four types of chapters: discussions addressing how public relations should be understood and practiced; examinations of theories from other areas applied to public relations; explorations of theories about a specific area of public relations practice; and considerations of public relations theories and research that have not been given sufficient attention in the past or that hold particular promise for the future of public relations. It serves as a thorough overview of the current state of theory in public relations scholarship. Like its predecessor, Public Relations Theory II will be influential in the future development of public relations theory. Taken as a whole, the chapters in this book will help readers develop their own sense of direction for public relations theory. Public Relations Theory II is an essential addition to the library of every public relations scholar, and is appropriate for use in advanced public relations theory coursework as well as for study and reference.

The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication THIS NEW EDITION of The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication contains a comprehensive collection of practical knowledge about successful corporate communication and its effect on an organization as a whole. Thoroughly revised and updated to meet the realities of today’s organizational environment, the second edition of The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication includes fresh case studies and original chapters. This vital resource contains information that is relevant to communicators in any organization, from global conglomerates to small businesses, public companies to private firms, and for-profits to nonprofits. The expert contributors cover a wealth of relevant topics, including how to excel at executive communication and executive coaching, an in-depth examination of communication counsel, a review of communication and ethics as a whole, a review of corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues, and how to prepare for communication during a crisis. The book also contains information on current issues and trends such as the effects of the recent recession and new technologies that affect strategic communication management. A review of internal and employee communication issues, the growing need for international and multicultural communication, and strategies for combining traditional and social media are explored in detail. Whether you are a professional communicator or a corporate executive without a background in the communication discipline, you will gain new insight into traditional and emerging issues in organizational communication and learn what it takes to reach stakeholders both inside and outside the organization.

'Reputation Management' is a how-to-guide for professionals and students in corporate communications that rests on the premise that corporate reputations can be measured, monitored, and managed.

Unifies social science research and management theory with public relations techniques to provide a solid theoretical foundation. Covers the management as well as the techniques of public relations, emphasising decision-making and evaluation.

This book provides an executive overview of the field of public relations with a focus on what managers need to know to master the function quickly and effectively. The authors bring to bear on the topic of public relations management our research and academic knowledge in the areas of business management and strategy, mass communication, marketing, public relations, organizational communication, journalism, ethics, and public opinion along with years of professional experience in managing public relations.

The Future of Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management brings together a stellar collection of public relations scholars to address the question: What will happen to continue the seminal theory building in public relations, bolstered by the work of James E. Grunig and Larissa A. Grunig, and the groundbreaking 1992 IABC Excellence Study examining best practices in the field? This volume presents a challenge to future researchers, encouraging consideration of other theoretical research problems that will lead to improving the management practice of public relations. This collection advances scholarly and practitioner understanding of excellence in public relations and communication management, and as such, public relations and communications scholars, in addition to practitioners and graduate students studying these areas, will benefit immensely by reading the work in this volume.