Transcript Defining Public Relations as a Strategic Management Function

Defining Public Relations as a
Strategic Management Function
ISSUES AND TRENDS IN PUBLIC
RELATIONS, ISSUES MANAGEMENT AND
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Learning Unit 1.5
10 March 2011
2
 Feedback on Project Legacy - action
 Response email to Lead SA - action
 Important words of 2010
 Feedback on the use of the Internet in
environmental scanning
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
3
Issues and trends in Public Relations
Issues management
 Organisational change and the role of
Public Relations
 Change management
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
4
Issues and trends in Public Relations
• Edward Bernays advocated licensing for PRPs as the only way to
•
•
•
•
gain and maintain credibility
Grunig asserts that Public Relations must achieve professional
status before its social role and advice as a PR counsellor will be
accepted
Technology has created a global village
In addition, SA’s Public Relations profession must be aware of what
the markets need in its unique business environment
Important to identify current issues and trends
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
5
Shift in Public Relations
 The function of Public Relations is often now called
Communication
 It denotes communication on behalf of the organisation
 Communication activities:
 Are aimed at increasing organisational effectiveness through
stakeholder relationships (Argenti, 2009)
 Include all communication from management, is aimed at all
staff and reflects the organisation as a whole such as website,
annual report, CI, corporate advertising and investor relations
 Excludes department, brand or subsidiary communication
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
6
Shortcomings in the traditional role
of Public Relations
According to Puth (2002):
 Not a decision-making role
 Implements policy, not shaper
of policy
 No understanding of business,
social, political problems or
top industry issues
 Unable to see big picture
 Fails to address strategic
issues
 Is reactive, not proactive
 Does not do research
 Lacks business, management
and planning skills
 Measures outputs rather than
outcomes
 Does not integrate strategic
information obtained into the
strategies of the larger
organisation
 Does not integrate the
function into its larger
organisational domain
 Awaits decisions to act
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
7
Need for strategist role
• Shortcomings of technician role led to perception that Public
•
•
•
•
Relations is not a strategic management function
PRP needs to also manage the function by means of a long-term
plan and vision for communication in the organisation
The solution is strategy and a strategic approach
PRP should be able to identify issues and trends in
communication and assess its impact on the organisation
PRP should know how to use that knowledge to advise top
management and communicate to stakeholders
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
8
Communication of issues and trends

Issues management is a management process to deal with public policy
foresight and planning in private sector organisations

Does not manage the public policy process itself

It is the management of resources and participation in successfully resolving
issues in public policy process that could affect the future of the
organisation and its stakeholders

Helps organisations to integrate public policy planning and strategic
planning – it helped strategic planning mature from budgeting to long-term
planning

It is done jointly by the organisation’s Planning and Public Relations
functions
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
9
Issues management functions
Effective issues management involves (Manual p 46):
• Integrating public policy process/planning into strategic planning
• Monitoring performance to identify public opinion
• Implementing ethical codes of social accountability
• Assisting management in decision-making and adjusting goals
• Identifying issues of greatest impact on the organisation
• Creating response plans from the issue-change options
• Establishing grassroots contact with co-operators
• Communicating about important issues to establish an agenda, gain
support and mitigate undesired effects
• Evaluating the impact of efforts, direct ongoing improvements and
make further recommendations to management
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
10
Organisational change
Significant organisational change:
o Begins slowly
o Should be incrementally implemented
o Is subject to change as information is gathered and feedback
given about the effectiveness of the process
• Incremental implementation is supported or put forward by those
that have extensive experience in planned organisational change
• Change processes may initially be non-inclusive when only
a
small fraction of the work-force is involved
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
11
Change in organisations
• Change is a complex issue because behaviour will always be
affected by it
• Change can be internal or external, planned or unplanned
• Managers need to familiarise themselves with reasons for change
and people’s reaction to the change
• Organisational change implies a structured approach to
transitioning individuals, teams and the organisation itself from a
current state to a desired future state
• Organisational change includes change management processes and
individual change management models to manage the people side
of change
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
12
Change management issues
 Issues include technology, globalisation, accelerated change,
environmental problems, need for co-operation, globalisation
 Managing change will fail if:
 Change communication and strategic corporate thinking are not
connected
 There is a lack of Public Relations strategy and policy
 There is a lack of implementing strategic management plans to
address change
 There is a lack of aligning communication strategy with the
organisation’s strategic corporate plan
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
13
Change management 1
Change management is:
 The process of continually renewing an organisation’s direction,
structure and capabilities to serve the ever-changing needs of
external and internal audiences
 It is not a discipline, but acknowledges the reality of organisations
that are operating in dynamic, changing environments
 It is the process that drives transformation in and for organisations
 It cannot be ignored
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
14
Change management 2
Two distinct forms of change which depend on the turbulence of the
environments in which they operate
Continuous change
 Gradual shifts in the economy,
government legislation and
consumer demand
 Incremental change,
evolutionary or convergent
 Small-scale, individualised
and localised change
 Can strategise and plan for it
in a pro-active manner
Discontinuous change
 More dramatic, can alter
industries and economies
beyond recognition
 Requires innovative response
 Profound change, also called
radical, comprehensive,
fundamental, revolutionary
 Takes place on a large-scale
 At foundation of organisations
DPR3-Public Relations -Learning Unit 1.5
2/3/2010
15
Change management strategies 1
• Education and communication - accurate information for
people to understand the reasons or purpose for change
• Participation and involvement – involving people in
designing the change process to reduce their resistance to
change
• Facilitation and support – additional training sessions to
ease people’s fears and anxieties
• Negotiation and agreement - to reach consensus about
change
LU1.5- Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
16
Change management strategies 2
• Manipulating and co-opting – some managers revert to
•
•
covert methods to influence people which may have
temporary effect but not long-term compliance
Establishing trust - makes it easier to implement change
Plan the change in stages – implement the change
strategically and in steps so that people can adapt
Organisations - as open social systems - are constantly
in interaction with broader society, which result in
change over time to the purpose, form and function of
organisations
LU1.5 - Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
17
Initiation of change
Internal and external factors initiate change
• External factors: new technology, changes in the market
place, changing customer expectations, competitor activities,
quality and standards, government legislation and prevailing
political values and economic cycles
• Internal factors: Management philosophy, organisational structure,
organisational culture and internal systems of power and control
• Change is the process that drives transformation in and for
organisations
LU1.5 - Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
18
Communication change paradigms
Communication’s role in the new paradigm of change management
significantly differs from previous paradigms (manual, p 55):
Used for positive and negative feedback
Two way symmetrical communication, mutual consultation and
free flow of all-directions dialogue
Used to manage change: explain, coach, sensitise
Viewed as central to change and used to promote participation –
broad and interactive communication
Creates a supportive climate which facilitates learning and makes
training more effective
Used to challenge the status quo and by leaders to discuss and
involve other in change process
LU1.5 - Issues & Trends, Issues Management, Change Management
10/3/2011
19
Project Legacy action plan