Theories, That PR Practitioners Consider While Building Relationship With Target Audience

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I’m thankful to you for reading my earlier blogs and sharing your views. I really feel encouraged after reading your feedback in the comments column. Friends, presenting to you my 49^th blog titled “Theories, that PR practitioner consider building relationship with target publics”.

You might have definitely read definitions of Public Relations given by different PR associations like IPRA, PRSA, CIPR, PR teachers / authors and practitioners of public relations. I have also shared “About Public Relations - Who Said What” in two of my earlier blogs on this blog page.  

Friends, in this blog I will share those theories that PR practitioners consider building relationship with the target public. There are five theories that public relations practitioners refers and use worldwide as these theories provide an understanding of the relationship between actions and events and also clarify how one can make public relations more effective for an organization. And, those five theories are…..

1.      Systems Theory

2.      Situational Theory

3.      Persuasion & Social Influence Theory

4.      Social Exchange Theory

5.      Diffusion of Innovation Theory

Lets us understand how each of the above theory makes the practice of public relations more effective.

Systems theory

Systems theory is made up of interrelated parts, adapting and adjusting to changes in the political, economic and social environment in which they operate. It is used to explain how public relations helps understand and manage the relationships an organization has with its stakeholders and publics who make up its environment. Generally, the organization that focuses on their clients, customers and other stakeholders are the part of open systems. They are open to new ideas and positive criticism. System theory is not only used to examine the relationship with external stakeholders but also to look at the internal functions and stakeholders of the organization. As per the systems theory, public relation practitioners advise the decision makers of the organization i.e. CEO, COO, CFO, CMO, etc. about problems and opportunities in the environment and help these decision makers respond to the changes. The decision makers of the organization allow for the two-way flow of resources and information between the organization and environment. Public relations practitioners are the go-betweens, explaining the organization to its stakeholders and interpreting the environment to the organization.

Situational Theory

As the name suggests, it is about identifying that group of people within the overall group who can influence all the stakeholders. They are the active people who have the power to influence the larger groups of people and, the PR practitioners can easily identify those active people working in different departments of the organisation to strategically communicate to those people within the overall stakeholder groups to get desired outcome. As regard to situational theory, there are three variables that predicts when public seek and process information about an issue and these variables are….

1.      Problem Recognition,

2.      Constraint Recognition,

3.      Level of Involvement.

Problem Recognition: It is important for people to first recognize an issue and its potential impact on them.

Constraint Recognition: Describes the way people perceive the problem before any solution..

Level of Involvement: Actual involvement of people i.e. to correctly recognize the issue, think about the possible solutions and solve the problem with the help of the people concerned.

The situational theory explains and helps to understand what the affected public wants rather than organization’s choice of information to distribute. It also assumes that public will pay attention and seek out information that is in their best interest.

Persuasion & Social Influence Theory

Persuasion is “the use of communication in an attempt to shape, change, and or reinforce perception, affect (feelings), cognition (thinking) and or behavior. Public Relations try to persuade the target audience to learn new information, to change emotions and to act in a certain way. A successful persuasive attempt generates cognitive, effective, or behavioral modification in the target public.

The social influence theory, as proposed by Kelman (1958), is that an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and subsequent actions or behaviors are influenced by referent others through three processes: compliance, identification, and internalization. Kelman (1958) posited that social influence brings about changes in attitude and actions, and that changes may occur at different “levels.” This difference in the level of changes can be attributed by the differences in the processes through which individuals accept influence. Kelman (1958) delineated three primary processes of influence as described below:

·         Compliance is assumed to occur when individuals accept influence and adopt the induced behavior to gain rewards (or, approval) and avoid punishments (or, disapproval). Hence, “the satisfaction derived from compliance is due to the social effect of accepting influence.”

·         Identification is said to happen when individuals adopt the induced behavior in order to create or maintain a desired and beneficial relationship to another person or a group. Hence, the satisfaction occurs due to “the act of conforming.”

·         Internalization is assumed to occur when individuals accept influence after perceiving the content of the induced behavior is rewarding in which the content indicates the opinions and actions of others. It is also stated that individuals adopt the induced behavior realizing that it is congruent with their value system.

Social Exchange Theory

Social Exchange Theory, which was propounded by John Thibaut & Harold Kelley, uses the economic metaphor of costs and benefits to predict behavior. The theory applies to many fields of study, including interpersonal communication, public relations, and theories of organizations. People always have the expectation to get their reward high and cost low, but not at the cost of their customers. Sometimes, it is difficult for organizations to look for a long term benefits. In that case, it is essential for public relations practitioners to let the decision maker of an organization analyze the whole range of options along with the associated costs and rewards.

Diffusion of Innovation Theory

Diffusion of Innovation theory, developed by E.M.Rogers which explain how, overtime, an idea or product gains momentum and diffuses or spreads) through a specific population or social system. The end result of this diffusion is that people, as a part of social system, adopt a new idea, behaviour or product. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory helps the PR professionals or the organisation to reach important decisions.

Following five steps are to accept the idea of diffusion…..

1.      Awareness i.e. the individual has been exposed to the idea.

2.      Interest i.e. the idea has to arouse the individual.

3.      Evaluation i.e. the individual must consider the idea as potentially useful.

4.      Trial i.e. the individual tries out the idea on others.

5.      Adoption i.e. final acceptance of the idea after having successfully passed through the four earlier stages.

 

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