Public Relations Leaders as Sensemakers: A Global Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management

365 Pages·2014·1.451 MB·English

by  Bruce K. Berger, Juan Meng

PUBLIC RELATIONS LEADERS
AS SENSEMAKERS
Public Relations Leaders as Sensemakers presents foundational research on the public relations
profession, providing a current and compelling picture of expanding global practice. Utiliz-
ing data from one of the largest studies ever conducted in the fi eld, and representing the
perspectives of 4,500 practitioners, private and state-run companies, communication agencies,
government agencies, and nonprofi ts, this work advances a theory of integrated leadership
in public relations and highlights future research needs and educational implications.
This volume is appropriate for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in
international public relations and communication management, as well as scholars in
global public relations, communication management, and business. It is also intended to
supplement courses in public relations theory, strategic communication, business manage-
ment, and leadership development.
Bruce K. Berger, PhD, is professor emeritus of advertising and public relations at the
University of Alabama. He was the co-principal investigator for the global leadership
study. He serves as research director for the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Rela-
tions at the University of Alabama and as editor of the Organizational Communication
Research Center online site for the Institute for Public Relations. Previously, Berger was
a public relations professional and executive for The Upjohn Company and Whirlpool
Corporation for 20 years. He worked on communication projects in more than
30 countries. His research focuses on communication management and leadership, employee
communications and power relations inside organizations. He has authored or edited four
books and more than 80 book chapters and scholarly and professional articles.
Juan Meng, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations in the Grady
College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She was
the co-principal investigator for the global leadership study. She is a Fellow of the Plank
Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama. Her research focuses
on the quantitative measurement of public relations leadership, leadership development in
a global context, strategic stakeholder engagement, and corporate reputation management
in evolving markets. Her research on public relations leadership has been published in T he
SAGE Handbook of Public Relations, Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review,
Public Relations Journal, and Journal of Communication Management, among others.
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PUBLIC RELATIONS
LEADERS AS
SENSEMAKERS
A Global Study of Leadership in
Public Relations and Communication
Management
Edited by
Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng
First published 2014
by R outledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2014 Taylor & Francis
The right of the editor to be identifi ed as the author of the editorial
material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted
in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
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Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book.
ISBN: 978-0-415-71091-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-71092-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-85893-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Dedicated to Betsy Ann Plank (1924–2010)
Leader, mentor, teacher, counselor and, above all,
friend and kindred spirit to thousands
of public relations practitioners, educators and students.
Godspeed, Betsy.
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CONTENTS
Dedication v
List of Figures xi
List of Tables xiii
Contributors xv
Preface xxiii
Acknowledgments xxvii
SECTION I
Shining a Light on Leadership in Public Relations 01
1 Making Sense of Leaders and Leadership in Public Relations 03
Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng
2 Review of the Leadership Literature 16
Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng
3 Research Design and Methods 38
Juan Meng and Bruce K. Berger
4 Profi le of Survey and Interview Participants 55
Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng
viii Contents
SECTION II
Results and Implications of the Global Leadership Survey 61
5 The Context for Leadership in Public Relations: Key Issues
in the Field 63
Ansgar Zerfass, Anne Linke, and Ulrike Röttger
6 Strategies and Tactics Leaders Use to Manage Issues 80
Bryan H. Reber
7 Leadership Dimensions and Issue Management 95
Juan Meng
8 Development of Future Leaders 111
Yan Jin
9 Perceptions of Leaders, Organizations, and the Profession 125
Elina Erzikova and Baiba Pētersone
SECTION III
Conversations With Leaders in Public Relations 139
10 Public Relations Leadership in the Chinese-Speaking
Countries: Talent Development in the Dynamic,
Digital Age 141
Chun-ju Flora Hung-Baesecke, Yan Jin, and Juan Meng
11 Leadership in a Transforming Environment: Perspectives
from Public Relations Leaders in India 156
Nilanjana R. Bardhan and Padmini Patwardhan
12 Past, Present and Future Public Relations in South Korea:
Issues, Work Environments, and Leadership 171
Jae-Hwa Shin, Jaesub Lee, Jongmin Park, and Kwang Hee Kim
13 Leadership in Communication Management: Enduring and
Emerging Challenges in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland 186
Ulrike Röttger, Janne Stahl, and Ansgar Zerfass
14 Addressing Organizational and Sociopolitical Changes
Through Leadership in Public Relations in Latvia 201
Baiba Pētersone and Bryan H. Reber
Contents ix
15 Taking on the Bear: Public Relations Leaders Confronting
Russian Challenges 217
Elina Erzikova
16 Spain: Public Relations Leadership in an Age of Turbulence 232
Cristina Navarro Ruiz and Ángeles Moreno
17 Transcultural Study on Leadership in Public Relations and
Communications Management: Results for Brazil 247
Andréia S. Athaydes, Gustavo Becker, Rodrigo Silveira Cogo,
Mateus Furlanetto, and Paulo Nassar
18 Key Leadership Challenges and Factors in
Public Relations and Communications in Mexico 262
Marco V. Herrera and Rebeca I. Arévalo Martínez
19 U.S. Public Relations Leaders Pursue Talent,
Digital Mastery, and Strong Cultures 278
Bruce K. Berger, Juan Meng, William Heyman,
Mark Harris, and Mark Bain
SECTION IV
Creating the Future 295
20 The Global Study and Leadership in the Future 297
Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng
Appendices
Appendix A: Online Survey 315
Global Study of Leadership in Public Relations and
Communication Management
Appendix B: Interview Guide 325
Global Study of Leadership in Public Relations and
Communication Management
Index 327