Journal of Public Relations Research

McElreath, Mark P.; Blamphin, John M.

1994 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr0602_01

The Body of Knowledge (BOK: Public Relations Society of America, 1988, 1990, 1993) of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and other literature were used to examine priority research questions generated in a series of Delphi surveys conducted over the past 10 years. The Delphi surveys involved dozens of scholars and senior practitioners who identified priority re- search questions in the field of public relations for the 1980s and 1990s. We perused PRSA's BOK and other literature to see which aspects of the top 18 research questions for the 1990s have been answered completely or partially, to highlight gaps in this body of knowledge, and to point out opportunities for future research. Noted at the end of each partial answer to the research questions are BOK references and search terms that can be used in an electronic search of the BOK data base.

Berkowitz, Dan; Turnmire, Kirk

1994 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr0602_02

To be most effective in community relations, an organization must proactively build an understanding of a community's issue orientations. This becomes challenging because segmentation does not always follow demographic characteristics alone and because the views of latent publics are difficult to detect. This study used field interviews and a mail survey to segment community leaders' orientations toward foreign investment in local businesses. Data were examined through a cluster analysis that identified four issue orientation patterns across a set of 20 survey items. Background characteristics of the people in those orientation groups were then examined to find the characteristics that divided those opinion segments.

Weaver-Lariscy , Ruth Ann; Cameron, Glen T.; Sweep, Duane D.

1994 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr0602_03

We used a national survey of 371 public relations officers in 4-year colleges and universities to examine environmental constraints, style of research, and certain personal characteristics to determine if they differentiate female and male practitioners. First, with regard to constraints, female public relations officers are most likely to occupy what we call the conscience of the organization role, whereas their male counterparts characterize a dominant insider position. Second, no differences in use or style of research were found by gender. Although this is encouraging, it is apparent that there remain environmental constraints—notably administrator expectations—that need to be addressed. Higher education was selected as the context to study in part because it is where we educate future practitioners. With regard to gender-related stereotypical expectations, colleges and universities are not practicing in their public relations offices what they are teaching in their classrooms. Findings are framed and discussed from both individual, liberal-feminist and collective, socialist-feminist perspectives.