Public relations among the functions of management: a New Zealand perspective

Public Relations in New Zealand lives in a tension somewhere between where it is and where it would like to be. Its relationship to management functions currently varies according to two major variables. One is how public relations defined. The other is who defines it. These two factors have had a direct bearing on where the function is placed in the company or organization. However, changing demands in the social, commercial and media environment are having a direct impact on public relation practice in New Zealand. Academics propose the field should be viewed as a management function, as a relationship builder, as a conscience to the organization, but the reality of the marketplace is a more powerful determinant of the role of public relations. Given this apparent yawning chasm between practitioners and academics and the reality of business, this study was designed to ask senior managers from the country’s 200 largest companies how they view public relations. The study explores where public relations is placed in New Zealand business hierarchy, what perceptions business leaders have about public relation and where these senior managers are deriving their opinions from.  Download Research Paper.