Contribution of Public Relations to Organizational Decision Making : Insights from the Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the contribution of public relations practitioners to organizational decision making and, in particular, how this has been seen in peer-reviewed journals over the last 10 years. After a literature search, 38 articles originating from 26 different journals were further analyzed using thematic analysis. The period investigated ranged from the start of 2002 to October 2012. In the general literature on the roles of public relations practitioners, their participation in decision making was most frequently discussed in relation to its impact on decision making and enhancing managers’ understanding of the communicative aspects of decision-making processes. In the specialist literature on corporate social responsibility, the giving of strategic advice, along with ethics, crises and public affairs, was also often addressed. It seems that since 2006, the roles of public relations practitioners in facilitating decision-making processes and in communicating decisions have received more detailed attention. This paper offers a comprehensive picture of the different ways in which public relations practitioners contribute to organizational decision-making processes, showing different combinations of the roles of participator in decision making, and advisor, facilitator and disseminator of organizational decisions. The identification and description of the roles will help practitioners to reflect on their own roles in organizational decision making.