The contribution of public relations to organisational decision making and autopoiesis of organisations : the perspective of the Luhmannian social system paradigm

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation investigates the contribution of public relations professionals to organisational decision-making processes and autopoiesis of organisations. The research approach utilises Niklas Luhmann’s functional method approach, regarded as an observational tool to create a distinction between problems and solutions. The research progresses through three parts: Part 1, the preliminary empirical work; Part 2, insights gained from academic articles and reports, and Part 3, empirical work on the perceptions of professionals. This qualitative, content-oriented, interpretive research approach concludes that public relations (PR) is a responsive, managing and adapting function in organisational decision making. In addition to responsibilities in gathering, interpreting and distributing of information, PR professionals counsel, manage the process, and implement the outcomes of decision-making processes. Overall, PR contributes to decision making and autopoiesis, the self-production of organisations on three levels: operational, tactical and strategic. As a central conclusion, this dissertation presents a model to clarify the contribution of PR to organisational decision making. This autopoiesis contribution model emphasises the internal operations of organisations and describes how PR as a reflective function contributes through various decision- making strategies. The results of the studies and the model provide a foundation for a better understanding of PR’s function in organisational decision making and further enable professionals to support organisational autopoiesis.