Four predictors of management decision making in hospital public relations

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Authors
Skibba, Margaret J.
Advisor
Issue Date
1994
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.A.)
Department
Department of Journalism
Other Identifiers
Abstract

It has been suggested by a number of scholars that the role of the public relations professional in management decision making is likely to be determined by the practitioner's perceived role (Dozier, 1992; Broom & Dozier, 1986; Johnson & Acharya, 1982; Brody, 1985; Allen, 1980), gender (Piekos & Einsiedel, 1989; Toth, 1988; Broom, 1982; Scrimger, 1985), and involvement in evaluation research (Broom, 1986; Close, 1980; Dozier, 1984; Dozier & Gottesman, 1982; Judd, 1987) and environmental scanning practices (Katz & Kahn, 1966; Dozier, 1986; Broom, 1986). The goal of this study is to attempt to determine if these factors are valid predictors of the participation in management decision making in hospital settings.Broom and Dozier (1986) have identified four roles that have been defined as those primarily played by public relations practitioners. These roles-expert prescriber, communication facilitator, problem-solving process facilitator and communication technician-are played by every practitioner from time to time but only one tends to be the dominant or main function of the practitioner (Broom & Dozier, 1986; Johnson & Acharya, 1982).Throughout the history of public relations, the gender of the practitioner has been studied as it relates to the role of the practitioner (Broom, 1982; Piekos & Einsiedel, 1989, Scrimger,1985). Overall, men seem to play the more prominent role in decision making functions while women are more likely to be in the role of the communication technician (Broom, 1982; Piekos & Einsiedel, 1989; Scrimger, 1985; Toth, 1988). Most of the studies done thus far have concentrated on corporate public relations. This study seeks to determine if gender affects practitioner decision making in hospitals.Evaluation of public relations programs is being discussed more frequently in the literature (Close, 1980; Broom, 1986; Dozier, 1984; Dozier & Gottesman, 1982; Judd, 1987; Wilcox, Ault & Agee, 1992). Research has shown that when a public relations practitioner engages in evaluation measures, he or she is more likely to be respected by management and valued in the organization (Broom, 1986; Close, 1980; Dozier, 1984; Judd, 1987).When a practitioner performs environmental scanning-monitoring the outside factors that could affect the organization-he or she has more value to the organization (Broom, 1986; Dozier, 1986). As a result of the scanning, the practitioner can help the organization make decisions by informing managers of public opinion, technological advances that could influence the organization, and any potential economic or social concerns (Broom, 1986; Cutlip, Center & Broom, 1985; Dozier, 1986; Katz & Kahn, 1966).This research paper will look at each of these factors-role, gender, evaluation research and environmental scanning-in relation to public relations directors in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, and determine what, if any, effect they have on those individuals' participation in management decision making.The importance of this research is it lends itself to determine how public relations can improve itself in the eyes of hospital management so that it will be included in organizational decision making. If public relations can be part of management decision making, there should be better respect for the field and a greater potential for it to work its way closer to being a recognized profession by non-public relations practitioners.The research will help innovative public relations departments in hospitals become part of the management decision-making process if they are not. It is also possible for the research to be applied to other situations and retested to determine the similarities between hospital public relations and public relations as practiced in other industries and service areas.Determining if perceived role, gender and performance of evaluation and environmental scanning have an effect on the hospital public relations practitioner's involvement in decision making will help practitioners understand what it takes to be recognized by top management. The study will be conducted only on hospital public relations practitioners, a select group of practitioners.

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