Examines 251 responses to a battery of 45 professional standard items. Indicates public relations professionals surveyed across the nation underestimate the current state of professional standards in the field. Finds this state of affairs, described in coorientation theory as pluralistic ignorance, suggests the field may actually hold higher…

Describes litigation public relations (LPR) as use of public relations techniques by attorneys to advance clients' interests. Surveys Kansas litigators about LPR; suggests that LPR is more accepted in theory than in practice and seems not to be in widespread use. Finds LPR use among litigators in organizations employing large numbers of attorneys,…

Surveys 1,000 practitioners' knowledge of legal issues connected with professional public relations activities. Finds that most practitioners consider themselves only somewhat familiar with the law in the areas of commercial speech, contracts, financial public relations, copyright, privacy, libel, access to information, Securities and Exchange…

Surveys 598 public relations professionals to assess the extent to which a professional standard exists for each of 24 elements of professional performance. Finds respondents believed ethical guidelines, accreditation, and writing/editing skills enjoy established standards, but that licensing, location of public relations on the organizational…

Surveys 179 Public Relations Society of America members to determine if respondents valued news releases as a public relations tactic and if attitudes differed between manager and technician roles. Tests response differences by six independent variables. Finds that although several items differed by levels, the only conclusive difference indicated…

Surveys 43 female practitioners (mostly youthful) in 4 Chinese cities. Reports substantial career advancement for females but some stereotyping by male colleagues. Notes that guest relations took much of respondents' time. Concludes that practitioners appeared to behave as technicians but think somewhat as managers when handling guest relations.…

Examines the role and perceived value of public relations in institutional ethics initiatives. Surveys ethics officers in North American institutions. Finds that public relations professionals are not playing key roles in the institutionalization of ethics, and that public relations remains a relatively untapped resource in ethics programs. (PA)

Defines the principal role and global function of public relations practitioners as perceived by the most senior communications executives in agencies or corporations in central United States. (PD)

Tested the attitudes of newspaper editors and public relations professionals to determine how much they understand each other's goals. Found differences in their perceptions of the role of news releases and the relative status of their professions. Contends these misunderstandings are rooted in journalism education. (PD)

Analyzes employees' communication needs at a university-based research and development center. Defines three types of employees (information seekers and selective and nonselective information processors); describes their communication needs and habits. Suggests ways to enhance the existing communication program. (PD)

Surveyed public relations managers to estimate the amount of time they devoted to technical versus planning/managing tasks. Found that the planner/manager role is becoming more dominant in public relations practice. (PD)

Surveys job satisfaction of journalists and public relations personnel in the San Francisco Bay Area. Finds public relations personnel significantly more satisfied with both their jobs and profession. Concludes that the relatively lower levels of job satisfaction for journalists are largely a result of lack of autonomy. (SR)

Uses management level, age, experience, education, salary, organization type, and organization size to assess the status and roles of minorities working in the public relations industry. Suggests that although the majority of minority practitioners perceive themselves in middle level management positions, their salaries are not comparable to that…

Reports trend data on the roles of national Public Relations Society of America members. Suggests that for this sample an agency role emerged in 1995 in addition to the manager and technician roles found in 1990. Indicates that public-relations people do an assortment of activities, and women seem to "do it all" for less money. (PA)

Noting sharp increases in numbers of women choosing public relations as a career, this survey of Canadian women in public relations reports high job satisfaction, although they mirror the same handicaps as U.S. practitioners: less authority, lower salaries, and fewer senior management positions than men. (PD)