Textbook Chapter 6

Reflections on Textbook Chapter Six - Public Relations Practice

I find this chapter rather similar to chapter four where the issue "ethics" was brought into the context of public relations. Coy and Synnott (2009) state that a public relations practitioner draws on communications skills to help organisations solve problems, assist change, and build relationships that would improve how the organisation is perceived and at the same time, increase understanding and awareness. This means that public relations practitioner ought to come up with effective management skills and solutions to enable mutual benefits for the organisations that they work for.

One aspect of this chapter that I agree with is the fact that public relations practitioners ought to behave according to the various cultural context they are being exposed to. This could largely be referred to the five cultural dimensions by Geert Hofstede where different cultures and ethnic groups behave, think, and interpret things differently. For instance, if public relations practitioners are exposed to a country with high masculinity index, say Japan, it would be more effective if their strategies and angles are aimed towards men since they are the ones who make the decisions. As supported by Coy and Synnott (2009), cultural values are important because they provide public relations practitioners strategic choices for their professions and the organisations they work with.

This chapter has also provided me with insights on the challenges and daily pressures that public relations practitioners are exposed to. I feel that some of the most challenging aspects are how one could keep his or her clients happy. This may sound easy but I notice that there were times public relations practitioners may face certain conflicting interests that may result in dissatisfaction from their clients. For example, your methodology in dealing with a certain crisis may be effective but it may exceed the budgetting constraints set by your client that may result in certain financial loss. Even though the campaign was effective, your client may not be happy as there could be alternate solutions that could bring equally effective results.

In addition, I would also like to highlight that public relations practitioners ought to keep their clients and managers happy before they could fulfil other aspects of their challenge - good relationships, keeping good records, and building good networks. This means that keeping your clients happy is a crucial factor in maintaining a positive image and overall reputation of you and your agency.