An Open-System Approach to Building Theory in Public Relation - Annisa A.

Review Journal of Public Relations Research Entitled An Open-System Approach to Building Theory in Public Relations by Glen M. Broom

This journal is talk about building theory in public relations. The writer thinks that theory construction in public realtions requires both scientific methods and openness for concepts and theoritical frameworks.

It is important to linking the theory into practice so we can undertand how it functions without cluttering the literature with pseudoscience and misleading each other. As an open system approach it also needs transparency in conducting research, about how the data analyzed, and how the findings are linked to theory and practice.

In this journal the writer choose the focal concepts from Chaffee (1991) as a method research. First step is identify and define the various roles encated ny practitioner or called concept analysis process. The process of concept analysis as explained by Broom, first is selecting a concept that make you truly interest of it. Second, determine purpose of inquiry. Then the third is do not limit your seacrh to one definition, keep enrich your source of literature. Next is determine defining attributes. After get many source review all the concepts. Next, the fifth is create a model case, construct prototype. Sixth is construct examples to help illustrating. Seventh is develop the measures. Then next, the last step is build theory around the focal concept, begin construct theoritical model.

From that, we know that building or construct a theory is not easy. There are severel steps, a process, not instantly. And after find or having achieved somthing that contributes to the body of knowledge, it still necessary to do validating the concept, an experiment testing before it applied. Validaty about the qualities the concepts.

The next step major is explicating the concept. “... continue explication process by operationalizing the roles as questionnaire items to measure the degree to which each was being enacted in practice” (Broom, 2006, p. 146).

I think this journal gives nice explanation about building public relations theory in open system approach. He explained step by step the process and some examples, and a map or figure that make the reader more easly to understand the direction of the process.

If I make conclusion from this journal, public relations theory are limited. Scholars need to be more elaborated conducting research linking toward public relation theory and the practice. It will be effective if the research use focal concept as the method, and of course in open system approach. It requires to publish the concepts and model in public relations literature as data. A research with closed system approach will have a very litle access to develop the theory. That is why it’s imporatant to use open system approach, to do more further research, to develop, to fit with the practice and find a new model suitable and applicable with the environment and time.

Bibliography

Broom, G. M. (2006). An open-system approach to building theory in public relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 18 (2), 141 – 150.

Annisa Arifiana

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