Task:An Open-System Approach to Building Theory in Public Relations

Name: Hadin Bramana

Nim: 115120207121026

An Open-System Approach to Building Theory in Public Relations

Glen M. Broom

This journal is reviewing about how to build a theory in public relations, the specific part is the open-system model. It says in the intro: 

Theory construction in public relations requires both scientific methods and openness to conceptual and methodological input from the larger fields of communication and human behavior.

Public relations is not so developed that we can draw a boundary around a “body of knowledge” and limit our inquiry to what is reported in public relations literature. Rather, we are in the early stages of building theory that may someday provide a foundation for the emerging profession and its practice. The first step is  choosing the focal concept, meaning selecting a concept derived from the practice and viewed by practitioners as important. Then defining the focal concept:

1. Select a concept of interest

2. Determine purpose

3. Identify the concept has been defined and used

4. Determine defining attributes

5. Create a model case

6. Create related but different cases

7. Develop the measures

8. Build theory around the focal concept

After defining the focal concept, the author suggests to validate the concept. It includes a laboratory experiment testing for role differences. The next step is explicating the concept, by operationalising the roles as questionnaire items to measure the degree to which each was being explain in the practice. The process  including in depth interview, questionnaire, etc. (validity and reliability). The next step is building theory in the open-system model. by exploring the literature that produced a long term stream of public relations research.