Excellence Theory Darius Iqbal Cordova 135120207121001

Excellence Theory in Public Relations: Past, Present, and Future

James E. Grunig & Larissa A. Grunig

By: Darius Iqbal Cordova / 135120207121001

The first section in the paragraph explains about the emergence of the excellence project, where excellent project by Peters and Waterman in 1982 conducted their research to identify characteristics of management in companies they described as excellent. Determining from what is discussed in the journal the term of excellent/excellence was used in accordance to a theory or a model or a method that seems to be the best way of conduct. Quoting from the journal that excellence theory as written by Grunig is the set of characteristics or a way of conduct by public relations that is synchronised with organisational effectiveness. While effectiveness can be met when organisation is able to fulfil their goal.

In order to understand the theory of excellence we have to be able to see throughout the framework of the theory itself. As it is stated in the early development of the theory, the so called anecdote from the work of Cutlip and Center in 1952. The most influential based theories for public relation study at the time was based on mass communication theories of media effects, attitude theories from social psychology or highly practical research such as the characteristics of press releases, are the most often used by theorist. Some management and decision making process included in organisational communication bases was also established as basis for researcher to continue development of the theories of public relation, the theory of excellence is also influenced and correlated to these early development of public relation theory.

Based on this theoretical premise about the value of public relations, the excellence
theory derived principles of how the function should be organized to maximize this value.First, the research showed that involvement in strategic management was the critical characteristic of excellent public relations. Public relations executives played a strategic managerial role as well as administrative manager role. Public relations also was empowered by having access to key organizational decision-makers (the dominant coalition).

The theory of excellence will always be bounded by the explanation or the description of how one organisation structure affect the theory and the practice itself. This kind of interdependence is mostly explained in Grunig’s work which is situational theory of public.

During his work on organisational structures and environments the power of PR and activism, Grunig placed the theory as the general theory of public relation, as described in the journal as theories which makes the work of public relation in organisation become more effective.

Just as another theory and discipline, public relation have different point of view in viewing its theories, such as the symbolic-interpretive paradigm, modernist, and postmodernist paradigm. Which differentiates its way to see the theories in public relation studies especially in the theory of excellence itself. Which postmodernist paradigm sees the theory as exclusive, through its way as in general theory deconstruction, semiotic, linguistic, etc. As further explained that the theory of excellence is organisation-centric thus give less regard toward their public in general. Later on it is written that excellence theory have this kind of combination in their perspectives, as a postmodern perspectives and semi-modernist perspectives, which I believe is an ambiguity toward their explanation and the stance of the theory itself.

The study also showed that public relations loses its unique role in strategic management if it is sublimated to marketing or other management functions. Sublimation to another function resulted in attention only to the stakeholder category of interest to that function, such as consumers for marketing. Sublimation to marketing also usually resulted in asymmetrical communication. An excellent public relations function was integrated, however. Programs for different stakeholders were gathered into a single department or coordinated through a senior vice president of corporate communication. An excellent public relations function did work with other management functions to help them build relationships with relevant stakeholders.

He has called this theory the situational theory of public. This theory explains that people are most likely to seek information that is relevant to decision-making  situations in their lives. He developed this theory in a study of how and why Colombian farmers seek information in decision situation. The unification of some disciplines as well as practices such as in education, tourism, health, government, etc can also add some contribution in developing the theorem of strategic management. Mot mutually exclusive, some concept such as L. Grunig tried to implement such as roles, organisational structure, environment, etc into a general theory of public relation.

The IABC’s point is that how public relation gives some values in several ways in the organisation itself, it is written that pr put us to measurement and evaluation into a higher level in broader perspectives. In addition to explaining the value of public relations, the excellence study provided solid theory and empirical evidence of how the function should be organized to maximize this value. The reasoning flowed logically from our general premise about the value of public relations: Public relations must be organized in a way that makes it possible to identify strategic publics as part of the strategic management process and to build quality longterm relationships with them through symmetrical communication programmes.

As a standardisation excellence theory have also provided a ground breaking standard in auditing communication programs. Will be described later on as the characteristics of an excellent public relation. 1. Empowerment of the Public Relation Function 2. Communicator Roles 3. Organisation of the communication function and its relationship to other management functions 4. Application of some models of public relations.

Since the completion of the excellence study, scholars in this research tradition have continued to improve and enlarge the theory by conducting research to help public relations professionals participate in strategic decision processes. This research has been on environmental scanning and publics, scenario building, empowerment of public relations, ethics, relationships, the return-on-investment of public relations, evaluation, relationship cultivation strategies, conflict resolution, complexity theory, specialized areas of public relations, and global strategy

Basically what I can derive from the journal about the emergence, the usage, and the future implication of the excellence theory is that this theory is well structured and well planted from the beginning of the study of public relation, as well as what it provides during the continuation of the study of public relation and also for practitioners as I mentioned above, and also it will have a lot of impacts in the future if it is continually developed by scientists, as for having a very crucial and established role in management level in organisation.

By: Darius Iqbal Cordova / 135120207121001