28 Public relations and expectation theory: Introducing Relationship Expectation Theory (RET) for public relations
-
Laura Olkkonen
Abstract
Expectations provide organizations with information and cues about their stakeholders’ and publics’ values, interests, experiences, and knowledge. This chapter argues for a move that takes expectations beyond the current cursory level for different areas of public relations - reputation management, corporate responsibility, issues management, and legitimacy - toward explicit theoretical understanding and models for addressing expectations. The chapter introduces expectations as an intersecting phenomenon in public relations research and builds postulations for theorizing expectations in public relations by reviewing theories that address expectations in relationships, and by exploring different conceptual meanings of expectations. As a result, the chapter introduces Relationship Expectation Theory (RET), which places expectations in the domain of public relations. RET acknowledges different expectation types, the context of organizational relations, and organizations’ limited ability to influence expectations.
Abstract
Expectations provide organizations with information and cues about their stakeholders’ and publics’ values, interests, experiences, and knowledge. This chapter argues for a move that takes expectations beyond the current cursory level for different areas of public relations - reputation management, corporate responsibility, issues management, and legitimacy - toward explicit theoretical understanding and models for addressing expectations. The chapter introduces expectations as an intersecting phenomenon in public relations research and builds postulations for theorizing expectations in public relations by reviewing theories that address expectations in relationships, and by exploring different conceptual meanings of expectations. As a result, the chapter introduces Relationship Expectation Theory (RET), which places expectations in the domain of public relations. RET acknowledges different expectation types, the context of organizational relations, and organizations’ limited ability to influence expectations.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series V
- Acknowledgments IX
- Contents XI
-
Introduction
- 1 Public relations and social influence: Understanding the roots of a contested profession 3
-
Part I – Public Relations: History, Identity and Practice
- 2 Public relations origins and evolution: A global perspective 23
- 3 Women in public relations: A feminist perspective 45
- 4 Public relations and the problems of professional identity 61
- 5 Public relations as a reflective practice 83
- 6 Public relations and legitimacy 107
- 7 Public relations, power and control 123
-
Part II – Core Functions of Public Relations
- 8 Public relations as media relations 141
- 9 Public relations and social media 159
- 10 Public relations as image and reputation management 175
- 11 Strategic crisis management: State of the field, challenges and opportunities 195
- 12 Public relations for stakeholder and societal engagement 217
- 13 Social advocacy and public relations: Building communitas in the public sphere 233
- 14 Public relations measurement and evaluation 249
-
Part III – Theories of Public Relations
- 15 The four models of public relations and their research legacy 277
- 16 The Excellence Theory – origins, contribution and critique 313
- 17 Personal influence in public relations 335
- 18 Rhetorical theory of public relations 361
- 19 Contingency theory of strategic conflict management: Explicating a “grand” theory of public relations 381
- 20 Global public relations: Multi-paradigmatic perspectives, key approaches and future directions 399
- 21 Relationship management: Status and theory 415
- 22 Extending the boundaries of public relations through community-building and organic theories 433
- 23 Dialogic theory 451
- 24 A conceptual genealogy of the situational theory of problem solving: Reconceptualizing communication for strategic behavioral communication management 471
-
Part IV – Recent Theorizing in Public Relations
- 25 The strategic application of social capital theory in public relations 489
- 26 Ideas of public relations in the light of Scandinavian institutionalism 509
- 27 Public relations and Actor-Network Theory 525
- 28 Public relations and expectation theory: Introducing Relationship Expectation Theory (RET) for public relations 541
- 29 Public relations and cultural theories 563
- 30 Ethical theories and public relations: Global issues and challenges 581
-
Afterwords
- 31 Critical reflections on the field 601
- 32 Mapping public relations theory: Concluding reflections and future directions 615
- Contributors to this volume 629
- Index 639
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series V
- Acknowledgments IX
- Contents XI
-
Introduction
- 1 Public relations and social influence: Understanding the roots of a contested profession 3
-
Part I – Public Relations: History, Identity and Practice
- 2 Public relations origins and evolution: A global perspective 23
- 3 Women in public relations: A feminist perspective 45
- 4 Public relations and the problems of professional identity 61
- 5 Public relations as a reflective practice 83
- 6 Public relations and legitimacy 107
- 7 Public relations, power and control 123
-
Part II – Core Functions of Public Relations
- 8 Public relations as media relations 141
- 9 Public relations and social media 159
- 10 Public relations as image and reputation management 175
- 11 Strategic crisis management: State of the field, challenges and opportunities 195
- 12 Public relations for stakeholder and societal engagement 217
- 13 Social advocacy and public relations: Building communitas in the public sphere 233
- 14 Public relations measurement and evaluation 249
-
Part III – Theories of Public Relations
- 15 The four models of public relations and their research legacy 277
- 16 The Excellence Theory – origins, contribution and critique 313
- 17 Personal influence in public relations 335
- 18 Rhetorical theory of public relations 361
- 19 Contingency theory of strategic conflict management: Explicating a “grand” theory of public relations 381
- 20 Global public relations: Multi-paradigmatic perspectives, key approaches and future directions 399
- 21 Relationship management: Status and theory 415
- 22 Extending the boundaries of public relations through community-building and organic theories 433
- 23 Dialogic theory 451
- 24 A conceptual genealogy of the situational theory of problem solving: Reconceptualizing communication for strategic behavioral communication management 471
-
Part IV – Recent Theorizing in Public Relations
- 25 The strategic application of social capital theory in public relations 489
- 26 Ideas of public relations in the light of Scandinavian institutionalism 509
- 27 Public relations and Actor-Network Theory 525
- 28 Public relations and expectation theory: Introducing Relationship Expectation Theory (RET) for public relations 541
- 29 Public relations and cultural theories 563
- 30 Ethical theories and public relations: Global issues and challenges 581
-
Afterwords
- 31 Critical reflections on the field 601
- 32 Mapping public relations theory: Concluding reflections and future directions 615
- Contributors to this volume 629
- Index 639