Public Relations Division

The Public Relations Division provides an environment for public relations scholars and practitioners to explore how communication influences the organization–stakeholder relationship. This division welcomes research from diverse communication-based disciplinary areas and embraces a range of research methodologies, theoretical foundations, and topic areas. The Public Relations Division promotes research, teaching, service, and ethical practice of public relations as public relations seeks to build and maintain beneficial relationships among organizations and stakeholders. These organizations may include corporations, nonprofit organizations, nongovernmental organizations, transnational entities, governmental agencies on several levels, nation states, industry associations, and public relations firms and agencies. The range of stakeholders includes both internal and external publics, such as organizational members (employees, managers, etc.), community members, activists, customers, investors, donors, the media, governmental agencies, and others. Public relations best practices that are grounded in theory are essential in a 21st century in which communication technology has created a globalized world that is bringing people and organizations closer to one another while paradoxically creating tensions resulting from this increasing proximity.