Businesses’ social involvement through public relations: A critical comparison of market-oriented and reflective paradigms of public relations

Abstract

In this article two understandings of public relations, the market-oriented and reflective paradigms, are critically compared in terms of their views on businesses’ social involvement. The comparison involves a critical discussion of the implied business–society relationship on which public relations rests, the purpose of public relations, and the type of communication employed. This critical comparison of the public relations paradigms is then paired with different approaches to social development. Based on this critical comparison it is argued in this article that the approach to social involvement inherent in the reflective paradigm of public relations is most appropriate to the developing context, because of its coincidence with the participatory or multiplicity approach to social development – an approach associated with sustainable social development. This means that the argument is in favour of businesses’ social involvement through public relations that is not only instrumental in serving the goals of the business, but attempts to make a meaningful contribution towards addressing social development problems in a sustainable manner.