Core Elements for Organizational Sustainability in Global Markets: Korean Public Relations Practitioners’ Perceptions of Their Job Roles

Jiyeon Jeong,Nohil Park

doi:10.3390/su9091646

Jiyeon Jeong, Nohil Park

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su9091646

Copy DOI

Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Sep 15, 2017
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Hongik University, CHA University

Abstract

For the purpose of enhancing organizational sustainability in global markets, organizational public relations practitioners in international firms take roles to respond toward the global public. This study explores practitioners’ perceptions of their job roles in global public relations firms and identifies the elements that support those roles. To address these concerns, a qualitative method, specifically an in-depth interview, was conducted because it endeavors to reveal and understand what lies deep within the complexity of a little-known phenomenon. As the specific public of this research, Korean practitioners were selected, since the public relations industry in Korea has been influenced by globalization, and diverse global public relations firms have branches in Korea. Analysis of in-depth interviews suggests a typology of three newly defined roles for Korean practitioners: strategic counselor/manager role, non-strategic technician role, and business manager role for practitioners’ own firms. It also identifies nine elements affecting public relations practitioners’ roles. The important and powerful elements were chiefly attributed to culturally specific influences. This study provides critical clues for enhancing both entrepreneurial sustainability in global markets and the professionalism of public relations. Finally, public relations practitioners will be better able to make optimal decisions regarding their client organizations’ adopted strategy.

Highlights

In order to enhance organizational sustainability, the organization takes the position in decision-making, in particular, organizational public relations practitioners take roles to respond toward its public
This study suggests that the strategic counselor/manager role that emerged in this study differs from the definition of the manager role of practitioners in previous studies because the strategic counselor/manager role here includes every function for their clients related to public relations strategies
Even press release writing and editing, and media contacts, which were categorized as elements of the technician role in prior research [4,16], have been re-identified as part of a strategic counselor/manager role in this study since strategies and planning are involved with such work

Summary

Introduction

In order to enhance organizational sustainability, the organization takes the position in decision-making, in particular, organizational public relations practitioners take roles to respond toward its public. The research into practitioner role enactment is recognized as one of the main areas of theory development within public relations. Most studies focus on general corporate in-house environments without looking at other public relations practitioners’ work environments; for example, they do not consider whether practitioners work in corporations’ in-house public relations departments or in separate public relations firms, and whether they work in domestic or global public relations firms. Does this mean that those studies assume practitioners’ roles are similar in every organizational structure and culture? Several studies have explored practitioners’ roles in various countries and regions including South Africa [10], Singapore [11], and Latin America [12], including Chile [9], Brazil [13], and Costa Rica [14], there has been little research on Korean practitioners’ perceptions of their job roles

Methods

Results

Conclusion