Dancers in the dark: The myth of rationality in public relations

Abstract

This article takes a critical look at the communication management approach of public relations by using the balanced scorecard, and how it has been adapted in public relations, as an example. By using neo-institutionalism, the article clarifies the idea that the pursuit of rationality, regulation, measurement, and control, of and in, organizations can be characterized as myth to achieve social legitimacy. It further contends that, within a complex and dynamic public sphere, such attempts at quantifying such largely qualitative areas as public relations can be counterproductive.