Organizational response to public relations: An empirical study of firms in Singapore

Abstract

The positioning and use of public relations as a strategic management tool have become increasingly important to firms, especially in the developed countries of the western world. The present study was designed to assess the implications of this strategic aspect of public relations to firms in Singapore, a newly industrialized country in the Asia-Pacific Rim. Specifically, the focus is on how firms with differing organizational structure and background respond to the challenges of executing core public relations activities. The results of an indepth study of 109 companies which are members of the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore, indicate that manufacturing firms in general pay less attention to customer relations than service organizations. Among service organizations, banks are more inclined towards emphasizing financial relations. The promotion of media relations is more active when there is a public relations department. In cultivating employee relations, governmental organizations are found to pay least attention to this aspect of public relations. While government organizations actively cultivates community relations, in the private sector, only larger service organizations with public relations department tend to be more active in community relations. Finally, implications for practitioners and suggestions for future research are discussed in the article.