The White Leader Prototype: A Critical Analysis of Race in Public Relations

Abstract

This article introduces the theoretical concept of the White leader prototype through an analysis of race in the public relations field. Critical race, Whiteness, ideological, and public relations theories are united to explicate the White leader prototype as a theoretical concept able to account for racial imbalance at leadership levels in public relations. A descriptive case study illustrates that race may be the most salient factor influencing leadership ascension in public relations. Although the White leader prototype is theorized in the context of the United States, the concept has global significance because it is applicable to other circumstances where diverse groups of people coexist.