An Interpretive Approach to Public Relations

• In Event: Typology Teasing: Extending on Sociological Approaches in Public Relations

Abstract

An interpretive approach, as singled out by Deetz (1996), highlights the social dimensions of organizations and organizing. Applied to the study of public relations it brings to fore how public relations contributes to or constrains the creation, maintenance and/or disturbance of shared meanings in organizations. It is a perspective where the consensual view on organizations promoted by normative approaches is approved but instead of seeing organizations as economic units it promotes a social view. In the paper it is argued that organizations must be understood as a form of communities who share essential features with other types of communities (e.g. local communities, fan-groups etc.) but still have distinct features. This means that actors are given the status of subjects who actively make sense of their surroundings and actively use their communication skills to create a persistent culture in interactions with members and non-members of organizations.

The paper also argues for an approach were extensive focus is given to individuals’ sense-making (Dervin, 1989; Weick, Sutcliffe, & Obstfeld, 2005), were we as scholars actively have to map out and bring to fore the conceptualizations and understandings, professionals – but also other members of organizations – construct of public relations. Here it is essential that we aim for co-creation of concepts and theories that are embedded in every day experiences, rather than applying already established theoretical concepts. However, the paper will also argue that in our search for unifying factors we should not be blind for factors contributing to fragmentation, tensions or domination (e.g., lack of interaction, manipulation etc.) (Martin, Frost, & O'Neill, 2006) especially if they are tied to the practice of public relations. To be able to capture these processes we must give precedence to ethnographical field studies including observations and interviews and that it is important that we don’t limit ourselves to organizational settings or work life. The sense-making of public relations take place in a number of different situations and it is therefore essential to set organizations and their members in context.

Author

• Magnus Fredriksson, U of Gothenburg