Understanding public relations theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Understanding public relations theory - Essay Example Change Management Communication In addition, the role of mass media as an agent of communicating organizational intentions and promotion of interest can also not be ignored by organizations. Overall, the understanding and appreciation of the various approaches, theories and other related concepts of public relations is important in tackling of issues or concerns that may arise from daily operations. In response to this, this paper will examine the role of public relations practice in organizations. For applicability, the paper has identified the issue of change management communication in organizations. This will be examined through a selected article about an organization that is likely to be affected by the subject matter of discussions in this paper. The paper will discuss the components of the article that make it a media issue as well as a public relations issue. The article under examination pertains to Boral Company that operates in the building and construction industry. The company’s new chief execu tive having taken the reign in the top leadership has been tasked with a challenge of ensuring that the company’s financial results improve as a result in an economy downfall that has affected the construction industry in which the company operates in. One of the measures that the chief executive has been compelled to take after a 100 day review is through initiating a 700 job cut program targeting management and back office staff. Even though the move is likely to cost the company a massive 60 million dollars, if successfully implemented it has been projected to result to an annual saving of about 90 million dollars. However, the major issue that arises from this situation is that of how to effectively manage this drastic change especially by communicating the intended purposes and criteria for such changes to the stakeholders of the company that will be largely affected by this decision (Hayes, 2006). Consequently, the main purpose of the following discussions will be to an alyze the contributions that public relations, which can be stated to be constituted of communication with external and internal publics, and communication management, can make in managing organizational change during an employee retrenchment exercise. The framework that will be used to analyze the situation at Boral will be in terms of a dual examination of the issue in terms of being a media as well as a public relations issue. To begin, as a media issue, the organization needs to be prepared to tackle several issues so that the image of the firm remains intact in the eyes of the public. The media plays a major role in shaping opinions and the issue of job cuts proposed by the new chief executive can result into an image backlash if not well handled. It is the job of the public relations professionals and the department in charge of the area affected, in this case the board of governors through the chief executive officer and to some extent the human resources, to learn the facts and information needed, and communicate it to the targeted audiences in a timely and effective manner. The organization's reputation and credibility with external and internal audience is at stake. This is because tackling the issue of job cuts at a time when the economy is hard an issue for the whole nation is a sensitive and important issue. Whatever is communicated internally and externally will remain forever on