ABSTRACT

“Dimensions of Leadership Qualities in Public Relations: Exploring Dual Perspectives by Practitioners and Dominant Coalition.”

Dr. Yoonhyeung Choi, and Jounghwa Choi, Michigan State University.

The evolution of public relations into a management function has brought the importance of leadership to the forefront of professional discussion.  Despite the attention that has been given to the role of leadership in public relations, little systematic research is available that examines what constitutes public relations leadership.

Through a national survey of 171 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) members, the present study identified the seven distinct leadership behaviors germane to the public relations field:  upward influence, coordinating, internal monitoring, networking, representing, providing vision, and acting as a change agent.  Two supra dimensions (i.e., relations- and change-focused behaviors) that ecnompass the seven leadership behaviors were also proposed.

Overall the enactment of leadership behaviors was found to be positively associated with the practitioners' self-assessment of the value of public relations in their organizations.  Out of seven leadership behaviors, providing vision and acting as a change agent were the most strongly associated with the value of public relations, followed by upward influence, coordinating, and representing.

Note:  This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, PR Division, in Montreal, Que., May 25, 2008.