Lan Ni

Reconceptualizing the Communicative Action of Publics: Acquisition, Selection, and Transmission of Information in Problematic Situations

This article proposes a new concept about communication behaviors related to problem solving. Communicative action is epiphenomenal to problem solving: As problem solvers, members of a public use communication as an instrument to cope with their problematic life situations. A good theoretical description of the communicative features of problem solving, therefore, is critical to understanding the social phenomena related to the development and behavior of publics. In existing literature, however, communication behaviors are conceptualized mostly as acts of information acquisition with little regard to other communicative actions such as information transmission. In this article, we propose a new model, communicative action in problem solving, which encompasses broader aspects of communication behaviors related to a problematic life situation: information acquisition, information selection, and information transmission. We then test the reliability and validity of the new construct for one personal and two social problems. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the new concept for public relations research and practice.

Breaking down the Stakeholder Environment: Explicating Approaches to the Segmentation of Publics for Public Relations Research:

This article reviews approaches to the segmentation of organizational stakeholders, recommending specifically that in the early (stakeholder) stage of strategic management, publics should be segmented using cross-situational approaches grounded in the notions of “consequences” and “resources.” In the later (public and issue) stages, publics should be segmented using situational approaches, derived from notions of “problem” and “issue.” The review and synthesis seeks to help scholars theorize more systematically about segmenting publics in public relations and to enable practitioners to more strategically segment and prioritize their organizational stakeholders.

Classifying Publics: Communication Behaviors and Problem-Solving Characteristics in Controversial Issues

Addressing criticisms about the current segmentation methods of publics in public relations, this study adopts a new theoretical framework of Communicative Action in Problem Solving (CAPS) in order to elaborate on J. E. Grunig (1997)s typology of publics in a way that captures the dynamics in communication during issue evolution and devolution. Using 34 qualitative interviews, this study identified 7 different types of publics based on their activeness in problem solving, and explored the communicative characteristics in each type of public. The findings have implications for further segmenting subgroups within the active and aware publics (the most crucial groups in issues), and contribute to theoretical development in the identification of publics.

What Makes People Hot? Applying the Situational Theory of Problem Solving to Hot-Issue Publics

Using a controversial issue that has drawn massive media coverage in South Korea, the government decision to resume imports of US beef, this study tested the applicability of the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) to the rise of a hot-issue public. A survey of 300 respondents explored the perceptual, cognitive, and motivational antecedents of active information behaviors. Results suggest that the STOPS applies well to this unique sociopolitical situation, and that the theory works cross-culturally not only in the United States, but also in South Korea. In addition, we examined the role of cross-situational characteristics in detail, looking at whether political interest, prior experience in protest, and other sociodemographics could affect situational perceptions and cognitive frames. Theoretical and practical implications for future research and practices are discussed.

Refined understanding of perspectives on employee‐organization relationships

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the perceptions of organizational members about employee‐organization relationships (EOR) under the globalization context.Design/methodology/approach – The study used 58 qualitative interviews with both managers and employees in multinational and domestic companies in China.Findings – First, the unique features of employee publics determined the nature of EOR (why and how an EOR was established) and EOR was a multi‐level (interpersonal and organizational) and multi‐dimensional (job and task related vs human and benefits oriented) concept for most organizational members. Second, the outcomes of EOR, especially trust, control mutuality, and commitment were also determined by the multi‐dimensional nature of EOR. Finally, the influencing factors on EOR can be classified into three levels: individual (such as types of employees, styles of top management), organizational (such as developmental stages and types of organizations), and macro‐environmental (such as the overall e...

Strategic Role of Relationship Building: Perceived Links Between Employee–Organization Relationships and Globalization Strategies

Based on literature in relationship management and strategic management, this article explores the perceived connection between relationship building and the global strategies of multinational corporations, and in turn, the value of relationships as organizational resources that can contribute to the implementation of strategies. Interview data showed that different global strategies were perceived to be related to different types of relationships, as well as quality of relationships with employees in the local subsidiaries in China. This study extended the research in relationship management, as well as the strategic role of public relations in the global setting.

Two Types of Public Relations Problems and Integrating Formative and Evaluative Research: A Review of Research Programs within the Behavioral, Strategic Management Paradigm

Through a review of related research programs within the behavioral, strategic management paradigm in public relations, this article integrates the use of formative and evaluative research in two types of public relations problems. Aiming to propose a theory-driven guiding procedure for public relations practice, this article first defines 2 different kinds of public relations problems and proposes new ways of using existing theories (situational theory and relational theory) for both formative research (focusing on identification of publics) and evaluative research (i.e., assessment of public relations effectiveness using the most appropriate metrics).

Anxiety and Uncertainty Management in an Intercultural Setting: The Impact on Organization–Public Relationships

Past research has found that relationship cultivation strategies affect relationship outcomes. This study uses Gudykunsts (1985, 2005) Anxiety and Uncertainty Management (AUM) theory as the theoretical framework to examine whether the effects from cultivation strategies to relationship outcomes are mediated through anxiety and uncertainty management. An online survey solicitation was sent to a universitys international student listserv, and 246 participants from 32 countries completed the questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results largely supported the hypotheses, and indicated that cultivation strategies have both direct and indirect effects on relational outcomes, partially mediated by uncertainty and anxiety.

Exploring the Role of Strategic Relationship Management in the Formation of Publics

This current article aims to fill the gap in research by examining the strategic importance of relationship management in the understanding of publics. It aims to explore how relationships can be managed strategically to influence the formation of important publics through influencing the perceptual variables in the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS, J. Kim & Grunig, 2011). In other words, how relationships can be managed strategically to bring value to an organization through potentially fostering or cultivating different types of publics that are critical to organizations. This article is a conceptual piece laying out the necessity of studying the formation of and potential change in publics using a quasi-cross-situational approach. Given the importance of understanding publics as well as the complexity in the process of how these publics are formed and how they might be changed, research should start to delve into exploring factors that will influence the perceptual variables of different publics facing the same situation.

Intercultural communication competence and preferred public relations practices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how individual-level intercultural communication competence (ICC) represented by cultural empathy, open-mindedness, and flexibility predicts preferred use of symmetrical, two-way, conservation, and ethical public relations practices (PRPs) among public relations (PRs) students. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling was used to analyze self-report data from 268 PRs students surveyed at a southern university. Findings – Results indicated that empathy, open-mindedness, and flexibility together significantly predicted the preferred use of all four PRPs. The three ICC variables each had a positive direct effect on symmetrical and ethical PRPs. Empathy and flexibility each had a positive direct effect on two-way and conservation PRPs. Research limitations/implications – This study provides evidence that the PRPs resulted from Excellence Theory, despite controversies over their practicality, are closely and positively related with ICC qualiti...