A survey (N = 177) of a global organization’s practitioners and dominant coalition reveals gaps in PR competence.
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Manager and technician strength as practitioners grew as they moved through the seasons of their careers.
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A 25 % gap in manager and technician scores emerged between the dominant coalition and practitioners.
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Dominant coalition understands the value of career public affairs over collateral duty untrained personnel.
Abstract
A survey (N = 177) of public relations professionals and C-Suite managers within a global organization provided an empirical test of the Theory of Public Relations Competence (Hazleton, 2006). Results demonstrate the impact of differing levels professional experience for a public relations practitioner. The C-Suite (non-communicator management) view of public relation competence revealed a gap, underestimating both technician and manager skill by approximately 25 %. When assessing competence in career practitioners compared to collateral duty party time personnel, the dominant coalition rated the practitioners significantly higher.