Chap 11: Defining Public Relations Problems

Question 1

In its most advanced form, public relations is a scientifically managed part of an organization’s problem-solving and change process. Practitioners of this type of public relations use theory and the best available evidence in a 4 step problem solving process. What are the 4 steps?

Answer 1

1. Defining the problem ( or opportunity).
2. Planning and programming.
3. Taking action and communicating.
4. Evaluating the program.

Question 2

1. What step of the problem solving process involves probing and monitoring knowledge, opinions, attitudes, and behaviors of those internal and external publics concerned with and affected by the acts and policies of an organization.

Answer 2

Defining the problem ( or opportunity).

Question 3

What step of the problem solving process involves making strategic decisions about program goals, target publics, objectives, action and communication.

Answer 3

Planning and programming.

Question 4

What step of the problem solving process involves implementing the program of action and communication tactics designed to achieve the specific objectives for each of the publics to accomplish the program goal( s).

Answer 4

taking action and communicating

Question 5

What step of the problem solving process involves assessing the preparation, implementation, and impact of the program.

Answer 5

evaluating the program

Question 6

What question is asked when defining the problem ( or opportunity)?

Answer 6

“What’s happen-ing now?”

Question 7

What question is asked during planning and programing?

Answer 7

“Based on what we have learned about the situation, what should we change or do in order to solve the problem or seize the opportunity?”

Question 8

What question is asked while taking action and communicating?

Answer 8

“What should we do and say, who should do and say it, when and in what sequence, where, and how?”

Question 9

What question is asked when evaluating the program?

Answer 9

“How are we doing, or how did we do?”

Question 10

Why can’t diagnosis,planning, implementation and evaluation be easily compartmentalized in practice?

Answer 10

because the process is continuous, cyclical, and applied in a dynamic setting

Question 11

Your book compares a lack of research amongst practitioners to what?

Answer 11

the story of six blind men from Indostan.

Question 12

What do practitioners often say more research is not often used in public relations?

Answer 12

lack of funds or too little time

Question 13

What is most likely the reason more research is not often used in public relations? (2 reasons)

Answer 13

some employers/clients do not think its necessary,

many practitioners do not know how to conduct and use scientific research

Question 14

What did one nonprofit organization attribute to the decline of PR and the reason that some CEO’s see PR as “fluff”

Answer 14

lack of monitoring and substantive results

Question 15

Define research

Answer 15

the systematic gathering of information to describe and understand situations and to check out assumptions about publics and public relations consequences

Question 16

what is the main purpose of research?

Answer 16

to reduce uncertainty in decision making

Question 17

Before the program begins, what is research used for?

Answer 17

to define the problem situation and formulate the program strategy

Question 18

During the program,what is research used for?

Answer 18

to monitor the program in progress in order to reformulate ( adjust) the strategy or fine- tune the tactics

Question 19

After the program, what is research used for?

Answer 19

to measure and document overall program impact and effectiveness

Question 20

What do the International Listening Association defines “ listening” as?

Answer 20

“the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/ or nonverbal messages.”

Question 21

Unless you know the language, orientation, and predisposition of your audience— learned through _______ ______— you are not likely to communicate effectively.

Answer 21

empathetic listening

Question 22

How does problem definition begin?

Answer 22

with someone making a value judgment that something is either wrong, soon could be wrong, or could be better.

Question 23

_____ ______ serve as the basis for deciding if and when a real or potential problem exists.

Answer 23

Goal states

Question 24

research is used to determine the answer to what primary question?

Answer 24

“what is happening now?”

Question 25

A useful _______ _____ summarizes what is known about the problem situation.

Answer 25

problem statement

Question 26

What tense is a problem statement written in?

Answer 26

present

Question 27

T/F words like “will” “could” and “should” should be avoided in problem statements

Answer 27

true

Question 28

Why is a problem statement written in present tense?

Answer 28

To answer the question “what’s happening now?”

Question 29

What kind of questions does the problem statement answer?

Answer 29

Who what, where, when, why and how

Question 30

What doesn’t a problem statement imply or do?

Answer 30

it doesn’t imply solutions or place blame

Question 31

This step in the process results in what some practitioners call their “ fact book”— the information assembled in three- ring binders or digital files. What is it called?

Answer 31

situation analysis

Question 32

Describe the differences between a problem statement and situation analysis

Answer 32

A problem statement represents a concise description of the situation, often written in a sentence or short paragraph.

In contrast, a situation analysis is the unabridged collection of all that is known about the situation, its history, forces operating on it, and those involved or affected internally and externally.

Question 33

What expands upon the meaning of a problem statement?

Answer 33

the situation analysis

Question 34

Stakeholder analysis

Answer 34

the process of identifying who is involved and who is affected in a situation.

Question 35

What do the letters in SWOT or TOWS analysis stand for

Answer 35

strength weakness obstacles and threat

Question 36

Informal and formal research methods differ primarily in their sample selection and sample size, and— as a result— in the…

Answer 36

generalizability of the findings they produce.

Question 37

what is the major problem with informal research?

Answer 37

The major problem— samples of unknown representativeness— results from how samples are selected.

Question 38

When do informal methods of research serve valuable purposes?

Answer 38

If viewed as methods for detecting and exploring problem situations and for pretesting research and program strategies

Question 39

When are informal methods of research misused?

Answer 39

When the results are used as the basis for describing problem situations and stakeholders for program planning and evaluation, then these methods are misused.

Question 40

“_______” best represents the probing nature of informal methods, as the findings may not accurately represent the reality being studied.

Answer 40

Exploratory

Question 41

“Others have worked in wheelchairs to gain perspective on what it is like to go for coffee breaks, use the bathroom, or complete other tasks in facilities not designed for easy access.” What was this an example of?

Answer 41

An informal research method

Question 42

Trade shows, community and professional meetings, or other occasions that attract stakeholders provide opportunities for practitioners to listen carefully and gain understanding for what?

Answer 42

informal research

Question 43

Why is the technique of speaking with key informants limited to a relatively small number of respondents?

Answer 43

Because in- depth interviews with key informants take so long to complete and require such careful content analysis

Question 44

Explain the process of speaking with key informants

Answer 44

practitioners interview knowledgable leaders and experts in the form of an open-ended discussions allowing them to talk about problems or issues on their own terms

Question 45

Which is structured speaking with key informants or focus groups?

Answer 45

focus groups

Question 46

Explain why practitioners use focus groups.

Answer 46

to gather information useful of developing questionnaires to be used in formal research methods

Question 47

How many people are usually in a focus group?

Answer 47

6 - 12

Question 48

The ______ is the key to the success of the focus group method.

Answer 48

moderator

Question 49

Focus groups take months to plan. T/F

Answer 49

False. sometimes they take only a matter of weeks

Question 50

Findings from focus groups, when carefully selected, can make inferences about the larger population. T/F

Answer 50

False. Because they are never truly random.

Question 51

Explain online community networks

Answer 51

social networks of selected “representatives” respond to questions, consider various proposals, try out new procedures, or even use products in development.

Question 52

What is the newest alternative to a focus group?

Answer 52

online community networks

Question 53

What is bigger a focus group or community network?

Answer 53

community network

Question 54

Is a community network a form of formal or informal research?

Answer 54

Informal

Question 55

In community forums: the timing of public participation ( early vs. late) in the decision-making process exerts (great/little/no) measurable impact on the process and outcome satisfaction among publics.

Answer 55

no measurable impact

Question 56

What are the 4 variations of participation in community forums?

Answer 56

(1) Pseudo-participation (2) Information- only (3) Consultation (4) Full participation

Question 57

Which type of community forum participation does this statement illustrate? “We are required to hold public meetings before we begin construction, but we do not intend to factor in your input. The project is already designed.”

Answer 57

pseudo-participation

Question 58

Which type of community forum participation does this statement illustrate?“ We want your input on the project, because you may have some ideas and concerns that affect our final design.”

Answer 58

consultation

Question 59

Which type of community forum participation does this statement illustrate? “We want to collaborate with the interested parties to share decision- making, so the final project incorporates community ideas and addresses community concerns.”

Answer 59

full participation

Question 60

Which type of community forum participation does this statement illustrate? “We are here to tell you about the project so that you know what is going to happen. If you give us input, we will attach it to the final proposal or environmental impact report.”

Answer 60

Information only

Question 61

What are the benefits of an advisory committee/board?

Answer 61

such a group can serve as a continuous feedback mechanism for detecting possible changes in public opinion on issues, even before they would show up in polls and surveys.

Question 62

______ ______ gives public relations practitioners a way to fulfill their public service obligation as professionals.

Answer 62

Committee service

Question 63

What does an ombuds officer do?

Answer 63

ombuds officer in an organization is someone who listens to the concerns of internal organizational publics.

Question 64

This person may review organizational policies and mediate disputes between the organization and its employees.

Answer 64

ombuds officer

Question 65

An ombudsman is a formal or informal form of information gathering?

Answer 65

informal

Question 66

What is the benefit of consumer and customer hotlines?

Answer 66

They provide companies feedback on their products, services, facilities, and employees

Question 67

To be effective, however, a call- in service must be used with _______.

Answer 67

sincerity

Question 68

What does “SLOP” stand for?

Answer 68

“self-selected listener opinion poll”

Question 69

those who write letters join those who call 800 numbers as what to organizations/practitioners?

Answer 69

early warning signals of situations that need attention and may indicate a need for formal research.

Question 70

The term “buzz” describes what?

Answer 70

online word- of- mouth, it represents the spontaneous comments of people interacting.

Question 71

Formal methods are designed to gather data from who?

Answer 71

an entire population or group ( a “ census”) or from a scientifically representative portion of a population or group ( a “ sample”) using objective measures.

Question 72

systematic formal research methods help practitioners to make accurate statements about publics based on what?

Answer 72

evidence drawn from scientifically representative samples

Question 73

All formal research is primary, coming from practitioners and organizations that need them, because the situation is unique to each company. T/F

Answer 73

False. secondary research is also available to practitioners …. think U.S. Census Bureau material

Question 74

Content analysis

Answer 74

the application of systematic procedures for objectively determining what is being reported in the media.

Question 75

Press clippings and broadcast monitor reports are the basis of what type of formal research?

Answer 75

content analysis

Question 76

Surveys

Answer 76

systematic queries of subsets of the population under study

Question 77

What is the biggest disadvantage of mail surveys

Answer 77

biggest disadvantages of mail surveys are that researchers have no control over who responds and that low response rates are typical.

Question 78

If the study is designed to learn how people change over time or to track a process, however, a longitudinal study, either as a ______ study or _____ study , is the better approach.

Answer 78

panel study or trend study

Question 79

In ____ studies the same respondents are surveyed several times during the study, are asked to complete a series of questionnaires.

A ____ study uses different samples drawn from the same population to track change over time.

Answer 79

panel,

trend