Management Skills & Issues

Question 1

What are the various work assignments of a public relations practitioner?

Answer 1

writing & editing; media relations; social media; research; management of clients & staff; strategic planning; counseling; special events; speaking; production; training personal contacts

Question 2

What are the four major roles of a public relations practitioner?

Answer 2

1. Communication technician - tactics-oriented; writing press releases, editing web content; usually entry-level; not present in management meetings (low threat, little change - nonprofit)
2. Communication facilitator - manages relationships between organization and publics; two-way communication (low threat, much change - schools, gov’t)
3. Expert prescriber - the “fixer”; usually called in during a crisis (high threat, much change - product companies)
4. Problem-solving process facilitator - collaborate with other managers to define and solve problems

Question 3

What are the challenges PR field face?

Answer 3

the glass ceiling, gendered pay gap, diversity and cultural competence, professionalism, ethical conduct

Question 4

How does PR help management?

Answer 4

Researches; counsels; anticipates, analyzes public opinion; plans & implements; sets objectives; avoid crisis

Question 5

Name the 4 common tools management teams use to work through problems, assess opportunities and arrive at effective decisions.

Answer 5

1. SWOT
2. Cause and Effect Diagram (aka Fishbone Diagrams) - analyzes a particular problem by thinking through the reasons a problem exists
3. Porter’s Five Forces - assesses where power and weaknesses lie and assumes that there are five important forces that affect competition: supplier power, buyer power, competitive rivalry, threat of substitution and threat of new entry
4. Drill-Down Technique - examines factors, why, solutions

Question 6

What are the 7 deadly sins of public relations?

Answer 6

1. over promise
2. over market
3. profits over results
4. quick fixes
5. treating PR as a support function
6. under servicing (using jr staff to do the work)
7. violating ethical standards

Question 7

What is environmental scanning?

Answer 7

Careful monitoring of an org’s internal and external enviro for detecting early signs of opportunities and threats. In comparison, “surveillance” is confined to a specific objective or a narrow sector.

Question 8

Difference between line management function and staff management function?

Answer 8

Line management refers to product-producing or profit-making functions (marketing, engineering, production). Staff management counsels, analyzes (PR, HR, legal, finance).