Organizational Structures and Their Relationship with Communication Management Practices: A Public Relations Perspective from the United States

Abstract

This study contributes to current theory-driven research in strategic communication by expanding our understanding of organizational—or meso-level—variables important to public relations practice. Meso-level refers to the organizational level of public relations practice and focuses on the skills and knowledge of public relations practitioners, their role in management, their reporting lines, and the organization of the public relations function (J. E. Grunig, 1990 Grunig, J. E. 1990. The development of public relations research in the United States and its status in communication science, Salzburg, , Germany: Paper presented to the Professional Conference of the Herbert Quandt Foundation Communication Group. [Google Scholar]; Holtzhausen, 1996 Holtzhausen, D. R. 1996. Towards a general theory of public relations. Communicare, 15(2): 25–56. [Google Scholar]). This study posits that organizational design is related to public relations practice and is affected by management-type behavior. It provides empirical evidence that public relations management behaviors, specifically practitioner role enactment, decision-making behavior, and perceived department leadership style, are interrelated and affect organizational structure.