Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences

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DOI :10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023   IUP :10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023    Tam Metin (PDF)

Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability

Hatun Boztepe Taşkıran

From the critical approach public relations is evaluated as a whole series of strategies and practices that only benefits corporations and ignores mutual benefit and public welfare. In contrast, frequently used and investigated public relations concepts, such as symmetric public relations, dialogical public relations theory, relational paradigm, corporate social responsibility, and corporate sustainability, can answer the criticisms against the discipline. In light of this information, it can be said that there are two different perspectives in public relations literature towards outcomes of public relations. This study is designed to determine whether the argument that public relations is a management function that only benefits corporations is supported by Turkish public relations professionals. Also it is aimed to determine whether Turkish public relations professionals ignore public welfare. This study also presents how contemporary and ethical public relations strategies and practices that center on creating, maintaining, and reinforcing positive relationships between corporations and target audiences function in practice. Within the scope of this study, a research has been carried out with the participation of 107 Turkish public relations practitioners who are in charge of forming and practicing public relations strategies at public institutions, private enterprises, and non-governmental organizations or as freelance consultants. A questionnaire form has been designed and participants have been asked to answer questions which aim to determine the professional perceptions of public relations practitioners. The findings have demonstrated that Turkish public relations practitioners perceive their profession as a whole series of strategies and practices that serves the mutual benefit of corporations and target audiences. 

Anahtar Kelimeler: Corporate benefit, mutual benefit, relational paradigm, dialogic public relations, symmetrical public relations

GENİŞLETİLMİŞ ÖZET


Public relations has received criticism throughout its history as a function that focuses on corporate benefits and ignores mutual benefit and public welfare. The discipline that has been critically billed as “a whole series of strategies and practices that only serve the profits and interests of corporations” is still thought to perform no function apart from answering the needs of corporations. According to this point of view, public relations is considered as a field that manipulates realities in line with a corporation’s interests and profits and dictates the target audiences to behave in favor of corporations, ignoring public welfare or interests. On the other hand, frequently used and investigated public relations concepts and practices, such as symmetrical public relations, dialogical public relations theory, relational paradigm, corporate social responsibility, and corporate sustainability, can answer criticisms against the discipline. Mainstream public relations studies encompassing these notions and practices emphasize that public relations focuses not only on the profits of corporations but also works for the interests of society by underlining the principle of public welfare. However, studies criticizing public relations continue to claim that the function of public relations in serving the public welfare is improbable in practice while underlining that entire strategies and endeavors on public relations only work for corporate interests rather than the public good.

This study is designed to present how contemporary and ethical public relations strategies and practices center on creating, maintaining, and reinforcing positive relationships between corporations and target audiences function in practice. The study has also discussed whether the argument that public relations is a management function that only benefits corporations is supported by Turkish public relations professionals. It has aimed to determine whether Turkish public relations professionals ignore public welfare.

This article aims to contribute to the discipline empirically:

(1) Dialogical public relations, symmetrical public relations, relational paradigm, corporate social responsibility, corporate sustainability, and similar significant practices and theories that echo public relations’ purpose of serving for public good have been explored in a detailed manner.

(2) The critical point of view, which suggests that public relations ignores target audiences and public welfare is implemented in practice, has been discussed. 

This article is important in that it evaluates the concepts and approaches of contemporary public relations answering criticism towards the discipline such as symmetrical public relations, dialogical public relations, relational paradigm, corporate social responsibility, and corporate sustainability. Besides it reveals how these concepts and approaches are evaluated by public relations professionals in practice.

In light of this information, within the scope of the study, a research has been carried out with the participation of 107 Turkish public relations practitioners. A questionnaire form has been designed and participants have been asked to answer the questions which aim to determine professional perceptions of public relations practitioners. The data obtained during the study by quantitative research method has been saved online via a coding system and has been analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Such information has been evaluated and interpreted with multiple perspectives to obtain concrete results and output in line with the aims of the study.

Findings have demonstrated that Turkish public relations practitioners perceive their profession as a whole series of strategies and practices that serve for the mutual benefit of corporations and target audiences. Turkish professionals disapprove public relations as a management function which only benefits corporations.


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DIŞA AKTAR



APA

Boztepe Taşkıran, H. (2018). Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, 0(55), 37-59. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023


AMA

Boztepe Taşkıran H. Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. 2018;0(55):37-59. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023


ABNT

Boztepe Taşkıran, H. Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, [Publisher Location], v. 0, n. 55, p. 37-59, 2018.


Chicago: Author-Date Style

Boztepe Taşkıran, Hatun,. 2018. “Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability.” Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences 0, no. 55: 37-59. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023


Chicago: Humanities Style

Boztepe Taşkıran, Hatun,. “Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability.” Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences 0, no. 55 (May. 2024): 37-59. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023


Harvard: Australian Style

Boztepe Taşkıran, H 2018, 'Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability', Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, vol. 0, no. 55, pp. 37-59, viewed 3 May. 2024, https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023


Harvard: Author-Date Style

Boztepe Taşkıran, H. (2018) ‘Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability’, Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, 0(55), pp. 37-59. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023 (3 May. 2024).


MLA

Boztepe Taşkıran, Hatun,. “Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability.” Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, vol. 0, no. 55, 2018, pp. 37-59. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023


Vancouver

Boztepe Taşkıran H. Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences [Internet]. 3 May. 2024 [cited 3 May. 2024];0(55):37-59. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023 doi: 10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023


ISNAD

Boztepe Taşkıran, Hatun. “Key Issues in Turkish Public Relations Practitioners’ Perception of the Profession: Relational Paradigm, Dialogic Public Relations, Symmetrical Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Sustainability”. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences 0/55 (May. 2024): 37-59. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2018-0023



ZAMAN ÇİZELGESİ


Gönderim14.03.2018
Kabul30.10.2018

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