2. Theories Used in Public Relations Management
Theories of relationships
 Systems theory
 Situational theory
 Conflict resolution
Theories of mass communication
 Uses and gratification
 Agenda-setting theory
Theories of cognition and behaviour
 Action assembly theory
 Social exchange theory
 Diffusion theory
 Social learning theory
 An elaborated likelihood model

3. Action Assembly Theory
Why do PR professionals want to understand behavior?
All behavior is logical to the person behaving.
Example: bringing umbrella to school
To understand behavior, we need to understand how people think.

4. Action Assembly Theory
Thinking can be explained by three constructs: structure, content, and processes.
Cognitive structure as the form of our thought (script, schema or frame). Our expectations affect how we process and store information.

5. Action Assembly Theory
Cognitive content is the specific information, or details, within the basic cognitive structure.
Cognitive processes are how we take in, transform and store information.
What will your script say?

6. Action Assembly Theory
If you are associated as a source with dull content
The good ones will be missed as well.
When the lecturer says there are nine steps of PR campaigns…
From experience, you know they will be important at test time

7. Application of Action Assembly Theory
Practitioners must decide:
Tap into their public's existing memory structures?
Establish entirely new ones?

8. Social Exchange TheoryD E C R A S
Individuals and groups
choose strategies
based on perceived
rewards and costs

9. Social Exchange Theory and Decision Making
Keep costs low and rewards high in everything from survey responses to product recalls.
When the situation is complex, employ a matrix to evaluate all possible decisions

10. Matrix Example Issue: Customers X PR Department
(Based on Social Exchange Theory)
Issue:
Defective lot of screws
Find Out
Doesn’t Find Out
Rewards
Company tied with quality
Costs
N/A
Option 1:
Recall Screws
money
Initial negative publicity
positive publicity
N/A
Rewards
X PR Department
Rewards
no immediate cost
Costs
Costs
no negative publicity
lose goodwill
negative publicity
law suits
lose customers
Option 2:
Ignore Defect
save cost of recall

11. Diffusion Theory
People adopt an idea only after going through the following five steps

12. Social Learning Theory
We can learn new behaviors merely by observing others.
Personal example and mass media can be important for acquiring new behaviors.
New behavior is likely to occur when it is seen as potentially rewarding.
Chronic complaining of the employee
If cold and tough employees are promoted…

13. Elaborated Likelihood Model
Describes two routes to possible changes in human attitudes and behavior.
Understanding these two options helps the practitioner devise effective ways to present information.

14. Elaborated Likelihood Model
Involvement
HIGH
LOW
Central Route
Peripheral Route

15. The Central Route
People are interested in your message, will actively think about an issue and will evaluate it with an open mind.
But, that’s not always the case…
Not interested, too busy or just can’t understand the issue?

16. The Peripheral Route
The peripheral route is taken when a receiver is deemed unable or unwilling to think directly about an issue.
Hence the person is presented with…
repetition of the message: candidates for local office, voting for obvious popular choice
credible sources: “experts can be trusted”
source attractiveness (celebrity endorsements) “X is in the movie, so it has to be good.”
rewards: donating money to a charity

17. Elaborated Likelihood Model