PUBLIC RELATIONS LEADERS AS SENSEMAKERS Public Relations Leaders as Sensemakers presents foundational research on the public relations profession, providing a current and compelling picture of expanding global practice. Utiliz- ing data from one of the largest studies ever conducted in the fi eld, and representing the perspectives of 4,500 practitioners, private and state-run companies, communication agencies, government agencies, and nonprofi ts, this work advances a theory of integrated leadership in public relations and highlights future research needs and educational implications. This volume is appropriate for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in international public relations and communication management, as well as scholars in global public relations, communication management, and business. It is also intended to supplement courses in public relations theory, strategic communication, business manage- ment, and leadership development. Bruce K. Berger, PhD, is professor emeritus of advertising and public relations at the University of Alabama. He was the co-principal investigator for the global leadership study. He serves as research director for the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Rela- tions at the University of Alabama and as editor of the Organizational Communication Research Center online site for the Institute for Public Relations. Previously, Berger was a public relations professional and executive for The Upjohn Company and Whirlpool Corporation for 20 years. He worked on communication projects in more than 30 countries. His research focuses on communication management and leadership, employee communications and power relations inside organizations. He has authored or edited four books and more than 80 book chapters and scholarly and professional articles. Juan Meng, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She was the co-principal investigator for the global leadership study. She is a Fellow of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama. Her research focuses on the quantitative measurement of public relations leadership, leadership development in a global context, strategic stakeholder engagement, and corporate reputation management in evolving markets. Her research on public relations leadership has been published in T he SAGE Handbook of Public Relations, Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, Public Relations Journal, and Journal of Communication Management, among others. This page intentionally left blank PUBLIC RELATIONS LEADERS AS SENSEMAKERS A Global Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management Edited by Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng First published 2014 by R outledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Taylor & Francis The right of the editor to be identifi ed as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book. ISBN: 978-0-415-71091-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-415-71092-3 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-85893-7 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC Dedicated to Betsy Ann Plank (1924–2010) Leader, mentor, teacher, counselor and, above all, friend and kindred spirit to thousands of public relations practitioners, educators and students. Godspeed, Betsy. This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS Dedication v List of Figures xi List of Tables xiii Contributors xv Preface xxiii Acknowledgments xxvii SECTION I Shining a Light on Leadership in Public Relations 01 1 Making Sense of Leaders and Leadership in Public Relations 03 Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng 2 Review of the Leadership Literature 16 Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng 3 Research Design and Methods 38 Juan Meng and Bruce K. Berger 4 Profi le of Survey and Interview Participants 55 Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng viii Contents SECTION II Results and Implications of the Global Leadership Survey 61 5 The Context for Leadership in Public Relations: Key Issues in the Field 63 Ansgar Zerfass, Anne Linke, and Ulrike Röttger 6 Strategies and Tactics Leaders Use to Manage Issues 80 Bryan H. Reber 7 Leadership Dimensions and Issue Management 95 Juan Meng 8 Development of Future Leaders 111 Yan Jin 9 Perceptions of Leaders, Organizations, and the Profession 125 Elina Erzikova and Baiba Pētersone SECTION III Conversations With Leaders in Public Relations 139 10 Public Relations Leadership in the Chinese-Speaking Countries: Talent Development in the Dynamic, Digital Age 141 Chun-ju Flora Hung-Baesecke, Yan Jin, and Juan Meng 11 Leadership in a Transforming Environment: Perspectives from Public Relations Leaders in India 156 Nilanjana R. Bardhan and Padmini Patwardhan 12 Past, Present and Future Public Relations in South Korea: Issues, Work Environments, and Leadership 171 Jae-Hwa Shin, Jaesub Lee, Jongmin Park, and Kwang Hee Kim 13 Leadership in Communication Management: Enduring and Emerging Challenges in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland 186 Ulrike Röttger, Janne Stahl, and Ansgar Zerfass 14 Addressing Organizational and Sociopolitical Changes Through Leadership in Public Relations in Latvia 201 Baiba Pētersone and Bryan H. Reber Contents ix 15 Taking on the Bear: Public Relations Leaders Confronting Russian Challenges 217 Elina Erzikova 16 Spain: Public Relations Leadership in an Age of Turbulence 232 Cristina Navarro Ruiz and Ángeles Moreno 17 Transcultural Study on Leadership in Public Relations and Communications Management: Results for Brazil 247 Andréia S. Athaydes, Gustavo Becker, Rodrigo Silveira Cogo, Mateus Furlanetto, and Paulo Nassar 18 Key Leadership Challenges and Factors in Public Relations and Communications in Mexico 262 Marco V. Herrera and Rebeca I. Arévalo Martínez 19 U.S. Public Relations Leaders Pursue Talent, Digital Mastery, and Strong Cultures 278 Bruce K. Berger, Juan Meng, William Heyman, Mark Harris, and Mark Bain SECTION IV Creating the Future 295 20 The Global Study and Leadership in the Future 297 Bruce K. Berger and Juan Meng Appendices Appendix A: Online Survey 315 Global Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management Appendix B: Interview Guide 325 Global Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management Index 327