Women in Higher Education Public Relations: An Inkling of Change?

Tsetsura, K. (2014). Constructing public relations as a women’s profession. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas (International Journal of Public Relations), 4(8), 85-110. [Special Issue on European Public Relations]. Retrieved from http://revistarelacionespublicas.uma.es/index.php/revrrpp/article/view/293/178

Journal of Communication Management

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the current literature on women in public relations to establish trends and areas of inquiry in the literature and identify research gaps for future research.Design/methodology/approachA total of 223 articles have been empirically analysed using thematic analysis to identify trends in the existing literature. The data has been coded and analysed per decade (1982–1989, 1990–1999, 2000–2009, 2010–2019). The articles have been identified by searching major journals in the field of public relations and communications, as well as snowballing from identified articles.FindingsThe results show that the majority of academic articles have been produced by using lived experiences of women working in the public relations industry and thus reflect the professional situation of female public relations employees. The results show that the position of women has reached a full circle in four decades of research and returned to the discriminatory work environment. Fi...

2016

It has been well established that Public Relations is a gendered industry, evidenced by the number of women working in the industry has grown considerably in the past decades (CIPR State of the Profession Report 2015; Verhoeven & Aarts 2010; Fitch & Third 2010; Daymon & Demetrious 2010; Wyatt 2013; Aldoory & Toth 2002). However, even though Public Relations is a predominantly female industry, female practitioners face obstacles in achieving equality with their male colleagues. The most common problems are the wage gap and the glass ceiling (Grunig et al 2001; Place 2015; Merchant 2012; Fröhlich and Peters 2007).

As (almost) everyone in the Australian public relations industry knows, there are more women than men. On average, the numbers in Perth (and nationally) favour women by slightly more than three to one. However, the figures are alarmingly high, and, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, make PR one of the most female-intensive industries in Australia.

Public Relations Review, 2017

The state of women's research in public relations is strong. However, different women's stories-as well as men's stories who are not part of the standard White, heterosexual, American experience-are severely underrepresented in public relations practice and research. This review of research from the past 11 years shows that the practice has significant room to grow in terms of welcoming and providing a successful, equitable workplace environment to practitioners from marginalized groups. Specifically, research about the experiences of women of color, LGBT practitioners, practitioners with disabilities, practitioners aged 55 and older, and international practitioners are imperative to understand why public relations continues to be a "lily-white" field of women. To this point, research needs to seriously engage in intersectional research that links diverse practitioners' experiences with negative outcomes (e.g., salary gaps, relegation to technical positions, etc.) and positive effects (e.g., role modeling, entrepreneurship, etc.) for the field and individual practitioners alike. Directions for future research and practical application include examining eurocentrism and systemic racism in the academic and professional fields, overcoming issues of conducting quantitative research as well as issues of valuing qualitative research, linking diversity initiatives to core public relations concerns like crises and corporate social responsibility, exploring other fields' responses to diversity issues, and obtaining external audits by advocacy groups.

2010

Gender and power shape the practice of public relations. Gender contributes to power differences which may, in turn, influence an individual's strategic decisions and communication styles. Because male and female public relations practitioners make meaning of their roles as public relations practitioners differently , looking at the profession from the viewpoint of womenand women only -provides unique insight into these differences. The purpose of this study was to examine qualitatively how women public relations practitioners make meaning of gender and power. Additionally, the study examined the overlap of gender and power and the implications they hold for professional practice. Whereas previous public relations scholarship has examined the concepts of gender and power separately, the secondary purpose of the study sought to examine these phenomena together. Literature regarding gender, gender theory of public relations, power, and powercontrol theory contributed to this study. From the literature, three research questions were posed: How do women public relations practitioners make meaning of gender? How do public relations practitioners make meaning of power? and What are the intersections of gender and power in public relations? To best illustrate and describe how women public relations practitioners experience the phenomena of gender and power, I chose a qualitative research method which utilized 45 in-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with women public relations practitioners guided by an interview protocol. I utilized a grounded theory approach to data analysis. From the data, arose several themes regarding gender, power and their nexus. Results suggested that women practitioners made meaning of gender through contrasting definitions, as a function of a feminized public relations industry, as a function of pregnancy, childbirth and family responsibilities, through expectations and discrimination, and as an intersectional phenomenon involving one's race, age and geography. Participants made meaning of power as a function of influence, a function of relationships, knowledge and information, access, results-based credibility, negative force and empowerment. Women practitioners communicated that gender and power intersected through use of gendered appearances, management style, women's bonding together for power, the queen bee syndrome, leadership, women's self realization and confidence in their choices, and education of others. The data extend our understanding of gender theory of relations and powercontrol theory of public relations. Results suggest that gender, for public relations practitioners, exists as a socialized and learned phenomenon. Power in public relations exists in a system and empowerment serves as an alternative meaning making model of power. Evidence suggests that gender and power do intersect in the meaning making of practitioners and that future research must focus on examining this overlap and educating students and professionals about gender and gender discrimination.

"This study examined how female practitioners’ discourses shape perceptions of public relations as an emerging field in Russia. Interviews with 25 practitioners from Moscow public relations agencies showed that a prism of a real job and a woman’s job can help explain how socio-economic, professional, and genderdefined contexts influence practitioners’ perceptions of public relations and provided evidence for understanding public relations as a socially constructed gendered profession. The study found that Russian women construct their professional identities in gendered ways that may limit their career opportunities."

EUPRERA report Vol. 2, No.1, 2020

1996

A study was conducted which focused on public relations practitioners in school districts in a southern state. It used survey research to investigate several questions relating to public relations role enactment, hierarchical level of the public relations function, salary, job satisfaction, and encroachment into public relations. Questionnaires were sent to all 91 school districts in the state, with 47 returned of which 44 were usable, for a response rate of 48%. Results indicated that school public relations practitioners fulfill both the manager and technician roles equally, although it is responsibilities relating to the management function that seem to provide the most satisfaction. Women tend to be less active in the manager role. The public relations function reports directly to the school superintendent. There is a relationship between sex and salary in school district public relations and, with women, experience is negatively correlated with salary. Finally, there is a high level of encroachment into the public relations function in school districts. (Contains 36 references.) (Author/NKA)