Power and Influence in Public Relations

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on a presentation for my J452 class. After ruminating over a number of topics, I decided to focus my presentation on an interesting book called “Gaining Influence in Public Relations: The Role of Resistance in Practice” by Bruce K. Berger and Bryan H. Reber.

It’s a fascinating book, and I’d recommend it to anyone in the field. However, I realized there was a lot in the book I wouldn’t be able to fit into the presentation, so I thought this would be the perfect place to discuss it a bit further.Business

First, a basic premise of the book is essential. Berger and Reber contend power is the number one issue in the industry today. This, they conclude, essentially means holding a seat at the organization’s decision-making table.

Now, this isn’t simply power for power’s sake. The role of the PR practitioner today is to lead an organization or company down a moral, ethical road to success. In a capitalist society where the bottom line is paramount, ethics are extremely important. However, they’re often cast aside as the need or desire to make money dictates business decisions. With a certain degree of power and influence, a PR practitioner can be the guidepost toward ethical business practices.

So, how do they suggest this could be accomplished? Through resistance.

This seemed unorthodox at first, but further reading shed some light on the issue. Practitioners can use a number of resistance techniques, most of which fall under three broad categories: Advocacy, dissent and activism.

Advocacy is publicly representing an individual, organization, or an idea It is one of the most common forms of resistance within an organization. It can be as simple as resistance to proposed policies, plans practices, procedures, ideologies and so forth. In this view, it happens nearly every day in every organization.

Dissent is expressing contradictory views about an organization in the workplace. Berger and Reber identify three different kinds: direct or articulate dissent, antagonistic or latent dissent and displaced dissent.

Direct or articulate dissent refers to upward communication within an organization. This occurs when employees express dissent within the organization to someone who can effectively influence the organization.

Antagonistic or latent dissent occurs when employees believe they will be perceived as adversarial, but express dissent anyway because they feel protected in some way. This could include seniority, family ties, minority status or vital expertise.

Displaced dissent occurs when an employee believes they will be perceived as adversarial, and this will lead to retaliation. This form of dissent is typically expressed outside the workplace to friends, family, professional associations or even the media.

Activism refers to efforts to influence public policy, organizational practices, social norms and so forth. Activism can rely on having strong personal characteristics, building relationships and alliances, creating access to powerful individuals and using self-knowledge and moral consciousness.

Employing these strategies can be tricky, however. Stirring the pot can be dangerous in an organization, and an intimate knowledge of the power structure and politics are necessary. It’s best to know what one is getting into before diving into the deep end unprepared. To that end, using these strategies should come with extreme caution.

As noted in the book, today’s delicate economy means companies are more prone to layoffs and high turnover rates, which further compounds the problem. Political astuteness, insight and savvy helps practitioners become more influential without upsetting the delicate relationships within an organization.

Understanding key people who make decisions and establishing relationships with them is essential. The more you understand, the more people will take your counsel. As a result, you’ll find yourself in a position to truly influence the decision-making process and ensure your organization remains ethical.

Is resistance the best way to achieve these goals? Perhaps. At the very least it provides an interesting, alternative path to gaining influence, power, and ultimately success. However, these tactics require a deep understanding of the political and power structure of an organization.

Do you agree power is the number one issue in PR?

(polls)

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