The public relations management in purpose-driven business

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5783/revrrpp.v13i25.801

Keywords:

Public Relations, Management, Triple Bottom Line, B Corps, Purpose, Sustainability

Abstract

This research work analyzes the management of public relations (PR from now on) in purpose-driven businesses that, from the triple bottom line perspective (economic, social and environmental), make up the emerging fourth sector of the economy, where those organizations that use the force of the market to solve social and environmental problems coexist. To achieve the objectives, an exploratory-descriptive research has been carried out by applying an exhaustive questionnaire to 79 purpose-driven companies (with and without B Corp certification) in 27 countries. Among the results, it stands out that:

The most widely used PR management model in triple bottom line businesses is that of mixed motive and it is proved by the following results:

  • The PR objectives mostly seek to promote negotiation and commitment with multiple publics to find common ground, areas of agreement, integration and a win-win zone. This answers to the ‘mixed motive model’, which involves the fulfilment of organisational objectives while at the same time attempting to help other publics to reach their own.
  • This mixed motive model presents itself as an evolution as it combines the interest in fulfilling organisational objectives of the asymmetric model and in the area of mutual understanding of the bidirectional symmetrical model. It is about businesses that seek to reach mutual comprehension and understanding, but this means that the organisation and the public have to modify their attitudes and behaviours.
  • The bidirectionality of the PR management model is reflected in the businesses that believe they are reaching a ‘deeper level of affective engagement’ and those that seek to reach the maximum level that entails the participation of publics in organisational activities. What’s more, all the publics defined are relevant to the PR function. Nevertheless, one factor that can condition the achievement of the mixed motive model is that the businesses are conversing, or interested in conversing, with their communities of interest above all, and to a lesser degree with their specific publics, their stakeholders and with the public sphere.
  • They are creating collaborative spaces to carry out prospective planning processes.

The PR management traversed by a communication strategy of the identity profile that is consistent with the triple bottom line perspective because:

  • Businesses prefer to associate with features of the triple bottom line business community to communicate their institutional profile.
  • They identify as: responsible, sustainable, innovative, transparent, creative, reliable, inclusive and dynamic (identity traits).
  • Among the attributes that differentiate them from their competitors are that: they work with a purpose; they offer high quality products or services; they generate a positive social and environmental impact; they have an impact model and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • The institutional values that stand out are responsibility, protection, respect, justice (social and environmental), gender equality, honesty and cooperation.

PR management answers to current trends of the disciplinary field because:

  • Among the most significant work areas (communications in: digital, social media, and integral marketing; CSR and sustainable development; consultancy/coaching; relationships with the community and internal communication), they highlight those that prioritise the comprehensive vision of PR management, sustainability and the most direct relationship with multiple publics. Nevertheless, transactional communication (the heir of marketing) continues to be significant.
  • On the other hand, the work areas that occupy the least time of PR professionals are those that are: reactive to contexts (crisis communication); utilitarian in their vision of associated image strategies (sponsoring and patronage); or hyper segmented and somewhat reductionist of the impact of communication (international communication and financial communication; relationships with investors).
  • The most relevant channels and instruments for communicating with multiple publics combine trends that pose the progress of virtuality; the most bidirectional perspectives and the revaluing of personalized communication (digital media and social media); online communication via webs, e-mail, intranets; face to face communication; events and online media outlets (newspapers and magazines).

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Author Biographies

María-Belén Barroso, UNiversity Blas Pascal

Docente de posgrado en la Universidad Blas Pascal de Argentina. Doctora en Comunicación para organizaciones sostenibles y Máster en educación ambiental por la Universidad de Málaga (España). Directora de Innovación y Comunicación en Almanatura, la primera B Corp certificada en España que lleva 25 años trabajando para la reactivación del medio rural en España. Ex Directora de la Fundación AlmaNatura. Co-fundadora y asesora en Cronopios, laboratorio de comunicación, triple Impacto y biomímesis. Responsable de comunicación y miembro del comité directivo B Academics global. Integrante del grupo impulsor de la Comunidad B Andalucía y de B Academics Spain. Investigadora en diferentes proyectos de investigación I+D+i centrados en el estudio de competencias para el Emprendimiento Social y la Sostenibilidad-Azul; Lobby y Comunicación en la Unión Europea; y Comunicación Transmedia Social/Educativa. Con más de 10 años de experiencia docente en nivel secundario, profesional y universitario (grado y posgrado). Licenciada en Relaciones públicas (UE Siglo 21) y en enseñanza de las ciencias ambientales (UTN) en Argentina. Speaker y ponente en eventos académicos y profesionales nacionales e internacionales.

Juan Carlos Tojar-Hurtado, Universidad de Málaga

Professor at the University of Málaga since 1989. Doctoral Theses, Ph. Dr., 1992. Expert in Program Evaluation and Environmental Education for Sustainability. Research team "Methods and resources for educational research and innovation" (HUM -369). Author (until 2022) of more than 114 publications (12 books, 48 chapters and 54 journals). 23 Doctoral Theses Director. In teaching, he teaches in Pedagogy and Social Education degrees, and several official master's degrees. Coordinator of a joint master's degree in Environmental Education. He has participated in several projects of Educational Innovation for the improvement of teachers. She has coordinated and taught several teacher training courses at the University of Malaga and other universities such as Salamanca, Zaragoza, Oviedo, Lleida, Burgos, Santiago, La Coruña, Extremadura, Politécnica de Madrid... He has conducted research in several universities in Spain, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. He has directed and participated in several R&D projects funded by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (AECID) and the regional administration (excellence projects).

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Published

2023-06-30

How to Cite

Barroso, M.-B., & Tojar-Hurtado, J. C. (2023). The public relations management in purpose-driven business. International Journal of Public Relations, 13(25), 21–40. https://doi.org/10.5783/revrrpp.v13i25.801

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 25 (2023): Public Relations Dimensions

Section

ARTÍCULOS

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Copyright (c) 2023 María-Belén Barroso, Juan Carlos Tojar-Hurtado

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