From organizational effectiveness to relationship indicators

Grunig, J. E., & Huang, Y. H. (2000). From organizational effectiveness to relationship indicators: Antecedents of relationships, public relations strategies, and relationship outcomes. Public relations as relationship management: A relational approach to the study and practice of public relations(pp. 23-53). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Summary

This article focuses on antecedents, or what comes before, the establishment of relationships. Trust is one of the main factors in a good relationship. This article goes on to discuss strategies that can be used to develop and maintain relationships along with the outcomes that may results from these relationships. A good point to remember is that there is value to an organization in building good relationships and that if some of those relationships are external, that can be helpful to withstand organizational crises. This can be accomplished by building symmetrical relationships where both the organizational and stakeholder have a mutual interest. In building that mutual intertest, there could be conflicts, and this article provide serval strategies to resolve those conflicts and how they effective they may be. Finally, this article gives some good ideas on how to measure relational outcomes.

Experience

For me, the concept of relationship building is important. I don’t think I have focused nearly enough on that in my career. At least not with specific intent. This article helps me in that pursuit by laying out some specific ideas of what needs to go into building, maintaining, and measuring relationships. It will be interesting to work on the strategies and see what the outcomes are for me in my work environment.

KEYWORDS: Relationships, publics, trust, antecedents, organizational effectiveness, goal attainment, systems approach, strategic constituencies, competing values, relationship outcomes, interpersonal strategies, positivity, openness, assurances, networking, shared tasks, conflict resolution strategies, integrative, distributive, dual concern, contending, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, cooperating, being unconditionally constructive, saying win-win or no deal, control mutuality, relational satisfaction, relational commitment