ABSTRACT
Since Ferguson initiated the study of relationships as a new paradigm (Ferguson, 1984), the study of organization‒public relationship (OPR) management has been among the most intriguing areas of research in the field of public relations (Ledingham & Bruning, 2000). Several books, journal articles, and conference papers have explored OPRs. Many scholars and public relations practitioners have agreed that public relations is essentially building and maintaining an organization’s relationships with its publics (e.g. Broom, Casey, & Ritchey, 2000; Center & Jackson, 1995). In particular, the book Public Relations as Relationship Management: A Relational Approach to the Study and Practice, edited by John Ledingham and Steven Bruning, brought scholarly attention to the area. According to Sallot, Lyon, Acosta-Alzuru, and Jones (2003), OPR is the second most frequently used theory in public relations scholarship. Scholars have acknowledged the importance of definitions (Berko, Rosenfeld, & Samovar, 1997; Thomlison, 2000), dimensions (Broom et al., 2000), measurement (Hon & Brunner, 2004; Jo, Hon, & Brunner, 2004; Jo, 2006; Kim, 2001), types of OPR (Ledingham & Bruning, 1998b), maintenance strategies (Hon & Grunig, 1999; Grunig & Huang, 2000; Ki & Hon, 2006), and developmental and process models (Ledingham, 2001). Ledingham (2003a) suggested that relationship management meets accepted criteria for a general theory of public relations and offers a paradigm for the study and practice of public relations.
