ABSTRACT
The relationship perspective of public relations suggests that balancing the interests of organizations and publics is achieved through management of organization-public relationships. From that perspective, public relations is seen as “the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends” (Cutlip, Center, & Broom, 1994, p. 2). The notion of public relations as a management function provides a framework for conducting programs and campaigns within the four-step process of analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation, and offers a systematic means for determining return on investment from public relations initiatives, outcome documentation that has been lacking in the practice since its inception.
