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Nothing Ever Happens, and I Wonder: Dynamic Standstill of PR Between 1984–2020

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Conference Proceedings Trends in Business Communication 2022

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Abstract

Over the last four decades, the PR industry tried hard to develop from an operational practice into a full strategic management function. Analyzing the submissions for the Austrian-PR-State-Award (1984–2020) shows no significant changes in the perception and treatment of PR problems in this period. A symbolic-interpretive mode is more often practiced than a dialogue-oriented management mode. The main focus is on gaining internal influence, and the improvement of the actual performance is neglected. Hence, due to this imbalance, the possibility of professionalization efforts through a mutually reinforcing dynamic of increase between performance and influence cannot be fully exploited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Applied Sciences, Kufstein, Tyrol, Austria

    Peter Dietrich, Christoph Hauser & Sascha Leiber

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  1. Peter Dietrich
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  2. Christoph Hauser
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  3. Sascha Leiber
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Correspondence to Peter Dietrich .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Marketing & Communication Management; Digital Marketing, University of Applied Sciences, Kufstein, Austria

    Peter Schneckenleitner

  2. Marketing & Communication Management; Digital Marketing, University of Applied Sciences, Kufstein, Austria

    Wolfgang Reitberger

  3. Marketing & Communication Management; Digital Marketing, University of Applied Sciences, Kufstein, Austria

    Alexandra Brunner-Sperdin

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Dietrich, P., Hauser, C., Leiber, S. (2023). Nothing Ever Happens, and I Wonder: Dynamic Standstill of PR Between 1984–2020. In: Schneckenleitner, P., Reitberger, W., Brunner-Sperdin, A. (eds) Conference Proceedings Trends in Business Communication 2022. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-40619-6_5

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