A newly published study analyzing a decade of public relations scholarship finds that the field’s foundational strategic management paradigm remains central to the discipline, even as its scope has expanded to include new organizational contexts and research perspectives.
The research, published in the Journal of Public Relations Research, examined how scholarship focused on strategic public relations management evolved between 2012 and 2022. The study was led by Luke Capizzo, assistant professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, alongside an interdisciplinary team of researchers from multiple institutions.
Strategic management has long served as a cornerstone of public relations theory, examining how organizations plan, manage and evaluate communication with stakeholders. In recent years, however, scholars have debated whether the paradigm remains dominant as the field expands to include new theories, methods and critiques.
To explore this question, the research team used structural topic modeling and network analysis to examine thousands of articles published in leading public relations journals during the 10-year period. The computational approach allowed the researchers to analyze patterns across millions of words of published scholarship and identify how research topics in the field have evolved.
“What we found is that strategic management remains both central and robust in public relations scholarship,” said Capizzo. “But the definition of what counts as management has expanded significantly.”
Historically, strategic management research in public relations focused largely on corporate communication and improving professional practices. Over the past decade, however, scholars have increasingly examined how communication is managed across a wider range of contexts.
Research in the area now explores communication strategies within activist organizations, nonprofit advocacy groups and internal organizational environments, alongside traditional corporate settings. The scholarship has also expanded to include work that both improves public relations practice and critically examines it.
Capizzo said the study’s large dataset and collaborative research team helped provide a deeper understanding of how the field has developed.
“The structural topic modeling analysis is really just the beginning,” Capizzo said. “Interpreting the data is a complex process that involves the research team working through what the topics mean and how to organize them. Everyone brings different expertise and perspectives that help us make sense of what we’re seeing.”
The study is part of a broader multi-year research effort examining how major areas of public relations scholarship have developed over time. This paper represents the fifth publication in the ongoing series, with additional studies planned.
By Claire Dippel