2 Analyzing Organization

Step 2 Analyzing the Organization

Related Concepts:

  • Public Relations Audit: Strategists must understand their organization including performance, reputation, structure — —
  • SWOT analysis (Traditional method) — Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threat Two perspectives: internal/external

How to analyze the organization?

  • Three aspects: 1.Internal environment
    1. Performance: most important, including the quality of the goods and services provided by the organization, viability of the causes and ideas it espouses. Quality for now and past, level of satisfaction by leader.
    2. Niche: specialty, a position, the nook, cubbyhole
    3. Structure: (1)The structure of PR operation in organization (2) Review the purpose or mission of the organization related to the situation (3) the role of PR, manager-level, decision maker, or receive orders only (4) Review available resources e.g. personnel, equipment, time, and budget
    4. Internal Impediments: Obstacles within the organization: wounded egos, shortsighted executives, company favorites, other barriers
    5. Ethical Base: PR is the conscience of the organization; Organization’s structured ethical ideal or the concern of the individual (PR and Ethics)

2.public perception: visibility: the extent to which an organization is known, whether people know, what they know and how accurate reputation: how people evaluate the information they have The stronger the visibility, the more positive its reputation, the greater ability to build on this positive base.

—What PR do with low reputation? — — Performances –> visibility –> reputation — — A good reputation is a real business asset

3.external environment:

  1. supporters: people or groups currently or potentially would like to help the organization achieve its goal
  2. competitors: (1) People or groups who are doing the same thing in same arena (2) High competition, PR highlight difference, (3) Low competition, relationship building (4) Colleagues: competitive or cooperative
  3. opponents, people or groups who are against your organization, they have the potential to damage your organization
    1. Difference btw competitor and opponent? e.g. Political campaign; Fur factories and animal Right Activists
    2. Types of Opponents
      1. Advocates: support sth. else, mainly vocal –>PR: find common ground for discussion and create alliance —
      2. Dissidents: oppose your position or action, not irrational –>PR: Communication that address their interests and concern —
      3. Antis: dissident on a global scale, oppose everything –>PR: little impact —
      4. Activist: similar as advocates, want more than discussion, seek change –>PR: more than communicate, cooperation
      5. Missionaries: self-righteous activists in support of a cause, operate under moral imperative –> PR: communication to moderate their opposition —
      6. Zealots: single-issue activists with a missionary fervor –> PR: unlikely to coax
      7. Fanatics: zealots without the social stabilizers, e.g. suicide bombers, terrorists –> PR: little impact
  4. external impediments: Any social, political, or economic factors outside an organization —

Where to get info for analyzing the organization (a Public Relations Audit)?

  1. See if past research has addressed the relevant issue
  2. Check the public info about your organization, annual report, news release, clipping files of published stories
  3. Ask people close to organization, talk with managers, long-term employees, key service provider
  4. Conduct your own research, low-cost tech for on-line polling, e.g. surveymonkey, zoomerang
  5. Check your organization by search engine, see what bloggers say

Key: candor, honest