STRC 2111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: James E. Grunig, Contingency Theory
2 May 2018
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PR Part 2: Responses to Grunig
• Response to Grunig
◦ Issue Life-Cycle Theory
▪ PR crisis follow a predictable pattern
▪ Follow PR “best practices,” will resolve in 3 stages
▪ Surfacing: When crisis becomes known
▪ Appropriate Reaction: Org’s reaction satisfies the stakeholders and
addresses their concerns
▪ Quick Resolution
▪ Crisis
▪ An unresolved or intensified response to reaction
▪ Becomes an issue: An issue is when the public thinks it’s
significant
▪ Stakeholder and public escalation
▪ Social media —> Media (or viral)
▪ Negative outcomes: litigation, regulation, damage to reputation/image
◦ Legitimacy Gap Theory
▪ Why does an issue spin out of control?
▪ Organizations accuse “good will”, positive image, or credibility
▪ Discrepancy between expectations and actions
▪ Perceived or real
▪ Change in organization’s behavior
▪ Ex: Target, Temple
▪ Change in our social expectations or norms
▪ “Only care about money” or “boy’s club"
◦ Contingency Theory
▪ Grunig’s 4 Models are not unethical vs ethical, but strategies
▪ Select model based on need/situation
▪ Choice of model reflects ever changing internal and external audiences
and threats and opportunities
▪ Strategic Continuum
▪ Pure advocacy (Publicity) <—> Perfect Accommodation (Two-way
symmetrical)
◦ Systems Theory
▪ No organization exists/functions alone
▪ Management problem: “myth of autonomy"
▪ Orgs are interdependent with stakeholders, actions by either party affect the
other
▪ Turbulence (dysfunction) may arise from:
▪ Stakeholders
▪ Organization failures
▪ Environmental change
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