…“Public relations practice is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization’s
leadership, and implementing planned programs of action which will serve both the organization’s and the public interest.”…
Kitchen, 1997 : 7 For comparison, the followings are some definitions stated by Public
Relations experts. According to Scott M. Cutlip and Allen H. Center 1978 : 16, “Public
Relations is the planned effort to influence opinion through good character and responsible
performance, based
upon mutually
satisfactory two-way
communications.”
On the other hand, in his book, Modern Public Relations, John E. Marston wrote cited by Kr
iyantono, 2007 : 3 that “Public Relations is planned, persuasive communication designed to influence significant public.”
The cores of all various definitions above are about management and communication. The contribution of Public Relations is absolutely important to
promote an organization or company and gain reputation from the interested public. A Public Relations Practitioner has to make the company that he or she
represents to be correctly understood and appreciated.
B. Functions of Public Relations
Ralph Currier Davis and Allan C. Filley wrote on their book, Principles of Management, that function is a term showing certain of activity stages that are
clear and able to be treated differently Effendy, 1986:31. In connection with public relations functions, in an organization the officers should show the clear
activities, which can be treated differently with other activities. Meanwhile, if there is no public relations officer in an organization or a
company there will be no public relations roles done in the organization or company as the job functions to reach the management purposes. All of activities
having connection with management and communication to gain reputation from the interested public can be mentioned as the public relations activities. There are
functional elements of public relations contained in those activities. As far as the premise, in the activities must be able to detect whether there
are characteristics of public relations or not. Basically, public relations has two absolute aspects which can treat differently with others. The first aspect is that
targets of public relations are internal and external publics. The second one is that public relations is two-way traffic reciprocal communication Effendy, 1986:13.
To recognize the functional elements of public relations activities, there are several characteristics of public relations beside public relations is two-way traffic
reciprocal communication, and the targets are internal and external publics: 1.
Public relations is a supporting part to achieve the purpose which has been determined by the management of the functions.
2. The process of making public relations operational is to develop a good
relationship between organization and publics, and also prevent the barriers, which is coming from both organization and public.
Effendy, 1986 : 31
At one level, public relations is responsible for creating effective and mutually satisfactory relationship with various publics. According to Philip J.
Kitchen, the paramount importance of public relations functions is creation of a favorable image. 1997 : 29
Apart from that, Scott M. Cutlip and Allen Carter stated that public relations has three functions as follow:
1. To facilitate and insure an inflow of representative opinions from
an organization ’s several publics so that its policies and
operations may be kept compatible with the diverse needs and views of these publics.
2. To counsel management on ways and means on shaping an
organization’s policies and operations, in order to gain maximum public acceptance.
3. To devise and implement programs that will gain wide and
favorable interpretations of company’s policies and operations. Effendy, 1986 : 43
It can be concluded that the activities to obtain acceptance, good relationship and understanding of the publics in order to create a favorable image are the ones
containing the important roles of public relations. All of the activities can be mentioned as the functional elements of public relations.
Therefore, the activities obtain the characteristics those public relations as a technique of communication. The meaning is that all of organization members’
acts are able to influence certain images in the publics’ opinions Kriyantono,
2007 : 12. Furthermore, in a company where there are no public relations, the principle of everybody is a public relations is consistently going.
In postal company, for example, there are publics, especially costumers, requiring information. They actually are people who have to explain about the
procedures of delivery services. It is because they are people who are waiting something. So that the officers of postal company must have skills to calm them
down by doing persuasive communication and sustained effort. Up to this statement, it can be seen that there are functions of public relations done by
officers from the company although there are no public relations practitioners.
C. Corporate Image
