THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN ENHANCING PUBLIC RELATIONS IN LEGAL FIRMS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background of the study

Public relations academics conceptualize public relations as a management discipline, which is a change from the traditional view of public relations as mainly a communication activity. Grunig and Hunt (1984) define public relations as the management of communication between an organization and its publics; and emphasize: this definition equates public relations and communication management. Cutlip et al. (1999) define PR as the management function that identifies, establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends. Sam Black (1995) defines PR practice “as the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain good will and mutual understanding between organization and its publics.