Roles, decision-making, and access to the dominant coalition

The practice of public relations in Canada

Résumé

This paper explores perceptions of public relations roles and
influence among senior communication managers in Canada.
Findings suggest that practitioners are optimistic about their
status and location within their organizations. However, they
report less confidence in the influence they can exert on financial
decisions that contribute to the organizational bottom line.
Findings indicate this may result from several factors, including
the gendered nature of the public relations profession as
well as a lack of follow-through on evaluation and measurement
of communication programs.