Public Relations Leaders As Sensemakers ─ A Global Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management

Public Relations Leaders as Sensemakers presents foundational research on the public relations profession, providing a current and compelling picture of expanding global practice. Utilizing data from one of the largest studies ever conducted in the field, and representing the perspectives of 4,500 practitioners, private and state-run companies, communication agencies, government agencies, and nonprofits, this work advances a theory of integrated leadership in public relations and highlights future research needs and educational implications.

This volume is appropriate for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in international public relations and communication management, as well as scholars in global public relations, communication management, and business. It is also intended to supplement courses in public relations theory, strategic communication, business management, and leadership development.

Bruce K. Berger, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of advertising and public relations at the University of Alabama. He was the co-principal investigator for the global leadership study. He serves as research director for the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at UA, and as editor of the Organizational Communication Research Center online site for the Institute for Public Relations. Previously, Berger was a public relations professional and executive for The Upjohn Company and Whirlpool Corporation for 20 years. He worked on communication projects in more than 30 countries. His research focuses on communication management and leadership, employee communications and power relations inside organizations. He has authored or edited four books and more than 80 book chapters and scholarly and professional articles.

Juan Meng, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She was the co-principal investigator for the global leadership study. She is a Fellow of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama. Her research focuses on the quantitative measurement of public relations leadership, leadership development in a global context, strategic stakeholder engagement, and corporate reputation management in evolving markets. Her research on public relations leadership has been published in The Sage handbook of public relations, Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, Public Relations Journal, and Journal of Communication Management, among others.