The Influence of Public Relations and Communication Functions on Perceptions of Organizational Success, Innovation and Reputation

Drawing on survey data gathered from senior public relations officers within Canadian organizations, this paper explores the extent to which the integration of the public relations function in strategic decisionmaking impacts the achievement of positive organizational outcomes. Three measures of organizational performance were used to investigate these relationships: practitioners’ perceptions of organizational success, innovativeness, and external reputation. This research reveals that a strategic public relations / communications management focus by senior organizational management has a positive influence on an organization’s innovativeness