March 10, 2021

By Linda Hon, University of Florida, and Leping You, Miami University (Ohio)

Given that Consumer Political Advocacy (CPA) is a vital yet underexplored area, this project examined the antecedents and outcomes of CPA with three studies.

The first study conceptualized and developed measurements for the behavioral outcomes of CPA among consumers. The study conceptualized consumer digital engagement (CDE) and political consumerism as two consequential behavioral outcomes of CPA.

CDE revealed two types of outcomes, activities that… More

February 4, 2021 • Stephanie Madden

One of the many challenges of being a university-level educator during the COVID-19 pandemic is watching our prepared and motivated students face an uncertain professional future. While canceled internships and potentially lackluster job prospects are a very real challenge, one opportunity provided by our Zoom-based reality is the enhanced access available to professional events that were once financially or geographically out of students (and professors!) ability to attend.

An event that I, let alone my students, have never… More

January 27, 2021

By Marlene S. Neill, Baylor University & Juan Meng, University of Georgia

Being an ethical person is not synonymous with being an ethical leader. In fact, we found significant reasons for concern when we asked more than 500 female public relations and communication professionals to evaluate the highest ranked communication leader in their organization based on several key outcomes.

Our findings are published in the newly released book “PR With Influence: Breaking through the Ethical and… More

January 6, 2021

By Holly Overton, associate professor at the University of South Carolina

Is corporate social advocacy (CSA) the new corporate social responsibility (CSR)? Do stakeholder expectations vary for companies’ CSR vs. CSA efforts and how they should communicate about them? Do company motives matter any more or less for CSR or CSA?

These are some research questions that I explored in a recent study with co-authors Joon Kyoung Kim, University of Rhode Island; and University of South Carolina… More

December 17, 2020

By Marlene S. Neill, Page Center research fellow

In 2018, the Arthur W. Page Center appointed me as a research fellow to conduct a study in response to the 2017 Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE) Report on Undergraduate Education, specifically to provide guidance for ethics education.

The CPRE found that public relations professionals ranked ethics third behind writing and communication as a necessary competency to work in public relations. In addition, the… More

December 7, 2020

By Justin Walden, North Dakota State University

Workers are experiencing considerable stress these days, from juggling family responsibilities, to dealing with an unsteady economy, to figuring out how to get through another Zoom meeting.

The coronavirus pandemic has put a glaring spotlight on organizational leaders and the challenges that employees face in teleworking.

How can organizations support their frontline workers and what conditions might bring out the best in employees?

With funding support from a… More