The Role of Research in Public Relations

American Association for Public Opinion Research

The Role of Research in Public RelationsAuthor(s): Frank LangSource: The Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Spring, 1951), pp. 54-64Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Association for Public OpinionResearchStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2745751 .

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The Role of Research

in Public Relations*

BY FRANK LANG

IN order to create lasting respect and under- partment of the Association of Casualty and standing, whether with internal, external, or Surety Companies, and recipient of the first trade publics, public relations policy should doctoral degree (from Columbia University) be based on effective and thorough research. ever to be granted for a dissertation on public In this article, the author discusses the range relations. This dissertation will be published of research procedures which are available to soon under the title: "The Application of Pub- public relations management. lic Relations Management to Big Business-A

The author is manager of the Research De- Public Relations Program for Insurance."

THERE is a new consciousness in business today that its prosperity, its survival even, depends on the feelings of many different people. A business needs the cooperation of its workers, the goodwill of its customers, the confidence of its stockholders-to mention just a few of the groups concerned. But above all it must be favorably regarded by that nebulous conglomeration called the public at large, whose representatives in the government determine the political and economic climate in which the business has to live. To maximize the goodwill of all these publics is the underlying aim of all public relations.

In order to be successful in this endeavor, a public relations program must be adjusted to the group of people to whom it is directed. The importance of defining and evaluating these groups cannot be stressed too strongly. Any executive or advertising man knows the importance of careful research in finding out whom he wants to reach before actually undertaking a marketing or advertising campaign. Similarly, in a public relations effort, research plays a vital part in the determination and classification of the specific groups to which the program is directed. A public relations effort increases in effectiveness in proportion to the specificity with which it is directed to a group.

What do we mean by the word "public"? We think of a public as a group of people who are bound together by a common interest or

* This paper is based on remarks made before the First Joint Meeting of the New York Chap- ter of the American Marketing Association and the Public Relations Society of America, New York City, December 12, I950.



THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

some other common factor. We can break down the American popula- tion into national, regional, and local groups, or groups according to sex, residence, income, education, occupation, nationality, race, religion, or other characteristics. The people in each of these groups have certain opinions in common.

In this discussion, where we are primarily concerned with business public relations, let us make three arbitrary classifications:

Internal publics-employees, stockholders, management, directors, etc.

Trade publics-customers, prospects, dealers, competitors, salesmen, etc.

External publics-the local community, media, government representatives, the public at large, etc.

These groups overlap to a considerable degree, so that the beneficial effect of a public relations effort directed to one will extend to some degree to the others.

RESEARCH AMONG INTERNAL PUBLICS

Every business, obviously, is dependent upon the cooperation and support it receives from those people who are directly connected with it. While each of the several groups falling into this category merits separate treatment, let us concentrate upon one: employees.

Research in the field of employee relations (sometimes called industrial relations) constitutes one of the two most highly developed areas in public relations, and has developed a considerable literature.

Basically, all employee research works toward cooperation between labor and management along the following lines: informational cooperation, where labor and management jointly gather facts; advisory cooperation, wherein either side may consult the other; constructive cooperation, whereby positive suggestions for improvements may be made by both groups; and joint determination of important mutual problems, as in collective bargaining. Research in human relations can determine the basis for any of these methods of cooperation, whether existing at present or to be developed.

Another wide field of research includes procedures relating to the selection, placement, and training of personnel. Tests are available for measuring aptitude, ability, intelligence, achievements, personality, in-

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PUBLIC OPINION QUARTERLY, SPRING 1951

terest, and attitudes. A good deal of research is being devoted to identi- fying certain basic traits indicating executive ability among personnel, and significant results are expected from a long-term major study on this subject sponsored jointly by a mail order house and a university. Also promising are the validation studies which have been made on the techniques employed, showing how closely the predictions made on the basis of tests tally with actual performance.

Mention should also be made of economic research dealing with probable future labor trends. Several companies, for example, have made studies of wage and employment trends in their industries and the country as a whole.

Foremen's functions and compensation, group incentives for super- visors, management training programs for foremen, executive selection and training, pre-employment training generally, organization of industrial relations departments, the whole process of communication, conference programs, benefit plans and job pricing practices, to name only a few, are some of the additional subjects on which research has been done.

A good example of how research established the basis for an employee-management relations program is afforded by the work of a large industrial company in connection with a job evaluation record. This research study, which was undertaken jointly by management and the union, reduced 25,000 jobs to 30 major job classifications. Stoppages and frequent grievances over job inequities were eliminated.

Research has led to some outstanding successes in the field of accident prevention. This is a subject in which both labor and management have a vital interest, and in these emergency days when business is out to increase production in order to supply both war and civilian demands, research in accident prevention is especially valuable. The research to which I am referring is not confined merely to technological improvements, development of safety devices, or other material changes in the work environment, but is also directed to the so-called intangibles which provide tangible results. Accident prevention studies have shown that man is not an automaton, that both his productivity and his safety record are definitely related to temperament, to production schedules and to types of supervision.

A fertilizer plant, which had an annual loss of more than $285,000 due to accidents, has shown us what research can do in the field of

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accident prevention. A safety engineer was called in to conduct the study and an accident prevention program was developed. Within one

year, the company's accident frequency rate was cut in half, resulting in an annual saving of more than one hundred thousand dollars.

Attitude surveys play a major part in employee relations research.

Among other things, they tell us something about the employee's characteristics, why he applies for the job in the first place, and what he

hopes to get out of it. For example, surveys have made it possible to construct a picture of the primary interests of the average American industrial worker:

-he wants security-not charity-to protect him against common hazards such as death, old age, sickness, disability or undeserved un-

employment; -he wants an opportunity to advance; -he wants to be treated like a human being without being pushed

around; -he wants a status of genuine human dignity.

None of these most widely-desired factors include matters of financial remuneration. After them come: interesting work, working conditions, handling of complaints, financial returns, the immediate supervisor, other people on the job, vacation policy, and working hours. Human values, obviously, are of greatest importance.

Unsigned questionnaires have been used to great advantage in studies of employee morale. Besides providing an outlet for employee grievances, this procedure enables management to determine where trouble spots are and how corrective measures can be instituted.

An example of how this type of research has been used not only to measure morale but also to determine the level of team work among the employees is afforded by a large chain of department stores. The local manager usually requests the survey, and the mechanics as well as the purpose of the survey are explained in detail to each employee. The questionnaires are divided into six sections dealing respectively with the employee's reaction to the company in general, the local store, the local management, the immediate supervisor, co-workers, and working conditions. The employee is free to comment on a separate sheet, and about 70 per cent of them take advantage of this. The questionnaires are scored and tabulated by sex, age, job activity, seniority, etc.,

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and are followed up by interviews in about one-third of the cases. The exact nature of the difficulty is thus readily determined and positive, corrective action can be taken.

In addition, surveys among employees yield certain intangible values. Management has often observed that such surveys have a number of beneficial effects on employees, such as increased understanding of the company's business, better participation in company affairs, and more pride in their work. As Cyrus Ching has pointed out: "If your employees believe in you ... your reputation begins to rise and rise in the minds of the public, not because of a conscious effort on your part to bring it about, but through the influence of your employees."

RESEARCH AMONG TRADE PUBLICS

The success of any business is determined in large measure by the cooperation which the company receives from its salesmen or dealers, by the manner in which its suppliers deal with it, and by the acceptance of its products on the part of actual and potential customers. Competi- tion has become so intricate that the merits of a product are in many instances of almost secondary importance. The enterprising business- man, therefore, must acquaint himself with those extra services which will distinguish him and his products from his competitors. Because the customer is the focal point among trade groups, this discussion will be limited to research in the field of customer relations.

What factors underlie customer attitudes ? Quality, service, the company's business ethics, employee relations, community spirit, and many others. Research can disclose not only the customers' or salesmen's opinions but establish the basis for a sound working policy with them. Such a research program must be of a continuous nature, based on a constant re-examination of the needs and desires of the consuming public.

An outstanding application of research among present or pro- spective customers was made by one of this country's major public utilities. In its studies, the company has been trying to find out what people are thinking by going directly to them. During the more than 20 years of the company's efforts to obtain customer opinion, the views of over a million people have been obtained on many different subjects. Today these studies of customer attitudes are based on scientific sam-

pling procedures, and are conducted on a semi-annual basis. Their re-

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THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN PUBLIC RELATIONS 59

suits are shown regularly to top management. The questions asked fall into four major categories: (i) attitude toward the service provided by the company (including annoying occasions, quality of service, specific difficulties, etc.); (2) attitude toward cost of service; (3) attitude toward the company in particular (including questions on its reputation in the community, how well it is run, reasonableness of profits, and treatment of employees); (4) recall of company advertising in the press and radio. The company has found not only that the public is very will- ing to answer questions, but also that asking people for their opinions often improves their feeling toward the company as a whole.

To take another example, a large department store in Detroit found that its sales were sagging somewhat. A study of the problem revealed that a large slice of potential business was being diverted to smaller neighborhood stores. Harassed housewives preferred to forego the ad- vantages of shopping in the large downtown stores because of the difficulty of taking their children with them. Neighborhood stores were less crowded and less taxing on the mother who had to bring her rov- ing offspring with her. Since the store was interested in attracting this group, it developed a child-care center where children were deposited while their mothers were free to shop without interference. This service became very popular and had a large corrective effect on sales.

Research has given management information on other factors which influence purchases. One company undertook a study of the effect of store lighting. It was found that over-lighting decreased sales and that color and quality of light have a significant effect on purchases made. The company decided that all its stores must measure light and use it effectively. It also investigated other factors which had a psychological effect on the customer, for example the size and color of price tags and the number of units shown in a display. The findings of these studies were used to good advantage, with the result that this company could show a 30 per cent increase in business at a time when most of its competitors experienced a decline.

Local surveys help reveal formative attitudes toward a company and its products. Some chain stores even train their local managers to look for unfavorable expressions about the company. Then they try to track down such rumors and refute them. Similarly, any derogatory press remarks are made the subject of thorough research and correction.




Another type of customer research has been used with great effectiveness by a life insurance company. This company has been auditing a different service each month. One month, for example, letters and questionnaires were sent to more than 200 policyholders (the customers of an insurance company), who had requested a change of beneficiary in the preceding 30 days. Thus, while all details of the transaction were fresh in the policyholders' minds, they were invited to criticize and make suggestions for improvement.

These examples show only a few of the valuable constructive effects which can be attained through research on the customer's attitudes toward business. This is another demonstration of the need to go beyond mere market research into the realm of human relations research.

RESEARCH AMONG EXTERNAL PUBLICS

In reviewing the part played by research in dealing with external publics, let us concentrate on the relations between business and the local community.

There are thousands of ways in which research can be used in dealing with community relations, but all of them have certain underlying basic principles. The steps an organization may use to achieve a harmonious relationship cannot be determined without a thorough study of the individuals who comprise a community, their background, their economic status, and their needs.

Sometimes apparently minor factors play a large part in determin- ing the attitude of a community toward a business. There have been many cases where the behavior of a single company executive, the attitude of its local truck drivers, the appearance and condition of its build- ing, or other seemingly unimportant matters have been the principal factors contributing toward ill-will. Many of these cannot be determined by opinion polls or run-of-the-mill surveys, but require specialized methods for which the research fraternity has developed a score of tech- nical expressions, such as "depth interviews."

In other cases the central problem may be one of technological development. Perhaps a change in the supply of natural resources has caused industrial unrest. There may be special groups among the public who for some reason feel discriminated against. These and many other questions need to be answered by thorough, unbiased, painstaking research, which is adapted to the situation in the community in question.

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THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN PUBLIC RELATIONS 61

One of the early efforts in the field of community relations research was sponsored by an Ohio town. As early as I930, industrial institutions there started a policy which has served as a model for similar campaigns throughout the country. In general, the plan followed this procedure. First, each company conducted a poll to determine the attitude of em-

ployees and the citizens of the community. Although these research efforts were primitive and often inaccurate, they nevertheless enabled the company to focus on certain factors which caused dissension or bad

feeling. This information was then used as a basis for eliminating these factors and for bringing to the community adequate information con-

cerning the company's operation. The means used to inform the com-

munity included such tested devices as holding a series of open houses for the families of employees and groups of community representatives. Another method was to distribute employee newspapers and other com-

pany publications and releases to the local papers. Still others were participation in community projects and charities, and frequent talks by company executives. During the war, special theatrical productions were staged portraying the part of local industry and townspeople in the war effort.

A variation of this plan, which demonstrates even more strongly the value of research, is the community relations project sponsored by a

paper company, the major industry in a small Minnesota town. In the fall of I947, this organization sponsored an extensive public opinion research study, in the course of which personal interviews dealing with questions about the community as a whole, its schools, its recreational facilities and what the people liked or disliked about the company were conducted over a period of two weeks. There were also questions on what the public believed the company did with its profits, questions on wages and hours and on other phases of the company's personnel policy.

What the company did with these findings is most interesting as an example of direct utilization of research. All answers, both favorable and unfavorable, were reprinted in full in the local paper. Furthermore, a reprint of the entire survey was sent, together with a special letter from the general manager, to every employee.

The general manager was also interviewed over the radio, and explained briefly the purpose and methods of the survey as well as some of its findings. He said: "Quite a few people who were questioned feel that conditions of dust, dirt, and danger on some jobs should be cor-




rected; others mentioned that management doesn't show much interest in the workers themselves .... Where problems that can be corrected have been called to our attention, we should be prepared to tell the people what we're going to do about them. We plan on doing this through all the methods that are available to us. That is, by further radio talks, through bulletin boards, advertisements in the newspaper, letters to employees, etc."

And this is exactly what was done. In the following week, a radio interview was held with the mayor of the town, in the course of which the company described its present recreational facilities and pointed out what further plans had been made for additional efforts along this line. Next, the company's safety director was interviewed on the air, and explained how much the company had spent for safety and inspec- tion committees, for personnel protection and for first-aid purposes. The entire safety committee was introduced, its methods explained, and its present and future recommendations reviewed.

There was another step in this program which should be mentioned because it shows the application of research to public relations management in general. The radio talks were followed up by newspaper advertisements. One was run under the heading "River Pollution." The copy showed a picture of the location of the company's mill, and some of the most scathing comments from the survey were quoted, such as, "That pollution of the river-they spent a lot of money on doing something, but they haven't done anything." The text then went on to ex- plain the company's continuous research to find practical ways of re- covering chemicals discharged in the river and its investment of $500,000 in new equipment to eliminate the discharge of wood refuse and wood fibers into the river. It was shown that improvement would have to come gradually, but that the trouble would eventually be eliminated. A similar ad was run under the heading "Smoke and Odor." Here, again some of the uncomplimentary comments were reprinted and the company's present as well as future efforts to eliminate smoke were explained.

Today, many companies use a continuing analysis of newspaper edi- torials and other services to keep informed about opinion regarding themselves. They also measure the effect of specific campaigns in newspapers, magazines and radio, and apply corrective measures where necessary. An oil company recently found that in a certain town of

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Cuba its radio commercials were resented and that little appreciation was felt for its sizeable investment in local industry or its employment of local personnel. The commercials were therefore changed to adjust to this condition. A continuous program of advertising research obviously is a basic part of a public relations campaign dealing with any group of external publics.

WHAT RESEARCH CANNOT DO

The social sciences offer a tremendous challenge to the research- minded public relations executive. What research cannot do, however, is as important for him to know as what it can do.

In the study of human behavior we can never isolate all the de-

termining factors, and there are always some factors which have not been measured or ascertained. To know what he is not measuring is

imperative for every researcher in human behavior. For example, a poll may indicate only what an individual wants to tell the inquirer, or only what he thinks the inquirer wants to hear. Unconscious censorship often

prevents the respondent from saying what he really thinks or what he

really will do. Sometimes the answer is an attempt to build up the re-

spondent's ego, or it may reflect environmental emotional conditions.

Perhaps the attitude or personality of the investigator affects the validity of the poll. The continuing debates on sampling methodology show that even this issue is not yet settled to everybody's satisfaction. Too many polls give only a quantitative measurement, based on "yes" and "no" answers. They do not show how likely a man is to change his

point of view, because they do not show intensity of attitude. Others do not show the relative importance of several determinants. At least

partial answers to many of these problems have been found, but new limitations appear as old ones are solved.

Many research workers themselves are partly at fault if their work has not been sufficiently appreciated. Some give the impression that the

survey will solve any and all problems. Sending out a few questionnaires, tabulating the answers in some elaborate fashion, showing a per- centage breakdown on various classifications, and presenting a series of

accompanying charts is their all-out contribution to public relations. A research executive rendered a great service when he pointed out

before the recent A.A.A.A. convention the limitations in measuring ad-

vertising effectiveness. He showed that we can measure only parts of

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advertising: the audience of a message, the attention-value of an ad, the understandability of the message, the attractiveness of sound and picture, and the memory value of an ad. Furthermore, partial measure- ments cannot be added up, and each part as a segment of the whole has a greater value than the part taken by itself.

CONTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH

For research and public relations to work hand in hand it is necessary that they share one fundamental belief: that human behavior can be observed, measured and even predicted.

If we believe, as we must on the basis of both theory and available evidence, that social behavior can be understood within a scientific framework, then we can eventually establish for public relations a foundation as firm and solid as for any of the social sciences. And the executive who understands and knows how to utilize the tremendous potentialities of social research in his public relations activities will be years ahead of his competitor who relies on hunches and intuition. It is, therefore, the research-minded executive of today who understands the strength and limitations of this vast resource who will become the true public relations executive of tomorrow.

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The Role of Research in Public Relations