2012 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

significant gap in the knowledge and application of the theory‘s principles to a considerable
portion of communication practitioners: those working in and managing public relations
agencies. The results of the Excellence study offered insight into effectively managing a
successful communication department for the benefit of the organization and, ultimately, its
external and internal publics. For these insights to not be realized by a public relations agency‘s
management of its internal structure and client relationships is inopportune.
Conceptualization
The Excellence theory grew out of the results of a research project called the Excellence
study. The Excellence study was a $400,000, three-nation study, which included a survey of 321
organizations. The project studied the aspects of excellence in organizations‘ communication
practices. Specifically, the study identified the characteristics of excellent communication
departments. In other words, the Excellence theory provided guidelines for how public relations
should be conducted, structured and implemented in order to contribute to overall organizational
excellence (Broom, 2009). In its entirety, it was an incredibly vast and in-depth study. However,
the purpose of this study did not necessitate a thorough reporting of the Excellence study, it
called for a summary of the key findings and basic concepts that were advanced from the study.
Communication excellence is the ideal state in which knowledgeable communicators
assist in the overall strategic management of organizations, seeking symmetrical relations
through management of communication with key publics on whom organizational survival and
growth depends (Dozier et al., 1995, p. x). According to Grunig, Grunig and Dozier (2002),
―The essence of the theory is that effective communication helps manage an organization‘s
interdependencies with its strategic constituencies – the publics that either support or constrain
organizations through their activism, litigation, or pressuring for government regulation‖ (p.
140).
The Three Spheres of Communication Excellence
To illustrate communication excellence, Dozier et al. (1995) identified key characteristics
of the concept and categorized them into a concentric representation called the spheres of
excellence. These three spheres represent the essence of the Excellence Factor. The Excellence
Factor represents the top 20 key characteristics found in excellent organizations. These
characteristics were grouped into three categories or spheres: knowledge, shared expectations
and a participative culture.
The knowledge core. Knowledge births new and different forms of power (Hardy and
Leiba-O‘Sullivan, 1998). The innermost sphere is the knowledge core (Dozier et al., 1995). The
knowledge core represents the knowledge base of the communication department. A requisite of
excellent communication departments is its employees‘ knowledge of basic technical skills such
as writing, editing, and graphic design. In addition to technical skills, an excellent
communication department requires a leader who has the expertise needed to conduct research
and contribute to an organization‘s strategic planning and management. The technical experience
of a department coupled with a leader who has knowledge of research tactics and strategic
management can allow for a two-way communication process, which is necessary to have
excellent communication practices (Dozier et al., 1995; Grunig et al., 2002).
A participative culture. The third and outermost sphere of communication excellence is
the sphere of a participative culture. Dozier et al. (1995) described an organization‘s culture as
the sum total of shared values, symbols, meanings, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations that
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