Delicate interactions: Relational skills in public relations consulting
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Public relations consultants rely primarily on relationships to sustain their work. However, existing scholarship has largely overlooked the use of interpersonal strategies for public relations, and even more significantly, there has been insufficient exploration of public relations consultants’ professional practices. This study, which is part of wider research exploring consultancies in New Zealand, aims to fill this gap. Utilizing video ethnography, ethnographic communication analysis (ECA) and participant observation, this paper presents findings from a routine interaction between a consultant and her client. The analysis shows that consultants strategically use empathy, politeness, humor, and purposeful linguistic choices to manage relational harmony while asserting their professional expertise. The study highlights the importance of sophisticated interpersonal skills for public relations consultants. It also highlights the need for further research into public relations practices using a wider range of methodological approaches to better understand relational labor and power dynamics within consulting work.
Source: Public Relations Review
Authors: Deepti Bhargava, Petra Theunissen
Institution: Auckland University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,310
OpenAlex ID: W4415018246