Julie O’Neil, Ph.D., of Texas Christian University and Sean Williams of the National City Corporation won the first-ever Jackson-Sharpe Award at the 11th International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC).
The Jackson-Sharpe award is given in recognition of the best scholarly research that bridges the gap between public relations scholarship and practice. The award honors the contributions made by the late Patrick Jackson and Dr. Melvin Sharpe in the field of public relations. This year’s winning paper, Measuring the Impact of Employee Communication on Employee Comprehension and Action, explores the internal communication strategy of a global firm. The $2,000 cash prize is sponsored by Stacey Smith and Isobel Parke of Jackson Jackson & Wagner and Fraser Likely of Likely Communication Strategies Ltd.
Other awards presented at IPRRC are the Top 3 Competition and the Top Student Paper, each including a $1,000 cash prize. The Top 3 prizes are sponsored by the Institute for Public Relations and the Top Student Paper prize by the University of Miami Graduate School.
Shannon A. Bowen, Ph.D., University of Maryland, was one recipient of a Top 3 Competition award for What Public Relations Practitioners Tell Us Regarding Dominant Coalition Access and Gaining Membership. This paper discusses the necessity of public relations having a direct reporting line to a company’s CEO.
The team of Emily S. Kinsky and Coy Callison, Ph.D., both from Texas Tech University, were also awarded a Top 3 Competition prize for PR in the News: How a Sample of Network Newscasts Framed Public Relations. This paper was the result of a content analysis on a random sample of network news stories that used PR-related terms in proper or improper forms.
Kelly Page Werder, Ph.D., and Derina Holtzhausen from the University of South Florida received the third Top 3 Competition award for An Analysis of the Influence of Public Relations Department Leadership Style on Public Relations Strategy Use and Effectiveness. This survey of Public Relations Society of America members indicates the presence of two leadership styles in public relations environments, transformational and inclusive.
Hye Kyung Kim, Ph.D., Syracuse University, won the Top Student Paper award. Restoring Reputation Beyond a Racial Crisis: The Effects of CSR and Crisis Response on Organizational Responsibility, Reputation and Word-of-Mouth Intention presents significant findings on direct effects of CSR history and crisis-response on organizational reputation.
The Institute for Public Relations sponsors IPRRC in conjunction with the University of Miami and other sponsors. Over its 11 year history, IPRRC has become one of the top venues for presentation of new public relations research and for interaction among scholars and PR professionals.
