The Role of Public Relations in Shaping Public Opinion and Organizational Legitimacy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65486/x6c64038Keywords:
Public Relations; Public Opinion; Organizational Legitimacy; Strategic Communication; Media Relations; Stakeholder Engagement; Corporate ReputationAbstract
Public relations (PR) have increasingly assumed a strategic role in shaping public opinion and sustaining organizational legitimacy in contemporary communication. Although a substantial body of research has examined public relations practices, media relations, and legitimacy, existing studies remain conceptually fragmented and dispersed across disciplines. This review synthesizes scholarly literature on the role of public relations in influencing public opinion and building organizational legitimacy, addressing the lack of integrative review-based analyses in this area. This study aims to identify dominant themes, theoretical approaches, and research gaps to advance the understanding of public relations as a legitimacy-oriented organizational function. This study employs an organized literature review methodology using peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and conference proceedings in the domains of public relations, communication, media studies, and organizational theory. Academic databases and manual reference searches were used to identify pertinent materials. To find conceptual patterns and theoretical contributions, studies were thematically analysed after being chosen based on their applicability to public relations, public opinion, and organizational legitimacy. The assessment revealed that public relations significantly influence public opinion through stakeholder involvement, agenda-setting, media relations, and framing. The results also show that strategic communication techniques that match organizational activities with social norms and expectations actively create and preserve the legitimacy of the organization. However, discrepancies in the conceptualization and measurement of legitimacy and public opinion were found, underscoring the fragmentation of theory and methodology in this literature. The results offer insightful information for public relations professionals and organizational leaders looking to improve legitimacy, credibility, and trust. Organizations can create moral, open, and successful communication strategies by understanding how public relations shape public perception. Policymakers and communication experts working in high-scrutiny settings can also benefit from the review's recommendations. By providing a thorough synthesis of public relations studies connecting public opinion and organizational legitimacy, this review adds to the existing body of literature. This study lays the groundwork for future theoretical and empirical research in strategic public relations by identifying underserved areas and clarifying important ideas through the integration of perspectives from organizational theory and communication studies.
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