THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN FOSTERING POSITIVE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS: A QUALITATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

This study examined the role of public relations in fostering positive employee relations by exploring how strategic communication influences relationships between management and employees. The study was motivated by the increasing need for organizations to build harmonious workplaces characterized by trust, employee engagement, and organizational commitment. Specifically, the study examined the role of public relations in promoting effective internal communication, building employee trust, enhancing employee engagement, and strengthening organizational commitment. The study was anchored on the Relationship Management Theory developed by Ledingham and Bruning (1998), which emphasizes that effective public relations is built on mutual understanding, trust, dialogue, and long-term relationships between organizations and their stakeholders. A qualitative research design was adopted using qualitative secondary data analysis. Relevant data were obtained from peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, and other credible academic publications. The collected literature was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring themes related to public relations and employee relations. The findings revealed that strategic public relations plays a significant role in fostering positive employee relations through transparent internal communication, employee participation, trust-building, and effective relationship management. The study further found that organizations with effective public relations practices experience higher employee engagement, stronger organizational commitment, improved workplace cooperation, and fewer employee–management conflicts. The study concludes that public relations is a strategic management function that contributes significantly to creating healthy and productive workplace relationships. It recommends that organizations should strengthen internal communication, encourage employee participation, and adopt relationship-based public relations strategies to improve employee relations and enhance organizational performance.