PRSA APR KSA Questions 2023/2024 With Complete Solutions.

PRSA APR KSA Questions What are population and sampling techniques? (KSA 1.1) - Answer Individuals whose opinions are sought in a survey. A sample may be drawn to reflect the population. Census: 100% of the population Proportional sampling: A scientific sample drawn in such a way that the probability of being chosen is equal or known. Random sample: Each person in a population has an equal chance of being chosen. Need 384 people out off a population of 100,000 for a 95% confidence level (margin of error +/-5%). Nonprobability samples: An informal selection of people to be interviewed What are the different types of research? (KSA 1.1) - Answer Primary: Investigation or data collected you do yourself or you hire someone to do for you. Secondary: Using research findings of others or collecting information secondhand. Formal: Uses principles of scientific investigation, random sampling in surveys in order to replicate results. Informal: Unscientific, subjective, exploratory, can look at qualities. Good for pre-testing formal strategies. Personal interviews and focus groups. Quantitative: Research that can be numerically stated or compared and may use statistical standards. Objective and projectable. Forced-choice questions. Qualitative: Research that gathers impressions and feelings about topics or probes understandings of issues without relying on statistical methods. Not measurable. Open-ended/free response questions. Focus groups. What is instrument design (tools of research)? (KSA 1.1) - Answer Review APR Guide, p 30 for details • Focus groups • Intercept interviews • Telephone surveys (random sampling) • Mail survey • Online/email survey • Content analysis • Communications audit • In-depth interviews • Phone interviews • Complaint reviews • Tracking calls, purchases, hits, actions, placements • Observations, visits, field reports • Advisory panels • Community forms • Media analysis • Research databases (Lexis/Nexis), Literature review • Fact finding • Historical research • Internet/social media research Develop a premise and research plan. (What is your plan and why?) (KSA 1.1) - Answer The plan involves systematic information gathering to describe and understand situations, check assumptions about publics and make programming decisions. Research helps define the problem. Gather information about public opinion, trends, emerging issues, political climate and legislation, etc. • Whom do you want information from or about? • What information do you want? • What formal and informal research is needed? What research tools are available to gather information about the employer or client, industry and relevant issues? (KSA 1.2) - Answer Management teams rely on several mechanisms to work through problems, assess opportunities and arrive at effective decisions. Common tools include: SWOT analysis: Helps a company understand its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Organizations use SWOT analysis for business planning, strategic planning, competitor evaluation, marketing, business and product development, and research reports. Cause-and-effect diagrams: Help managers analyze a particular problem by thinking through the reasons a problem exists. Also known as Fishbone Diagrams. Drill-down technique: Gives planners a visual image of a problem by breaking the problem into progressively smaller parts. By examining elements that contribute to the problem, information relating to the problem and questions raised by the problem, communication experts can identify best solutions to respond to the many parts of a problem. Porter's five forces: Assess where power and weaknesses lie and assume that five important forces affect competition: supplier power, buyer power, competitive rivalry, threat of substitution and threat of new entry. Why should you investigate stakeholders' understanding of the product, organization and issues? (KSA 1.2) - Answer • Builds consensus • Promotes mutual understanding between organization and publics • Recognizes and addresses misperceptions that hinder understanding How do you apply research findings? (KSA 1.2) - Answer Use findings to: • Craft and adjust messages • Determine actions that will promote understanding and reduce conflicts with key publics • Set goals and objectives What methods can you use to continuously analyze the business environment that includes the client, stakeholders and employer? (KSA 1.3) - Answer Trend analysis: Tracking and analyzing trends in news coverage, online activity, marketplace events and the overall environment to prepare and respond as changes occur. Part of environmental scanning. • Monitor the environment regularly • Identify and assess the organization's vulnerabilities • Seek ways to mitigate vulnerabilities Public Relations Audit • Identify relevant publics (stockholders, etc.). • Determine standing with these publics. • Determine issues of concern to publics. • Assess the power of the publics given size, etc. How can you objectively interpret data? (KSA 1.3) - Answer • Use an independent research firm (third party) • Follow the scientific method • Make questions confidential How can you synthesize relevant information to determine what is needed to position the client, organization, or issue appropriately in its market/environment, especially with regard to changing business, political, or cultural climates? (KSA 1.4) - Answer Identify and use internal and external factors (legal, political and regulatory) and trends (employee, customer, shareholder and community relations) influence communications and achieve goals. What role does research play in setting goals and objectives? (KSA 1.5) - Answer Research techniques can pinpoint the problem and increase your chances of finding effective solutions. Goals should reflect the problems or opportunities defined in the research step. What are goals, objectives, strategies and tactics? (KSA 1.5) - Answer Goals: Longer-term, broad, global and future statements of "being." Goals may include how an organization is uniquely distinguished in the minds of its key publics. (Example: To become the recognized leader in our industry and foster continuing public support) Objectives: SMART. Focus on the short term. Who did what (knowledge, opinion or behavior change) by how much by when. (Example: Increase the number of travelers who clean their hands in the airport by 50% by April 1) Strategies: Roadmap to objectives for target publics. Overall concept, approach or general plan not specific actions. Use verbs to tell how you will approach a challenge. (Example: Demonstrate, collaborate, establish strategic partnerships with...; see APR p. 138)) Tactics/tools: Action or elements to accomplish the strategy. How you will use your resources to carry out strategies. (Example: Post signage about handwashing in key areas of the airport.) Activities: Details of tactics (Example: six meetings, four newsletters, etc) What distinguishes organizational/operational goals and strategies from communication goals and strategies? (KSA 1.5) - Answer Goal setting for public relations programs must take place in the context of organization missions and goals. Once the PR goal is set, practitioners must devise a strategy for achieving that goal. EPR p 264 What is the relationship between project goals to the organizational mission and goals? (KSA 1.5) - Answer Once the public relations problem or opportunity is defined through research and analysis, practitioners must determine what goal is desired by organizational management, either to mitigate the problem or capitalize on the opportunity. What differentiates publics, markets, audiences and stakeholders? (KSA 1.6) - Answer Publics: People or groups who are somehow mutually involved or interdependent with particular organizations. A particular group of people with a common interest, aim. Markets: groups of people who buy your product or services Audience: a group of listeners (or spectators) who may receive a message but otherwise have no common connection with one another Stakeholder: A person or group with an interest in an organization or cause, someone affected by an organization or someone who can affect an organization. Identify appropriate audiences and the opinions, beliefs, attitudes, cultures, and values of each. (KSA 1.6) - Answer Opinions are observable (verbal) responses or statements concerning issues or topics. Opinions are specific to a topic and time (situational and focused), rational (cognitive and objective), and changeable. Opinions can be measured directly by asking a person a question and recording the response. The response is the person's opinion. Attitudes are covert predispositions governing likes and dislikes. Attitudes are affective, rather than cognitive; subjective, rather than objective; global or general, rather than specific; and enduring, rather than changeable. Attitudes cannot be measured by asking direct questions. People often can't explain their attitudes. Therefore, attitudes must be inferred through indirect questioning about how people feel (not what they think) or through physiological responses. Beliefs are assumptions people live by. Beliefs are understandings about the way things in the world work or should be. People often have trouble explaining their beliefs in detail. Nevertheless, beliefs are building blocks of attitudes and opinions. Researchers often group beliefs into systems such as capitalism, feminism or Christian theology. Values are explicit standards for evaluating right or wrong, desirable or undesirable. Values determine what people think are important in life and, like attitudes, are usually covert. People can usually say what they think is right or wrong or what is important to them, but they usually can't explain why they make those judgments. Assess the interests of influential institutions, groups and individuals. (KSA 1.6) - Answer Situational Theory of Publics (James Grunig) Uses problem recognition, level of involvement and constrain recognition to predict communication behaviors. Must use different tactics to influence the public opinion of individuals based on how active or passive their communication behavior is and what issues are important to them. Problem Recognition: Extent people are aware of an issue or problem Nonpublics have virtually no connection, involvement or interest in the issue at hand. Latent publics are not aware of their connections to a situation. Aware publics understand the importance of an issue to them, but they have not acted. Active publics are doing something about an issue. Level of Involvement: Extent people see themselves involved or affected by a situation All-issue publics who are active on all issues. Apathetic publics who are inattentive and inactive on all issues. Single-issue publics who are active on a limited number of issues. Hot-issue publics who respond and become active after being exposed to an issue. Constraint Recognition: Extent that people feel they can make a difference Information seeking: active communication behavior Information processing: passive communication behavior Information forwarding: voluntary, premeditated and self propelled giving of information to others. Information sharing: involuntary, reactive and unplanned giving of information to others. EPR, p. 268 How can you identify appropriate communication channels/vehicles for reaching target audiences? (KSA 1.6) - Answer Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of channels based on communication theories and select the ones that will be most effective for different communications goals. Know what stage of Diffusion of Innovation is in to select the appropriate channel. Mass media is useful for creating awareness in the knowledge stage. Interpersonal methods are better channels if the behavior change Evaluating channels based on: • Reach of channels (circulation figures and audience data) • Demographic and psychographic data • Readership, listenership and viewership EPR p. 299-309