The predominance

of women
in public relations

Central Queensland University

Thesis for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Submitted by Greg Smith (S0072562)
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
November 2006

Principal Supervisor: Professor Alan Knight

Associate Supervisor: Kate Ames

“We need balance”

(Dan Edelman, 2000)
Abstract

As (almost) everyone in the Australian public relations industry knows, there

are more women than men. On average, the numbers in Perth (and
nationally) favour women by slightly more than three to one. However, the
figures are alarmingly high, and, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics
figures, make PR one of the most female-intensive industries in Australia.
This growing imbalance may have long-term effects which have yet to be
identified. This thesis, however, seeks to consider the reasons for this
situation.

The research aims to:

1. Examine the reasons for the growth in numbers of women and

numerical decline of men within public relations in Perth,
Western Australia, by considering the development of public
relations and how it has impacted on the composition of the
profession.

2. Examine future trends within the profession for both women

and men and what an imbalance may mean.

Patterns in the data clearly show that women outnumber men by almost 3:1,
with statistics consistent across all groups surveyed. For example, in
government PR practitioners are 71 per cent female, while in private practice
(both nationally and in WA) it is 74 per cent. In WA charities the figure is 75
per cent. At the universities it varies between 72 and 87 per cent. This study
examines the reason for the imbalance and whether an imbalance is good.
Whether the industry (professional bodies, educators, students and
practitioners) is concerned is up to it.

This work provides the first study of the gender composition of the industry
in Australia. As such, it should be a valuable tool in a number of areas. Like
many initial studies, it raises just as many questions as answers, and it
provides pathways for future study. It should lead to a wider examination of

2
further issues. For example: does the predominance of women in PR in
university courses cause concern among male students, perhaps leading them
to question their continued participation? Do male students wonder whether
the female dominance of PR courses will lessen their chances of
employment. And what do practitioners think of an industry that is feminine?

BUTIONS

3
Contents
ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................................... 2

LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................................... 9

LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................... 11

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................... 14

STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP .................................................................................................. 15

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 16

BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH ............................................................................................................ 17

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................ 22

Summary of Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................ 23

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE RESEARCH ......................................................................................................... 25

METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................ 28
The learning journey .......................................................................................................................... 30

DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 38

DELIMITATIONS OF SCOPE AND KEY ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................ 40

SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 40

2 RESEARCH ISSUES (LITERATURE REVIEW) ......................................................................... 42

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 42

OTHER DISCIPLINES .................................................................................................................................. 42

IMMEDIATE DISCIPLINE – PR LITERATURE ............................................................................................. 42

SOCIALISATION ......................................................................................................................................... 49

SOCIETAL CHANGE ................................................................................................................................... 61

FEMININITY AND MASCULINITY (MALE/FEMALE VALUES/TRAITS) ........................................................ 69

STEREOTYPING ......................................................................................................................................... 72

BRAIN FUNCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 77

GENDER DIFFERENCES.............................................................................................................................. 82

MORE WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN ...........................................................................................101

CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................103

3 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................................105

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................105

4
 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PARADIGM AND METHODOLOGY ....................................................................107

INSTRUMENT DESIGN ..............................................................................................................................110

LIMITATIONS...........................................................................................................................................115

SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................................116

4 STATISTICS ..........................................................................................................................................118

a. The PRIA (State and Federal bodies) .........................................................................................118

b. National practitioners ..................................................................................................................118
c. Perth-based PR practices.............................................................................................................119
d. State Government PR Departments.............................................................................................119
e. Registered charities (non, or not-for profit) ...............................................................................119
f. Perth universities...........................................................................................................................120

CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................127

5 SURVEYS ...............................................................................................................................................128

5.1 SURVEY OF PR PROFESSIONALS ......................................................................................................128

5.1.1 Sex ............................................................................................................................................129
5.1.2 Education .................................................................................................................................130
5.1.3 Industry sector .........................................................................................................................131
5.1.4 Type of PR practised ...............................................................................................................132
5.1.5 Years in PR ..............................................................................................................................134
5.1.6 Main role in PR .......................................................................................................................134
5.1.7 Level of employment/experience ............................................................................................136
5.1.8 Salary .......................................................................................................................................136
5.1.9 Hours worked ..........................................................................................................................137
5.1.10 PR as a career .......................................................................................................................138
5.1.11 Aspects of PR interest ...........................................................................................................139
5.1.12 Preferred workplace .............................................................................................................141
5.1.13 Building client rapport..........................................................................................................142
5.1.14 Male/female work differences...............................................................................................142
5.1.15 Impact of gender on work performance...............................................................................143
5.1.16 Imbalance...............................................................................................................................144
5.1.17 Should there be a balanced (gender) workforce? ...............................................................145
5.1.18 Effects of imbalance on industry ..........................................................................................146
5.1.19 Ethical concerns ....................................................................................................................146
5.1.20 Confidence .............................................................................................................................146

5.2 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ...................................................................................................................147

5
 5.2.1 Common themes.......................................................................................................................147
5.2.2 Female skills/traits ..................................................................................................................148
5.2.3 Qualities ...................................................................................................................................149
5.2.4 Age............................................................................................................................................150
5.2.5 Drawbacks ...............................................................................................................................150
5.2.6 Historical aspects ....................................................................................................................151
5.2.7 Image and perception of PR ...................................................................................................152
5.2.8 General concerns ....................................................................................................................153
5.2.9 Would they do it again? ..........................................................................................................154

5.3 STUDENT SURVEYS ...........................................................................................................................155

5.3.1 Perceptions of PR....................................................................................................................156
5.3.2 Forging a career .....................................................................................................................156
5.3.3. How students view PR as a subject .......................................................................................157
5.3.4 Perceptions of teaching...........................................................................................................160
5.3.5 Technician roles ......................................................................................................................160
5.3.6 Imbalance.................................................................................................................................161
5.3.7 Pay discrepancies....................................................................................................................161
5.3.8 Socio-economic group.............................................................................................................162
5.3.9 Traits ........................................................................................................................................162
5.3.10 Type of student in PR ............................................................................................................162
5.3.11 Favourite (school) subject ....................................................................................................163
5.3.12 Influence on PR study ...........................................................................................................163
5.3.13 People’s views of PR.............................................................................................................163
5.3.14 Is PR ‘fuzzy’?.........................................................................................................................164

5.4 SECOND STUDENT SURVEY ..............................................................................................................164

5.4.1 Gender and university breakdown .........................................................................................164
5.4.2 Gender and socio-economic group ........................................................................................165
5.4.3 Personal traits .........................................................................................................................166
5.4.4 Subject at school......................................................................................................................170
5.4.5 Influence to study PR ..............................................................................................................172
5.4.6 Gender and the way people view PR......................................................................................173
5.4.7 Gender and preferred work situation.....................................................................................174
5.4.8 Is PR ‘fuzzy’ in its logic? ........................................................................................................175
5.4.9 Students’ (pre-study) perception about PR............................................................................176
5.4.10 Does perception of PR influence students to study it?........................................................176

5.5 COMMON (SURVEY) QUESTIONS ......................................................................................................177

5.5.1 PR sector specialisation/interest ............................................................................................177

6
 5.5.2 Areas of interest.......................................................................................................................179
5.5.3 Preferred workplace (sector)..................................................................................................181
5.5.4 Influence of gender..................................................................................................................182
5.5.5 Awareness of imbalance .........................................................................................................183
5.5.6 Ability to build rapport ...........................................................................................................185
5.5.7 Qualities of PR practitioners ..................................................................................................186
5.5.8 Reasons for entering and working within PR........................................................................186
5.5.9 Career barriers........................................................................................................................190
5.5.10 Suitability for PR ...................................................................................................................191

5.6 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................192

6 FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS............................................................................................193

6.1 STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS .................................................................................................................193

6.1.1 Focus group 1, ECU ...............................................................................................................193
6.1.2 Student interviews....................................................................................................................193

6.2 PROFESSIONALS’ FOCUS GROUP AND INTERVIEWS .........................................................................196

6.2.1 Focus group – professionals...................................................................................................196
6.2.2 Professionals’ interviews ........................................................................................................197

6.3 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................202

7 SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................203

8 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................206

8.3 CONCLUSIONS FROM STUDENT SURVEYS ........................................................................................215

8.4 RECOMMENDATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS ......................................................................................218

BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................232

ANNEXES..................................................................................................................................................241

INTERVIEW 1, PH, 21 November...................................................................................................324

INTERVIEW 2, IW, 22 November....................................................................................................326
INTERVIEW 3, AH, 30 November 2005 .........................................................................................327
INTERVIEW 4 KS, 6 December 2005 .............................................................................................329
INTERVIEW 5, Dan Edelman, 8 February 2006 ...........................................................................330
INTERVIEW 6, MR, 22 March 2006 ...............................................................................................331
INTERVIEW 7: JW, 22 March 2006 ...............................................................................................331
INTERVIEW 1: LS, 24 November 2005 ..........................................................................................334
INTERVIEW 3: EP, 7 December 2005............................................................................................336
INTERVIEW 4: SW, 16 December 2005 .........................................................................................338

7
INTERVIEW 5: ZM, 11 JANUARY 2006 ........................................................................................339
INTERVIEW 6: FM, 16 December 2005.........................................................................................340
INTERVIEW 7: SD, 6 February 2006 .............................................................................................342
INTERVIEW 8: Leigh, 15 April 2006..............................................................................................343
Journal articles .................................................................................................................................345
Industry magazine articles ...............................................................................................................345
Third-person articles ........................................................................................................................345

8
List of tables

Table 1: Female participation (fulltime and part-time) as a percentage of the Australian

workforce, 1995–96 to 2003–04. Source: ABS, April 2005. .........................................................63

Table 2: Summary of Tymson’s views on male/female gender differences. ................................66

Table 3: Comparison of male and female values (Chater and Gaster, 1995) ................................69

Table 4: The way we perceive the most common traits of men and women (Chater and
Gaster. 1995)......................................................................................................................................70

Table 5: The key differences between male and female communication patterns........................74

Table 6: Summary of the different thought patterns in men and women (Chater et al.,1995). ....78

Table 7: Key characteristics of the brain’s left and right hemispheres. .........................................79

Table 8: There has been a steady increase in number of women entering PR from 1950–2004
(Source: US Dept of Labor)..............................................................................................................90

Table 9: Perth news media employment (journalists only). These include chiefs of staff and
news editors. Source: direct from each organisation.......................................................................93

Table 10: ABS Census figures for PR Officers (national and WA) 1996 and 2001...................100

Table 11: Combined PR enrolments at Curtin and Edith Cowan Universities. ..........................123

Table 12: Percentages of females in PR in the US and Australia ................................................126

Table 13: Breakdown of professionals’ education levels. Percentages shown reflect the
breakdown for a specific gender.....................................................................................................130

Table 14: Predominant PR work sectors........................................................................................132

Table 15: Main roles practised in PR. ............................................................................................135

Table 16: Percentage breakdown of professionals’ level of employment. ..................................136

Table 17: Professionals’ salary levels. ...........................................................................................137

Table 18: The hours PR practitioners work. ..................................................................................138

Table 19: Areas of most interest to professionals. ........................................................................140

Table 20: Breakdown of where practitioners prefer to work........................................................142

Table 21: Levels of concern regarding industry imbalance..........................................................145

Table 22: Ethical concerns of professionals. .................................................................................146

Table 23: Response rate for student survey. ..................................................................................155

Table 24: Gender breakdown of how students perceive PR.........................................................156

Table 25: Gender breakdown of how students rate their chances of obtaining work in PR.......157

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Table 26: Proposition A – that PR is an easy study option...........................................................157

Table 27: Proposition B – I am mildly interested in PR. ..............................................................158

Table 28: Proposition C – PR will suffice until other opportunities arise. ..................................159

Table 29: Proposition D – PR allows me to be creative/inventive...............................................159

Table 30: Proposition E – PR offers good practical skills............................................................159

Table 31: Perceived differences between male and female tutors. ..............................................160

Table 32: Students’ views on being hired for “technician” roles.................................................161

Table 33: Awareness of imbalance. ...............................................................................................161

Table 34: Students’ levels of awareness regarding pay discrepancies.........................................162

Table 35: Socio-economic group origins of PR students..............................................................162

Table 36: Students’ views on PR’s ‘fuzzy’ logic ..........................................................................164

Table 37: Socio-economic background of students. .....................................................................165

Table 38: Students’ overall views of their personality traits. .......................................................167

Table 39: Comparison (in percentages) on how male and female students perceive their
personalities. ....................................................................................................................................169

Table 40: Students’ best subjects at school. ..................................................................................170

Table 41: Male and female breakdown of best subject at school.................................................171

Table 42: Reasons why male and female students choose PR. ....................................................173

Table 43: Areas of PR influence to male and female students. ....................................................173

Table 44: Students’ preferred method of work..............................................................................174

Table 45: How each gender feels about PR being ‘fuzzy’. ..........................................................175

Table 46: Perception of PR prior to study. ....................................................................................176

Table 47: There is an even split among males and females on perception as an influence........176

Table 48: Type of PR in which students would prefer to specialise. ...........................................177

Table 49: PR sectors of interest to students, expressed as a percentage of the gender group. .180

Table 50: Students’ and professionals’ opinion on gender as an influence into PR. ..................183

Table 51: Students’ and professionals’ awareness of gender imbalance. ....................................183

Table 52: Professionals’ awareness of imbalance. ........................................................................184

Table 53: Level of awareness of imbalance...................................................................................185

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Table 54: Students’ and professionals’ opinions on building client rapport. ..............................185

Table 55: Summary of reasons why students study PR; expressed as a percentage of the
population. .......................................................................................................................................188

Table 56: Students’ reasons for studying PR (by university). ......................................................189

Table 57: Professionals’ opinions on what makes a good PR career, expressed as a

percentage. .......................................................................................................................................190

Table 58: Respondents’ concerns about career barriers................................................................191

Table 59: How students and professionals ranked each gender’s suitability for PR. Results
are expressed as a percentage of the group....................................................................................191

List of figures

Figure 1: The rise of women in PR in the US, from 1950–2000 (US Dept of Labor, 1980,
and Toth 2001)...................................................................................................................................20

Figure 2: Summary of research learning outcomes.........................................................................24

Figure 3: My learning journey..........................................................................................................31

Figure 4: Process for developing the central question. ...................................................................32

Figure 5: The second part of the learning journey and the process involved. ...............................32

Figure 6: Investigative process of information-gathering...............................................................33

Figure 7: Comparison of female and female employment (fulltime and part-time)

growth rates from 1995–96 to 2003–2004. Source: ABS, April 2005. .........................................63

Figure 8: Brain functions. .................................................................................................................80

Figure 9: Rise of American women in PR from 1960–2000. Sources: US Dept. of Labor and
PRSA. Gap in years due to lack of statistics. ..................................................................................90

Figure 10: In the US, there has been a steady increase in women entering PR, and a leveling
of male entry. Source: US Dept of Labor. .......................................................................................91

Figure 11: Journalism enrolments at Curtin University. Source: Curtin University.....................93

Figure 12: Percentage of women and men enrolled in undergraduate communication courses
at all US universities 1996–2003 (Becker, et al.)............................................................................98

Figure 13: The rise of female enrolments in PR courses at US universities from 1993–95.........99

Figure 14: Rapid increase of female graduates at RMIT, 1993–95. ..............................................99

Figure 15: Australian Bureau of Statistics Census figures for public relations
practitioners in Western Australia. Source: ABS 2005.................................................................100

Figure 16: Target population and sub-groups................................................................................108

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Figure 17: An overview of the way the research was structured. ................................................117

Figure 18: Gender breakdown of national PRIA membership, 2005...........................................118

Figure 19: National private PR practice professionals..................................................................119

Figure 20: Private practice professionals in Perth.........................................................................119

Figure 21: Murdoch University PR/journalism enrolments from 2001–2006. ...........................120

Figure 22: “Communications” (PR/journalism) enrolments at four Perth universities, 1992–

2004. .................................................................................................................................................121

Figure 23: Enrolments in PR courses at Perth universities, 2004. ...............................................121

Figure 24: PR enrolments at Edith Cowan University, 2001-2006..............................................122

Figure 25: Communication enrolments at Curtin University, 2000-2005. ..................................122

Figure 26: Combined PR enrolments at Curtin and Edith Cowan, 2002–2006. .........................123

Figure 27: Gender breakdown for Perth university communications enrolments 2001–2004..124

Figure 28: Proportion of PR practitioners (private practitioners, government non-profit in

Perth. Source: Author, 2005. ..........................................................................................................125

Figure 29: Distribution of males and females across all Australian sub-groups. ........................125

Figure 30: US and Australian employment figures for males and females in PR.......................126

Figure 31: Gender breakdown of responses (females in pink). ....................................................130

Figure 32: Male/female practitioners’ educational levels.............................................................131

Figure 33: Where PR practitioners are working............................................................................132

Figure 34: Professionals’ level of employment.............................................................................136

Figure 35: Average daily hours worked by professionals. ...........................................................138

Figure 36: Reasons for choosing PR as a career. ..........................................................................139

Figure 37: Work areas of most interest to professionals...............................................................140

Figure 38: Females are more interested in events management. The inner circle is the sample
population, and the outer circle is the level of interest in events. ...............................................141

Figure 39: Professionals’ perceptions of work differences between gender. ..............................143

Figure 40: Professionals’ levels of concern about imbalance. .....................................................144

Figure 41: Practitioners’ views on whether there should be a balanced (gender) workforce.....146

Figure 42: How students (male and female) rate their chances of obtaining work in PR. .........157

Figure 43: Level of student perception about teaching differences. ............................................160

12
Figure 44: Breakdown of students’ socio-economic groups. .......................................................166

Figure 45: How students view their personality traits. .................................................................166

Figure 46: Self-defined personality traits. .....................................................................................170

Figure 47: English stands out as PR students’ best subject at school. .........................................171

Figure 48: Most influential sources of information about PR. .....................................................172

Figure 49: Students’ beliefs on the way the public perceives PR. ...............................................174

Figure 50: Students, PR and ‘fuzzy’ logic. Half agree PR is ‘fuzzy’. .........................................175

Figure 51: Female students’ industry sector of interest. ...............................................................178

Figure 52: Male students’ industry sectors of interest. .................................................................179

Figure 53: Professionals’ areas of interest. ....................................................................................181

Figure 54: Students’ preferred workplaces. ...................................................................................182

Figure 55: Level of students’ and professionals’ confidence in the ability of males or females
to build rapport with clients ............................................................................................................186

Figure 56: Students’ reasons for studying PR. ..............................................................................187

Figure 57: Professionals’ views on what makes a good career. ...................................................190

Figure 58: Most talked-about professional interview and focus group topics. ...........................197

13
Acknowledgments

My wife, Jeanette. For setting me on the path to study and

then putting up with countless hours at the keyboard.
Vroom. Let’s go for a ride.

To my Dad, who encouraged me for almost the entire

journey, but did not live to see the final product.

My supervisors, Alan Knight and Kate Ames.

Vince Hughes, who supplied constant valuable advice.

Paul ‘Alfonse’ Ellercamp, one of the ‘good things’, whose

industry knowledge was invaluable, particularly in the
survey phase.

Rebecca Folmar, Gina Noble and Fiona McCurdy, who

were on the same path, and provided their work.

To the professionals and students who participated in the

study; in particular, those who provided their time in focus
groups and interviews. Without you there would be nothing.

14
Statement of original authorship

I certify that the material contained in this thesis is entirely my own work. Where

references have been made to the work of others, such references have been duly

noted. This material has not been submitted for the award of any other degree or

diploma at any other university.

Greg Smith
November 2006

15
1 Introduction
In his introduction to the book, The Gender Challenge to Media, Nathaniel
Clory (2001, p.6) wrote quite passionately about an “awakening”. Clory was
taken aback by a “seemingly worldwide conspiracy that devalued women”.
In a roundabout way, Clory came to realise that what the media says may
affect thousands of people, including those who want to study PR. The
definition of media also extends to the Internet; both business and personal
sites and forums. My work will not delve into conspiracy theories, nor
ponder on how to change the world. It analyses why the communications
(public relations) industry is increasingly attracting higher proportions of
women (or conversely, why there are so few men).

This thesis does not target academia as its primary readership. As Eaton
(2001, p.177) points out: “Much of the scholarship in the discipline ends up
as journal articles that are read by some professors and fewer students.” My
supervisor, Prof. Alan Knight, said: “At the end of the day someone will take
this home one weekend, read it, and then it will end up gathering dust on a
shelf.” I would hope it has some impact. For that reason, the work is aimed
at practitioners in the “field”. In that regard, the writing style sometimes uses
first person and second person accounts to explain my findings. It has been
influenced by my use, in part, of a mixed methodology, which is discussed in
chapter 3.

For the most part, most of the resource material – literature, survey and focus
groups – is sociological. It should also be noted that while this thesis does
not serve to give feminists a voice, it briefly considers the way in which a
male-managed industry presides over an ever-growing female workforce –
an interesting combination. While my study focuses on the reasons for the
predominance of women in PR, conversely it would probably be just as apt
to focus on why there are so few men. However, taking that path proved to
be difficult, as there are so few men entering the profession. Rush and
Grubb-Swetnam’s (1996) call to communication students to become aware

16
of the absences in their lives and profession is apt. They suggested we ask
ourselves: “What is missing here? Why is this picture incomplete or
distorted?” (np). The answer is simple: men are missing. They are missing,
however, only in non-management levels. That situation certainly may
change in the future.

Background to the research

If we’re called in by a client to influence behavior, our input

should come from a group of people balanced by gender
(Harold Burson, founder and chairman of Burson-
Marsteller, in Hampson, as cited by Folmar, 2005).

Primarily, this thesis is about the feminisation of public relations.

Conversely, it could be about the dearth (or is that death?) of males in the
industry. ‘Feminisation’ of the industry means that women have numerically
become the dominant force. It does not intend to specifically include women
at any particular level: just all women in the industry. The title arose because
of the number of women doing communications courses. How could it not,
when I was severely outnumbered?

The project has its origins as a result of my 22-year professional career in the
media and public relations (PR) professions. While studying for my Masters
Degree in Perth, I was surprised by the high number of women undertaking
communication courses at Edith Cowan University. This sparked initial
interest. Unconsciously, I had observed and analysed the trend of what
appeared to be increasing numbers of women in the media. There is also
growing professional anecdotal evidence of this trend. To date there has been
no attempt to explain the growing drift of women (and decline of men) into
public relations – a profession that is male-managed.

The issue of women in public relations, or the ‘feminisation of public

relations’ was first raised in 1989 when, according to Grunig, Toth and Hon
(2001), the Public Relations Journal published one of the first articles to
note the growing prevalence of female practitioners. They were probably
referring to an article by Karlene Lukovitz (1989) Women practitioners, how

17
far, how fast?, which recorded that women had grown from 27 per cent of
the United States industry in 1970, to 56.6 per cent in 1987. Lukovitz also
noted a salaries gap between men and women “as a result of past
discrimination and the recent heavy influx of young women into the lower-
salaried entry-levels of the profession” and raised concerns that this could
flow on to “a decrease in status and salaries for the profession as a whole”
(1989, p. 14). It is interesting to note that, in the same volume of Public
Relations Journal, Philip Lesly also published an article suggesting public
relations was “losing stature and respect” (1989, p. 40), although he
attributed the status loss to increasingly technical practice, rather than to
gender reasons. Lukovitz quoted the then president of the Public Relations
Society of America (PRSA), John Paluszek, as saying he was not aware of
any problems relating to women in public relations, and there was no need
for an industry-wide examination of women’s issues. However, Paluszek
later acted on the many replies his comments drew, and established a Task
Force on Women in PR, which later became the Committee on Work, Life
and Gender Issues.

Grunig, Toth and Hon (2001) wrote one of the main texts on females in
public relations. The book, Women in public relations: how gender
influences practice, deals mainly with status, salary, equity, gender, gender
bias and sexual discrimination. The book’s aim, as the authors note, is: “to
make an issue out of sex discrimination in our field” (Grunig, Toth and Hon,
2001, p. 30). That's appropriate, as it was written by three women for
women, addressing important issues of imbalance. On the other hand, this
study is more concerned with the reasons why there are so many women
(and, perhaps more apt, why so few men) in PR. The issues Grunig et al.
raised certainly have a role to play in some areas of this study, but the book
really deals with women’s role/s in PR, at a time when little was being done
to address the imbalances and issues that women faced within the industry.
One could argue that with the predominance of women now entering PR, it
is time for a study on male issues, and this thesis may become the catalyst
for that future work.

18
There is one thing on which all communications scholars agree: women
outnumber men, insofar as comprising the bulk of the PR workforce. As
mentioned, this situation does not apply to management within PR. This is
an important distinction, showing the difference between management and
technician roles in PR, with technician roles being best described as those
roles which do not contribute in any significant form to the higher-level
planning roles, such as budgeting and key strategy.

Writing in the PR Reporter, DeRosa and Wilcox (1989) questioned the

influx of women into public relations. They attempted to discover why
women were entering the field in increasing numbers. Their survey of the
public relations field showed almost 80 per cent of the respondents were
female. A similar trend was seen in colleges and universities. DeRosa and
Wilcox found that in 1970, about 75 per cent of the students majoring in PR
were men. By 1980, women were predominant at 67 per cent. The research
was quantitative, and did not consider the views of PR professionals, who
have the wisdom of years of industry observation. Similarly, Toth and
Aldoory (2000, np) reported in a year 2000 gender study of the US industry
(the most recent study) that “the current demographic in the profession is 70
per cent women and 30 per cent men. This reflects a steady increase of
women entering public relations over the past 20 years”. The study’s figures
are strikingly similar to the current male/female participation in the
Australian PR industry and at university. Grunig et al. (2001, np) also
recognised the paradigm shift in the US, when in “1989, public relations
shifted from a male to female majority”.

In Singapore, female preferences for ‘soft’ subjects like the social sciences in
lieu of technical courses like engineering also determine the kinds of
occupations they are likely to undertake. A study on the social progress of
Singapore women by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower suggests that
female tertiary students tend to concentrate in non-technical subjects. “In
1997, 75% of the female undergraduates in local universities were in the Arts
and Social Sciences, Business and Accountancy and Sciences courses

19
compared with 38% of the males” (Singapore Manpower Research and
Statistics Department 2000).

The mention of “soft” subjects applies particularly to PR. In the course of

this study, several interview and survey subjects made mention of PR fitting
this description.

Figure 1: The rise of women in PR in the US, from 1950–2000

(US Dept of Labor, 1980, and Toth 2001).

The Public Relations Society of America’s 2000 world conference, which

drew more than 3500 public relations professionals, students, vendors, and
trade journalists, addressed the issue. Industry heavyweights Harold Burson
and Dan Edelman expressed concern during the conference that “the vast
majority of people entering the PR field are women” (Miller 2002).

At the time, Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter noted that women comprised 70 per
cent of Burson-Marsteller's staff. Edelman briefly
answered a question about the predominance of women
entering PR by stating: “We need balance.” Edelman
(pictured) was not alone. Burson, continued: “Unless
more men are attracted to public relations, it runs the risk

20
of being regarded as a ‘woman’s job’ … “we’ll lose a lot of good men”
(Burson, as cited by Folmar, 2005). These sentiments were echoed in the
PRSA’s Year 2000 gender report. “One male participant said: ‘I think the
glass ceiling will naturally go away and the bigger question is what are they
left with? An entire female-dominating industry. Then there will be some
other kind of ceiling” (Toth, 2000).

My study will attempt to examine the reasons for the growing predominance
of women in public relations (and conversely, the diminishing number of
men), which is reflected in Australian university enrolments (particularly in
Perth) and overseas, and in the workplace (both government and private
enterprise). It will do this by a rigorous analysis through comprehensive on-
line and paper surveys, focus groups and interviews.

My study has its origins in my 22-year professional career in the media and
in public relations. The high number of women undertaking communications
courses at Edith Cowan University sparked my initial interest. However, to
date in Australia there has been no attempt to explain the growing drift of
women (and decline of men) into the public relations profession. Some
related research has been done by American academics, most notably Brenda
Wrigley, Elizabeth Toth, Linda Aldoory, Larissa Grunig, Carolyn Cline and
Linda Hon. However, there are only eight major published texts on the
subject. These mostly concentrate on the inequalities regarding salary and
responsibility in decision-making. This also was the major content of the
now unobtainable 1986 Velvet Ghetto report. There are few journal articles
that deal directly with the subject. Consequently, a need for current, original
research is required.

My study is well positioned by reference to Larissa Grunig, who, in a 1998

interview with Salon magazine said: “public relations is NOT female-
dominated. It is female-intensive” (Brown 1998). By this, she meant that
while numerically females dominate the industry, they do not control it
through the management function. There is an important differentiation to be
made here.

21
This study is only concerned with the fact that females are taking to the
profession in increasing numbers; hence the emphasis is on the “female-
intensive” nature of the profession. The predominance of males in
management could easily be the subject of another study. In fact; the point
was raised in an e-mail and subsequent phone conversation I had with a
female practitioner at one of the WA mining companies. She was puzzled as
to why female PR practitioners in the mining industry never reached
management level. In part, some of the reasons for that are addressed further
in my study in interviews with two senior male professionals.

Research objectives

The objective was to examine:

• The numerical growth of women, and decline of men, in the

public relations profession in Perth, Western Australia.

The research objective is addressed by presenting a picture of the past, and

the current state of public relations practice, primarily in Perth, but drawing
on material from Australia and overseas; notably the US and, to a lesser
extent, the UK. Essentially, I argue that the industry is in danger of
becoming “over-feminised”, and that this trend is not healthy for the
profession – a stance taken by several scholars and professionals.

There are clear boundaries (limitations) associated with this research, mostly
imposed by the limited availability of prior related material. In fact, with the
exception of some US statistical information and material used in the
literature review, most information contained in this thesis is original. This is
the first time any research into gender in PR has been conducted in Australia.
The only data the National and State PR organisations had (at the time this
study commenced) was for the current year (2004-05). There is also a
limitation associated with the number of PR professionals (63) and students
(295) surveyed. This was the maximum number possible, due to privacy
limitations imposed by the PRIA, companies and government departments,
which made it difficult to access the entire sub-group. With regard to

22
universities, many students seemed unwilling to participate, particularly in
focus groups and interviews.

My history as a PR practitioner and student over 10 years has brought me to

this point, where I have seen and questioned the puzzle of a female-intensive
industry. By combining my personal and professional experience within a
framework developed by my academic training, I have formulated my
principal research question to be:

Why has there been a rapid and continuing growth of

women (and decline of men) in public relations?

The question needs to be addressed, as it may have long-term implications

for the industry; particularly as to how PR is practiced and taught. When
discussing the topic as a likely study, most, if not all professional and
academics were interested in the outcome – and this proved to be the case
throughout the study. The significance of such a trend may not be apparent
now. However, if such trends are identified early, industry bodies and
universities may at least be aware of the change and be prepared for any
eventualities which may arise.

Summary of Learning Outcomes

This section presents the synthesis of my action research and learning.

Different lessons are learned depending on the perspective of the learner

(figure 2).

23
 Figure 2: Summary of research learning outcomes.

From an academic perspective, the learning outcomes indicate that at

present the reasons for the phenomenon of an increasing female PR
workforce are difficult to capture. While it is shown that awareness is high,
there is little impetus to addressing the situation. It will be also demonstrated
that the research contributes to knowledge and raises the issue at a national
and international level for the first time in a detailed study.

Throughout this thesis, it will be shown that:

❏ The enquiry was carried out systematically,

❏ The values used to distinguish the claim to knowledge are

clearly shown and justified.

❏ The assertions are clearly warranted; and evidence is presented

throughout of an enquiring and critical approach to a work-related

problem.

From a practical perspective I believe there can now be more research

undertaken in this field, with the material and findings being of use to the
profession, if it so chooses. Certainly the practical nature of the project is

24
reflected in changes the Public Relations Institute of Australia has indicated
it will make with regard to changing the way it records membership data.

From a personal perspective, I have endeavoured, for the past five years, to
align academic and work-related pursuits. I have no doubts this research
thesis has added to this quest by providing me with a more balanced view of
work, career and family.

Justification for the research

Look around any public relations department or college

classroom and you're likely to find a majority of women.
For reasons still unknown, women have flocked to public
relations, and the trend is likely to continue
(Childers-Hon, 2003).

Having been fascinated by the high numbers of women in communications

courses at university, I fulfilled a primary prerequisite, according to
Merriam, 1998, for undertaking such a study, and that is the premise of
“questioning something that perplexes and challenges the mind”. Certainly,
the introductory quote for this section from American PR academic Linda
Childers-Hon posed the question as recently as two years ago.

On commencing readings for the project, it soon became obvious that little
work had been done academically on the gender composition of the industry,
either by scholars or professional bodies. That such a gap should exist is, in
itself, cause for concern. Those scholars who have delved into the field have
all made similar comments.

“Historical studies of women in public relations . . . have been rare,” notes

Gower (2001). Others, like Rea (2002) echo these sentiments, citing “little
sustained and formal interest in gender equity matters in our professional
organisations or in the agendas of industry or academic conferences . . . not
because gender discrimination is not an issue for the Australian industry, but
rather that it has not been addressed.” One of the most recent articles on the
topic appeared in the March 2005 issue of Public Relations Review. “Future
professionals’ perceptions of work, life, and gender issues in public

25
relations”, written by Bey-Ling Sha and Elizabeth Toth, once again focused
on salary and management issues only. The other most recent reference was
from 2003 – an article which simply revisited the 1986 Velvet Ghetto report.
The lack of subject-specific research applies to student perceptions of gender
issues within PR. There has been only one US survey (Farmer, B and Waugh
1999). There has only been one Australian survey of students, which
indicates that original research is severely lacking. As of August 2005 I
became aware of work being done by Griffith University Honours student
Fiona McCurdy, who was “looking at the work completed by Grunig, Toth
and Hon, as well as Farmer and Waugh in the US. McCurdy wanted to
ascertain whether the problems they found in regards to females in PR [both
in the university system and the professional community] occur in the ‘South
East Queensland context’.

McCurdy, 2005, surveyed 169 third-year PR students at four south-east

Queensland Universities (Bond Griffith, Queensland University of
Technology and the University of Queensland) and local practitioners. This
was 66 per cent of all enrolled students. It was found that 141 (83.43%) were
female and 28 (16.56%) were male. The results collated from the
practitioners survey could not be called conclusive, as only 12 were
surveyed. However, they returned almost equal findings as the student
survey, with 83.33 per cent of participants being female and 16.66 per cent
of participants being male.

The issue of women in PR, or the feminisation of PR, was identified in 1989,
when the (US) Public Relations Journal published an article about female
practitioners. The then president of the Public Relations Society of America
(PRSA) was quoted as saying he was not aware of any problems relating to
women in PR. However, he acted on the many replies his comments drew,
and established a Task Force on women in PR, which is now called the
Committee on Work, Life and Gender Issues.

Grunig et al’s. 2001 book, Women in public relations: how gender influences
practice, is probably the main text on female issues in public relations. “It is

26
the only significant and comprehensive research on gender in public
relations . . . their findings provide a useful comparative starting point for
Australian investigations” (Rea, 2002, np). However, it deals mainly with
status, salary, equity, gender, gender bias and sexual discrimination.
Primarily, Grunig et al. aimed to: “[make] an issue out of sex discrimination
in our field,” (p. 30). That is understandable, as it was written by three
women, for women, addressing important issues of imbalance. As a text it
has received criticism, particularly with regard to its definitions of gender
and sex, which form a large part of this thesis. “They equate the term gender
with biology, and the term ‘sex’ with characteristics that have been associated
with men and women, such as assertiveness and submissiveness. They later
seem to contradict themselves by arguing that gender is socially constructed,”
(Scrimger 2001).

However, this study is more concerned with why there are so many women
(and, perhaps more apt, why so few men) in PR. The issues raised by Grunig
et al. certainly have a role to play in some areas of this study, but the book
really deals with women’s role/s in PR, at a time little was being done to
address the imbalances and issues that women faced within the industry. One
could argue that with the predominance of women now entering PR, it is
time for a study on male issues. This thesis may become the catalyst for that
future work. One of the leading US PR academics, Denis Wilcox, certainly
believes now is the time to undertake research in this area.

In e-mail correspondence of 19 April 2005 between myself and Prof.

Wilcox, who is head of PR at the University of San Jose, Wilcox said:

There have been many articles about gender differences in

public relations but most of it has been about differences in
the workplace (salary, title, years of experience, etc.). I can't
recall any recent replication of a study that explores the
perceptions of current public relations majors (male and
female) about gender differences in the public relations
field.

This research will provide an excellent starting point for continued research
into gender issues in the PR “industry” (that is, tertiary institutions, private

27
and government sectors). It should also provide an insight into future
industry trends.

Methodology

Primarily, my research uses a mixed method drawing on phenomenalism and

positivism, undertaken primarily in the context of an action research
approach, which McNiff, Lomax and Whitehead (2003) defined as
“practitioner-based [and] conducted by any practitioners who regard
themselves as researchers” (p. 12).

I felt that an action research study (Reason 2001) was best suited to my
situation and offered the best opportunity to address my research question.
One reason for this was that because of my experience in PR I was sensitive
to the topic under study, which is a distinct advantage in eliciting
information and understanding the subtlety of individuals within the industry
(Fernandez, Lehman and Underwood, 2002). The emphasis of an action
research study is that researchers are actively involved with the situation or
phenomenon being studied; ensuring that any knowledge developed in the
investigation process is directly relevant to the issues (Robson, 2002). Dick
(1993) also suggests that it is reasonable that there can be choices between
action research and other paradigms, and, within action research, a choice of
approaches. “When practitioners use action research it has the potential to
increase the amount they learn consciously from their experience. The
action research cycle can also be regarded as a learning cycle, with the
educator Schön (1983, 1987, as cited in Dick, 1993) arguing strongly that
systematic reflection is an effective way for practitioners to learn”. The
reflection was carried out at all stages of the process. However, it occurred
mostly during the research and interview phases, when interaction with
subjects was a constant occurrence. Reflection involved several processes.
Overall, it could also be described as personal evaluation. It included
obtaining feedback on methodology, subject matter, and project structure
from (local) industry associates, notably Dr Vince Hughes. Primarily, the

28
technique involved a constant referral back to material and obtaining
industry feedback. On a wider scale this involved the use of regular e-mail
and web-site updates to 63 practitioners who participated in the initial
surveys. At all times, participants were encouraged to provide feedback.

The mixed methodology research approach is part phenomenalistic, in that it

has “taken place in natural ‘everyday’ settings. The leaning towards
phenomenalism is reflected in my roles as an observer of the phenomenon
being studied (the increase of women in PR) and that I have clearly chosen
what was being observed (student and practitioner numbers) as the subject.
There is also an element of positivism, in that initial consistencies in patterns
of female employment and university enrolment were noted through the use
of quantitative data. There are also elements of positivism, in that it was
“preceded by research questions, as in positivistic research,” Allison, et al.
(1996). However, I have not ventured far down that track, as it is now
generally accepted that positivist research criteria are not always appropriate
in achieving social research outcomes (Klein and Myers, 1999).

The methodologies used, therefore are a mix of qualitative and quantitative,

with the emphasis heavily on qualitative (focus groups and interviews), using
a combination of:

• Historical (retrospective) – university enrolment data,

• Descriptive – surveys, case studies and trend studies,

• Phenomenological (qualitative) – focus groups and

interviews, with myself as observer).

It has been suggested that qualitative research methods, specifically action

research, can begin by being free from predetermined theories, with the
theory developed in conjunction with or after the findings. I agree with this
approach, as it facilitates enhanced creativity (so much a part of PR) and
discovery of new insights (Dick, 1997; Jacob, 1988). Previously, qualitative
approaches to research, including case studies, have been criticised for a lack
of rigour and validity, especially in relation to the validation of data and

29
conclusions (Benbasat and Zmud 1999; Lee, 1994; Sarantakos, 1993).
However, such criticisms are waning, mainly because contemporary
researchers now accept that since all research methods are never completely
flawless, no single method, quantitative or qualitative, is better or worse than
the other (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001).

The learning journey

I have endeavoured, for the past several years, to align academic and work-
related pursuits. I have no doubts that this research thesis, through the action
research process, has added to this quest. Figure 3 (below) represents the
various stages of what can best be described as my learning journey over the
past five years. The academic process began as far back as 1984, when I
enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts at the University of NSW. Due to work and
family commitments, I never completed it. It wasn’t until 2001, after
returning from Army service in East Timor that I enrolled in a graduate
certificate of communications. From there, the learning process developed to
this stage.

Figure 3 (below) represents the various stages of what can best be described
as my learning journey over (primarily) the past 22 years. It began in 1973
when I started work as a newspaper copy boy, then cadet journalist. The
immediate 10 years certainly taught me many of the skills I have employed
in this thesis (discipline, research, working to deadline, writing and editing)
However, I do not consider the true academic journey began until 1984.
Though interrupted by a young family, I have finally arrived at my
destination.

30
 Figure 3: My learning journey.

A definite process occurred. From the initial realisation that there was a
phenomenon came the question of what I wanted to achieve and
development of the question (Figure 4). This in turn led to the three stages of
research (Figure 5).

31
 Figure 4: Process for developing the central question.

Figure 5: The second part of the learning journey and the process involved.

The initial quantitative approach was highly structured and led me to develop
a qualitative (unstructured) approach involving interviews, e-mails, phone
conversations, focus groups and ad-hoc conversations. The qualitative phase
was unstructured insofar as free thought in interviews and focus groups was
encouraged. The process itself was highly structured, particularly with regard
to selecting subjects. For example, I approached mostly male PR
practitioners and students, as I believe their opinions on gender imbalance
affected them more than females, simply because they are the ones who are
in short supply. In effect there have been two learning journeys: one in
developing my question, and the second in developing the methodologies.

Initial data was obtained by undertaking a census of the population (the Perth
PR industry). The population was initially stratified into two industry groups
(university students/academics and practitioners). The university students
were further stratified into second- and third-year students. First-year
students were not selected, as it was considered they had not decided on PR
as a Major. These groups were surveyed using non-probability quota
sampling, which are of “considerable value in the early exploratory research
... before launching a major study” (Broom and Dozier, 1990).

Survey techniques used included: a census, interviews, questionnaires and

observation (focus groups). Media used included the use of the World Wide

32
Web, e-mail, PDF surveys, paper surveys, telephone and in-person
interviews and focus groups for all key groups identified, including
academics, students and industry professionals.

Figure 6: Investigative process of information-gathering.

In order to help gauge the views of professionals, and to compare those with
students, two surveys were conducted among this group. The methodology
for surveying PR Professionals is discussed in Section 3. The first survey
was sent in August 2005. It contained a total of 26 questions. These were
broken into two visibly indistinguishable sections. The first 14 questions
were a combination of three categorical questions (gender and education),
with the remainder mostly ordinal. They covered various aspects of PR work
and general career aspirations. The second set of 12 questions was mostly
ordinal and more gender-specific. The second part of the first survey,
consisting of 12 questions, was structured to obtain basic information on
practitioners’ views, with a view to providing information for interviews and
focus groups. In effect, this is a pilot study, as no research of this nature has
been done before.

With most of the second set of questions, a definite response was deemed
necessary. This is why many of the questions do not offer a neutral choice
(for example, “don’t know” or “neither”). This was meant to prevent
respondents from being “fence-sitters”. However, in line with the “rich”
nature of the research, there was an option for an open-ended response in all

33
but two of the questions, giving practitioners a chance to express themselves.
Generally, most respondents did not avail themselves of this opportunity.

Following the first professional survey, I deemed it necessary to conduct an

on-line supplementary survey in order to cross-analyse results with themes
developed in the student surveys – (a) areas of interest and (b) motivation to
work in PR. These questions were not originally included in the first survey.
They were:

• What aspects of PR interest you most?

• Name the types of industry that interest you most

• Reasons for working in PR vary. What was the main

factor that motivated you to choose a PR career?

• If you had the chance to start your working life again,

would you choose PR?

The quantitative analysis of the main survey was done through SPSS and
Excel, with the qualitative aspects through a Mac-based program,
HyperResearch. All responses were edited and imported as plain text files
into the program, where a series of common themes, or concepts were
developed through observation. Each respondent’s answers were read again,
and coding was applied, according to the recurring themes in answers. Once
all responses were coded, the program was activated to produce a series of
reports, which enabled the themes/concepts to be grouped for further
analysis. The method I chose was to analyse each answer in the first group
(questions 1–14), then each question in the second group, but also expand
the process to include analysis of the main recurring themes, of which 30
were identified.

As no survey has been done of Australian PR students’ attitudes toward their

careers, and because mass communications students represent a female
majority, it is important to know more about gender perceptions in the
classroom, as these views may continue to influence students after they enter

34
the workforce. While it would have sufficed to only survey professionals, the
future of the industry lies with today’s students.

The first student survey was conducted in the second semester of 2005
(July–September) among students majoring in public relations at two WA
universities offering a sequence or a degree in public relations. The four
institutions participating were Edith Cowan University [ECU] (Perth), Curtin
University (Perth), Murdoch (Perth) and Notre Dame (Fremantle).

The PR programs at the four universities are comprehensive, with all

institutions offering PR Majors and specialist Degrees in PR. However,
Edith Cowan, Curtin and Murdoch’s programs are the most comprehensive.
ECU’s courses are part of the School of Creative Industries, and Curtin’s and
Murdoch’s are part of the School of Business. PR at Murdoch and Notre
Dame is offered as units as part of business, communications or marketing
degrees, although some students do major in PR. Although this study was
exploratory, using only Perth students, the results with regard to the
predominance (statistically) of women in PR confirm my findings in surveys
of private practice, both nationally and in Perth: that women outnumber men
by more than three to one.

The student questionnaires were administered in public relations lectures and

tutorials at the four selected universities, with the cooperation of faculty
staff, over a period of four weeks, from 27 July to 30 August. A purposive
sample produced 105 usable questionnaires. There were 34 unusable returns
from Murdoch, due to students studying non-PR Majors.

The focus groups were largely aimed towards eliciting response from
students, as I believed they would be more forthcoming with their opinions
in a group situation. Professionals indicated that they were reluctant (in
general) to participate in focus groups. In fact, of the 63 professionals who
took part in the survey, only six indicated they could participate in a focus
group, which was held in December 2005. For this reason, most
professionals were interviewed. Organising focus groups was the most

35
difficult aspect of this study, largely because it depended on voluntary
participation of (mostly) students. Originally intended to start in the first few
weeks of the second semester of 2005, it became increasingly difficult to get
at least four to five students from any university in the one place at the same
time. Consequently (after dozens of e-mails) only one focus group could be
arranged in semester 2 (at ECU on 19 October). The focus group was held at
a university for practical reasons, allowing students to gather in a familiar
location, and one they are used to accessing.

All focus groups were videotaped. I acted as moderator. Ethics approval was
gained in the survey phase, by students and professionals earlier indicating
on their return of their intention to participate. They were informed before
the session that the focus group would be videotaped, that their involvement
was voluntary and that no person (or venue) would be identified. Course
coordinators were advised of the focus groups and, in some cases, attended.
Interviews were stored on my personal computer at home and later
transcribed. Files were converted to QuickTime movies and are included on
disc at Annex S. As with the interviews, all focus group data was entered and
coded in HyperResearch, Transcripts were analysed line-by-line and word-
by-word to conceptualise the data in code. A coding paradigm emerged from
the data that included core categories such as ‘career choice’, ‘expressed
Gender Role Stereotypes,’ ‘Career Plans,’ and ‘Family Influences’.

Being highly exploratory, the main purpose of these activities was to

understand current thinking towards the phenomenon, to expand on people’s
reasons for undertaking PR and to see if this differed between males and
females. In reality it produced many streams of thought, with opinions
overall finding a high degree of common ground.

Students were mostly left to discuss various aspects and results of the survey,
with an emphasis on the reasons for studying PR, and what attracted them to
it. In reality this proved to be difficult. All groups took a while to “warm

36
up”. In interviews, professionals were, as one would expect, more expansive,
and delved into their industry experience to prove the first insight into what
makes PR practitioners “tick”.

All focus groups and interviews were transcribed into MS Word, edited, then
imported into HyperResearch for analysis of common themes/concepts. This
technique is known as content analysis, which is defined as “any technique
for making inferences by systematically and objectively identifying special
characteristics of messages (Simpson, 2005). From these interviews, data
was imported into Excel for graphing.

Interviews were conducted at a location of the subject’s choosing. This was

either their workplace or a coffee shop. The relaxed setting was to help
contribute to subjects providing as much information as possible. Subjects
were asked whether the interview could be recorded, and informed that their
identities would remain anonymous. Questions were worded to allow
participants to determine what they would talk about within broad
parameters. I used informal and familiar language, so that the interview
appeared more as a friendly conversation than a formal interview. This is
consistent with qualitative methodology. If the initial general questions did
not elicit a full elaboration, I used additional (ad-libbed) questions. For
instance, under the general question: what has PR at university been like for
you as a guy? I could also ask: what percentage of the class is male? Or: do
you socialise with female students? I was the only interviewer. This ensured
consistency of questioning.

This industry focus group took place in the boardroom of Scarboro Surf Life
Saving Club on Monday 5 December, 2005, from 5.30pm to 6.45pm.
Participants were informed the session would be videotaped and voice-
recorded. Identities would be anonymous. Originally six practitioners
indicated they would attend. However, one had to withdraw for family
reasons, and the other (a male) got the days mixed up. Four were senior
female practitioners. HF is currently undertaking a PhD, lectures at
university and has managed the communications section of WA Government

37
Departments; RW is a media relations specialist for a government agency;
HL has worked for several government departments and was working in an
international promotions role at the time; HM has several years’ PR
experience and is working for a quasi-government research/charitable
organisation with a staff of 300. (A copy of the session – in .MOV and MP3
format – is included at Annex P on CD).

In both the focus groups and interviews, certain themes or concepts emerged.
These were analysed for the number of times they were mentioned, but also
for what people said about them. The transcripts were analysed two ways –
quantitatively by counting the number of keywords and phrases, and
qualitatively through the transcribing and editing process.

Following the first survey, interviews and focus groups, it was decided that
more information was required on the thought processes and characteristics
of students, to more fully consider if there are common personality
characteristics among those who choose to study a PR career. In mid-March
2006, a second survey, also on second- and third-year students, was
conducted, using items from the Bern Sex Role Inventory. This measures
personality traits. I used it as a measure of gender-type personality traits, and
not as a general measure of “masculinity” and/or “femininity”. These
personality traits are most strongly associated with gender-stereotypes of
men and women, and therefore well suited to the limited role I assigned it –
measuring personality traits clusters of male and female PR students. The
survey consisted of 12 questions (Annex E) and was distributed in lectures at
the two major Perth universities which teach PR – Edith Cowan and Curtin.
It was also made available on the Internet (via Web Monkey) to the 55
students who indicated their willingness to continue participation in my
study. Of these, 30 responded.

Definitions

I would like to make three important definitions for the purpose of this
Study.

38
1. Gender. I have settled on Aalito and Mills’ (2002) definition of the term
gender, being:

Sex is a biological classification of humans into women and

men, whereas gender is a cultured knowledge that
differentiates them. Thus, feminine and masculine genders
consist of values and ideals that originate from culture.
(p. 4)

I have used this definition because it considers that [Western] culture shapes
our values and ideals. In the context of PR, a profession that shapes images
and messages, this is particularly relevant. It is also in keeping with Kimmel
(2004) who said:

Sex refers to our biological apparatus; gender refers to those

meanings that are attached to those differences within a
culture. Sex is male and female; gender is what it means to
be a man or women. Or cultural and attitudinal
characteristics distinctive to the sexes. (p. 3)

2. Imbalance. As noted in Hopkins, 2004 the Department of Employment,

Education and Training (1990) suggested that equity in a university student
population should be interpreted as meaning that the balance of the student
population should reflect the composition of society as a whole. As this
Study shows, the proportion of female to male PR students in Australia (and
Perth) is more than 7:1. This clearly does not reflect the balance of society.

3. The PR industry. For the purposes of this study the “industry” is defined
as any people practising PR at a either a scholarly or professional level.
Specifically, this includes PR students (second-, third- and fourth-year),
academics that teach PR, people who work as PR practitioners in any of the
following areas: government, in-house, consultancies and non-profit
organisations. I further narrowed down the definition of people working in
PR to include only those who were directly involved in writing, editing,
strategic planning. The term “industry” does not apply to people working for
PR departments in “peripheral” areas such as video production and graphic
design. The latter were excluded from my own Census, university statistics
and interviews.

39
Delimitations of scope and key assumptions

There are clear boundaries associated with this research, mostly brought
about by the limited availability of previous material. In fact, with the
exception of some US statistical information and material used in the
literature review, the overwhelming amount of information in this thesis is
original. This is the first time detailed research into gender in the PR industry
has been conducted in Australia. The National and State PR organisations
had no membership data. As original research, there is nothing with which to
compare it to, so it must be considered a benchmark study of the industry.

While I recognise that the ratio of women to men in the industry is quite
different from women to men in industry management, I am primarily
interested for the purpose of this Study in why people take up PR as a
profession. For this reasons I am focusing on a broad approach.

Summary

The introduction outlines background to the thesis (that is, why it was
undertaken). The thesis examines a topic that has not been directly studied
and may have long-term implications for the profession, both in practice and
at university.

It includes a brief history of the limited research undertaken on the subject. It

demonstrates a gap in research, which itself provides a primary justification
for the thesis, and provides a brief explanation of how it was undertaken,
outlines the research questions, justification and methodology and limitations
of the thesis.

Primarily, the thesis seeks to explain why there has been a steady increase in
the number of women entering PR and why this male-managed industry is
failing to attract males. This research was undertaken after continual
observation of the phenomenon, and based on my experience within
communications (journalism and PR) and at university, both as a student and
tutor.

40
To achieve its objectives, the thesis takes a mixed methodology approach,
which includes predominantly a qualitative, action-based style of research to
examine the PR industry in Perth, Australia and internationally.

The research involved a census and surveys of the Perth PR industry

(students and professionals), with 53 practitioners and almost 200 students
participating. The questionnaires included a wide range of questions in a
variety of formats, including multiple choice, Likert-style and open-ended.
Surveys were followed by two focus groups and interviews with students and
professionals.

Definitions of key terms and delimitations were also outlined.

41
2 Research issues (literature review)

Introduction

The initial research (gathering of literature) for this project proved to be

quite difficult because of the scarcity of material available. PR scholars have
mostly approached the subject from purely feminist issues (that is, pay,
gender, inequality, management). However, there is a great deal of statistical
evidence, general as it is, to show that women undoubtedly outnumber men
within public relations, both academically (student enrolments) and
professionally. Most of the material relating directly to PR is US-centric,
simply because there is virtually no literature on the Australian industry, and
little on the industry in Europe. In fact, the PRIA does not keep membership
statistics, though I was assured in 2005 by the then national president that
this would change, as a result of my enquiries.

Other disciplines

Because my study is attempting to discover why women are entering PR in

ever-increasing numbers, the simple reliance on PR literature and statistics
can not present a full picture. Other works found relevant to my study
included references to the ways in which society has changed and the
different ways women and men approach the “traditional” PR functions of
creativity, written English and verbal presentation. Sociological and
psychological literature also proved invaluable. A brief comparison is also
made with the highly male-dominated Information Technology (IT) sector in
Western Australia.

Immediate discipline – PR literature

Early signs of interest regarding women in PR began in the late 1970s, when
Gower (2001) began the process of “rediscovering” women in (US) public
relations by examining the Public Relations Journal for the presence of

42
women from 1945 to 1972. Women, Gower found, had always been working
in the profession, contrary to popular belief that it was a male-only industry
– the preserve of former journalists, who in turn, tended to be mostly male.

Edward L. Bernays, who is widely held responsible for

defining the modern function of public relations as 'an
advisor to management', had a female business partner.
Many historians failed to credit Bernays' wife, Doris E.
Feleischman, with any of the credit for their shared
accomplishments in public relations. She interviewed clients
and wrote news releases, edited the company's newsletter
and wrote and edited books and magazine articles, among
other duties. (Wilcox, Ault and Agee, 1998, pp 90-91)

An important trend in hiring of women in public relations is that it had

happened much more dramatically than the entry of women into all
occupations. Reskin and Roos (1990) listed public relations as one of the
occupations in the 1970s to show a “disproportionate” increase in female
workers, “during a decade in which their advancement into most male
occupations was modest at best” (p. 6). One of the biggest factors in the
sudden rise of women into the (US) PR workforce was the advent of
affirmative action in the 1970s. Legislation forced companies to hire a
certain percentage of women. “Employers may have found it useful to place
women in visible positions” (Donato, 1990, p. 129).

Recognition of the growing numbers of women in (US) public relations

probably came to prominence in the mid-1980s and resulted in the
benchmark 1986 report, The Velvet Ghetto (now unobtainable). This report,
commissioned by the International Association of Business Communicators,
concentrated on gender issues, touching on the issues of women’s “over-
population” of the profession. Two years later, the report’s authors said that
“women working in business communication shows an increase that is
wildly out of proportion – 44.56 per cent of the US workforce is female, but
the proportion in business communication is over 70.56 per cent” (Cline et
al., 1986). This thesis, however, has been recently debunked, with (Hutton,
2005) saying it consists “almost entirely of anecdotal evidence and very

43
small-scale studies that lacked statistical validity. It included no
comprehensive or statistically significant studies capable of providing a
benchmark or presenting a scientific argument.” Hall (2005) quotes Hutton:
“The academics … have known full well that the gender ‘research’ has been
nothing but propaganda and a disinformation campaign – political
correctness run amok.”

Controversial though it may be, Hutton continued:

The majority of [American public relations professors]

know almost nothing about business. Therefore, they don’t
even understand what Business Week was talking about
when it coined the term ‘Velvet Ghetto’ about 25 years ago.
‘Velvet’ did not refer to women being mistreated, but
referred to the fact that women were being treated so well in
PR; often given preferential treatment as the beneficiaries of
affirmative action.

Some early statistical evidence showed how women once were by far the
minority; the earliest of these being membership of the Public Relations
Society of America (PRSA) from 1949 to 1952. Of the new members
admitted in that time, only 3.8 per cent were women. Gower’s study of the
Public Relations Journal showed that from 1958 to 1961, PR was still a
male-orientated profession: “The lack of a female presence fitted with the
ideal or feminine myth promulgated by the mass media in the 1950s of the
married woman happily at home with her children” (Gower, 2001, p. 18).

Women continued to enter public relations, accounting for 25 per cent of its
practitioners by 1960. The US Census showed an increase in women in
public relations and publicity writing of 263.6 percent from 1950 to 1960.
“Public relations student societies started on college campuses in 1968, and
women accounted for 34 per cent of the membership in those societies”
(Gower, 2001, p. 20).

In the United Kingdom the situation is virtually identical. A study

commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and
undertaken by the Centre for Economics and Business Research Ltd shows

44
“Public relations is a female-dominated profession with almost two thirds of
workers being women compared to only 46 per cent for the workforce at
large” (CIPR 2005).

According to Zawawi (2000), the first Australian PR business was set up by

Asher Joel and George Freeman just after the Second World War. Joel was a
former journalist who joined the navy and ended up serving on (US) General
Douglas MacArthur’s PR staff (of 35). Freeman was a fundraiser. Joel was
also instrumental in setting up the PRIA.

The establishment of the first public relations degree courses

in the 1960s (Mitchell College, Bathurst, and the
Queensland Institute of Technology, Brisbane) not only
allowed businesses to employ trained junior staff but helped
open the profession to women. In the early 1970s only
around 10 per cent of public relations practitioners were
women. It is estimated the ratio of men to women hit the
50/50 mark some time in the early 1980s. In 1997 a survey
of Queensland members of the PRIA showed two-thirds
were women (Zawawi, 2000).

There appeared to be an absence of research between 1989 and 1993,

according to Grunig, Toth and Hon (2001, p. 45). “In 1989, when the Public
Relations Journal published an article about female practitioners”. The then
president of the PRSA was quoted as saying he was not aware of any
problems relating to women in PR. However, he acted on the many replies
his comments drew, and established a Task Force on women in PR, which
was called the Committee on Work, Life and Gender Issues. Grunig et al.’s
2001 book, Women in public relations: how gender influences practice, is
arguably the main text on female issues in public relations. However, like all
texts in this field, it deals mainly with status, salary, equity, gender, gender
bias and sexual discrimination: not reasons for the high numbers of women.
The issues raised by Grunig et al. certainly have a role to play in some areas
of this study, but the book really deals with women's role/s in PR, at a time
when little was being done to address the imbalances and issues that women
faced within the industry.

45
One of the central issues raised by Grunig et al. (and others) is the effect of
the feminisation of the PR industry. “If women become the majority in
public relations, the practice will be typecast as ‘women's work’. It will lose
what clout it now has as a management function and become a second-class
occupation. In the process, gains made over 50 years to build and sustain the
value of public relations will disappear” (Bates, 1983, as cited in Grunig,
2001).

Downturns in wages in industries that become female-dominated professions

is also raised by Kimmel (2004). This is often cited as a fear among PR
practitioners: that an imbalance will lead to a ‘cheapening’ of the profession.
This is a theory put forward by many academics across a wide range of
disciplines. Kimmel (2004) cites the changes that have occurred to the
clerical profession. Interestingly, the changes to this occupation are similar
to what has happened in PR.

Clerical work was once considered a highly-skilled

occupation in which a virtually all-male labour force was
paid reasonably well. In both Britain and the US the gender
distribution began to change and by the middle of the
century most clerical workers were female. As a result,
clerical work was revaluated as less demanding of skill and
less valuable to the organisation; thus workers’ wages fell.
As sociologist Cohen notes, this is a result, not a cause, of
the changing gender composition of the workforce (Kimmel,
2004, p. 190).

The question is: will this have the same effect on PR?

Kimmel also points to veterinary medicine, which in the 1960s only had
about a five per cent female workforce. Today it is closer to 70 per cent. “In
the 1970s, when males dominated the profession, the wages of vets and
medical practitioners were roughly equal. Today the average wage for a vet
is $70–80,000, while a physician earns double that” (Kimmel, 2004, p. 190).

The opposite happened in computer programming. In the 1940s women were

hired as key punch operators (in effect, early computer programming). “It
required skills in abstract logic, maths and electrical circuitry. But once

46
‘programming’ was recognised as ‘intellectually-demanding’ it became
attractive to men, who began to enter the industry and drove up wages”
(Mimmel, 2004, p. 191).

Dorer (2005) calls this process “re-coding”. According to Dorer, discussion

in Germany about the “re-coding” of PR (from a male to female profession)
started at the beginning of the 1990s. The profession in Germany and
Austria, however, still has balance, but is changing. In Austria in 1993 there
was a 36 per cent female representation. In 2003 it had reached almost 48 per
cent. “What these figures show is that … PR is gradually turning into a
predominantly female profession in German-speaking countries – a 20-year
lag on US developments notwithstanding” (Dorer, 2005, p. 186). The “re-
coding” of an industry can work both ways. Female typists became male
typesetters, while male secretaries became female. For example, when I
think of journalism, it was only recently (probably up to 10 years ago) that
women sports reporters were not considered “serious” journalists by their
peers. It was only a little after that time that barriers such as female reporters
being allowed into rugby teams’ dressing rooms were removed.

While the movement of women into a profession is widely believed to herald

a decline in wages and a “de-skilling” of an occupation, Game and Pringle
(1983) hold a contradictory view, in that “the reverse is frequently the case –
work is de-skilled and then women move in” (p. 18). If this is the case in PR,
could it be that the work of the profession has become “trite” and “devalued”
due to a variety of factors, including low scores necessary to enter university
and the large numbers allowed to study the subject. This then removes the
prestige and value of the subject and, in turn, the profession.

In Australia, this problem was highlighted by Pockcock and Alexander

(1999). From an analysis of the 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial
Relations Survey, it was found that wages fell in professions dominated by
women.

47
 Women in industries that were close to 100 per cent female-
dominated earned 32 per cent less per hour than women
with otherwise identical characteristics in industries that
were close to 100 per cent male-dominated, [with] the
penalty for women being in a highly feminised occupation,
compared to one that is male-dominated, was 15 per cent
(Pockcock, et al. 1999, p. 75).

In a US context, Donato (1990) notes that while PR paid women 60 per cent
more than the median female wage in the 1970s, that figure had dropped to
37 per cent in 1980. That it dipped markedly is further evidence that when a
profession is feminised, wages drop.

Most recently, Grunig (2001) quotes from a 1993 PRSA monograph, Ten
Challenges to PR during the Next Decade, in which Challenge Six addressed
the problem of the shrinking number of males in the profession.

Much more needs to be done . . . to encourage more men

into the field . . . Public Relations is stultified when it
reflects a limited slice of a diverse population. Steps should
be taken to identify the factors responsible for … the
declining numbers of males entering the field (Grunig,
2001).

In the Australian context, there are indications that the feminisation of PR

does not make it an attractive career option. McCurdy (2005) found that:

80 per cent of female practitioners indicated the belief that

public relations is viewed as a female industry, with the one
female interviewee indicating that the only young male she
knew who worked in public relations left because he was
told it was a ‘girls job’. One of the male interviewees even
admitted that he does not tell people he works in public
relations because of the negative responses he receives as a
direct result of the industry being perceived as a female
majority. (McCurdy, 2005, p. 93)

Sha (2001) concluded that feminisation would make public relations more
ethical, “not merely in appearance, but in practice” (p. 45). Others, like
Larissa Grunig (2001), Dozier (1988) and Rakow (1989) argued the
prevalence of women would introduce characteristics such as collaboration,
sensitivity towards audiences and better two-way communication. Several

48
theories on reasons why women enter PR have been put forward. They do
not reveal much detail, but are included to demonstrate current thinking:

“Primarily to write and be creative” (Creedon, as cited in

Aldoory, 2001).

Women’s interest in more creative pursuits are examples of

socialisation (Cline, as cited in Aldoory, 2001).

In summary, there can be no doubt the PR literature on this specific topic is

scarce, as Noble, 2004 points out. In her Masters thesis on the same subject,
Noble draws on material which focused on the advertising industry.
However, I found the findings to be of limited value to this thesis, as these
two statements demonstrate.

“Most advertising students at two major universities chose

advertising as a major because they found the field of study
interesting” (Fullerton and Umphrey, as cited in Noble, 2004, p. 5)
… and

“Students majoring in advertising were drawn to the field because it

seemed interesting and challenging” (Schweitzer, as cited in Noble,
2004, p. 5).

Having interest in a subject is, of course, a valid reason, but does not explain
why females and males choose the subject.

Socialisation

Socialisation: “The process by which culture is learned”

(Oregon State University).

Gendered socialisation: “The process by which children

acquire the knowledge and internalise the values of socially-
determined sex roles (McGraw Hill Higher Education).

The issue of socialisation is not covered in any depth by PR researchers with

regard to its being a factor in determining career choices. Even the basic
question of what type of person practises PR has never been answered. For

49
the purposes of this study, the term socialisation is taken to mean the
learning of a society’s customs, attitudes and values. Henslin, as cited in
Wikipaedia, 2006, contends that “an important part of socialisation is the
learning of culturally-defined gender roles”. Gender socialisation refers to
the learning of behaviour and attitudes considered appropriate for a given
sex. The central question that arises is therefore: is the nature of PR shaped
by the way our society perceives it? Are certain types of people drawn to PR
because of what they have learned about PR and the way they learn it?
Learning, of course, comes from a variety of sources – family, peers, work
colleagues and the media. All of these will have an effect on the way our
society views PR. The subject certainly raises more questions than it
answers.

Deaux (1976) looked at how variations in our environment can lead to

differences in behaviour. With the PR “environment” changing markedly
with regard to gender composition, does this in turn lead to a change in how
people in the industry (and those entering it) view it? The core of Deaux’s
study recognises that “in nearly every area of social behaviour, differences
between men and women have been observed” (1976, p. 3). The
“environment” is an area that Barnett and Rivers looked at in their 2004
book, Same Difference: How Gender Myths are Hurting Our Relationships,
Our Children and Our Jobs. Ohlott (2005) noted that “unlike many
proponents of currently popular gender theories, Barnett and Rivers suggest
we are each a product of many interacting forces, including our genes, our
personalities, our environments and chance.” This is a theme I follow in
more detail further on.

In considering whether gender may play a part in people selecting PR as a

career, we should look (from a socialisation perspective) at whether there are
differences between males and females. Deaux cites a 1974 study
(Psychology of Sex Differences) of more than 2000 cases by Macoby and
Jacklin, who found solid evidence for only four behavioural differences
(aggression, spatial, verbal and maths), only one of which is directly

50
pertinent to PR, based on the premise that it (verbal skills) appears constantly
in the literature. Once again, women were found to be superior to men in
verbal ability, while men excel in maths. “In both instances, these
differences are not observed in early childhood but show divergence after
adolescence” (Deaux, 1976). Macoby and Jacklin (1974) also found men and
boys to be constantly more aggressive. However, on their own they do
provide a reason why more women than men women enter PR. Noble (2004)
cites fours studies that indicate gender influences subject selection at
university: “These studies suggest women choose majors consistent with
traditional roles, such as teaching, rather than technology-related careers,
such as computer programming and engineering” (p. 6).

At this point in time I think it necessary here (rather than in the literature
review) to mention the more recent (2005) research by Noble into US
students’ reasons for studying PR. Noble surveyed 159 PR students at one
university. While this certainly limits that study, as only one university was
sampled, the work is highly relevant. It is one of only a few pieces of
literature that started to appear (all about the same time) a year into my
study. Noble sought not so much to focus on gender, but to more broadly
understand why students enter PR, their misconceptions, and ways of
developing methods to correct those misconceptions. Once again, Noble
reinforces the frustration I (and one of two others found): “A review of
literature reveals virtually no research related to the specific reasons why
public relations students select the major” (Noble, 2004, p. 5).

While surveys have been undertaken to determine whether students select a

course major in line with traditional gender roles, the findings are
consistently contradictory. Noble (2005) pointed to research by Eide (1994)
which said students did not choose courses that were in line with gender
roles, and that of Dawson-Threat and Huba (1996) who refuted this.

Because there is almost no research on why more women than men study
PR, it helps to look at other careers where research has been done. The
gender balance in the sciences and maths is the opposite to PR, in that they

51
are male-dominated. By looking at how researchers have approached the
socialisation of maths and science, we may better understand the situation in
PR. In 2005, Harvard University psychologist Elizabeth Spelke debated the
notion of how great a part socialisation plays in why males or females take
up careers in the sciences and maths. In a 2005 debate with colleague Steven
Pinker, Spelke made mention of the Macoby and Jacklin research, saying
nothing much had changed. Taking the “nurture” stance, Spelke is adamant
that the “gap” is caused by social factors. “There are no differences in overall
intrinsic aptitude for science and mathematics between women and men,”
she says (Pinker, 2005). So if differences in intrinsic attitudes don’t cause a
gender imbalance, what does? According to Spelke, gender stereotypes
influence the ways in which males and females are perceived. Spelke
believes:

Knowledge of a person’s gender will influence our

assessment of factors such as productivity and experience,
and that's going to produce a pattern of discrimination, even
in people with the best intentions. Biased perceptions earlier
in life may well deter some female students from even
attempting a career in science or mathematics (Spelke,
2005).

When analysing why more women than men choose a certain career, there
should also be consideration of what Spelke termed the snowball effect,
which is when we “imagine ourselves in careers where there are other people
like us. If the first two effects perpetuate a situation where there are few
female scientists and mathematicians, young girls will be less likely to see
math and science as a possible life” (Pinker, 2005). Others have also adopted
this mantra.

The key lies in the perceptions of the qualities and work

values of different occupations. I stress the word
'perceptions' because I do suspect that these are stereotyped
views, which are not necessarily based on realization.
(Cumming, 1997, p. 9)

Using this rationale, it follows that biased perceptions (of potential male
students) may deter them from attempting a career in PR. Similarly, if there

52
are few male PR professionals, the idea is perpetuated that PR is a female
profession, and males will not see it as a viable career choice. This is
supported by many of the comments from both males and females in this
thesis’s interviews, focus groups and survey responses. Cumming (1997) and
Couch and Sigler (2001) found that perceptions about occupations continue
to be a determining factor in students’ choice of occupation. In reference to
the continued perception that “occupations are associated with a particular
sex, one answer lies in the representation of professions in the media.”
Certain occupations are portrayed in a stereotyped way. “Professions such as
lawyers, government officials, physicians, etc, continue to be masculine-
oriented.” Similarly, Gottfredson, as cited in Glick, Wilk and Perrault
(1995), found that “people perceive occupations similarly, no matter what
their sex, social class, educational level, ethnic group, area of residence,
occupational preferences or employment, age, type of school attended,
political persuasion, and traditionality [sic] of beliefs”. This suggests that
people organise their images of occupations in a highly stereotyped, socially-
learned manner – a point I will explore, and argue for, later. This is
particularly apt with regard to PR – an industry that bases much of its success
on portraying a certain perception of a client. This notion is also supported by
Anne Parry, IPR Midlands group chair and deputy MD of Quantum PR in
Birmingham, who said in a 2004 interview with icBirmingham (a UK-based
web business site): “The root cause of the problem is perhaps the perception
of PR, which is still not being taken seriously enough and is often viewed as
a bit girlie in certain quarters” (np).

In her Honours thesis, McCurdy (2005) highlighted the role that perception
of the industry plays in attracting people, and of how the community
perceives an industry, in this case, PR.

53
 It could be assumed that although public relations students
and practitioners do not state a direct belief that a female
majority has caused a threat to the overall status of the
public relations industry, the negative viewing of the
industry in the general community may dictate that a female
majority has posed a threat rather than contribution. In order
to help change the negative view of the industry currently
held by the general community, public relations has to be
redefined and definable. Once people can understand the
functions undertaken by practitioners they may then
understand the value of the industry not only towards the
business community but also the general community.
Secondly, public relations has to “get out there”. In other
words, advertising should be conducted in order to educate
(McCurdy, 2005, p. 94).

Research shows that perceptions about certain occupations develop well

before university. Levy et. al., (2000) cite research by Huston, 1983; Ruble
and Martin, 1998, which shows “preschoolers and primary school children
demonstrate substantial knowledge of gender-typed occupations”.
Specifically, girls choose significantly more feminine occupations (for
example, teaching, nursing), while boys chose significantly more masculine
occupations (for example, police officer, truck driving). “Thus, it appears
that young children hold strong gender-typed perceptions of adult
occupations and presumably use these standards when contemplating future
work choices” (Levy, Sadovsky and Troseth, 2000).

The fact that women are better in spoken (and written) English is a point
continually raised by many of the subjects surveyed and interviewed in my
study. On university entrance tests, for example, “verbal aptitude test scores
for women are consistently higher than those for men” (Deaux, 1976, p. 7).
The fact that these differences develop in adolescence indicates that social
conditioning comes into play (that is, we are a result of our social surrounds).
If that is the case, it stands to reason that an individual’s and, in turn, a
society’s opinions of PR (indeed, any career) can be shaped progressively
through time.

Kimmel (2004) says the reason why girls outpace boys in English is “not the
result of ‘reverse discrimination’ but because boys bump up against the

54
norms of masculinity (of what we regard as masculine or feminine). Boys
regard English as a feminine subject. Kimmel pointed to research in
Australia by Wayne Martino and colleagues, who found that boys are
uninterested in English because of what it might say about their masculine
pose.

‘Reading is lame, sitting down looking at words is pathetic,’

commented one boy. ‘Most boys that like English are
faggots’, commented another. Boys tend to hate English for
the same reasons that girls love it. In English they observe,
there are no hard and fast rules, but rather one expresses
one’s opinion about the topic and everyone’s opinion is
equally valued. ‘The answer can be a variety of things;
you’re never really wrong,’ said one boy. ‘It’s not like
maths or science, where there is one set answer for
everything,’ another noted (Kimmel, 2004, p. 170).

Compare this to the response of some of this Study’s subjects, and the
answers are remarkably similar. Male students simply feel ‘out of their
comfort zone’ with English. As one male student said to me in an interview:

To be honest, one thing that has turned me off PR is that it

seems ambiguous compared to marketing and advertising.
It’s hard to measure PR, and you don’t know if the work you
are doing is working or not.

There are conflicting views on whether or not gender differences are part of
our biology, or just a result of ‘socialisation’. That we are a result of our
social conditioning is made clear by Deaux (1976, p. 6), who argues that “if
a difference between men and women is found consistently across a variety
of societies, then we can have more faith in a biological component [being
responsible for behaviour and attitudes].” For example, not every society on
earth is aggressive, so aggression can not be a result of biology. Therefore,
humans’ traits must be a result of social processes. On the other hand, Moir
and Jessell (1996) argue that “the differences between the sexes are
biological, not sociological” (pp 5-17). They say that aggression is a result of
our biological makeup. “We do not teach our children to be aggressive –
indeed, we try to vainly un-teach it. This is a male feature and one which can
not be explained by social conditioning” (p. 7).

55
From a socialisation perspective, Deaux (1976) says “young boys are given
more physical stimulation, while young girls are given more vocal
stimulation” (p. 7). The fact that most parents expect boys should not be
feminine and girls should not be masculine would indicate that
sociologically males would not be attracted to a career that appears feminine.

I found illuminating the study cited in Moir and Jessell (1996) of an Israeli
kibbutz which tried to eliminate stereotyping (clothing, hairstyles, toys,
behaviour). Despite the efforts, boys still went on to study physics and
engineering. The girls went on to study sociology and became teachers. Moir
and Jessel saw that as proof that “the minds of men and women are different,
and that ultimately boys and men live in a world of things and space; girls
and women in a world of people and relationships” (1996, p. 154). In
exploring the lack of women within IT in Australia, Walters (2006) said:
“Women approach design of technology in a different way from men.”

The question of whether gender (and differences) plays a part in determining

someone’s entry into PR may, for the moment, remain elusive. Tavris (1992)
notes that this type of research “can not explain, for instance, why if women
are better than men in verbal ability, so few women are auctioneers or
diplomats, or why, if women have the advantage of making rapid judgments,
so few women are air-traffic controllers or umpires” (p. 54).

Grunig, Toth and Hon (2001) argue that public relations is an industry
founded on feminine values, such as honesty, justice, and sensitivity, which
will enhance the symmetrical communication patterns of public relations.
Furthermore, the two-way symmetrical model of public relations requires
resolving conflict and building relationships, which are intrinsically feminist
values. “Feminist theorizing about public relations proposes that the
profession is inherently feminine in nature because of its purposes, practices,
and attributes” (Childers-Hon, 1995). Only four (industry) areas (of 11 put
forward) were significantly more male- than female-oriented, and those
specialties entail areas of expertise that have traditionally been male –
technology, finance, sports, and industry. These findings support comments

56
found in previous interviews with PR practitioners regarding gender
segregation in the field. According to Aldoory (2001), the proportion of
practitioners not only favours women, but younger women. This is supported
by figures from PRSA and IABC surveys.

Much discussion in the mid-80s to 1990s was on the feminisation of PR.

Fears were held that this trend would lead to a drop in status and salaries.
Sha (as cited in Aldoory, 2001) concluded that feminisation would make
public relations more ethical, “not merely in appearance, but in practice”.
Others, like Larissa Grunig and Dozier (1992) and Rakow (1989) said the
prevalence of women would introduce characteristics such as collaboration,
sensitivity towards audiences and better two-way communication. Certainly
PR has become more open and two-way. But perhaps this may be just a
result of media fragmentation and the development of the Internet, which
encourages PR practice to be more “in tune” with its target audiences.

There are other less-scholarly views. Richard Brandt, editor-in-chief of

Upside, said: “I have this uneasy feeling that the reason there are so many
women in PR is that it's a form of journalism that's less respected and
therefore easier for them to get ahead” (Brown, 1998). Perhaps wanting to
protect himself from the avalanche that would follow that statement, Brandt
continued: “But I have also seen the profession increase its role, its influence
and its importance very dramatically over the last couple of decades. And at
the same time that's when a lot of women have gotten into it.”

Hutton (2005) dealt with the issues of the often-raised issue of salary
discrimination in PR. In doing so, he touched on what was assumed to be the
early research on gender issues and finds the methodology to be wanting. For
example, he debunked the findings of the 1986 Velvet Ghetto report in a
number of areas, mostly in salary, finding little discrimination (this is
covered in the conclusions to Chapter Seven). Hutton also found that gender
discrimination work presented through the PRSA was also flawed, with “the
claim of pervasive discrimination was based on the opinions of a single, non-
randomly selected, four-woman focus group, whose views were directly

57
contradicted by a single, 11-man focus group. In other words, “the authors of
the monograph completely dismissed the comments of the 11 men, while
extrapolating the comments of four women to the entire US PR profession”
(Hutton, 2005).

One interesting aspect to the study is reverse discrimination – a byproduct of

the changing nature of PR. The issue was raised by two senior male
practitioners and one student and warrants discussion, as it may become a
growing problem of a reshaped profession. In such a small study it is enough
to be flagged as a warning in any future discussion on the gender
composition of the industry. The fact that a senior government (male) PR
officer alleges bias in employment against males, and there is discrimination
against a male PR student is cause for concern.

With regard to the impact on individual males, a British study by Cross and
Bagilhole (2002) reports on a small-scale, qualitative study of 10 men who
have crossed into what are generally defined as ‘women’s jobs’. In doing so,
one of the impacts on them has been that they have experienced challenges
to their masculine identity from various sources and in a variety of ways.
This aspect briefly reared itself in the case of the second-year male PR
student. However, I believe, as do most in the profession, that this aspect is
of concern at this point in time. It may, however, remain an influencing
factor on students, who are still, by and large, conditioned by society to
believe in what constitutes men’s and women’s work. This perception,
fuelled by the media, is enough to guarantee the continued increasing entry
of females into PR.

While this study does not (and should not) attempt to dwell on the issue of
discrimination in PR, it should outline an associated phenomenon which
could be taking place in tandem with the rise in the number of women in PR.
Discrimination against males (reverse discrimination) is something that came
to my attention in October-November 2005. Firstly I received an unsolicited
e-mail from a male PR student at the Canberra Institute of Technology. The

58
student (Bill – not his real name), who had almost completed his studies, was
one of two males in a class with 28 women. In Bill’s own words:

I have actually been faced with a lot of issues that relate to

my gender in this industry. I am judged by people outside
the industry as strange, being a male studying PR. By
teachers, I have been ignored or had ideas put down.
General thoughts that I have shared with the rest of the
class, have been put down and stated as sexist, purely
because they come from my mouth. My theories and skills
have been questioned due to my gender. The list goes on,
but overall I have come across quite a few boundaries
placed up against me due to my gender. I have even had my
sexuality (questioned) several times because I am studying a
female-dominated industry (Student 2005).

As a result of this contact, Bill was ‘dismissed’ by the PR firm he sent the e-
mails from, and failed his professional placement: something I felt was
outrageously unfair. The last message I had from him was on 6 December:

A package was sent to them (the consultancy) from the

internship boss with a letter of complaint for me making
contact with you. So it all ended in disaster, but I have no
regrets on making the contact. She has just proved that I
really do have something to be concerned about as I go into
the industry.

The issue became apparent again a month later, after I interviewed a leading
Perth (male) PR practitioner, who mentioned a colleague who had
misgivings about the way the industry might be heading, due to the gender
imbalance. I obtained the colleague’s thoughts on the issue. While in some
parts they are quite scathing about the way he perceives many females
operate in PR (he labels the current crop of female practitioners ‘Grimbos’
[that is, no sense of humour, hence grim] and with a take on the word
bimbo), there were pertinent points about concerns for males in the industry.
Agree or not, the practitioner has more than 20 years experience with major
corporations and government departments.

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 I believe it is unstoppable (female predominance) now, and
difficulties for males in PR will continue to grow as many
key marketing and HR executives are now female and make
up the panels one fronts for both jobs and also when you
pitch for a PR account. You can tell you’re dead in the water
as soon as you walk through the door. It is especially
prevalent in my field, tourism and hospitality, where, for
example, most hotel GMs now see PR exclusively as a
young/blonde/female role. I’ve been in PR for more than 20
years … (and) the past five years has been the most difficult
because, I firmly believe, of this growing gender bias, which
of course one can never prove (practitioner, 2005).

Wilcox et al. (1998) also points to this ‘reverse discrimination’. “Some men
have complained about ‘reverse discrimination’ because some companies are
seeking women. A 70-30 ratio [of women to men] in fields that virtually
demand a university education is exceptionally high.” I mention it
principally because it resulted (un-announced) directly from this study.
Obviously, there is room for specialised research in this topic.

Wilcox, et al., (1998) was one of the few scholars to mention reasons for the
predominance of women in PR. However, Wilcox’s brief reference is a
succinct précis of what many of this study’s subjects, both male and female,
believe.

Public relations attracts well-educated women for several

reasons. The availability of its jobs is better than in the mass
media; salaries and career advancement opportunities are
relatively good, and the work is widely regarded as
glamorous. Women bring to PR an instinct for building
personal relationships and a sensitivity towards social
problems. (pp 90-91)

Some of these points are raised further in my study by professionals and

students: particularly the issue of glamour being an incentive to pursue PR as
a career, and the general notion that women “have the instinct” for PR.

I make mention of what is (apart from Noble, 2004) the first detailed attempt
to define the phenomenon. In 2005, The University of North Carolina’s Janie
Folmar presented her Masters thesis, titled, Why are more women than men
attracted to the field of public relations? Analyzing students' reasons for

60
studying PR. As I was halfway through my research it came as a godsend,
though I felt slightly “beaten to the punch”. Folmar was most cooperative
and provided the thesis. Like Noble, and others, she also was stymied by the
lack of research, and proceeded down the gender path as a way of trying to
obtain some answers. “The conceptual framework supporting this study
revolves around gender” (Folmar, 2005). She concluded:

Specifically, women’s reasons for being attracted to public

relations included: it is a profession for which they feel
well-suited, allowing opportunities for relationship-building,
interpersonal communication, and creativity; and it is a
broad, portable career path that allows opportunities for
advancement, as well as flexibility for family demands.
(Folmar, 2005)

These finding are similar to the views expressed by Wilcox et. al., 1998.

Societal change

The so-called traditional system of dads who go out to work

every morning, leaving mum to stay at home with the
children, a fulltime housewife and mother, was an invention
of the 1950s, and part of a larger ideological effort to
facilitate the re-entry of American men back into the
workforce and domestic life after World War II, and to
legitimate the return of women from the workplace and back
into the home (Kimmel, 2004).

History shows we are a male-dominated culture (patriarchy). Stereotypes

have been, and continue to be passed through the generations. Women
served Australia’s industrial society well up to the Second World War, when
they increasingly took on hard labour (farming, manufacturing) traditionally
the preserve of their menfolk, who were fighting overseas. Now, with the
expansion of technology we have changed our needs again, although our
work values are still, to a large extent, locked into a bygone era. “Success in
dealing with continuing accelerating change will be our ability to make
decisions and to modify our values, beliefs and attitudes” (Chater et al.,
1995).

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Widespread change became apparent in the 1970s, with the advent of the
feminist movement. This led to the entry of more women into the workforce.
In the US, “more than 50% of American women [joined] the work force by
1980, while the largest increase of working women due to the women's
movement was, not surprisingly, white, middle-class, well-educated females”
(Reciniello 1999). What was once a phenomenon of women entering the
workforce is now commonplace.

Wooten (1997) points to the following factors which have contributed to the
ever-increasing numbers of women entering the workforce:

• The advances of the women’s movement,

• The enactment of laws prohibiting sex discrimination,

• Increases in female enrolment in higher education and

professional schools,

• The steady increase in women’s labor force participation, and

• Reductions in gender stereotyping in both education and

employment.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) clearly show

women’s participation rates advancing over men’s during the 1990s. “In
Western Australia, since 1984–85, the number of women employed has
almost doubled, increasing by 94.2 per cent to reach 445,381 in 2004–05”
(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006). According to the ABS, factors that
have contributed to the State’s labour force growth over the past two decades
include:

• A doubling in the number of women employed (from about

229,000 in 1984–85 to 445,000 in 2004–05),

• More than half of women in WA are now participating in the

labour force (58% in 2004–05 compared to 48% in 1984–85).

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 Year Female workforce Female growth rate (as Male growth rate (as
participation (000s) % of workforce) % of workforce)

95-96 3.59 3.4 1.5

96-97 3.63 1.2 0.9
97-98 3.69 1.4 0.9
98-99 3.77 2.3 1
99-00 3.89 3 0.4
00-01 4.03 3.1 1.3
01-02 4.06 1.3 1.5
02-03 4.2 3.3 1.1
03-04 4.25 1.2 1.5
Table 1: Female participation (fulltime and part-time) as a percentage of
the Australian workforce, 1995–96 to 2003–04. Source: ABS, April 2005.

Figure 7: Comparison of female and female employment (fulltime and part-time)

growth rates from 1995–96 to 2003–2004. Source: ABS, April 2005.

Added to this change in workforce participation rates, is the fact we are now
living and working in what everyone regards as the “Information Age”. We
(in Australia) have passed from being an industrial society to a technology
society, characterised by the exchange of information. Previously, males
dominated the workforce because their contributions were seen as more
valuable than females. However, the changes brought about by the
information age can be seen as favourable to women, as “the needs of the
information age are inconsistent with the structures, bureaucracies and rules
of the industrial era” (Chater and Gaster, 1995).

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Chater and Gaster (1995) noted that the way business is done today is
markedly different from previous eras. The most notable impact of change is
the increased emphasis on ethical practice. This includes attention to the
environment and the proper treatment of staff. The emphasis on these values
can be seen to be more compatible with the way women work, presenting an
ideal opportunity for women to take the lead in these areas. It is interesting to
note the traditional “male-dominated” industries of finance and technology,
previously referred to by Hon, are not attracting females. The nature of the
work and traditional values associated with these industries works against
them. Reciniello (1999) refers to a 1995 study of the information technology
industry conducted by accounting firm Deloitte and Touche in explaining why
women are held back in certain industries. Three myths held by men were
identified as major contributors to the women’s lack of advancement in that
industry:

• women lack technical competence compared to men;

• women lack the toughness to compete, and

• women will not work the long hours required (A Woman’s

Place).

Taking the opposite views of some these results may yield a partial
explanation (or at least provide theories) why women succeed in PR: (a)
women can be technically-competent in a industry (PR) which does not favour
numerical skills; (b) women do not need to be as “financially tough” to
compete in PR.

In Western Australia, the IT industry has a shortage of personnel which,

according to O'Neill and Walker, 2001, “mirrors the declining trend in the
representation of women in the IT industry”. O’Neill and Walker cite several
reasons why women are not attracted to the industry, including long hours and
the masculine image of IT (“a lads’ network”). As with PR, in IT “there
certainly is no physical barrier to females being able to undertake any aspect of
the work” (O’Neill and Walker, 2001). Interestingly, women have made

64
strong inroads in PR within the IT industry. “It’s the only area, actually, where
the plaudits go more often to women than men” (Brown, 1998).

While the industrial society was created by men for men, the
information society needs people, both male and female,
who are well educated and technically trained. This has
created a unique opportunity for women, as all levels of
business are now potentially open to us. (Chater and Gaster,
1995, p. 8)

Added to this is the way business must now respond rapidly to changing
economic conditions.

It may be that the predominance of women in PR is simply a response to the

traditional ways we have viewed different occupations, such as engineering
(male), nursing (female), economics (male) and social work (female).
According to Aires (1997):

A division of labor in contemporary society allocates

different work and responsibilities to men and women.
Overall, men are allocated roles with greater power and
status. Likewise, women are believed to be communal and
emotionally expressive because they are assigned to
domestic roles and occupations that require these traits. (p.
92)

Traditional hierarchical structures, with their inflexible rules and procedures,

are not suited to the new era in which flexibility and creativity are valued.
Many of the attributes necessary to PR professionals are outlined by Chater
and Gaster (1995) who state:

We are moving from industrialisation, where the patriarchal

model worked brilliantly, to an era where our survival and
progress will depend on not our ability to set rules, control
production lines, establish bureaucracies, assert status and
focus on the bottom line, but on our ability to communicate,
negotiate, work with emotions, create solutions to ever-
changing problems and opportunities, respond to change,
think globally and strategically and work with and value
people . . . The playing field is moving in the direction of
feminine values, so what the 'game' now needs are the skills
that women can bring to it. (p. 10)

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Other scholars also agree with this ‘worldview’. In her book, Gender Games
(1998), Australian PR practitioner Candy Tymson took a broader look at
gender differences in management. However, as a PR practitioner, her views
are interesting as they could be seen to have a PR “bias”. Basically, she says
there are two styles of management:

1. Information (or status) management, which is male-centric and

focuses on goals, and

2. Relationship management, which is female-centric and focuses

on the process.

On reading the summary of Tymson’s outlook (below) one can not feel (on
the surface) that the increase in the number of women entering PR is a result
of “natural” forces, with the characteristics of females more suited to the way
in which modern PR is practised.

GENDER DIFFERENCES
MALE FEMALE
Information-focused Relationship-focused
Report-speaking Rapport-speaking
Goal-driven Process-orientated
Single-task Multi-task
Succinct language Storytelling approach
Works towards a destination On a journey
Needs answers Asks the right questions
Talks about things in workplace (politics, sport, etc) Talks about how they feel about things
Seizes opportunity to do business in social setting Reluctant to raise business socially
Focus on latest development Focus on “how you are going”
Large groups Small groups
Table 2: Summary of Tymson’s views on male/female gender differences.

With regard to language, Tymson has drawn on the work of Deborah

Tannen, author of 15 books, including the 1990 best-seller, You Just Don’t
Understand. Tannen, a professor of linguistics, maintains the two sexes do
not understand each other because they have distinctly different
conversational styles, brought about by the way they grow up. According to
Tannen, girls’ groups are structured around pairs of friends who share
secrets, grow up to become women, strive to make connections in their
conversations, to be supportive and focus on details. The way boys play
produces men who develop a competitive, confrontational style, are reluctant

66
to talk about their problems and prefer abstractions. The result is that women
talk in the above-mentioned “rapport-speaking” style, whereas men are more
comfortable speaking in public (“report-speaking”). However, these traits
have been shown to disappear in a short space of time. Wheeland and Verdi
(1992), as cited in Aires (1997) showed that during a four-day group
communication exercise that men were initially more task-orientated, while
women focused on being friendly and offering support. “This gender
difference disappeared in the later sessions … over time in groups, men and
women engaged equally in both forms of talk” (Aires, p. 95).

While women would certainly seem to be more “naturally” more suitable to

PR roles than men, that should not discount males from the practice
altogether. “We have argued for the hiring and promotion of both women
and men in our field, because we understand that few if any of today's
organizational environments are composed solely of men” (Grunig, L,
2001).

The changing nature of how we accept women in the (PR) workforce, in

part, is perhaps recognition of our society’s changing values. Women are
seen to be equal to men in occupations which require little physical effort. It
shows how we should highly value the entire range of communication skills,
both personal and technical.

Noble (2005) was probably the first in the US to look at “why public
relations students select the major”. Also stymied by lack of research, Noble
conducted research at her university and gleaned some important information
from the literature on gender differences and how they influence selection of
(university) courses. The findings from Noble’s study that are relevant to my
Study, and are compared in Chapter 5, include:

• Women (73.8 per cent) were more likely to agree they selected
public relations as a major because of the creative aspects than
did men.

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 • Slightly more women (55.6 per cent) than men (51.5 per cent)
agreed they chose public relations because of the business
aspects.
• Women (71 per cent) were more likely to disagree that public
relations courses are easier than the average college course
than men (53 per cent), while more men thought public
relations is an easy major (31.4 per cent) compared to women
(18 per cent).
• More than 60 per cent of public relations majors (64 per cent)
said English was their favourite or second favourite subject in
high school.
• The news media’s mention of public relations and influence
from friends were both more prominent than college advisers
in students’ decision to study PR.
• Sports public relations (29.4 per cent) and entertainment public
relations (23.8 per cent) were the most popular choices for
public relations careers.
While they may appear unrelated to the study, the final two points (above)
are relevant because (1) the news media, as I will outline further on, heavily
shapes our perception of PR, and (2) the type of PR students want to practice
is also explored in more detail. It is also shown how their perception changes
once they start practising.

Citing studies by Niles 1997, Walsh and Srsic 1995, Jepsen 1992, Blakemore
1984, Noble said: “These studies suggest women choose majors consistent
with traditional roles, such as teaching, rather than technology-related
careers, such as computer programming and engineering” (p. 6). This view
correlates to that held by Moir and Jessel (1996) who contend that “we
should not be surprised that men and women gravitate to sex-specific jobs.
We always have, as a species, divided labour” (p. 158).

Dawson-Threat and Huba, 1996, as cited in Noble, 2005, reported that while
less than half of all students in a survey identified themselves with traditional

68
sex roles, more than half of these students selected a major considered
traditional for their gender. Eide, 1994, as cited in Noble, 2005, refuted these
studies, reporting that in the 1980s, women were migrating toward high-
skills majors, which led to higher paying jobs. A later study disagreed with
Eide’s findings, suggesting that during the 1990s into the 2000s, women
were not shifting to higher paying career fields and majors at the same pace
they were in the 1980s, and were still selecting more traditional career fields
(Turner, 1999, as cited in Noble, 2005). These studies demonstrate
conflicting evidence regarding gender career selection based on traditional
gender roles, and demonstrate the continuing evolution of gender career
choice.

Femininity and masculinity (male/female values/traits)

While the changing nature of society would go a small part of the way to
explaining women’s rise to prominence in public relations, in order to further
understand why there is a gender imbalance in PR, a study of the way males
and females approach work (and life) would seem necessary.

MALE AND FEMALE VALUES

MALE FEMALE
Power Harmony
Money Service
Freedom Loyalty
Status Enjoyment
Profit Friendship
Control Commitment
Success Family
Wealth Love
Security Receptivity
Achievement Responsibility
Task focus Caring and nurturing
Independence Relationships
Table 3: Comparison of male and female values (Chater and Gaster, 1995)

The tables, above and below, of our traditional views, offer guidelines on
why men still hold senior positions in management, in a culture that values
competition, success and linear thinking. It is interesting here to compare
what has happened in the industry, with what was predicted. Business Week

69
in 1978 reported that PR was a quasi-management function in which women
could be catapulted, but that it was “a fast track to a short career” (Donato
1990). Of course, the reality has proved somewhat different. Traits described
as common in 1995 (Table 4) are similar to those described recently.

CO MM ON LY -PE RCEI VED TR AITS O F ME N A ND W OME N

Men Women
Logical Intuitive
Strong Weak, timid
Unemotional Emotional
Aggressive Gentle, caring
Assertive Submissive
Decisive Indecisive
Leaders Followers
Independent Dependent
Scientific Humanistic
Rational Irrational
Competitive Cooperative
Objective Sensitive
Table 4: The way we perceive the most common traits of men and women
(Chater and Gaster. 1995).

In a web article for the Maynard Institute of Journalism, Farmer (2003)

highlighted an interview with MNET television’s manager of human
resources, Mark Morales, who pointed to some of the feminine traits of
women, who have transformed the culture at Channel 13. According to
Morales:

If you look at management in America, it’s always fraught

with macho overtones. But I think women have a higher
level of emotional intelligence. They look at resources, they
use people’s strengths, and involve people in problem
solving. I don't see these women so much making decisions
as gathering information and making choices based on their
explorations.

MNET’s station manager Paula Kerger agreed that women often make better
listeners. “Women tend to try to broker compromise,” she says. “Sometimes
men are just in it to win” (Farmer, 2003).

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These narratives tally with commonly-held beliefs about women in general,
which are borne out further on in this study in surveys, focus groups and
interviews. Other traits that women possess include being able to “make
greater eye contact” (Exline, as cited in Deaux, 1976, p. 61). Other beliefs
could be that women respond more positively to being touched, or that when
in groups, women do not all try to win, but try to achieve the best outcome
for all. This was a theme that was touched on in the professional focus
group.

Alvesson and Billing (2002) suggest a possible path in gender research

involves exploring cultural forms of masculinity and femininity. A central
task is to study the way behaviour, work area, feelings, attitudes, priorities
and so on, in a particular culture, society, class, organisation or profession,
etc., are regarded as masculine or feminine. For me this prompts the
questions: is PR masculine or feminine in the context of our society? The
answers, as provided by this study’s subjects indicate it is feminine. This ties
in with Alvesson and Billing (2002), who point to the rise in the number of
‘soft’ industries (ecology and psychotherapy), saying: “In certain respects
the transformation of industry can be described in terms of de-
masculinisation.” Further in my study, one of WA’s most prominent PR
practitioners and academics also points to the type of “soft, lifestyle PR”
increasingly being practised. Today we use buzzwords such as ‘corporate
culture’ and ‘networking’, which send signals about the importance of
feelings, community, and social relations (all integral and associated with
PR). These are attributes, according to Blomqvist, as cited in Alvesson
(2002), which are more in accord with femininity.

Taking this a step further to indicate how our culture in turn shapes the
notion of feminine or masculine, and in turn shape the way industries (in this
case, PR) are perceived, Alvesson and Billing (2002), cite studies by Hines
(1992) which suggest that femininity and masculinity refer to four distinct
elements in gender construction. Two of these are relevant to PR:

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 • The gender aura or image of the activity (that is, the ideas that
people in the surroundings of the activity have about the work).

• The values and ideas that dominate the activity (p. 13).

If that is the case, it can be said that (a) the gender aura/image of PR is
inherently feminine, as evidenced by surveys and comments in this study,
and (b) that the dominant values and ideas in PR involve those feminine
traits and values highlighted in tables three and four. According to Hines
(1992), “the construction of women becomes stronger and more clear cut …
in a particular women-dominated activity [that is, PR]. For example . . . if
the activity is regarded as feminine.”

Alvesson and Billing (2002) studied the Swedish public service and found,
as I will show in Australian (and also US and UK) PR, that “there seems to
be an idea it is natural for women to work in the public sector”. This finding
is not unlike the general consensus of this Study’s respondents, that PR is
“naturally” women’s work. Soderston (1996, as cited in Alvesson) said that
because the Swedish public service had grown this way, many people
conclude that women can only be employed there. Could this be the case in
Australian PR: where PR has evolved (for whatever reasons) into a feminine
industry and men simply do not see the doors open? This view is backed by
comments in this study’s surveys and interviews such as:

• Gender does influence entry into PR because males think PR is

women’s work. (F student)
• Yes, gender does influence [entry into PR], because it is now pretty
well established as a female-dominated profession. (F professional)
• As the numbers of females grow in the industry they tend to
influence others to pursue the profession. (M professional)

Stereotyping

Think of the occupation of accountancy. What image comes

to mind? Most probably you formed an image of a person,
perhaps a prototypical accountant or someone you know
who holds the job. (Glick, Wilk and Perreault 1995, p.570)

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Whether or not the above findings have anything to do with how men and
women’s workplace roles have developed, males and females are still
stereotyped. This takes place at an early age. Kimmell (2004) cites the
examples of sex segregation occurring in the workplace at a young age, with
girls working as babysitters and boys earning pocket money mowing lawns.

Sex segregation is a term coined by sociologist Barbara Reskin (as cited in

Kimmel, 2004) which refers to “men’s and women’s concentration in
different occupations, industries, jobs and levels in workplace hierarchies”
(p. 188). A year 2000 report by the Singapore Government similarly noted:
“the tendency for men and women to be in different occupations”
(Occupation segregation: a gender perspective, 2000). Different occupations
are seen as more appropriate for one gender or the other. “Sex segregation in
the workplace is so pervasive that it appears to be the natural order of things
– the simple expression of women’s and men’s natural predispositions”
(Reskin, as cited in Kimmel, 2004). You would be forgiven for thinking that
if that is the case, people in western societies would be working in different
occupations with an equal mix of male and female in each occupation. But
that is not the case. There are wild fluctuations, even between cities in the
same country. Kimmel (2004) says: “In New York there are only 25 women
fire-fighters (.03%) out of 11,500. But in Minneapolis, 17 per cent are
women. In the US, dentistry is a male-dominated profession, but in Europe
most dentists are female.”

According to a report commissioned by the UK Equal Opportunities

Commission: “Individuals typically prefer those occupations in which they
see their own gender represented” (Miller et al., 2003). In our society, men
traditionally have entered the sciences, engineering, accountancy and
suchlike. Women have traditionally taken up careers in sales, clerical,
nursing, and public relations (Chater and Gaster, 1995). This is backed by
Brown (1998) who said: “Communications, marketing and PR are still
stereotyped as "female," and therefore less important, tasks.” Chater and
Gaster (1995) observe that “we may never reach an equal distribution of

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women and men throughout all occupations, simply because of the genetic
imbalance that dictates males and females have different brain patterns”.
They used the term “genderlects” to show different behavioural patterns
between the sexes. Genderlects could best be described as systems of
traditional and widely-accepted values influencing the different ways males
and females act, or that masculine and feminine styles of
communication are best viewed as two distinct cultural dialects and
not inferior or superior ways of speaking.

The key differences are outlined in table 5.

Male genderlect patterns Female genderlect patterns

Status Intimacy
Independence Connection
Hierarchy Minimising differences
Giving instructions and orders Consensus; giving suggestions
Arguing and interrupting Harmony; negotiating conflicts
Elaborate systems of rules Encouraging participation
Winners and losers Cooperation
Protection Helping
Silence A talking/listening process
Responds to problems with solutions and Responds with empathy and understanding
advice
Table 5: The key differences between male and female communication patterns.

Because we recognise a man or a woman, we also form initial opinions about

how he or she will act and/or talk. These are stereotypical beliefs we hold,
based on the way we have been “socialised”. We’ve come so far, yet have
we in the way we pigeon-hole people? My views are backed by several
studies. “Gender stereotypes have changed little in the past 20 years” (Aires,
1997, p.92). “People organize their images of occupations in a highly
stereotyped, socially-learned manner” (Glick, Wilk and Perreault, 1995, p.
565).

Table 5 (above) displays the commonly-held perceptions we hold about the

sexes. But these are simply preconceptions, based on our social conditioning.
Aires cites experiments by Wood and Karten (1986); Pugh and Wahrman
(1983 and 1995) and Wagner and Ford (1986) which indicated that women
can exhibit male genderlect behaviour when preconceived norms are altered.

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As Aires summarises: “It is time to rethink our understanding of gender to
move away from the notion that men and women have two contrasting styles
of interaction that are acquired during socialisation – a notion that is
promoted by Tannen and in the popular press” (p. 97).

Kimmel (2004) believes that individuals become “gendered” during the

course of their lives. “We learn the ‘appropriate’ behaviours and traits that
are associated with hegemonic masculinity and femininity, and then we each,
individually, negotiate our own path in a way that feels right to us. In a sense
we each ‘cut our own deal’ with the dominant definitions of masculinity and
femininity” (p. 16). This genderisation is a result of the mores and/or rules
imposed by whatever society a person develop in. Kimmel (2004) believes
this, and points to studies by legendary anthropologist Margaret Mead, who
was clear that sex differences were ‘not something deeply biological’, but
rather were learned. Mead studied three different cultures in New Guinea:
the Arapesh, the Mundagmor and the Tchambuli.

• Tribe 1: All members of the Arapesh appeared gentle, passive and

emotionally warm. Males and females were equally happy, trustful
and confident. Individualism was relatively absent. Men and
women shared child-rearing; both were maternal, and both
discouraged aggressiveness among boys and girls.
• Tribe 2: The Mundagmor, a tribe of head-hunters and cannibals,
viewed women and men as similar, but expected both sexes to be
equally aggressive and violent. The women hated to be child-
rearers.
• Tribe 3: The Tchambuli women and men were extremely different.
One sex was primarily nurturers and gossipy consumers who
dressed up and went shopping. They wore lots of jewellery and
were described as ‘charming and graceful’. They were the men.
The women were dominant, energetic, economic providers. They
fished, held positions of power, controlled commerce and culture
and initiated sexual relations.

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“The point is that each culture believed they were that way because of their
biological sex, which determined their personality. Mead showed how we
can be moulded by our society. Unfortunately, she did not explain why
women or men turn out to be different or the same” (Kimmel, 2004, p. 54).

There is a perception that women are nurturers. “When women say: ‘I like
people,’ they are really saying that they are natural nurturers and like to
encourage people. There seems to be a widespread belief that women work
well with clients” (Cline, 1999, p. 266). This is supported by Kolb (1997)
who states: “Women view things in terms of relationships, and this fact
affects significant aspects of their social lives. They are oriented towards
nurturance and affiliation, and make meaning through interconnection”
(p. 139). Similarly, Gidon Freeman, editor of Britain’s PR Week believes:
“PR is all about developing relationships and bringing influence to bear,
which historically women have always mastered better than men.” (The
gender readership split of PR Week in 2004 was 65:35 in favour of women).

Those views would be disputed, however, by a female practitioner who took

part in a focus group, who said (somewhat tongue-in-cheek): “I don’t think
(at work) I’ve ever nurtured anyone.” However, this notion of women being
nurturers is outdated, and has its roots in the way Western society has been
structured (men at work, women at home), and the fact that mothers, rather
than fathers, nurture their children. This, however, is changing, and there is
evidence to show that (given the opportunity) men can be as nurturing as
women. (Barnett 2004, p.7) certainly believes this, stating:

There is no evidence of an innate ‘maternal instinct’ that

leads all women to be good nurturers. Fathers who are
primary caretakers are just as nurturant [sic] toward their
children. When confronted with the need to care for their
children, men exhibit the same capacity as women, and
indeed are indistinguishable in their care-taking from
mothers. Fathers appear to have the capacity to nurture,
although in many situations it is not evident because it is not
called upon.

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There have been several studies that seek to explain gender stereotyping in
certain occupations. Rozier et al. (2001) looked at the specific factors
influencing career decisions of male students to choose the female-dominant
profession of physical therapy, finding that “occupations may be segregated
by gender if the particular attributes of the job are viewed as masculine or
feminine and if the majority of workers are male or female. Men may be
discouraged from selecting a female-dominant profession because of
perceptions that the attributes of the job are feminine.” As shown later, from
this study’s interviews and surveys, the perception of the PR industry (and,
in the case of students) is that the attributes need to perform PR are seen as
being feminine. Rozier et al. (2001) also found that factors such as the belief
that female-dominant careers have less social desirability and prestige than
male careers also discourage men from pursuing gender-atypical careers.

Brain function

I've been torn for years between my politics and what

science is telling us. I believe that women actually perceive
the world differently from men. – US neuro-psychiatrist
Louann Brizendine, as cited in Midgley, (2006).

The subject of brain function is also a relevant topic in discussing male and
female differences. It is linked to socialisation, in that are males and females
different because of their brains (nature) or of the way their brains are
conditioned (nurture)? Brain function is a controversial area, and certainly
one that I am not professionally equipped to deal with, other than to weigh
current trends. The sheer weight of research on brain function and its
relationship to gender is enough to warrant a look at its role (if any) in
determining why more women than men enter PR.

In a highly-relevant book on communication, Wahlstrom (1990) is clear in

her reasons for including it in an analysis of the topic: “Any examination of
women and communication can not proceed without considering the human
communicator at the most basic level.” Janet Emig (1980, as cited in
Wahlstrom, 1990) suggests that “to understand communication processes at

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all we must know their neuro-psychological underpinnings.” According to
Moir and Jessel (1996) “the nature and cause of brain differences are now
known beyond speculation, beyond prejudice and beyond reasonable doubt”
(p. 11).

While brain research data is abundant, it often results in emotional debate,

which “reflects the emotional values that come to the fore so readily when
issues of nature versus nurture emerge, as they do in analysing intellectual
capability” (Wahlstrom, 1990, p.23).

Early research showed there are differences in men’s and women’s thought
processes, characterised by differences in the way the brain operates. Much
research has been undertaken highlighting the differences in construction
between the male and female brains and how they operate. Psychologist
Herbert Landsell (as cited in Chater and Gaster, 1995) found male brains
have specific locations for language and spatial skills, while women have the
mechanisms for these skills in both hemispheres of the brain. In simple
terms, they said: “a typical male brain is more specialised, and a typical
female brain is more diffuse”. Generally, in creative terms, it means men and
women do things and think about things differently.

WOMEN MEN
Develop language skills earlier. Process visual and spatial information
Communicate more fluently. better
Express and release emotion more easily than Greater capacity for mathematical
men reasoning
Can focus on multiple tasks Focus more easily on single task
Table 6: Summary of the different thought patterns in men and women (Chater et al.,1995).

The key characteristics of left and right hemispheres are summarised in table
7. From it, the general pattern shows the creative skills, so often presumed to
be apparent in women, and traditionally associated with public relations,
belong in the right hemisphere, which is where most women’s thought
processes take place. This, of course, is a generalisation, as some other
process necessary in PR (notably, tact, analysis, language and verbal) are
located in the left hemisphere. And if women are predominantly “right-

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brained”, how is they are using the brain’s left-hand verbal and language
functions to do so well in PR?

LEFT RIGHT
Sequencing Random
Logic Intuition
Tact Creativity, imagination
Words, numbers Rhythm, music
Black and white Colour
Small picture Big picture
Detail, parts Whole
Reality-based Fantasy-oriented
Time Space
Analysis Synthesis
Thinking Feelings, emotions
Language, reading Shapes, patterns
Verbal Non-verbal
Symbols Concrete
Listening Visualisation

Table 7: Key characteristics of the brain’s left and right hemispheres.

Unfortunately, for Chater and Tymson, and Moir and Jessel, the method of
splitting up the brain’s tasks into left and right may be somewhat simplistic.
Take the notion of creativity – commonly regarded as a prerequisite for
success in PR. Science Daily, in reporting on schizophrenia, quotes
Vanderbilt University psychologist and researcher Brad Folley, who says:
“In the scientific community, the popular idea that creativity exists in the
right side of the brain is thought to be ridiculous, because you need both
hemispheres of your brain to make novel associations and to perform other
creative tasks” (Moran, 2005). Research in the past 20 years has established
the fact that areas of the two cerebral hemispheres in humans are specialised
for different functions. Wahlstrom 1990, p. 22) cites 11 studies that reach
this conclusion. From a series of 13 studies, these are summarised (and
simplified), according to Witelson, as cited in Wahlstrom (p. 23) in figure 8
(below).

79
 Figure 8: Brain functions.

The major problem with studying brain function as it relates to gender is that
traditional ways of viewing what is female and what is male have literally
been reversed. In the 70 and 80s we were told the right hemisphere was
female, and the left male. According to research in the late 80s and 90s,
those positions are reversed. “After centuries of being accused of being
devious, intuitive, roundabout and anything but linear in their thought
processes, women are suddenly being told that is it, in fact, men who are
capable of ‘simultaneous integration’ and that women are sequential
reasoners” (Wahlstrom, 1990, p. 28). Kimmel (2004) also follows this train
of thought: “Scientists can’t seem to agree on which side of the brain
dominates for which sex. They keep changing their minds about which
hemisphere is superior, and then, of course, assigning that superior one to
men” (p. 33).

Recent research by American neuro-psychiatrist Louann Brizendine,

outlined in a review (Midgley, 2006) of her book, The Female Brain, points
to the fact that men and women simply perceive the world differently
because of brain differences. Women, she says, have 11 per cent more
neurons in the area of the brain devoted to emotion and memory. “Women
tend to use both hemispheres for language tasks, which may be why girls
learn to talk earlier than boys” (Midgley 2006) – once again another skill
crucial to practicing PR successfully. “Steve Jones, a geneticist and author of
Y: The Descent of Men, has said that there is absolutely no consensus about
this science” (Midgley, 2006).

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Despite the shortcoming of this type of science, most researchers agree that
women:

• Have “superior linguistic performance related to verbal fluency”

(Witelson, 1976, as cited in Wahlstrom, 1990; Moir and Jessel,
1996).

• Have earlier maturation of speech organs (Darley and Witz, as

cited in Wahlstrom, p. 29; Moir and Jessel, 1996)

• Are more verbally fluent than males (Gari and Scheinfeld, 1968, as
cited in Wahlstrom, 1990; Moir and Jessel, 1996)

• Make fewer grammatical mistakes (Schucard, et al., 1981, as cited

in Wahlstrom; Moir and Jessel, 1996)

• Produce more complex and longer sentences (Bennett, Seashore

and Wesman, 1959, as cited in Wahlstrom, 1990; Moir and Jessel,
1996).

Wahlstrom (1990) says there are too many hypotheses with differing
methodologies, leading to a myriad of results, and also doubts what influence
the research would have, but for different reasons. She suggests:

With such a growing store of frequently inconclusive or

contradictory data available it is hard to decide what specific
conclusions we can draw regarding gender, brain function
and communication. Yet we must consider the issue. We
need to encourage more research in order to determine, first,
if differences in cognitive functioning exist and, if so,
whether or not they are sex differences or differences that
are caused by cultural forces. If no sex differences exist in
the cognitive ‘functionings’ of males and females, then in
some ways we can carry on pretty much as we have, except
that we will have to engage in publicising data that indicate
no difference.

Kimmel (2004) highlighted what is probably the most comprehensive study

on the subject ever undertaken. Janet Hyde, a psychologist at the University
of Wisconsin, reviewed 165 studies of verbal ability that included
information about more than 1.4 million people and included writing,

81
vocabulary and reading comprehension. She found no gender differences in
verbal ability. She found there is a far greater range of differences among
males and among females than there is between males and females. “Many
investigators seem determined to discover that men and women ‘really’ are
different. It seems that if sex differences do not exist, then they have to be
invented” (Kimmel, 2004).

Gender differences

Grunig, Toth and Hon (2001) imply that there are feminine attributes that
make women particularly suited to carry out public relations work. These are
listed as “co-operation, respect, caring, nurturance, interconnection, justice,
equity, honesty, sensitivity, perceptiveness, intuition, altruism, fairness,
morality and commitment”. However, they do not delve into the reasons
why, but rather concentrate (as most scholars have done) on the
discrimination against the appointment of women to senior levels and
opposition to the promotion of feminine values when public relations
strategy is decided.

Kimmell (2004, p. 15) supports this in a wider context. “In the past 30 years,
feminist scholars properly focused most of their attention on women – on
what Catherine Stimpson has called the ‘omissions, distortions and
trivialisations’ of women’s experiences.”

The behavioural sciences provide more insight into the attributes that may
point towards women being better at PR than men. Reciniello (1999) refers
to “the school of object relations (Fairbairn, 1952; Winnicott, 1965; Klein de
Riviere, 1964) [which] also contributed to the psychoanalytic theory of
women by enlarging traditional drive theory to encompass a primary drive to
create relationships.”

In an unpublished thesis, Rea (2002) came closer than Grunig et al. (2000)
in trying to analyse the link between gender types and an ability to perform
PR. However, it was a fleeting insight into the issue.

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 When we think about women, are we really thinking about
gender, which we consider biological, or a constellation of
socially-determined sex roles, which encompass
stereotypical qualities associated with either femininity or
masculinity? We all know that not all people biologically
classified as “women” act alike. People of either gender may
have feminine characteristics. We value the qualities
associated with femininity, but of course not all women
exhibit female characteristics or are feminine. Not all men
act ‘masculine’. Men who remain antagonistic to women
and to women getting ahead will find themselves
increasingly marginalised over time. The modern public
relations industry will reflect the enormous changes in
gender relations and roles sweeping though society.
Therefore, the industry will be best placed to understand and
represent the interests of clients and of society.

What is apparent, though, is that in trying to analyse why there are more
females than males in PR, one can not ignore sexuality as an issue. There are
several theories which provide clues as to why women find PR a 'niche' field.

Noted American PR scholar James Grunig (1992) suggests women are more
effective in PR because theirs is a worldview – one that suits the engagement
of all publics and leads to balanced, two-way communication. This is backed
by research by Smith, as cited in L. Grunig (2001) who found:

Public relations is a highly intuitive business. The ability to

recognise what sort of behaviour brings about what kind of
response is a talent inborn in little girls and developed to a
higher degree of sensitivity by the time they are through
their teens. It's an invaluable asset in public relations. (np)

The common thread that runs through the PR literature is that ‘social’ factors
are a prime motivation. Becker et al. (2003) found “some 63 per cent of the
[US] female bachelor’s degree recipients said a desire to work with people
was a very important reason for their decision to study journalism”. Only
41.9 per cent of men nominated this as a reason. While that is not the only
motivation, Becker et al. found it to be highly important. Of the women,
29.2 per cent sought a public relations agency job; of the men, only 20.2 per
cent sought such a job.

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Chater and Gaster (1995) observe that the way business is done today is
markedly different from previous eras. The most notable impact of change is
the increased emphasis on ethical practice. This includes attention to the
environment and the proper treatment of staff. The emphasis on these values
can be seen to be more compatible with the way women work, presenting an
ideal opportunity for women to take the lead in these areas.

Most people tend to agree that men and women DO think differently. It is
just why they think differently that they can not agree on. Is it biology or
culture that determines gender differences? There are two schools of thought:
biological determinism and differential socialisation, more commonly known
as nature and nurture. Men and women could be different because they are
naturally that way (nature), or are they different because they’ve been taught
to be (nurtured).

Kimmel (2004) asks: “is biology destiny; or is it that human beings are more
flexible and thus subject to change? The answer is an unequivocal maybe.
Or, perhaps more accurately, yes and no. Few people would suggest there are
no differences between males and females. There are sex differences
(anatomical, hormonal, chemical and physical differences). But there are also
shades of maleness and female-ness in those areas” (p. 2)

Clearly, despite the hundeds of studies that have been conducted on the
subject, there is still no agreement. In fact, many studies on gender
differences may not have even been studies, but merely ideas and hypotheses
that have taken on lives of their own. However, there is strong belief among
students and professionals that gender differences do exist. Whether these
are simply a result of conditioning, it is hard to know; particularly
considering the wildly differing academic viewpoints that exist. There are
those who say gender differences are a result of our cultures, and those who
say (as recently as 2005) that the difference is due to biological reasons
(Shute, 2005).

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According to Alvesson and Billing (2002) “biological differences are not
regarded by many as the ultimate determination of the way men and women
act”. Some feminists believe we should neither exaggerate nor deny the
importance of biological differences (Cockburn, 1991). Bearing and nursing
children, according to some researchers, does give a women a certain
orientation that is quite distinct from men’s (Choworow 1978, Hartsock
1987, as cited in Alvesson and Billing, 2002). Others claim that gender can
be explained almost exclusively by reference to social processes, irrespective
of biological or gender differences. What may look like gender-specific
inclinations (that is, in PR) can be better explained in terms of the positions
of external social conditions in which men and women find themselves (that
is, the rapid increase of women into the workforce, and the appearance of
tertiary courses for PR). However, this is a forum to display current thinking
among today’s professionals and students.

The views expressed by high-profile practitioners are important, as

ultimately they do have a considerable influence on the composition of the
profession in terms of who is being hired, the type of PR being practised, etc.
First, consider the views of several high-profile US female executives.

Muio (1998, p. 17) quotes Sharon Patrick, the president of Martha Stewart
Living, who says the differences are all about men ‘hunting‘ and women
‘gathering’:

I believe that ‘gathering’ is at the crux of how women view

and use power differently from men . . . Men have tended to
demonstrate a ‘go-for-the-kill’ mentality. They try to get as
much as possible through pressure, intimidation, and the
sheer desire to defeat at any cost whoever is sitting across
the table from them. Women have tended to prefer searching
for common interests, solving problems, and collaborating
to find win-win outcomes.

Patrick’s views were shared in the same article by several other leading
female executives. The views give some insight into what leading female
executives think about the way power is used differently by male and

85
females and why there are gender differences, but from a corporate
viewpoint.

Janice Gjertsen, of Digital City (New York) said:

Men are oriented toward power, toward making fast

decisions in a black-or-white mode. Women are more
skilled at relationships. They see shades of gray and explore
issues from different angles. It’s instinctual. Men come to
the negotiating table in full battle armour. What’s interesting
is that the kinds of companies we admire today are also
those that depend increasingly on female attributes. We are
in the relationship era: Its all about getting close to
customers, striking up joint ventures, partnering with
suppliers. Warriors don’t make good CEOs in companies
based on relationships. The new CEO is a seeder, feeder,
and weeder – and those are women’s roles.

Harriet Rubin, Founder and Editor at Large Doubleday/Currency, said:

Women need to become more like men than men are. We

need to become hyperaggressive and hyperdetermined -
because business is about intense daring and a reckless
abandon to succeed. Of course, men have those qualities. It
has to do with their once being boys. While girls learn to be
good, boys play at being great. And men build their
companies the way they used to build their forts - as clubs of
exclusion.

Kathryn Gould, General Partner, Foundation Capital:

Let’s be honest: The culture of any management team, even

if there are women on it, is still a male culture. It all comes
down to football. Most women haven’t played team sports.
They don’t understand how men feel when they’re part of a
team – the sense of camaraderie, the joy of victory. I haven’t
met many women who are conditioned to touch people’s
hearts as leaders – which is quite different from touching
their hearts as nurturers.

Sara Levinson, President, NFL Properties Inc:

My emphasis on group communication, on soliciting their

ideas and opinions, is a major characteristic of my
management style. They also say it’s why they think I’m a
good leader. Is this a distinctly ‘female’ trait? The members
of my team - all of them male - seem to think so.

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[Barry] Leggeter (2005) highlighted the gender imbalance issues facing the
industry, though did not pursue it far. Responding to articles in PR Week on
2 and 12 September 2005, Leggeter, the principal of Bite PR (UK, US and
Sweden) expressed concern at the phenomenon.

It’s the way that our business sells public relations at the
college/university level that I think needs our attention. Why
is it that PR, apparently, appeals to less male undergraduates
than female? I’m not trying to reverse anything. I’m simply
concerned with dominance. What I am questioning is do we
have the right balance in our business? I believe this is an
issue we should look at thoughtfully and thoroughly. Let’s
simply find out what is happening here – whether it is a
recruitment issue or a reality that the balance of our account
teams has apparently irreversibly changed.

In the company’s blog site, Leggeter gave the issue further ‘airing’ and the
issue was taken up be several writers, who agreed with his views. The
following response of one particular female student summed up the feeling
of many in my study.

I was actually curious about the gender in the PR

department earlier this semester because there is only one to
three males at most in my PR classes. I think Public
Relations is just not that appealing to males as it is to
females. I also think there maybe a lack of knowledge of
exactly what you can do with a major in Public Relations. I
know a few guys that want jobs in areas that a
communication or public relations major would be ideal.
But instead they choose marketing because they think PR is
more for females. It is natural for women to be better at PR-
type task, and women are also better at understanding the
public than males. Multi-tasking and being sensitive to
people’s needs might not sound that enjoyable to [men].

Are these views, which are supported by many of the comments found in
both my professional and student surveys, valid? Or have we all simply been
duped by faulty research? Barnett and Rivers (2004) cite a study conducted
in that year by researchers at Purdue University, which could not find
support for the idea that women and men have different ‘communication
cultures’. The results were based on three studies that used questionnaires
and interviews with 738 people – 417 women and 321 men. “Both men and

87
women view the provision of support as a central element of close personal
relationships; both value the supportive communication skills of their
friends, lovers, and family members; both make similar judgments about
what counts as sensitive, helpful support; and both respond quite similarly to
various support efforts.” Barnett and Rivers describe a range of what they
call ‘bandwagon concepts’, as dangerous. Among these are:

• Women are inherently more caring and more ‘relational’ than

men.

• For girls, self-esteem plummets in early adolescence.

• Boys have a mathematics gene, or at least a biological tendency to

excel in maths, that girls do not possess.

“While the industrial society was created by men for men,

the information society needs people, both male and female,
who are well educated and technically trained. This has
created a unique opportunity for women, as all levels of
business are now potentially open to us.” (p. 8)

It is also widely recognised that women are better at relationship-building.

After all, public relations is about the relationship between an organisation
and its publics. Grunig (2001) cites studies by Reif, Newstrom and Monzka
(1978) and Knowles and Moore (1970) that demonstrate women have a
greater concern for relationships. “The two-way symmetrical model of
public relations requires resolving conflict and building relationships, which
are intrinsically feminist values” (Grunig, Toth and Hon, 2000). Many of the
attributes necessary for PR professionals are outlined by Chater and Gaster
(1995), who state:

88
 We are moving from industrialisation, where the patriarchal
model worked brilliantly, to an era where our survival and
progress will not depend on not our ability to set rules,
control production lines, establish bureaucracies, assert
status and focus on the bottom line, but rather on our ability
to communicate, negotiate, work with emotions, create
solutions to ever-changing problems and opportunities,
respond to change, think globally and strategically and work
with and value people . . . The playing field is moving in the
direction of feminine values, so what the ‘game’ now needs
are the skills that women can bring to it. (p. 10)

Cline, as cited in Newsom, et al. (2000), alludes to the problem being not
only just the large numbers of women entering the profession, but to the
innate skills females bring to PR being responsible for the industry’s low
standing.

The major problem facing public relations’ move into top

management today may be not only the large percentage of
women in the field, but the dominance of the profession by
the intuitive. An intuitive worker seeks the furthest reaches
of the possible and the imaginative, and is comparatively
uninterested in the sensory reports of things as they are. This
conflicts with the methodology of a sensate worker, who
prefers an established way of doing things, relying upon
skills already learned, working steadily, and focusing on
now. The sensate type of worker accounts for 70 to 75 per
cent of the American population.

Gender issues, however, are a complex matter. Not all women (or men) act
alike. People of either gender may have feminine characteristics, and vice-
versa. While most females have certain feminine characteristics, not all
women are feminine. Similarly, not all men act masculine.

The literature also provides some statistical clues, fragmented as they are,
regarding the rise in the number of women within PR.

US Department of Labor statistics for public relations in 1960 showed 25 per

cent of the PR workforce were women. This increased to 51 per cent in
1983, 65.7 per cent in 2000. At the same time, membership of the PRSA
went from 10 per cent women members in 1968 to 15 per cent (1975), 54 per
cent in 1990 and 60 per cent in 2000 (Figure 3). By early 2002, 69 per cent

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of the practitioners surveyed were female (Andsager and Hust, 2004).
Female participation in America’s other peak communications body, the
IABC, is 76 per cent (Willams, 2002).

The Occupational Employment Statistics Survey (US Department of Labor

2004) reports “employment of public relations specialists … is expected to
grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012” (OES Survey,
May 2004). Similarly, the United States Department of Labor Bureau of
Labor Statistics’ Career Guide to Industries reports that “public relations
jobs are projected to increase by at least 19 per cent through 2012, compared
to a 16 per cent growth rate average in all other industries”.

Figure 9: Rise of American women in PR from 1960–2000.

Sources: US Dept. of Labor and PRSA. Gap in years due to lack of statistics.

Year Total Male Female % Female

1950 18,565 16,607 1958 10.5
1960 30,363 23,358 7005 23.1
1970 80,302 58,906 21,396 26.6
1980 120,037 61,442 58,595 48.8
2000 129,000 49,000 80,000 62
2002 136,000 38,000 65,000 63.1
2003 129,000 43,000 85,000 63.4
2004 133,000 52,000 81,000 66.4

Table 8: There has been a steady increase in number of women entering PR

from 1950–2004 (Source: US Dept of Labor).

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 Figure 10: In the US, there has been a steady increase in women entering PR,
and a leveling of male entry. Source: US Dept of Labor.

The increasing number of women in PR [in the US], is demonstrated in

Table 8 and Figure 10 (above) from the Department of Labor (Martin, 1993;
US Dept. of Labor, 2005) showing women’s representation increasing
markedly, from 10.5 per cent in 1950 to 66.44 per cent in 2004.

The trend is mirrored at US universities.

“Since 1977 the majority of students enrolled in (US) journalism and mass
communication programs have been female. In the early 1980s, national
enrolment patterns stabilised at about 60 per cent female to 40 per cent male,
and a similar ratio has also become the norm for graduates of mass
communication programs” (Peterson, as cited in Creedon, 1989, p. 14).

In a follow-up report on the Velvet Ghetto, Cline (1986) reported that

“female (US) communications students outnumbered men by more than 8 to
1 [and that] communication may soon be 80 per cent female”. The prophecy
may be proved correct, as Cline (1999) reported that at the University of
Texas in 1985 the figure was close to 90 per cent female.

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 Fact. For more than a decade, women have made up the
majority of students enrolled in American schools of
journalism and mass communication. Fact: these female
graduates are finding employment and due to this influx of
women, mass communication is becoming a female-
intensive occupational category” (Creedon 1989, p. 16).

Beasly (1999) also considers the impact of journalism within

communications. In 1985 the University of Maryland College of Journalism
released preliminary findings of a study that called attention to the ‘new
majority’ in schools of journalism and mass communication. This referred to
the growing influx of young women, who had changed the balance of
journalism school enrolment from predominantly male to predominantly
female in less than a decade. At that time journalism enrolment was about 60
per cent female.

“In 1977, when [US] journalism enrolment nationally reached a record

64,000, the proportion of women students reached more than 50 per cent, but
little notice was taken. Today, two-thirds of all graduates (64.1 per cent) are
women” (Beasley, 1999). Journalism enrolments at Perth universities also
show more females than males study the subject. At Curtin University, the
institution with the largest number of students in Mass Communication, the
breakdown for journalism from 2001–05 shows a constant predominance of
women. Statistics for 2005 fell for both male and female, but this can be
explained by a general national downturn in applications for university
places across all subjects.

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 Figure 11: Journalism enrolments at Curtin University. Source: Curtin University.

Interestingly, this has not manifested itself within the Perth media industry,
where the ratio is 57 per cent male (256) to 43 per cent female (195). Ten
news organisations were surveyed in April 2006. Some within the industry
expressed surprise at the figure. However, that is probably because we tend
to be influenced by what we see, and to a lesser extent, hear. Most
newsreaders and weather presenters tend to be female; particularly in Perth
radio.

Female Male
Channel 9 12 4
Channel 10 12 9
Community Newspapers 29 24
Radio 6PR 3 4
Channel 7 8 12
ABC Radio and TV 20 18
Nova FM 3 0
92.9/94.5 FM 1 0
Sunday Times 22 37
West Australian 85 148
TOTAL 195 256

Table 9: Perth news media employment (journalists only).

These include chiefs of staff and news editors. Source: direct from each organisation.

“[In Europe] the share of women [journalists] has stagnated at around one
third, [while] the growing field of public relations continues to attract

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increasing numbers of women” (Dorer, 2005, p. 185). In Australia, the
situation is little different. There is certainly no dominance if either gender
within the major media outlets in Perth. In a census (6 April 2006) of all but
one Perth news organisations (Community Newspaper Group, ABC radio
and TV, three commercial TV channels and four radio newsrooms) there
were 72 males and 73 female journalists. However, the balance is slightly
tipped by the large number of males employed at The West Australian. The
drift of women from journalism into PR may be because that women in
journalism simply find entrenched male attitudes and behaviour (that is,
chauvinistic, hard-drinking, prying, etc.) still too prevalent and
‘overbearing’, so they choose a more values-orientated and ‘family-friendly’
industry such as PR. The notion of the family-friendliness of PR has been
raised in several interviews conducted, and noted in surveys, during this
study. As mentioned elsewhere, female practitioners regard PR as a flexible
occupation in which the hours and location, to a large degree, can be
moulded to suit the demands of working mothers. For [most] males, this
would probably not be a consideration. On the other hand, the entry of
women into communications courses may simply be a result of more women
studying. That’s certainly the view of Sydney academic Matthew Byrne, of
the University of Technology, who said in a phone interview with me:

In New South Wales we have an extremely high UAI

(Universities Admissions Index) score to enter
communications courses – PR and journalism. It’s 96 per
cent, and we attract the top four per cent of the State’s
students, who happen to be women. So you look at the HSC
(Higher School certificate) and there is a female dominance
at the top.

This move of women into PR may be explained by several other factors

affecting the general workforce, as outlined by Wootten (1997), including
“the advances of the women’s movement, the enactment of laws prohibiting
sex discrimination, increases in female enrolment in higher education and
professional schools, the steady increase in women’s labor force
participation, and reductions in gender stereotyping in both education and

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employment”. One of the biggest factors in the sudden rise of women into
the (US) PR workforce was the advent of affirmative action in the 1970s.
Legislation forced companies to hire a certain percentage of women.
“Employers may have found it useful to place women in visible positions”
(Donato, 1990, p. 135).

Certainly PR in Australia, the US and UK has ‘ridden the expansive wave’

of jobs creation, sucking up eager graduates. “The [US] Bureau of Labor
Statistics tagged public relations as one of the three fastest-growing
industries in the United States (No. 1 is computer and data processing
services, and No. 2 is health services)” (Brown, 1998). How could PR not
fail to attract women, who benefited not just by an expanding labour force,
but by new workforce rules? US Department of Labor statistics show
between 1975 and 1995 women’s employment in areas of professional
specialty, which PR is part of, grew by 53 per cent (9,800 to 18,100) – the
highest growth rate of 12 general employment categories. Generally, it can
be said that “in the past 15 years, women entered the workforce in ever-
increasing numbers” (Wootton, 1997).

Donato (1990) is another of the few academics to have broached the reason/s
for women entering PR, points to several reasons for the rise of women in
the profession. These included:

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 • Some [employers] saw women as a better financial ‘bargain’.
Women were (and probably still are) disproportionately
represented as technicians, while men were in management
positions. Women stayed in those roles longer than men. The
wage gap was maintained. “Women earned less, therefore were a
better bargain” (np). However, Donato does not explain why this
happened. Certainly the fact that women remained in technician
roles longer than men may be connected to their careers being
interrupted to have families. I found anecdotal evidence of this in
surveys and focus groups. Or was/is it simply a case of men
seeking to maintain their positions of power?

• Women were recognised as a new and important ‘public’. As

far back as the 1940s it was recognised women could help shape
opinion. “The expansion of women’s consumer roles [buyers]
made them advertising [and presumably PR] targets” (np).

• The (presumed) nature of women being ‘nice’ and being suited

to ‘emotional work’. This type of PR may be prevalent in
industries that dump waste, or have unsafe or controversial
products. “People [presumably management] believe women
have better interpersonal skills” (np). Once again, this is
influenced by the way we are ‘socialised’ and conditioned to
accept traditional notions about gender.

• Financially, PR generally offered better opportunities than

journalism, which had a (US) female population of 60 per cent in
the 1980s, and which continues to be a career path for many
practitioners. In fact PR offered rewards which were/are
“competitive with other accessible occupations, and is better paid
than the average female job” (np).

The pay situation is similar in Europe. Dorer (2005) asserts that pay is one
factor which attracts more females than males. “PR offered ‘varied
opportunities’, ‘attractive pay levels’ and “promotion’ – as reasons for

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attracting females” (p. 187). However, those factors would be equally as
appealing to males and surely would not be valid reasons for the growth of
females into PR in Austria and Germany. Certainly, if the pay of PR people
was so good in those countries, men would have deserted journalism. One
suspects that the pay may not have been as good, as Dorer (2005) believes.

The most comprehensive [US] survey of communications students is the

Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrolments, which
has operated at the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass
Communication at the University of Georgia since September 1997. While
not wishing to draw too much on US research, it is necessary, owing to the
lack of material in Australia. The parallels between American practice and
ours are strikingly similar; probably because a high percentage of university
course content is American.

Becker et al. (2004) summarised the findings of the 2003–04 study, which
surveyed 463 journalism and mass communication programs (194,500
students) thus:

• Women were more than twice as likely as men to have majored in

public relations.

• Female students were about twice as likely as male students to have

had an internship in public relations.

• Female graduates on graduation are more likely to have sought work in

public relations.

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 Figure 12: Percentage of women and men enrolled in undergraduate
communication courses at all US universities 1996–2003 (Becker, et al.).

While that survey is comprehensive, it is the only survey of PR students.

With the industry now being fuelled almost exclusively by students, now is
the time to undertake research in that area. As Noble (2004) points out: “A
review of literature reveals virtually no research related to the specific
reasons why public relations students select the major.”

The US statistics show women clearly outnumber men, with male

enrolments slowly declining from 44 per cent since 1998. These statistics
cover the entire US, and there are bound to be discrepancies, as is the case at
the University of San Jose. In e-mail correspondence of 19 April 2005
between myself and Prof. Dennis Wilcox, head of PR at the University of
San Jose, Wilcox said: “In many of our classrooms now, it’s almost like
teaching in a women’s college. About 80 per cent of our PR majors are
women.”

The statistics are strikingly similar in the UK. Hall (2005) refers to an article
on the Icbirmingham (2004) website, which states: “According to latest
membership figures released by the [now Chartered] Institute of Public
Relations, women now outnumber men by 60:40 – a massive swing since
1987, when figures highlighted the opposite at 20:80.”

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Figure 13: The rise of female enrolments in PR courses at US universities from 1993–95.

In Australia, for example, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

(RMIT) public relations undergraduate degree course’s trend has been
similar. In 1993, a total of 28 women and six men graduated. In 1994, 29
women and seven men graduated. In 1995, 50 women and 11 men graduated.

Figure 14: Rapid increase of female graduates at RMIT, 1993–95.

Australian Bureau of Statistics workforce figures taken over three censuses

in 1991, 1996 and 2001 for PR in Western Australia show women clearly
dominating the field. A breakdown for Perth is not available. However, as
there are few PR professionals operating out of the metropolitan area in WA

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(due to the few major regional towns), it can safely be stated the figures are
an accurate reflection of the numbers employed in the profession in Perth.

Figure 15: Australian Bureau of Statistics Census figures for public relations
practitioners in Western Australia. Source: ABS 2005.

NB: The above graph is perhaps not an ideal representation, as the 1991
Census figures do not accurately reflect the industry participation rates,
as PR practitioners were grouped with marketing and advertising.

From the most recent two Censuses (1996 and 2001) the trend in Western
Australia (and Australia) shows women as predominant, occupying 68 per
cent of the workforce in 1996 and 67 per cent in 2001. Nationally the
percentage of women in PR was 60 per cent in 1996, rising to 67 per cent in
2002.

Female practitioners Male practitioners

WA Aust. WA Aust.
1996 619 7240 304 3613
2001 708 8117 332 3936

Table 10: ABS Census figures for PR Officers (national and WA) 1996 and 2001.

From ABS figures (Table 10 and Figure 15, above) it can be seen that the
growth in PR practitioners from 1996 to 2001 has favoured women, both
nationally and in WA. In WA (read Perth) the number of women employed
in PR increased by 89, while the number of males employed in PR rose by

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28. Nationally the trend showed women increasing their majority, with 877
women joining the ranks, compared to 323 men. More current statistics are
presented as part of the methodology (Chapter 3).

The ABS figures do not indicate as marked a difference in male and female
participation rates in PR as does my 2005 survey, which shows industry
participation rates at 74 per cent for women. The main factor for this
discrepancy could simply be the continued increase in the number of female
graduates. The ABS survey also depends on people’s honesty when listing
their occupation. PR has traditionally been an occupation in which people
say “oh, I’m in PR” (which, for them, could cover many different areas,
including hostessing and function management.

More work opportunities for women

The needs of today’s information age have created more opportunities for
women. Manual work within western society has decreased and been
replaced by a knowledge-based economy based on the use of computers and
other technology. “Mental tasks have replaced mechanical ones. Work is
what goes on inside people’s heads at desks, on airplanes, in meetings, at
lunch. It is how they communicate with clients, what they write in memos,
what they say at meetings” (Naisbitt and Aburdene, as cited in Chater, 1995).
This new way of working, particularly when applied to public relations, is
ideally suited to women, who not only can exercise their penchant for
language, creativity and communication, but also adapt to the new
environment simply because they haven’t learnt the old work ways (physical
labour). Because women can handle multi-tasking better than men, they
would also be better suited and attracted to public relations because of the
growing demand for practitioners to be multi-skilled (web design,
publications, writing, strategic planning).

In a article for Salon magazine, (Brown, 1998) had a “stab” at the reasons
why women enter PR.

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 Public relations jobs currently pay significantly more than,
say, a newspaper job. Public relations also entices young
careerists with its management potential and the opportunity
to learn business skills, plus it’s a flexible career that can be
used as an entryway to any industry, from entertainment to
high-tech.

It may be interesting to pause and consider Brown’s comments. She

compares PR to journalism in terms of pay. However, because the two fields
overlap in many of the skills needed (writing, news-gathering, interviewing)
and the fact that journalism initially was the main source of PR practitioners
(until the advent of university courses) that a comparison between the two
might also extend to creativity. This factor was mentioned by several
respondents in my surveys and in interviews and is covered in more depth
later on. Most participants, however, regarded PR as the more “creative” of
the two professions. Hamilton (1999) said: “the general consensus is that
journalism killed their (journalists’) natural creativity”.

With all the advantages they have (on paper at least) it would seem women
are ideally placed to break through the ‘glass ceiling’. However, that still
seems a way off. With communication such a powerful tool, and one that
women use better than men, experts are fearful of the future. “These natural
advantages have not so far benefited women in the business world” (Chater
and Gaster, 1995). Just as Tymson laments the fact that women are not
perceived to be serious contenders for the boardroom, Chater and Gaster
(1995) also point to our social structures which work against women.
“Women, especially in business have been forced to change in the direction
of conforming to the male picture of the world.” However, this has created
opportunities in information-based fields such as PR. The changes brought
about by the information age can be seen as favourable to women, as “the
needs of the information age are inconsistent with the structures,
bureaucracies and rules of the industrial era” (Chater and Gaster, 1995).

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Conclusion

Chapter Two was concerned with the research issues, as derived from a
comprehensive review of the available literature. The review included
research from the immediate (PR) discipline and, because of its subject
nature (gender imbalance), extended into the social sciences (gender studies),
touching on psychology, brain differences (thought patterns). It also
compared PR to other industries with a gender imbalance. There was a
detailed presentation of statistics on PR employment from the Australian
Bureau of Statistics, which was found to correlate with my own census of the
Perth PR population. These figures also closely matched enrolment figures
for the four Perth universities – all showing a steady increase in the number of
women studying and entering PR.

The literature review showed:

• An overall lack of study into the issue.

• Though some figures date to the 1960s, the issue was “formally”
identified in the 1970s, but only came to prominence in the 1980s,
but with most studies focusing on salary and management
inequalities for women in PR.
• The first UK study into the phenomenon was undertaken in 2005.
• The main cause of the rise of women in PR in Australia is attributed
to the introduction of PR degrees in the 1960s.
• In Australia, figures show there was a 50/50 gender split in PR in the
1980s. By 1997 this had risen to 70/30 in favour of females.
• There is an issue of PR becoming typecast as “women’s work” and a
second-class” occupation. This has been labelled “recoding”, and it
has happened in several industries throughout the past 50 years (IT,
clerical and veterinary science). Some academics believe this has
already occurred in PR and will lead to a “cheapening” of the
profession.
• Socialisation plays an important part in the way we perceive PR.

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• Perceptions of occupations play a vital part in whether males of
females enter them. PR’s problems are that it is perceived as being
“girlie, flaky, fuzzy and/or soft”.
• Women are better than men at the base skills that are vital in PR (the
ability to listen, form lasting relationships, speak and write English.

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3 Methodology
Phenomena are really out there, and we discover their nature
by through finding appropriate measures. Metaphors are re-
phrasing of what is there, and metaphors are never
completely right or wrong. The investigator must cover
many possibilities and alternative interpretations, casting a
wide net, quickly identifying and abandoning those
measures that show nothing, and moving lightly to avoid
being buried in the data. (Faulkner, Maanen and Dabbs,
1984, p. 60)

Introduction

In order to show why more women than men are entering the PR profession
it was necessary to use a variety of methods to prove and explain the
phenomenon. I have used two methods in the research, making this a mixed
methodology approach – being a combination of quantitative and qualitative
research.

Primarily, the form of research is phenomenological, in that it has “taken

place in natural ‘everyday’ settings and (was) not preceded by research
questions, as in positivistic research” (Allison et al., 1996). The leaning
towards phenomenalism is also reflected by observation of the phenomenon
being studied (the increase of women in PR) and that there is a clear choice
on what was being observed (student and practitioner numbers). However,
there is also an element of positivism, in that initial consistencies in patterns
of female employment and university enrolment were noted through the use
of quantitative data (e-mail and phone surveys). The methodologies used,
therefore, are a mix of qualitative and quantitative, with the emphasis heavily
on qualitative (focus groups and interviews).

Overall, however, the research could be categorised, according to a

definition offered by McNiff, et al. (2003) as ‘action-based’, as it is being
conducted by a “practitioner [who regards himself] as a researcher, and it is
qualitative, concerned with human experience” (p. 14). The qualitative

105
nature of this research project fits neatly with all of the above, and the
following processes, as “qualitative research is concerned with individuals’
own accounts of their attitudes, motivations and behaviour ... [and] offers
rightly descriptive reports of individuals’ perceptions, attitudes, beliefs,
views and feelings” (Hakim, 1987).

Hughes (2005) used this method in his DBA thesis, noting that “while
academics have consistent views regarding research rigour and relevance,
they had developed varying philosophies and approaches to achieve those
outcomes” (p. 7). It became clear to me that research students do not have to
rely solely on the traditional positivist approach or isolate themselves from
their natural environment to conduct credible research. In fact, they can
achieve rigorous, relevant, timely and realistic studies by identifying
emerging phenomena within their own profession. This interaction between
student-academic, student-employee and industry is effective because not
only does it provide access to rich data sources, “it also allows for the
observation of complex organisational environments where many important
variables are at play” (Fernandez, Lehman and Underwood, 2002, as cited by
Hughes, 2005). Action research also has both a personal and social aim. My
personal aim was to further improve my ability to undertake higher-level
research. The social (or professional) aim of this research was to provide the
base for future research on a topic I find fascinating and one which may have
wide implications for the industry.

The techniques used are a combination of:

• Historical information (university course enrolment data)

• Descriptive information (surveys, case studies and trend studies)

• “Rich” information (focus groups and interviews, with myself as

observer)

The initial survey methodology was, in effect, a census of the ‘population’,

defined as the Perth PR industry, which comprises six key groups, as
outlined in Chapter One. The purpose was to examine whether the

106
phenomenon existed. Additionally, another census was taken of a similar
industry ‘population’, the media. The purpose of this second census was to
compare the way in which the two populations differed in their composition,
and to prove the research problem did exist (that is, whether women did
actually form the numerically-dominant group within public relations,
primarily in Perth). Additionally, as part of the initial data collection, I have
included statistics, fragmented as they are, from various US publications to
highlight the increase in the number of women entering PR during the past
20 years. These statistics are incorporated into the literature review, as they
appeared only in passing in general literature and did not form any separate
studies in their own right.

Justification for the paradigm and methodology

The approach taken follows Oliver’s (2004) outline of paradigms; this being
one of naturalistic enquiry, in which qualitative and naturalistic approaches
(literature review, focus groups, interviews) form the predominant part of the
research process, with a view to bringing about a rich understanding of
people’s experience in specific settings (in this case, the PR work and
academic environment). Paton (1990) as cited in Merriam (1998) argues that
“the logic and power of purposeful sampling lies in selecting information-
rich cases for study in depth”.

The primary population is defined as the Perth PR industry.

The population sampling frames consisted of three sub groups:

• Students

• Practitioners, private business and consultants,

government PR, non-profit PR, private PR)

• Academics (minor).

The four universities could not provide staff details. These were taken from
the Internet, and reflect numbers that teach in the generic “communications”
discipline. Academics were therefore not surveyed, but some were included

107
in the interviews. The number of PR-specific academics in Perth is likely to
be no more than 12-15 fulltime staff, which would have little effect on the
gender composition of the primary population, nor on the result of survey
information. In fact, academics do not comprise a core component of the
population (the industry, which I define as those working in, or about to
work in the commercial sector). However, academics’ opinions were
considered to have great value in the qualitative research phase; particularly
as they would have been able to observe the traits and trends of the student
population. For that reason they were included in interviews.

Figure 16: Target population and sub-groups.

A census of the entire population was conducted to gather the initial statistics
on how many males and females comprise the industry in Perth. The
definition of a census is “the collection of information from all members of a
population” (Broom and Dozier, 1990). This was considered the best method
because the population is small, and “not every public is so large that
sampling is necessary” (Broom and Dozier, 1990). I conducted the census by
phoning every PR consultancy listed in the Perth metropolitan phone book,
and every government Department PR division. I phoned all 62 PR practices
listed in the 2005 Perth Yellow Pages. About 15 of the businesses listed had
closed, giving a total of 47 practices contacted.

A phone census of all 30 WA (Perth-based) Government Departments with

PR professionals was undertaken, with a 100 per cent return. Respondents

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were asked to provide the number of fulltime male/female workers involved
directly in the PR function.

The four Perth universities offering PR Degrees or PR majors (Edith Cowan,

Curtin, Notre Dame and Murdoch) were asked to provide student enrolment
statistics, with male/female breakdown, in communications courses (and PR
where possible) for as many years as possible. All four responded.

All companies, government agencies, charities and universities provided

figures. By conducting a census, exact information about the entire popula-
tion could be obtained, rather than relying on estimates about the population
based on a sample. The census was conducted between 21 February and 18
March, 2005.

The PRIA State and national bodies were contacted by e-mail and asked to
supply membership figures (male/female) for as many years as possible.
Unfortunately, neither body could provide statistics other than for the current
financial year (2004–05).

A purposive sample was obtained by sending e-mails to all 126 accredited

practitioners listed on the PRIA’s national website (the PRIA only lists
members who consent to public listing).

The population was initially stratified into two industry groups (university
students and practitioners) and then further stratified. University students
were broken into second- and third-year students (male and female). First-
year students were not included as it was deemed many had not yet decided
to study PR as a Major. Practitioners were broken into the following groups
(government PR, not-for profit PR, private practice).

Because the number of elements in the sub-groups were unknown and could
not be individually identified, the sampling design of these groups meant
initial surveys were conducted using non-probability purposive sampling,
which is used in certain circumstances, as outlined by Trochim (2002)
“where it is not feasible, practical or theoretically sensible to do random

109
sampling.” Miles and Huberman (1994) and Merriam (1998) also agree that
“non-probability sampling is the method of choice for most qualitative
research . . . to solve such problems as discovering what occurs, the
implications of what occurs, and the relationships linking occurrences”. For
me, this method was used, not because it was convenient, but because it
meant all sub-groups had an equal opportunity to provide details.

As the aim is not to show bias (Kumar, 1999) every university, practitioner
and government department was contacted and given the opportunity to
provide details. The sampling frame list covered the entire population. The
methodology was also deemed purposive, as I judged those sub-groups could
“provide the best information to achieve my study’s objectives” and that the
people in the groups listed “are likely to have the required information and
be willing to share it” (Kumar, 1999, p.276). These are features of many
qualitative studies. The size of the professional census reflected the relatively
small number of practitioners in Perth.

Instrument design

The primary measurement devices to examine PR practitioners’ levels of

knowledge and opinions of the issue, were two initial surveys – one each for
professionals and students – focus groups and interviews. These attitudinal
questionnaires used a mix of closed (75 per cent) and open-ended,
unprompted questioning. The aim was to gauge people’s attitudes, beliefs
and opinions about gender in PR. The questionnaires were first pilot-tested
on a group of 10 PR professionals and 10 PR second and third-year students
(five male and five female of each). Surveys were also validated by
consultation with supervisors and two Perth-based academics, Dr Doug
McGhie and Vince Hughes (then an MBA, now Dr). Survey construction
was analysed and tested by Brisbane PR consultant Sonia Palazzo and
Sydney communications professional Paul Ellercamp. The statistical validity
and reliability of the data was verified by Kevin Murray, from the
mathematics department at the University of Western Australia.

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The key constructs being measured in the surveys included:

• the population’s level of awareness of gender imbalance,

• the level of importance the population attached to gender in PR,

• the attitude of the population to gender imbalance.

The procedure of measurement in the survey contained a mix of nominal and

ordinal scales. The first third of the surveys contained questions designed to
give a nominal measurement by building profiles of individuals in terms of
sex, years in the profession, income, level of experience and areas of
specialisation. In the second part of the surveys, respondents had to provide
answers based on an ordinal (scaled or ranked) level of measurement,
relating to aspects of the careers/study such as levels of satisfaction, areas of
interest and perception of gender in PR. These questions used a mix of
itemised and comparative ratings.

The final 12 questions contained a mix of closed questions (yes/no options)

but with additional space for respondents to make open-ended comments on
the reasons for their answers. No questions made any statements about
aspects of the PR industry. This was considered the best way to avoid
misunderstanding and to elicit unbiased answers, and follows the thinking of
Davis and Cosenza (1985), who state that “different people attribute different
meanings to the same word and all individuals have a different frame of
experience when reading and interpreting questions.” The use of open-ended
sub-questions also worked in tandem to produce a more in-depth
understanding of respondents’ thoughts, beliefs and attitudes.

A second survey of students was conducted from mid-January to mid-

February 2005. This web-based survey consisted of 10 questions, designed
to further expand on the year’s worth of research undertaken (at that time).
The additional survey was prompted by two factors: (a) It had become
apparent that the focus of my study should be students, as they are the sub-
group where the phenomenon is taking place and will be most influential on
the industry in the coming years, and (b) influenced by separate pieces of

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research conducted in 2005 by two US students, Rebecca Folmar and Gina
Noble, on the same topic. It should be noted that these students’ questions
were not used directly (merely as guidelines), as many of them I thought not
worthwhile (such as asking students if they would interrupt their careers to
have children – this because students probably would not be thinking about
having children). In any event, most of their questions had been framed in
my initial survey. Questions are contained in the annexes. The overall aim,
however, was to consider what influences students to major in PR, and what
(if any) differences are there between gender with regard to this.

In order to reach an even more in-depth understanding of the complex issues

of my study, an “active interview” methodology for focus groups was used
to research the way professionals view the industry. This approach to
qualitative interviewing, outlined by Holstein and Gubrium (1995),
recognises that interviews are not free from subjectivity and that the
researcher is integral in creating meaning and understanding through a
loosely-structured format with the participants. The researcher guides the
conversation according to the research agenda, and the questions presented
are intended to provoke responses that address these agenda.

The aim of the qualitative process (interviews and focus groups) was to
study some of the results that have turned up in the quantitative survey in
depth, but also to bring out some new perspectives and to review them as
they were seen by PR professionals and students.

In the professional focus group, practitioners discussed [what they thought

were] the most interesting problems brought to light by this study. The result
of this discussion may provide further inspiration by putting the new results
of the surveys into perspective.

This approach allowed for flexibility in the research process, allowing the
researcher to ask additional questions that explore the research questions in
further detail than a formal, structured interview methodology. PR academic
James Grunig (1992) specifically recommended qualitative methods for

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gaining deeper, more candid responses with research participants than
quantitative research can assess, especially for groups such as PR
practitioners, who may not respond to a survey. According to Grunig, the
semi-structured and in-depth interview may also advance a researcher’s
ability to understand what the interviewee really thinks about an issue. This
allows for a measure of introspection and more detailed answers than would
have been provided if a formal process was followed. Also, the act of
interviewing the participants face-to-face in their own environment was
intended to increase the comfort level of the subjects, and increase the flow
of communication.

The method of collecting and collating initial survey data was labour-
intensive. No research assistant was used. An initial e-mailing announcing
my study was sent in May 2005 to 146 potential practitioners. (Methods
were outlined in chapter ??). This was the maximum number possible, due to
privacy limitations imposed by the PRIA and by companies and government
departments who could not provide personal details of employees, or pass on
details to them. My study was also publicised on the PRIA’s national web
site and in the WA Branch’s newsletter. A total of 63 Perth professionals
eventually participated, with 40 indicating their intention to be interviewed,
and a 11 being available for a focus group.

In collecting professional survey data, the following procedure was

followed:

1. Surveys were received by e-mail and the data collated in MS

Excel, from where all responses were calculated.
2. Copies were made of the original MS Word surveys, with the
originals being filed. From the copied files, questions 1–15 (multiple
choice) were deleted. Questions 16–26 were edited and converted to
text-only format for importation into HyperResearch, a Mac-based
qualitative data analysis program.
3. Separate projects for both the professional and student
surveys were set up in HyperResearch.

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 4. The analysis depended on defining coding (key words or
phrases) which were identified in the editing process and then applied
to each survey response.

Each (initial professional and student) survey return took about one hour to
process. After analysis, the results were then written into the thesis.

A total of 128 responses were received for the final web-based and “in-
house” (student-only) survey, which was limited to 10 questions, seeking
further information on the personality traits of PR students. A total of 30
responses were also received via a web-based survey, hosted by Web
Monkey, from a contact list of 57 students, giving a response rate of 66 per
cent. A further 116 surveys of second- and third-year students were
conducted at the two major universities (Curtin and ECU) in March 2006. A
total of 18 were invalid.

The choice of qualitative interviews opens the possibility of gradations, as

well as more intricate studies, updated regular interpretations, and the raising
of important issues. The use of personal interviews has also been used to
generate ideas, and provided room for wider analysis of the phenomenon,
due to the interviewees being allowed to raise subjects themselves.
Furthermore, the subjects were able to express wishes and make
recommendations in other areas of PR, which, while not central to, is an
important aim of this project.

The dialogue with the practitioners and students was mostly informal, but
comprised questions chosen and formulated on the basis of results from the
surveys. This increases the possibility of making a comparison of the
interviews, which were all conducted by myself. This minimised any
differences that may have occurred if several interviewers were used.
Questions and locations were standardised in order to assist in the production
of unbiased data. The selection of respondents who can participate in the
qualitative survey (interviews and focus groups) was limited to the people

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forming part of the quantitative section, and who have agreed to take part in
the qualitative survey.

For the purpose of being able to identify generalised patterns in motives,

attitudes and opinions in connection with being a PR professional or student,
a number of themes were selected. The interpretation of the interviews was
systematised by reviewing, editing and analysing the interviews in relation to
the following themes:

• What motivated the subject to enter PR.

• Their opinions on imbalance.

• Did they think males or females were better-suited to PR?

The identifiable patterns that can be “generalised” in relation to these themes

are supported by and built up in the report around selected quotations from
the interviews, but new and interesting points of view are also presented.
Thereby this part of the analysis is also used to generate ideas.

Because much of the research (interviews, focus groups, open-ended

questions) was qualitative, and therefore subjective, it has been
recommended that my “personal experience be recognised prior to such
analysis” (Morse and Richards, 2002). Accordingly, it should be noted that
as the primary researcher in this study, I am a public relations and journalism
professional, with more than 20 years experience, both in the public and
private sectors. While conducting this study I was working initially part-time
as a PR Officer for the Army, and then fulltime contract work for the
Australian Maritime Safety Authority, WA Office for Seniors Interests, WA
Department of Agriculture, Australian Bureau of Statistics (mid to late
2006). I completed my thesis while working fulltime as the senior PR Officer
for RAAF Air Command in Sydney (September-November 2006).

Limitations

Due to the small size of the population, subjects were drawn from a
purposive (judgmental) sample. There are limitations with this method.

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However, the relatively low response is indicative of a combination of the
small numbers in the Perth PR industry and the limited amount of time
people have to devote to being involved in such a study.

As with any study of this type, it will always be a problem to find the extent
to which the results of qualitative interviews can be “generalised”, but by
using interviews it is possible to search for patterns in the respondents’
attitudes, opinions, and descriptions of the profession.

As explained elsewhere, the final number of people willing to participate in

focus groups and interviews was relatively low. In surveys with so relatively
few respondents, a choice has always to be made between few or many
selection criteria. In the light of the aim of the survey, relatively few criteria
have been chosen. It also proved problematic to obtain detailed data on
individuals and their work, because they were promised anonymity in
connection with the quantitative survey.

Summary

Chapter Three outlined the methodologies and techniques used to conduct

the research. This included an initial census of the population, surveys, focus
groups and interviews. A summary of the process appears in figure 17.
While survey numbers were relatively low (particularly with regard to PR
professionals) they are indicative of the small size of the Perth PR industry.
However, the actual response rate, being high, should provide an accurate
picture of the industry nationally. This is particularly the case with the
extensive open-ended answers, interviews and focus groups, which form the
main source of information for this study.

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Figure 17: An overview of the way the research was structured.

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4 Statistics
Phase One (a population census) was conducted between 21 February and 18
March, 2005. It included an initial survey of:

a. The PRIA (State and Federal bodies)

Because the PRIA did not have past years’ membership statistics, it was
impossible to gauge membership trends. However, national membership of
the PRIA (2005) comprises 2560 females (73%) and 967 (27%) males. This
reflects almost identically, membership of the WA Branch, which comprises
269 female (74%) and 80 males (26%). As a result of this study, and
following private correspondence (March, 2005) with the then national
president, the PRIA will now maintain regular membership statistics.

Figure 18: Gender breakdown of national PRIA membership, 2005.

b. National practitioners

A total of 28 practitioners (from 126 e-mailed) responded, giving a response

rate of 16 per cent. They were asked to supply the male/female breakdown of
fulltime employees, which was 239 female (74%) and 86 males (26%).

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 Figure 19: National private PR practice professionals.

c. Perth-based PR practices

A total of 21 (of 47) practices responded, giving a response rate of 69 per

cent. Statistics only included those staff directly involved in the PR function.
There were 86 females and 30 males involved in private PR practice. The
percentages were identical to the national figures.

Figure 20: Private practice professionals in Perth.

d. State Government PR Departments

From the census of all 30 WA PR departments, there were a total of 235 PR

professionals, with 203 females (74%) and 82 males (26%). Once again,
females were measured as 74 per cent of the sub-group.

e. Registered charities (non, or not-for profit)

There are 72 charities listed in the Perth Yellow Pages. Of these, only 16
have fulltime PR practitioners. A phone census of all 16 was conducted, with
all 16 providing information, giving a 100 per cent return. There were 21
females (75%) and seven males (25%) working in this PR sector.

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f. Perth universities

The four universities all presented their data in different ways. Some
differentiate between journalism and PR; others define PR and journalism as
“communication”. Of the universities, Murdoch’s figures were the most
detailed, with ‘communication’ enrolments for BA PR/journalism, BA Multi
Media and Bachelor of Communications (Marketing). For this study, I used
the PR/journalism course statistics. However, all three courses at Murdoch
showed a distinct predominance of female students.

Figure 21: Murdoch University PR/journalism enrolments from 2001–2006.

Murdoch also made it easier (via a comprehensive web site) to obtain

enrolment statistics as far back as 2001. One university provided only the
current year, while another provided figures dating to 1992. If all years are
considered, there have been 2275 females (80%) and only 556 males (20%)
studying communications at the four institutions. If only the current year is
considered, there are 742 students in their first second and third-year of
undergraduate study. This comprises 600 females (80%) and 142 males
(20%).

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 Figure 22: “Communications” (PR/journalism) enrolments at
four Perth universities, 1992–2004.

Figure 23: Enrolments in PR courses at Perth universities, 2004.

Due to the PR-specific nature of this study, only Edith Cowan and Curtin
Universities have been considered for the final breakdown and analysis of
figures, primarily because their statistics can be charted from 2002–2004
(inclusive). In those years there have been 524 female (86%) and 82 male
(14%) PR students studying PR. Clearly this demonstrates a predominance
of women.

There has been a steady rise in students studying PR at those two

universities, as indicated by figure 24 and 25 and table 11. At ECU, the total
numbers studying PR increased dramatically from 67 in 2001, to 171 in
2004. The proportion of female students has varied in those years from 82
per cent to 94 per cent, with the average female enrolment at 86 per cent.

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 Figure 24: PR enrolments at Edith Cowan University, 2001-2006.

Figure 25: Communication enrolments at Curtin University, 2000-2005.

While women clearly dominate PR enrolments at Curtin University (where

women on average comprise 87 per cent of the enrolments) the pattern
changed slightly in 2004, with enrolments slightly falling for men and
women. This could be a result of declining interest in university study,
brought about by higher fees. In fact, correspondence between myself and Dr
Trevor Cullen from ECU shows that journalism enrolments there have fallen.
Tutorials in the second semester of 2005 were down from 16 to nine. In PR,
there were two fewer tutorials in the second semester. When their statistics
are combined, the two universities present a clearer indication of the
composition of the tertiary PR sector. Overall growth has been high,
particularly among women.

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 Female Male Total
2002 103 14 117
2003 145 23 168
2004 171 35 206
2005 160 57 217
2006 155 42 197

Table 11: Combined PR enrolments at Curtin and Edith Cowan Universities.

Figure 26: Combined PR enrolments at Curtin and Edith Cowan, 2002–2006.

Looking at a broader picture, combining journalism and PR enrolments, a

similar trend is shown (Figure 22). Between 2002 and 2004, the three main
universities show similar patterns of women dominating enrolments. Curtin
(78 per cent), Murdoch (77 per cent) and ECU (83 per cent).

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 Figure 27: Gender breakdown for Perth university communications
enrolments 2001–2004.

g. Summary
The literature review only provided a fragmented amount of data – much of it
dated – with most publications citing brief (US) industry and university
studies, or anecdotal evidence (in the form of statistics) from educators. This
was discussed in Chapter 2.3. US statistics are almost identically replicated
in Australia, with this study’s census of the industry in Perth showing, on
average, women comprising 75.4 per cent of the PR industry, with the
breakdown being:

❏ 80 per cent in university courses

❏ 77 per cent of PRIA membership

❏ 75 per cent in charities

❏ 74 per cent in private practice

❏ 71 per cent in government.

Statistics from a variety of sources, both industry, universities and

government census in the US, UK and Australia show that there is a
consistent (growing, and marked) predominance of women in PR, although
the rate of increase appears to be slowing. The statistics merely provide

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credence to support part of the hypothesis; that there is a predominance of
women in PR. What the remainder of this thesis will attempt to present are
reasons why this pattern has emerged.

Figure 28: Proportion of PR practitioners (private practitioners,

government non-profit in Perth. Source: Author, 2005.

Overall, there was remarkable consistency in the levels of male/female

participation in PR (Figure 18). On average, it shows 74 per cent of the
population is female. The only slight ‘bump’ in the numbers was in
universities, where women comprise 80 per cent of the numbers. This is due
to the lumping together by some universities of students only into
communications courses.

Figure 29: Distribution of males and females across all Australian sub-groups.

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Following five separate surveys, there is a consistency in the percentage of
women working in PR in Perth, in Australia and in the US, with (Figure 24)
best illustrating this phenomenon. The female percentages (Table 12) range
from 69–70 per cent.

PRSA (US) IABC PRIA ABS Author survey

(US) (National) Census (Perth)
69 76 73 74 74

Table 12: Percentages of females in PR in the US and Australia

Figure 30: US and Australian employment figures for males and females in PR.

At this point I would like to briefly compare the Perth PR industry figures
with those of journalism (previously mentioned). In Perth there are nine
major news organisations – The West Australian, Sunday Times, Community
Newspapers, Channel 7, Channel 9, Channel 10, ABC Radio and TV and
two major radio groups. Between them they employ 247 male (57%) and 183
female (43%) journalists. While this is a gender imbalance, it is way below
that of PR. Evidence, both from university enrolments, and anecdotally from
lecturers at two universities demonstrate that the trend in journalism is
following PR, with fewer males interested in journalism as a career.

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Conclusion

Chapter Four outlined the population (professionals and students) surveyed,

and results from the initial census. This provided statistical proof of the
phenomenon, which was shown to be occurring in three countries – Australia
(and Perth in particular), the US and the UK. The chapter also compared the
trend of PR’s ‘near-neighbour’, journalism, which was found to be
experiencing a similar increase in the number of women at university. The
figures in journalism have yet to be filter through to the workforce.
However, this should be apparent in the next five to 10 years.

The initial census showed that:

❏ The national professional body, the PRIA, did not keep past

membership records.

❏ Current statistics for the gender breakdown for employment in PR is

virtually identical in Australia, in Perth and in the US at 74 per cent

predominance of women.

❏ The gender breakdown in the Perth PR industry is consistent across

each sector (government, private companies and non-profits).

❏ University records of communication course enrolments show future

trends which have yet to filter through to industry. Enrolments show an

average predominance of 80 per cent female, with the figure as high as 86
per cent at one university.

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5 Surveys
The second phase of my study was to survey the target groups. Two sets of
questionnaires were prepared. One questionnaire was for PR professionals;
the other for second- and third-year students. The questions were pilot-tested
on several PR practitioners and academics.

Initially, 170 practitioners were contacted. Of these, 55 responded. A slight

snowball effect resulted in a further eight completing surveys. A purposive
sample produced 63 usable returns with an error rate of nil per cent. The
professional PR questionnaires in MS Word format were sent out in the first
week of June 2005 by e-mail to the practitioners who indicated their
willingness to participate.

The initial statistical analysis of the survey only served as a base on which to
gauge certain trends of students and professionals.

With both student and professional surveys attempting to analyse why men
and women choose PR as a career, many of the questions in both surveys
were similar. Apart from the usual questions about gender and year of
study/years spent in PR, eight of the questions shared commonality. For this
reason, I have chosen to present the results (answers) this way:

1. ‘Student-only’ questions

2. ‘Professional-only’ questions

3. Common questions

5.1 Survey of PR professionals

Of the 63 practitioners surveyed, 41 were female and 22 were male. They

had 590 years experience between them, with an average of 10.7 years
experience each. Their experience ranged from 1–30 years.

The second part of the survey, consisting of 12 questions, was structured to

obtain basic information on practitioners’ views, with a view to providing

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information for interviews and focus groups. In effect, this is a pilot study, as
no research of this nature has been done before.

Each question contained two parts – a multiple-choice, lead-in question,

followed by an associated question which allows for an open-ended
response. I analysed each question, first by the number of responses, then by
providing the open-ended answers to each question, based on the coding
which was applied manually in the HyperText program. I have included
some open-ended answers as in the main body of the thesis, so comments
can be seen in light of the questions being asked, and thought processes not
be interrupted by having to turn to the Appendix. I have also provided the
gender of each respondent. This should help to correct any misunderstanding
that some answers may be gender-biased. For whatever reason, not everyone
provided detailed answers to all open-ended questions. This may be due to
several factors, including: did not have an opinion, did not like the question,
did not consider the question relevant, or not interested. A summation of the
answers completes the analysis. Additionally, there is an analysis of
additional topics which were raised in respondents’ answers, but not directly
addressed by the survey.

All participants were kept informed

regularly by e-mail and a regularly-
updated web-site (pictured) on progress.
The intrusion, however, was minimal,
with e-mails sent once every two to three
months, advising respondents of the
updated web-site information.

[The study’s Web address is:

www.members.westnet.com.au/gsmith/study]

5.1.1 Sex

From 146 e-mails sent to practitioners, there was a total of 55 responses,

giving a return of 40 per cent. There were 21 males (36 per cent) and 34

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females (64 per cent). The response ratio reflects the average composition of
the population, though there is a slightly higher response by males. This
could be simply a result of the random nature of the initial e-mails, as
subjects were not identified by gender.

Figure 31: Gender breakdown of responses (females in pink).

5.1.2 Education

Respondents had four choices: Year 10/12, TAFE, Degree, Post-graduate.

Most practitioners (71%) in the survey were university-educated, with 20 per
cent reaching Year 10/12 level, and the remaining nine per cent attending
TAFE.

Proportionally, more females (67%) of the total population attended

university. Females also clearly lead the way when it comes to post-graduate
study. Of those who have Masters/Honours Degrees, 81 per cent are women.

High school TAFE University

Male 29% 10% 61%
Female 15% 9% 76%

Table 13: Breakdown of professionals’ education levels.

Percentages shown reflect the breakdown for a specific gender.

Women are shown to have higher qualifications than men, reflecting

community general trends which show more women than men are
undertaking tertiary studies. Among young people in Western Australia,
females are more likely than males to complete post-compulsory schooling.

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“In August 2000, the apparent retention rate for females was 77.6%,
compared with the male rate of 65.5%” (Gunn, 2002). In higher education
generally, women outnumber men by 2:1 in completing a degree. For post-
graduate the ratio favours women by almost 3:1. With women now an
increasing numerical force in PR, the statistics may merely reflect the
growing numbers of women in PR and the fact that more women than men
undertake tertiary study. However, it may also indicate that women are more
“passionate” about their job, and see a tertiary qualifications as a more useful
tool to develop their careers.

Figure 32: Male/female practitioners’ educational levels.

5.1.3 Industry sector

This question presented an opportunity to gauge whether certain industry

sectors attract a particular gender. Respondents were given a choice of the
four standard industry sectors (government, corporate/in-house, non-profit or
consultancy) with a choice to nominate another sector. Overall, the response
rate did not truly reflect the numbers obtained in my original Census. For
example, my Census (and that of the ABS) clearly shows females as the
numerically dominant force across the industry. However, this does not show
in the responses to this question, with gender equally spread across all but
consultancies, which shows a ratio of 2:1 in favour of women. This is just a

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result of the relatively small sampling. However, this statistic, as with others
in the first section of the survey, does not have an impact on the overall aim
of my study, which is to consider the beliefs, attitudes and knowledge of
participants with regard to reasons for a gender imbalance.

The breakdown was:

Corporate Government NFP Consult. Other

Male 3 6 0 12 1
Female 2 6 2 23 1
TOTAL 5 12 2 35 2
Table 14: Predominant PR work sectors.

Figure 33: Where PR practitioners are working.

While The numbers in this part of the survey were too small to provide a
definite breakdown, the higher proportion of women in PR consultancy work
in Perth (66%) compared to 50 per cent in government and corporations, is
another area worth further investigation, but is not within the scope of this
study.

5.1.4 Type of PR practised

From seven key PR areas of expertise (community relations, media relations,

issues management, print/web production, product promotion, investor
relations) respondents were asked to nominate in order the three main areas
they worked in. Ratings were determined by a system of three points for the

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leading priority, to one for the third choice. There was also an option to
nominate another area. This yielded an additional 10 categories, giving 17
areas of work. The purpose of this question was to see whether males or
females are being “herded” into any common roles. Overall, media relations
was by far the most nominated area professionals work in (or on).
Surprisingly, only one female listed internal communication as a (second)
choice. I say surprisingly, because quite a few of the respondents were
government practitioners, and internal PR is often assumed to be a necessary
part of practice in this sector. Also surprising, was that only one male listed
government relations as a second choice.

Other low-scoring categories between both sexes were: investment (6

points), strategy (4), stakeholder management (4), management consultation
(4), business development (3) and sponsorship (1). Investment management
may be low on the “PR radar” in Perth, due to the city not being regarded as
a financial hub, unlike Sydney or Melbourne.

The main types of PR practised were:

Media relations 35%

Issues management 17%
Community relations 11%
Production 10%
Events 9%
Product promotion 8%
Investor relations 3%
Strategy development 2%

For example, among women, events management, product promotion,

web/print production and community relations featured prominently. Among
men, issues management stood out as a priority function. For women, events
management was ranked as the second most practised component (rating 28),
compared to males, for whom it rated only four. Women also practised
media relations far more widely than men (76 to 39).

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Among males, who are generally regarded as being more business-focused,
it was interesting to note that only one person listed Industrial Relations,
Internal Relations, Business Development or Sponsorship as areas they
worked in.

Media relations was the most widely all-around practised function, with
female respondents listing it as a first choice. Generally, media relations is
regarded as a ‘technician’ role – one which women predominantly perform.
The result simply confirms widely-held views (Seitel, 1998; Donato, 1990;
Toth, 2000; Newsom, 2000; Gower, 2001; Grunig, 2001; Hall, 2005) that
women are tied to these roles.

At this point there seems to be a discrepancy in the survey. In two previous

questions both male and females said they practised strategy, but that it only
forms two per cent of their workload. This may mean that strategy is not an
ongoing activity (in that plans and results are not constantly monitored).

5.1.5 Years in PR

This question produced a simple numerical answer to gauge the average

experience (in years) of practitioners. The 55 respondents had a total of 590
years of experience, ranging from one to 30 years. The average time spent in
PR was 10.7 years. Males had an average of 13.6 years in PR, while females
had an average of 10.4 years experience. Once again, not too much can be
read into these figures, except to say the responses to the open-ended
questions were given by some highly-experienced practitioners.

5.1.6 Main role in PR

The purpose of this question was to analyse which role practitioners mostly
perform, with the aim of detecting whether some roles attract males, and
some females. Respondents could select one of six basic roles, with an
option to add others, with the result that a further 10 were added to the list.
The given choices were considered as representing the basic PR skills of

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writing, client liaison, event management, media relations,
support/coordination or strategy.

Professionals were asked to nominate the main function/role they performed.

In many ways this was similar to the above category. They were given five
basic choices (writer, client liaison, event management, media,
support/coordination) and were free to list any others, with the result that a
further 10 were added to the list. The idea was to test consistency across
answers.

Women and men both listed writing, strategy and media relations as their top
three preferences. Proportionally, women were more involved in developing
strategy than men. It is interesting that strategy features so highly in
responses to this question, whereas only two per cent of respondents said
they were involved in strategy development (see 3.1.8).

MEN WOMEN
1 Writer (32%) Strategy (37%)
2 Strategy (29%) Media (18%)
3 Media (19%) Writer (15%)
4 Events (10%) Client liaison (9%)
5 Client liaison (5%) Support (9%)
6 Other (5%) Events (6%)
Other (6%)
Table 15: Main roles practised in PR.

The main points were:

❏ Most practitioners considered they worked mostly on strategy

❏ Female practitioners carried out more strategy than males.

It is interesting that in the UK, in terms of roles, media relations is the main
form of PR practised by more than 90 per cent of professionals surveyed by
the CIPR in 2005, then came planning (87%) and events (73%). “The biggest
response from in-house employees was ‘media relations’, while the biggest
response from consultancy respondents was ‘communications strategy
development’ (PR Today: 48,000 professionals; £6.5 billion turnover. The
economic significance of public relations, 2005).

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5.1.7 Level of employment/experience

Levels of employment across four levels were consistent between genders,

with the majority working in senior levels. From the statistics, traditional PR
stereotypes tended to be reinforced, with women generally performing the
more “technician” roles, and men taking management-orientated roles.

Senior Middle Technician Entry

Male 57 29 14 0
Female 56 27 13 4

Table 16: Percentage breakdown of professionals’ level of employment.

Figure 34: Professionals’ level of employment.

5.1.8 Salary

Four levels of salary were presented, roughly equating to the above

employment levels. This would give a guide as to earning capacity by gender
and help unearth any possible discrepancies between the level of
employment and male/female salaries.

Salary levels accurately reflected the levels at which professionals were

employed. The most notable point was the lack of salary “discrimination” so
often talked of in the literature. Salary levels accurately reflected the levels

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professionals were employed at. There was only a two per cent difference
between males and females in the upper level ($61K-plus) and a three per
cent difference favouring males in the second-highest level ($46–60K). At
middle ranking ($26–45K), males tended to out-earn females by five per
cent, while at the entry level ($20–25K), female salaries were four per cent
higher on average.

$61K–plus $46–60K $36–45K $20–25K

Male 57% 29% 14% 0%
Female 56% 27% 13% 4%
Table 17: Professionals’ salary levels.

Due to the small sampling rate, it is difficult to accurately determine salary

discrepancies. However, inequity does not seem to be highlighted to any
extent. However, the results in this area do not reflect trends in other
Australian cities. There is anecdotal evidence that salaries for females in
Sydney, for example, are comparably lower than for males.

5.1.9 Hours worked

Most practitioners (44 per cent) worked 8-10 hours per day, with 36 per cent
working 6-8 hours, 18 per cent working 10-12 hours and only two per cent
working 12 hours or more (only males). Females generally worked fewer
hours than males, with the greater percentage (38%) most working in the
eight to 10-hour range, compared to males, where 48 per cent worked an
average of 10-12 hours daily. UK figures were similar to those in my survey;
particularly with regard to men working more hours than women.

In the UK, it was found: “On average, a quarter of public relations

professionals work over 48 hours per week. Those who work for a
consultancy or agency work the highest average number of hours per week
(over 43 hours) whilst those who work in public relations for the public
sector work the fewest hours per week (40 hours). Overall, men seem to
work slightly longer hours than women; within freelance and in-house not-
for-profit organisations, women work longer” (PR Today: 48,000
professionals; £6.5 billion turnover. The economic significance of public

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relations, 2005). Pinker and Spelke (2005) argue that “there are slightly
more men than women who want to work long hours. That is, more men than
women don’t care about whether they have a life”.

12–plus hrs 10–12 hrs 8–10 hrs 6–8 hrs

Male 5% 48% 33% 14%
Female 0% 24% 38% 38%
Table 18: The hours PR practitioners work.

Figure 35: Average daily hours worked by professionals.

5.1.10 PR as a career

Respondents had to nominate in order what made them choose PR as a

career. This may help identify possible gender-specific reasons that may
make males and females enthusiastic about PR. Are they in it for the money,
or is a career the main objective? There were five options, with space for
another (if necessary). Answers were based on a points system of five points
for the main reason for PR being a good career, down to one for it being least
attractive. The options were: money, career, creative, variety, mental
challenge. Most respondents (men and women) chose variety as being the
main reason for working in PR, with females favouring it more than males.
This was followed by creativity and mental challenge (also both males and
female).

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 Figure 36: Reasons for choosing PR as a career.

5.1.11 Aspects of PR interest

Are there certain aspects of PR that interest females? What do males like
about PR? This question also attempts to identify, from a job-specific
(functional) aspect, whether there are any common reasons that might attract
either gender to PR. Respondents were given a choice of 12 aspects of PR
and asked to list their three main areas of interest, with three points for the
first choice, two for the second and one for the third selection. The question
is closely linked to choices made in areas of work and the main roles
practised. The three questions are similar and aim to detect any differences in
types of work preferred by practitioners. The answers of all three indicate
women are still associated (whether by choice or management) with the
technician-type roles (events, media and writing), whereas men are
associated with manager-type functions such as project and reputation
management (this equates with answers provide in section 5.1.7). The three
areas of most interest to PR professionals are (scores shown in order) media
(33) marketing (30) and writing (29). The areas of least interest are budget
(1), research (4) and production and investor relations (5).

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 Figure 37: Work areas of most interest to professionals.

Just over half (33) of all 63 respondents said they were interested in media.
Proportionally, more men (73%) than women were interested in media and
marketing work. However, females (66%) clearly had more of an interest in
writing than males – an area in which they are shown to be more gifted
academically. In so-called ‘traditional’ areas of PR, such as events
management, females (82%) clearly have more interest than males. In other
areas, there was a 50/50 split in interest in community relations, and slightly
more females (53%) were interested in reputation management.

Scores
Area of interest Male Female Total
Media 9 24 33
Marketing 9 21 30
Writing 10 19 29
Project 11 16 27
Reputation Management 9 10 19
Community Relations 6 6 12
Event Management 2 9 11
Investor Relations 4 1 5
Production 1 4 5
Research 3 1 4
Budgets 0 1 1

Table 19: Areas of most interest to professionals.

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 Figure 38: Females are more interested in events management.
The inner circle is the sample population, and the outer circle is the level of
interest in events.

There was an additional area of interest (research) listed in the professional

survey. This was deemed necessary as the research component of PR (that is,
statistics and focus groups) is usually not fully emphasised at some
universities until fourth year and beyond. While the sample was small, it
showed that 75 per cent of males preferred research. This would fit with the
general consensus of data and literature that suggests men are attracted to
the “methodical” side of business. However, it could also be argued that the
actual “doing” of research may also be a “technician-type” role. This, in turn
may depend on the type of research – qualitative or quantative.

5.1.12 Preferred workplace

With four types of PR workplaces (government, consultancy, non-profit and

corporate, or in-house) respondents had to nominate the type of workplace in
which they prefer to work. This assumed they read the question carefully and
nominated their preference, rather than just the place the type of practice
they worked in at the time of the survey. There were respondents who
worked in one sector who indicated a preference for another. The overall
preference was for consultancy work, followed by corporate (in-house), then
government, and non-profit was the least favoured. The overall breakdown
was: consultancy (63%), government (20%), private (13%), NFP (4%).
Among males the breakdown was consultancy (57%), government (24%),

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private (19%) and NFP (0). Among females it was consultancy (67),
government (18%), private (9%), NFP (6%).

Consultancy Govt. Private NFP

Total 63% 20% 13% 4%
M 57% F 67% M 24% F 18% M 9% F 9% M 0% F 6%
Table 20: Breakdown of where practitioners prefer to work.

Among both males and females the percentages who favoured a certain
sector were remarkably the same, with a consultancy environment the most
favoured at 33 per cent, followed by consultancies (28 per cent) government
(21 per cent) and non-profits (18 per cent).

5.1.13 Building client rapport

Most professionals (39%) thought neither gender was better at building

rapport with clients. The two graphs below compare female (left) and male
responses (right) to the question. Males are evenly divided among their
choice of answer. However, when broken down, 40% of females thought
they were better at this aspect of PR than males.

5.1.14 Male/female work differences

A total of 75 per cent of respondents said there was a difference in the way
males and females worked with clients. Among each gender 81 per cent of
male practitioners recognised a difference, while the figure was 71 per cent
among females.

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 Figure 39: Professionals’ perceptions of work differences between gender.

5.1.15 Impact of gender on work performance

A total of 76 per cent said gender did not have any impact on work
performance. The figures were identical for males and females. Only three
comments were received on this question.

It depends upon the environment. For example as a woman I

have been more effective in male-dominated work environments
and less successful in women-orientated organisations and I think
this is about complementing each other’s strengths and abilities.
(F)

Again, it comes down to individuals not their sex. (F)

Different skill sets based on how people are nurtured and

encouraged through their development and schooling. Different
‘drives’ according to how genders are nurtured (for example,
aggressive macho male stereotype versus the calmer, more
creative female stereotype). (F)

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5.1.16 Imbalance

Professionals were asked two questions (Nos. 15 and 21):

(1) if they thought there was a balanced workforce in PR, and

(2) if they thought there should be a balanced workforce in PR.

Most professionals (76 per cent) thought there was imbalance. Slightly more
females (79%) than males (70%) thought there should be balance. People
also commented that balance should not be achieved simply for the sake of
balance. The best person for the job should be selected. However, there is
general concern that imbalance does create problems, notably “a bias
towards women’s issues” (M) and “lack of respect for the industry” (F).
Also, 73 per cent thought there should be a balanced workforce in PR, with
18 per cent saying there should not, and nine per cent being indifferent.
Among males, 76 per cent said there should be a balanced workforce, while
only 70 per cent of females thought balance was necessary (18 per cent said
it was not necessary, and 12 per cent being indifferent).

The finding of this survey correlates with a recent US study, Report of the
Committee on Work, Life and Gender Issues, conducted for the PRSA. One
comment from the report included: “The men in one group would like to see
more professional development workshops around the issues of gender and
the profession. One participant said: ‘These are big, important issues that cut
in a lot of complicated directions” (Toth, 2000).

Figure 40: Professionals’ levels of concern about imbalance.

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Overall, the comments received on positive aspects of having a more
balanced workforce (and that includes more women in managerial positions)
point to the industry achieving a “better dynamic” (F) and being “better able
to represent a more diverse range of clients” (M).

With 24 respondents directly indicating there should be a balance, there is

clear evidence of concern. Overall, the feeling is that balance is necessary for
a healthy industry.

The fact that women felt quite strongly about the imbalance was perhaps
surprising, given that they are the dominant group in the industry. Their
comments also generally reflected the statistics, with most of them
concerned about the effects that imbalance may have. A common theme
throughout, reflected by men and women, was that ‘the job should go to the
best person’. There was only one comment (from a female) which could be
regarded as unbalanced. “This industry doesn’t need men.” Overall, there
was a level of mild concern about what effects imbalance may have, with a
reasonable consensus that balance equals diversity.

Yes % No % Irrelevant %
Males 76 19 5
Females 70 18 12
Table 21: Levels of concern regarding industry imbalance.

5.1.17 Should there be a balanced (gender) workforce?

There was a consistent reply across gender. A total of 73 per cent thought
there should, with 18 per cent saying it should not and nine per cent saying it
was irrelevant. Among males, 76 per cent thought there should be balance,
19 per cent said “no” and five per cent said it was irrelevant. Proportionally,
fewer females (70 per cent) said there should be balance, with 18 per cent
saying “no” and 12 per cent “irrelevant”.

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 Figure 41: Practitioners’ views on whether there should be a balanced
(gender) workforce.

5.1.18 Effects of imbalance on industry

Many respondents (62%) were concerned that a gender imbalance could

have an effect on the industry. There was a marked difference between males
and females. Among males, the concern was higher, at 76 per cent, while
only 53 per cent of females were concerned about an imbalance.

5.1.19 Ethical concerns

Professionals were asked if there were any aspects of working in PR that

affects their ability to work with clients and other professionals within the
industry. The responses were consistent for male and female, with most
respondents (64%) saying they had no issues. However, the fact that 36 per
cent had concerns is of interest.

Yes (%) No (%)

Male 38 62
Female 35 65
Total
36 64

Table 22: Ethical concerns of professionals.

5.1.20 Confidence

This was a Clayton’s question, simply asking respondents if they were

confident when making presentations to clients. Its purpose was to let people

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‘relax’ before entering the second set of questions related to gender. Only
two respondents did not answer ‘yes’ to being confident. In both cases,
understandably, they were ‘juniors’ and probably had not yet developed the
presentation skills necessary to function at a high level. The question
validates the general opinion of most students and professionals: that one of
the main prerequisites for people working in PR is confidence.

5.2 Additional material

This section contains additional analysis of material which was not

canvassed as part of the formal survey, but resulted from answers provided
by practitioners. Basically, these are key concepts that appeared in answers.

Critical to my study is the ability to try to understand what “makes” a PR

practitioner. It was important to learn what practitioners think; for they are
the ones that are the industry. Their views and the way they work shape the
way the industry operates and is perceived by others – their publics. The
most important aspects are the basic building blocks (skills and traits) of
practitioners. From my initial attempt at trying to outline an industry profile,
these are what (presumably) makes practitioners practise.

Analysis of any answer is open to the reader’s interpretation. One (female)

participant wrote the following (after reading the summary):

I was imagining a not-too-professionally appealing headline:

‘Study suggests women ‘fluff’ better than me’, or some such
horror forever locking women into the perceived ‘soft’ end
of PR. So much of this is just so ‘wrong’. The terms self-
serving, stereotypical, dangerous, unfounded, appalling,
outdated come to mind. Not to mention infuriatingly
ignorant.

5.2.1 Common themes

Before addressing each subject area, I would like to present a summary of

some recurring themes to emerge from the professional survey. The
following table shows common concepts (or themes) and the frequency with
which they appeared in the open-ended answers. The frequency of

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appearance differs from the actual number of answers given. For example,
while there were 52 separate references to female skills, only 17 people
responded to the question dealing with this aspect of my study. The same
procedure was applied to the analysis of interviews with professionals, and
this is covered in detail in that section. However, ‘themes’ common to both
the survey and interviews, and the frequency of their occurrence, are
highlighted in the list (below).

Female traits 91 Male traits 37 Work participation 11

Balanced workforce 82 Effects of imbalance Knowledge base 11
Gender influence 71 in industry 37 Industry concerns 11
Work differences 58 Perception of PR 35 Male skills 9
Suitability for PR 57 Career barriers 34 Age 9
Image 55 Female skills 22 Qualities 7
Reason for feminisation 53 Gender imbalance 20 PR values 6
Client rapport 48 Performance 17 Uni studies 3
Ethical issues 46 Drawbacks 17 Networking 3
Gender differences 41 Historical aspects 16

These themes provide an insight into the thoughts of PR practitioners, who

are presented with a topic they mostly had not consciously thought about. As
such, the themes may represent areas of importance, or concern, they may
have about the topic. ‘Female traits’, for example is mentioned 91 times.
This may indicate this topic is central to professionals’ thinking with regard
to imbalance. Similarly, notions of age and networking, which are
mentioned only three or four times respectively, could indicate they are not
factors influencing the reasons why people enter the profession.

5.2.2 Female skills/traits

For the purpose of this study, skills are defined as those abilities (physical or
mental) which are learned throughout, and contribute to, a person’s career.
Traits are considered (either scientifically or generally) to be inherent in a
person, male or female. In some instances, I had to make a value judgment
whether what was being referred to was a skill or trait.

In the areas of natural ability (traits), practitioners (both male and female)
believe that women are more “naturally” suited to PR because they possess
those traditional “feminine” qualities of empathy, creativity and, indeed,
communication. In the area of skills, the responses were predominantly from

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women, which skews opinions to favour women, making it difficult to make
any assumptions. It is interesting to note that two comments from males
indicated that women may be better at strategy, which mention they are
better both ‘tactically’ and ‘at choosing the way to communicate’. This is
also supported by a comment from a female practitioner, who says they may
use this tactical advantage by relating better to women, and by ‘charming
male clients’. Only one female said that males were better at the tactical
level. Only one mention was made of suitability to technical aspects of PR,
with a female practitioner saying men were better. This, however, would be
difficult to fathom, as one of the main reasons women can compete equally
with men in PR is the fact that the technical aspects (writing, design,
production of materials) do not require physical effort. From the comments,
it seems women have the upper hand when it comes to possessing both skills
and traits that are suited to PR.

There were far fewer comments relating to male traits and skills, than for
those relating to females. It was interesting to note that not many males
introduced these concepts into their answers, which may indicate they do
lack the “creativity” that would be associated with expanding on answers.
From the comments, males are generally perceived to be more direct when
dealing with clients.

5.2.3 Qualities

Three people (two of them males) took the opportunity to mention qualities
they believe make a good practitioner. The concept is closely related to the
skills and traits practitioners should possess, although they are more innate.
Once again, the trend indicates that practitioners believe women have those
‘human’ qualities that make them better suited to PR, as evidenced by these
answers:

If the client is a woman, she is likely to be more trusting of

a female rather than a male PR consultant (M).

Women are more adaptable in getting on with people. And

that is necessary (M).

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 Everybody is different. I look for someone with integrity,
honesty and respect (and a Degree) (F).

5.2.4 Age

I thought it surprising, but important, that nine respondents raised the matter
of age as a factor in PR. On refection, this is a valid, and contentious, issue
in an industry that thrives to a large degree on image. It is also relevant
given the continuing publicity regarding our ageing workforce and the fact
that many mature people can not get a job. Age was also mentioned in the
following section (twice) as being a drawback in PR, though it is not clear
whether it is an advantage/disadvantage to be young or old. I suspect it can
be taken both ways, in that older workers can be considered well past their
prime and not able to keep pace with modern practice; or that an
experienced worker is a valuable asset.

5.2.5 Drawbacks

The concept/theme of “drawbacks” relates strongly to issues that affect how

PR work is undertaken. Family issues were prevalent in this theme. From
the comments, this predominantly affects females. While phoning
consultants for my initial census, many women listed as consultants were no
longer working in that role as they were raising children. In the course of
interviews for this study, several practitioners mentioned that the reason
there are so many female consultants in Perth was that many businesses
were set up initially so women could balance family and career. As two
practitioners commented:

PR is a job that is flexible, and you can work at it for 2-3

days a week. That would suit women better. Certainly if
women have children, PR would suit them in that regard”
(M).

Women look at it as a means to an end, as in ‘I want to do a

fun job that’s going to get me through to when I leave to
have babies’. And I want a job that I can do while I raise
kids, and from home, part-time. When the kids are back at
school I don’t have to re-qualify” (M).

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In this regard, the female consultancy would not only be attractive to women
(particularly those with young families), its management would be more
sympathetic to hiring women with families. An article on the icBirmingham
web-site in 2004, summarised this aspect: “One of the reasons behind the
success of women PR professionals is undoubtedly the flexibility of the
profession, as it provides the opportunity for career-minded women to have
it all in terms of high powered jobs, while still balancing family life – at
least to some degree.” Once again, responses to my surveys indicate the way
in which PR suits women in this regard:

Family responsibilities. PR has some odd hours, which

make it hard for mothers (M).

I suspect it is still the woman usually who has to drop work

to attend a sick child, and this would impact on
performance, although one would expect irregularly (F)..

As in all careers, it is difficult to balance a family’s needs

with a full-on career (F).

5.2.6 Historical aspects

Comments here are basically anecdotal in nature, but provide a snapshot of

how the industry has developed. As my study attempts to discover why the
industry is becoming feminised, the last two comments provide scope for
future exploration of this theme along historical lines. However, without
PRIA membership statistics it will be difficult to compare the growth of
university courses and an increase in female professionals, though the two
are inexorably linked.

In a State of male-dominated industries (mining and

agriculture) PR has been one department that females have
been encouraged to populate (F).

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 The preponderance of males in very senior positions is as
much an artifact of the ‘old-school’ PR, when journalists
made the move to the dark side (and most journalists were
male). This seniority imbalance will progressively shift as
these old crusties (self included) drop off the professional
twig. Government and corporates are still (in the main)
uncomfortable working with female-dominated
professionals on equal footing (consider nursing etc) a
‘female’ PR profession will take longer to gain acceptance
(M).

It has traditionally been an area women have been seen to

excel (F).

It’s been the case for more than 10 years throughout

Australia. Same percentage when I studied at RMIT in the
early 1990s (F).

PR has been increasingly being perceived as ‘female’ sector

(F).

PR shifted from being a career progression for ex-

journalists (mainly men) to a more recognised professional
option in its own right with university courses attracting
more women (M).

The whole world of (white collar) work is becoming

feminised, but PR is the most visible example of this
phenomenon. (M).

5.2.7 Image and perception of PR

It certainly seems that the industry’s view of itself says that the profession is
full of “fluff” (both in looks and content). While professionals’ views were
not as expansive as students’, there was quite a deal of comments on how
the industry is perceived. The following selection of quotes demonstrates the
common theme that the industry is simply perceived as feminine, thereby
discouraging males from entry.

It is perceived as a feminine industry/career. Males’ and

females’ interests vary naturally. Women are more
confident in communications (F).

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 It’s seen as a more female occupation due to the perception
of events, schmoozing, very tactical work. PR is often
perceived by men to be a glorified secretary’s role (F).

I think PR has a perception of being a female industry – a

bit like nursing – so men are not naturally drawn to it,
unless they come in via journalism or publishing (F).

I think it’s more of the perception of the industry being

more female oriented and that it’s a lot easier for a female
to get in (M).

People have a false perception of what PR is. Males just

think it’s a female course (F).

There’s a perception of PR as a ‘soft’ alternative in

comparison to journalism (F).

PR tends to be full of good-looking, well-groomed people,

so someone who doesn’t fit that mould may find it difficult
to get ahead (F).

There’s been a dumbing-down of the profession. These days

a pretty face counts for more than knowledge (M).

PR is seen as ‘fluff’, while journalism is seen as ‘tough’ (F).

I believe it is viewed as a ‘chicks’ field and therefore is not

taken as seriously as it would if there were more men (M).

I think it is seen as a ‘fluffy’ role and equated more to

something women would do (F).

The industry is female-dominant because of public

perception (F).

There’s a perception that the career is ‘feminine’, as

opposed to civil and mechanical engineering, which is (seen
as) ‘masculine’ (M).

Possibly because it’s generally perceived as a good job for

females – lots of working with people, etc (F).

5.2.8 General concerns

Though there was room for practitioners to express concerns about gender,
some deviated from the topic to express general concerns about the industry.

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While these comments are not directly related to my study’s overall aim, I
would make one comment with regard to the third and fourth responses,
which touch on the industry’s professionalism. The placement of PR courses
outside business schools does nothing to enhance the discipline’s standing
among fellow students – future business leaders. Compare this approach to
marketing and advertising courses, which are usually located within
business schools.

My only concern is the amount of tripe generated by some

practitioners (M).

An increasing emphasis on women’s lifestyle editorial

rather than complex investigative issues. (M).

There are too few good professionals and the PRIA has no
real quality assurance program in place - nothing as
rigorous as the law or accounting professions. Until we take
ourselves seriously, other won’t (M).

I think the gender imbalance of females, especially the 40-

something generation that heads up the PRIA or the 20-
something set that heads up the Young Guns, has a negative
impact of the professional reputation of the PR industry in
WA as there is a perpetuation of the stereotyped ‘big-boobs,
big-hair’, or ‘young buns’ ‘clique’ of the same women - that
do not encourage the business marketplace to see PR as a
strategic professional skill (F).

I have heard of many young females (with university

degrees) who entered the industry with consultancies and
were expected to work long hours doing all of the office’s
general work (little of which is genuine PR work but menial
tasks such as taking the boss’ dry cleaning in or getting
coffees.) They were treated rudely by supervisors and more
experienced colleagues. They decided to leave PR. This
treatment is not at the hands of males but other females.
Others have received this treatment but hang in there and
move on within the industry (F).

5.2.9 Would they do it again?

Most professionals (64.5%) if given the option, would again chose PR as a

career. There was little difference in the response rate between genders.

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Among females, 62 per cent said they would. The figure was slightly higher
among males at 67 per cent.

5.3 Student surveys

Response by university was:

University Male Female Total

Murdoch 6 40 46
Notre Dame 5 15 20
Curtin 5 30 35
Edith Cowan 1 3 4
Table 23: Response rate for student survey.

There were a total of 116 responses received from second-, third- and
fourth-year PR students from four universities, comprising 98 females (84
per cent) and 18 males. The breakdown was 67 (second-year), 45 (third-
year) and four (fourth-year) students.

Murdoch results
There were a total of 45 usable surveys from 78 returns. Most of the
discarded surveys came from people not studying PR as a Major. There were
also several surveys incorrectly completed, making them invalid. Of the
completed surveys, there were six males (13% and all second-year students)
and 39 females (87%), comprising 15 third-year and 30 second-year
students.

Notre Dame
There were a total of 20 usable surveys from 23 returns (all third-year
students). There were 15 females (75%) and five males (25%). This equates
almost identically to the national and Perth gender breakdown of the
industry.

Curtin
There were a total of 35 usable responses from 45 returns. Those not
completed correctly came from respondents who were not primarily
completing PR Degrees (six), or questions being incorrectly answered
(four). Of the usable responses, 86% were from women.

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ECU
Due to administrative problems at the university, there were only 16 returns,
comprising 14 females (87%) and two males.

5.3.1 Perceptions of PR

In question four, students were asked how they perceive PR – as a career, as

a job, or may lead to something else.

Career Job Other

Male 11 (55%) 1 (6%) 7 (39%)
Female 71 (75%) 4 (3%) 22 (22%)

Table 24: Gender breakdown of how students perceive PR.

Overall, 70.7 per cent of students see PR as a career, indicating they are
studying it with long-term goals in mind and are serious about the subject.
For males, 57.9 per cent see it as a career, 36.8 per cent as leading to
something else, and 5.3 per cent as job. As a proportion of the population,
more females (73.2%) than males view it as a career. For females, 22.7 per
cent see it as leading to something else, and four per cent as a job. Women
clearly perceive PR to be a career. It is interesting to note that students at
Notre Dame differed from those at the other institutions in that only 33 per
cent saw PR as a career. Most (56%) saw it as leading to something else.

5.3.2 Forging a career

In question 10, students were asked what chance of success they thought
they had in obtaining work in PR. There were four alternatives, with one
choice to be made from: less than 20 per cent, 20–40 per cent, 50–70 per
cent, 80-100 per cent. Most students were positive about obtaining work in
PR with the majority (57%) believing they had a 50–70 per cent chance of
working in the industry. Generally, males and females had the same levels
of optimism. As a percentage of the population, females were slightly more
optimistic in the upper level, with 27 per cent positive they would get a job,
compared to 21 per cent of males.

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 20% chance 20–40% chance 50–70% chance 80%+ chance
Male 1 3 11 4
Female 5 11 55 26
% total 5% 12% 57% 26%

Table 25: Gender breakdown of how students rate their chances of obtaining work in PR.

Figure 42: How students (male and female) rate their chances of obtaining work in PR.

5.3.3. How students view PR as a subject

Question 19 contained five Likert-type sub-questions relating to what

students thought of PR as a subject. The aim was to see whether females and
males thought differently about certain aspects of the discipline; particularly
with regard to creative and practical aspects. One of the main aims was to
learn whether students were serious about the subject. Students had four
levels of choice to rate their level of agreement/disagreement with the
propositions presented.

Strongly Mildly disagree Mildly agree Strongly

disagree agree
Male 2 (5%) 12 (63%) 4 (4%) 1 (1%)
Female 26 (27%) 41 (42%) 26 (27%) 4 (4%)
TOTAL 28 (24%) 53 (46%) 30 (26%) 5 (4%)
Table 26: Proposition A – that PR is an easy study option.

If the results of proposition A (that PR is an easy study option) are split

between those who disagree and those who do not, then most students (70

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per cent) regard the subject as relatively difficult. There is little difference
between the sexes. Among males, 68 per cent believe it is difficult,
compared to 70 per cent of females. This contrasts to a US study on PR
students by Noble (2005), who found “women (71 per cent) were more
likely to disagree that public relations courses are easier than the average
college course than men (53 per cent). More men (31.4 per cent) than
women (17.5 per cent) consider public relations to be an easy major, and
men were more likely to say they chose public relations because they
couldn’t find another major and public relations seemed easy.” There is an
interesting sidelight here, in that many students commented in open-ended
answers to surveys that they found PR involved a lot more writing than they
thought. This may contributed to the high number who consider the subject
not to be a “soft” study option.

Strongly Mildly Mildly agree Strongly

disagree disagree agree
Male 5 (27%) 4 (21%) 5 (26%) 5 (26%)
Female 24 (25%) 21 (22%) 39 (40%) 13 (13%)
TOTAL 29 (25%) 25 (22%) 44 (37%) 18 (16%)
Table 27: Proposition B – I am mildly interested in PR.

Answers for proposition B (that students are mildly interested in PR) were
quite even. If the table is split into those who agree and disagree with the
statement, 53 per cent agreed they were only mildly interested in PR. The
general trend towards being disinterested came mainly from females (53%).
However, double the proportion of males (26%) felt more strongly
disinterested in PR than females (13 per cent). The reasons for the lack of
interest are not apparent.

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 Strongly Mildly Mildly agree Strongly
disagree disagree agree
Male 9 (47%) 7 (37%) 3 (16%) 0
Female 34 (35%) 26 (27%) 33 (34%) 4 (4%)
TOTAL 43 (38%) 33 (28%) 36 (31%) 4 (3%)
Table 28: Proposition C – PR will suffice until other opportunities arise.

This question in proposition C also attempts to gauge students’ interest in

the subject. Most agree that PR is not a “subject in waiting”, with 66 per
cent disagreeing it will suffice until other opportunities arise (that is, they
are serious about the subject). Males seem to be more definite about their
career path, as more females (38%) than males (16%) agreed they are
considering their options.

Strongly disagree Mildly Mildly agree Strongly agree

disagree
Male 1 (5%) 0 7 (37%) 11 (58%)
Female 3 (3%) 4 (4%) 41 (42%) 49 (51%)
TOTAL 4 (3%) 4 (3%) 48 (41%) 60 (53%)
Table 29: Proposition D – PR allows me to be creative/inventive.

Almost all respondents agreed there was wide scope within PR for them to
be creative.

Strongly Mildly Mildly agree Strongly agree

disagree disagree
Male 0 0 7 (37%) 12 (63%)
Female 3 (3%) 3 (3%) 35 (36%) 56 (58%
TOTAL 3 (3%) 3 (3%) 42 (36%) 68 (58%)
Table 30: Proposition E – PR offers good practical skills.

As in the previous proposition, the clear majority of students agreed that PR

taught them good practical skills (above) with little variation in the
statement that PR offered good practical skill between males (63%) and
females (58%).

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5.3.4 Perceptions of teaching

In question 12, students were asked whether they perceived any differences
in the way their male and female tutor and/or lecturers taught. Most students
(62%) did not perceive any difference. Within the gender grouping, a greater
percentage of females (64%) thought there was no difference, compared to
52.6 per cent of males. There certainly seems no imbalance as far as the
gender of tutors and lecturers in Australia is concerned. The survey showed
that 57 per cent of tutors were male. While the statistic is by no means
“alarming”, it could also be the focus of a separate study, although my
results show this is of little concern to students.

Figure 43: Level of student perception about teaching differences.

Yes No
Male (within gender) 47.4% 52.6%
Female (within gender) 36.1% 63.9%
TOTAL 37.9% 62.1%
Table 31: Perceived differences between male and female tutors.

5.3.5 Technician roles

As much of this research is about perceptions, it is important to gauge how

students perceive themselves progressing once they enter the workforce.
Students were asked whether they thought males or females would be more
likely to be in a technician (that is, writing, editing, design, web/print) role.
While both genders have the same degree, their views differed. Most
students (60%) thought men and women would be considered for these roles

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equally. However, when looking at the gender responses, proportionally
more males (26 per cent) thought they would be in this role, while 22 per
cent of females thought they would. This contrasts with a year 2000 US
study, which showed women believed they would be more likely to be hired
for technician roles.

Men % Women % Equally %

Male 26 15 58
Female 18 22 60
Total 19 21 60

Table 32: Students’ views on being hired for “technician” roles.

5.3.6 Imbalance

Among students, 63 per cent thought there was an imbalance in gender.

Among males, 58 per cent thought there was imbalance, while among
females the figure was 64 per cent. There was a higher awareness of
imbalance (73%) among professionals, with males (76%) more aware of the
trend than females (70%). (Note: As professionals have industry experience
they were asked to comment further on this, leading to additional coverage
in the professional responses).

Level of awareness
PROFESSIONALS
Total 73%
Male 76%
Female 70%
STUDENTS
Total 63%
Male 58%
Female 64%
Table 33: Awareness of imbalance.

5.3.7 Pay discrepancies

More than three-quarters of students (88%) were not aware there were pay
discrepancies, favouring men, within PR. Male students’ lack of recognition
was 74 per cent, while among females it was 76 per cent. This was based on
statistics from a 2002 PR Week survey. However, since that survey, and in
the time my research was undertaken, there is some doubt that the level of

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pay discrepancy exists. Evidence is starting to emerge that salaries are now
more equitable. This is what I found in my survey of Perth professionals
(Table 17).

Yes (%) No (%)

Male 26 74
Female 24 76
Total 24 76
Table 34: Students’ levels of awareness regarding pay discrepancies.

5.3.8 Socio-economic group

Most students (41.7 per cent) came from families in the above-average
income group (as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and being in
the $58k–$70k income bracket). The breakdown was as follows:

Low ($6k-$21k) Middle ($22k-$58k) Above Av. ($58-$70k) High ($70k-plus)

8.3% 37.5% 41.7% 12.5%

Table 35: Socio-economic group origins of PR students

5.3.9 Traits

Students were asked to select which one of the following traits best
described them. The aim was to determine whether there was any particular
general personality type that was attracted to PR. Of course, the limitation is
this might not be correct, as it is the student’s own impression of their
personality. Most students (42 per cent) described themselves as outgoing.
This was followed by personable and creative (each at 17 per cent), positive
and organised (each at 8 per cent), decisive and quiet (both at 4 per cent).

5.3.10 Type of student in PR

Is there a stereotypical student in PR? According to this survey, most

students (67 per cent) like to “weigh up their ideas against others”,
indicating they are what is commonly called “team players”. Of the
remainder, 20 per cent said they preferred to produce their own ideas, and 13
per cent said they preferred to implement others’ ideas.

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5.3.11 Favourite (school) subject

As outlined, much of the literature suggests that women are better at English
(and communicating) than men, and this in turn causes those people with a
predisposition to that subject to enter PR. Did university students favour
English at school, thereby already having a PR-centric focus? From a list of
seven core subjects, English was the most favoured subject at school (29 per
cent), followed by history (26 per cent), politics, science and other
languages (equal at 12.5 per cent), drama and geography (6 per cent), PE
and maths (3 per cent). The results are also reflected in a survey (McCurdy,
2005) of 169 third-year south-east Queensland university PR students in
which 6.3 per cent of females said English was the reason they undertook
PR, while no males listed this as a factor. That English is the most favoured
subject at school correlates to the study of PR students conducted by
McCurdy (2005).

5.3.12 Influence on PR study

Students were given six alternatives from which to choose one that most
influenced their decision to study PR. Most students (37 per cent) said they
“knew and enquired about PR”. This was followed by 20 per cent saying
they switched to PR after starting university, and a further 17 per cent
expressing a general interest in the subject. Some 13 per cent said a friend or
relative told them about PR. Importantly, no students were influenced by the
three other choices: someone in the industry, school careers counselors or
the media.

5.3.13 People’s views of PR

As much of the focus groups and interviews pointed towards the perception
of the industry having a possible effect on students selecting or avoiding the
profession, students were asked about their view on how the public might
perceive PR (How do you think most people perceive PR?). From four
choices, the students were evenly split between the public ‘thinking it’s

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about spin’ and ‘they’re a little unsure about it’. No students thought the
general public had a positive impression about it.

This has implications for the industry, in that (a) it needs to better promote
itself among possible candidates, and (b) needs to correct misconceptions
among the public perception (and probably other professions).

5.3.14 Is PR ‘fuzzy’?

The question was precipitated by a point raised by some during interviews

and a focus group that because PR is hard to measure it can be hard to grasp,
or ‘fuzzy’ in its logic. Students were asked if they agreed with the statement:
‘PR is fuzzy in its logic’. However, the high proportion of women
respondents makes this result would be skewed, with 63 per cent disagreeing
with the statement.

Strongly agree Mildly Mildly disagree Strongly disagree

agree
4% 33% 29% 33%
Table 36: Students’ views on PR’s ‘fuzzy’ logic

5.4 Second student survey

I thought PR was about providing ideas and information at a

senior corporate level, as well as playing a lot of golf. I now
know it’s a bloody hard-working industry. (Male student).

5.4.1 Gender and university breakdown

There were a total of 175 surveys completed from three universities, Curtin,
Edith Cowan and Murdoch. Due to an altered course structure at Notre
Dame, students from that institution were not surveyed in class. The four
surveys from Notre Dame were of students who were third-year and
participated in the on-line component. The overall gender breakdown was 38
males (22 per cent) and female 137 (78 per cent). These figures (once again)
reflect the general states of earlier (2005) surveys and censuses that showed
a 74 per cent predominance of women in the industry (comprising
professionals and students). At Murdoch and ECU, the ratio of males to

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females was much higher than the industry average (see below), while
Curtin reflected the industry average. It is not clear why Murdoch and ECU
have a higher ratio of females to males. The fact that these figures correlate
to earlier statistics should further demonstrate the changing nature of the
state of the industry.

5.4.2 Gender and socio-economic group

(These groups are based on the four groups defined by income by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics – ABS). Most students (38 per cent) came
from an average socio-economic group, followed by 25 per cent from
above-average and high-income families. Low-income students represented
only 12 per cent of the population. There was little variation between males
and females, except that slightly more males (38%) than females (22%)
from above-income families did PR. However, this was counter-balanced in
the high-income group, in which 27% of females studied PR, compared to
16% of males. Overall, it could be concluded that students from low-income
backgrounds do not study PR. However, this is a general trend across all
university courses.

Low Average Above average High

Male 11% 35% 38% 16%
Female 113% 38% 22% 27%
Total 12% 38% 25% 25%

Table 37: Socio-economic background of students.

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 Figure 44: Breakdown of students’ socio-economic groups.

5.4.3 Personal traits

Figure 45: How students view their personality traits.

Students were asked to describe which personality traits best described

them. Short of asking students to undertake psychometric testing (not within
the budget, or timeframe), this was the only way to discover whether there is
a certain personality trait/s that belong to those about to enter the profession.
Simpson (2005) cites Holland (1959, 1962, 1966, 1982) who highlighted the
importance of fit between an individual’s personality and career choice.

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Also known as the ‘trait theory’ (Zaccaria, 1970, as cited in Simpson, 2005),
this suggests that the choice of occupation is likely to be an expression of
one’s personality and that members of certain occupations are likely to have
similar personality characteristics. Medical staff have found to be analytical,
non-conforming and introspective with strong altruistic motivations.

A total of 57 students (32 per cent) said they were outgoing. The next two
most common traits both had equal responses; those being positive and
creative (31 students each, or 18 per cent). Being personable was next on the
list, with 26 students (15 per cent), followed by organised (17 females only),
quiet (four per cent) and decisive (three per cent). The fact that not many
students said they were decisive is probably due to the fact they are students
and probably finds with regard to PR that they lack the knowledge to
express strong opinions.

Positive Personable Decisive Creative Outgoing Organised Quiet

M 19% 23% 40% 35% 19% 0 14%
F 81% 77% 60% 65% 81% 100% 86%
Total 18% 15% 3% 18% 32% 10% 4%
Table 38: Students’ overall views of their personality traits.

When responses are considered among males and females separately, a

clearer picture emerges of how the genders perceive their personalities. In
all but two categories, the answers were similar. Table 38 (above) indicates
how closely aligned male and female PR students believe their personalities
are across all but two categories. The two exceptions were “creative” and
“organised”. A total of 30 per cent of female respondents believe they are
creative, compared to only 15 per cent of male respondents. Females also
considered themselves to be much more highly organised than males, with
12 per cent of females considering this their dominant trait, while no males
believe they are “organised”. The answers demonstrates that females believe
their personalities are both highly creative and organised. No males
indicated they were organised – a trait commonly mentioned as being
important in PR, and generally regarded as being indicative of women.

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As these quotes from surveys and interviews of students indicated, the
industry regards “being organised” as a female trait.

Women tend to be more creative, organised and focused on

finer details – all aspects needed for success in the industry
(F).

Females tend to be more strict and attentive to detail, well

prepared and organised (M).

Females are more strict and organised (F).

The stereotypical PR person needs to be organised,

methodical, a very good communicator and network easily.
That implies an outgoing person (F).

Creativity also is regarded as a necessary commodity in PR, and one which

some believe fits women better than men in PR. “This new way of working,
particularly when applied to public relations, is ideally suited to women,
who … can exercise their penchant for language, creativity and
communication” (Chater and Gaster 1995). In her unpublished Master’s
thesis, which studied 159 [US] students, Noble (2004) found “women (73.8
per cent) were more likely to agree they selected public relations as a major
because of the creative aspects than did men (51.4 per cent).” Noble based
her survey on a study undertaken by Fullerton and Umphrey (2001) on
advertising students at two US universities. Based on that study and her own
findings, Noble (2004) said: “Public relations students and advertising
students possess very similar traits” (p. 5). Students, both males and females
also regard creativity as a female trait, as these comments show:

I feel that generally females tend to be more creative than

males (M).

Males are typically interested in and excel in numbers-

based occupations, and females are typically more creative
(F).

Women like being creative (M).

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 The field appeals to females more because it is creative and
fun and includes creative writing, which I always thought
females excelled at, compared to males (M).

Males tend to do commerce in general, and girls are more

interested in the creative side, for example, PR (F).

PR is probably more suited to females because of the

creative or communication aspects, which women tend to be
better at (F).

Women are better-suited as they are more creative,

persuasive and dedicated to their career (F).

Women are more creative, better at multi-tasking and

communicating (F).

Similarly, professionals also believed creativity is a major factor in why

females choose to study PR. As one Perth male professional commented in
an interview: “Female high school students often have PR suggested [to
them] because of basic psychometric assessment which identifies the
creative/intuitive aspects of the profession as suitable for women.”

Positive Personable Decisive Creative Outgoing Organised Quiet

M 16 16 5 30 30 0 3
F 18 15 2 15 34 12 4

Table 39: Comparison (in percentages) on how male and female student
perceive their personalities.

Table 39 (above) lends credence to the thoughts of Anne Parry, IPR

Midlands group chair and deputy MD of Quantum PR in Birmingham, UK,
who said in a 2004 interview with the business website icBirmingham:

Women also tend to be more practical than theoretical,

particularly when it comes to attention to detail. Dare I say
it, but one of the main reasons behind our growing
dominance is that as a general rule we are better than men at
thinking on different levels all at the same time. It’s just
part of our make-up. I could also argue that women are
better listeners, more methodical in their decisions, less
confrontational and less likely to go off in unproven
directions, but I might be in danger of offending my only
male colleague and business partner at Quantum and the
handful of top PR men that I have enormous respect for.

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 Figure 46: Self-defined personality traits.

5.4.4 Subject at school

English was listed as the subject most students (34%) excelled in at school.
This correlates to a US study by Noble (2004) who found 48 per cent of
students listed English as their “favorite or second-favorite subject in high
school”. The only variations between the two surveys was that this study
showed drama (14 per cent) as the second-favourite subject, while the US
study showed history as second. However, history (7 per cent) was the third
selection in Perth. (Note: the results in the two surveys would vary
markedly, as the US study only provided four subject choices – English,
history, maths and journalism; further demonstrating that study’s
limitations).

Science Maths English Lang. History Econ. Art Drama Other

Male 3 3 10 2 2 0 1 3 5
Female 6 7 44 9 14 4 12 20 13
Total 9 10 54 11 16 4 13 23 18
(6%) (6%) (34%) (7%) (7%) (10%) (4%) (14%) (11%)

Table 40: Students’ best subjects at school.

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 Figure 47: English stands out as PR students’ best subject at school.

The breakdown by gender for subject showed both males (27 per cent) and
females (35 per cent) said English was heir best subject at school. That is
where the similarity stopped. For females, the second subject chosen was
drama (16 per cent), while 14 per cent of males chose art. Interestingly,
economics rated third choice for females (11 per cent), while it was only
seventh choice for males (6 per cent). Table 44 provides a comparison of all
choices. (Note: “other” subjects included cultural and media studies, home
economics, music [2], accounting [2], physical education [3], marketing and
legal studies).

FEMALES MALES
English 35% English 27%
Drama 16% Other 14%
Economics 11% Art 14%
Other 10% Drama 8%
History 7% Maths 8%
Maths 6% Science 8%
Science 5% Economics 6%
Geography 4% History 6%
Politics 3% Geography 6%
Art 2% PE 3%
Media 1% Politics 0%
PE 0% Media 0%

Table 41: Male and female breakdown of best subject at school.

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5.4.5 Influence to study PR

The most common reason for students selecting PR at university was that
they knew about it and had made enquiries (26 per cent). A further 22 per
cent said they were interested, indicating they probably had also made
enquiries. This indicates there seems to be a good deal of information about
PR available, and that students are aware of it as a subject option. However,
if there is information available, it is not coming from school careers
counselors, with only five students (three per cent – four females and one
male) saying they received information on PR this way. In fact, all
categories, except industry contact, provided more information than school
counselors. The media (at eight per cent) was a better source of information,
even if the general consensus is that it provides a distorted picture of PR.

(Note: “Other” categories (17 per cent) included: ‘PR was closest to events’,
‘suited my personality’, ‘thought it would be interesting’ [2], ‘the women’,
‘didn’t want to do accounting’, ‘complimented (sic) advertising’ [2],
‘internship manager’, ‘fits in well’, ‘my sister’ [2], ‘uni lecturer’, ‘needed to
get into uni’, ‘uni guide book’, ‘parents’ [2], ‘I liked writing, so I thought of
PR’, ‘an elective that suited me’, ‘part of Masters’, ‘wanted to mix it with
marketing’, ‘through employment’.

Figure 48: Most influential sources of information about PR.

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 Reason Responses
Knew and enquired 26%
Always interested 22%
Other 17%
Switched course 15%
Media 8%
Friend 7%
School counsellor 3%
Industry contact 2%

Table 42: Reasons why male and female students choose PR.

There were few differences in the way in which male and female students
obtained their information (table 46). Most females (27 per cent) and males
(26 per cent) knew about PR and made enquiries. Proportionally, slightly
more females (9 per cent), compared to three per cent of males, obtained
their information about PR from the media. This demonstrates males and
females get information on PR from the same sources.

FEMALE MALE
Knew and enquired 27% Knew and enquired 26%
Always interested 22% Always interested 22%
Other 16% Other 21%
Switched 15% Switched 14%
Media 9% Friend 8%
Friend 7% School counsellor 3%
School counsellor 3% Media 3%
Industry contact 1% Industry contact 3%
Table 43: Areas of PR influence to male and female students.

5.4.6 Gender and the way people view PR

Most students (40 per cent) believe people believe PR is mostly about ‘spin’.
A further 32 per cent think most people are unsure about PR, with 13 per
cent not knowing anything about PR. Only 11 per cent of students thought
the public had a positive impression of PR. Male students were more
skeptical of the public’s views about PR, with 54 per cent believing the
public though it was about ‘spin’, compared to only 36 per cent of female
students. This was reflected in the fact that 13 per cent of females thought
the public had a positive impression of PR, while among male students it
was only three per cent.

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 Figure 49: Students’ beliefs on the way the public perceives PR.

5.4.7 Gender and preferred work situation

In a work situation (university) the majority of students (65 per cent)

preferred to balance their ideas against others, followed by 21 per cent, who
prefer to follow others’ ideas. The remaining 14 per cent prefer to follow
their own ideas. Slightly more males (43 per cent) prefer to follow their own
ideas, compared to only 31 per cent of females. This is a surprising statistic
(particularly as there was such as strong female sampling). The inference is
that males may be slightly more confident (and perhaps assertive) in the
university work situation, or perhaps more individualistic, rather than team-
orientated. Both males (49 per cent) and females (51 per cent) like to have a
balanced approach.

Own ideas Other’s ideas Balance of ideas

Male 43% 8% 49%
Female 31% 18% 51%
Total 14% 21% 65%

Table 44: Students’ preferred method of work.

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5.4.8 Is PR ‘fuzzy’ in its logic?

Figure 50: Students, PR and ‘fuzzy’ logic. Half agree PR is ‘fuzzy’.

Students were evenly split (51 per cent agree to some extent, and 49 per cent
disagree to some extent) on whether PR is “fuzzy” in its logic (meaning
some of its outcomes are hard to measure). However, the majority viewpoint
was that 44 per cent mildly agree with the statement.

The level of disagreement among males and females was the only area of
difference. When males’ and females’ attitudes are considered separately,
proportionally more males (38 per cent) than females (15 per cent) strongly
disagree with the statement. Most females (34 per cent) only mildly disagree
that PR is “fuzzy”.

Strongly agree Mildly agree Mildly disagree Strongly disagree

Male 5% 35% 22% 38%
Female 4% 47% 34% 15%
Table 45: How each gender feels about PR being ‘fuzzy’.

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5.4.9 Students’ (pre-study) perception about PR

If the public is misinformed about PR, are students also influenced by

perceptions of the profession? According to students, the answer is ‘yes’,
with 58.3 per cent saying they study the subject because of their perceptions
of it. What those perceptions are is a question which is canvassed in the
survey’s open-ended answers. Figures were virtually identical across the
genders (58% “yes” for females, and 59% for males).

Yes No
Male 22 15
Female 79 58
Total 101 73
Table 46: Perception of PR prior to study.

5.4.10 Does perception of PR influence students to study it?

As for the above question, students were split equally, with half saying their
perception of the subject did influence their decision to study it. There was
also an equal split across gender.

Yes No
Male 18 19
Female 69 68
Total 87 87
Table 47: There is an even split among males and
females on perception as an influence.

The responses to the open-ended question produced some clearly-defined

themes, including: students’ surprise at the amount of work involved in PR;
that PR involved a lot of writing, and that their initial perception about PR
was wrong (that probably relates more to the amount of work involved, and
that they actually had to write essays and prepare communications plans). It
is in the area of their perception that mostly relates to my hypothesis that
people enter PR because of the perceptions about it – that it is perceived to
be a female job, and that it is seen as an easy study option – and that these
perceptions are a result of societal conditioning, created largely by the
media, which portrays the industry as something anyone can do.

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5.5 Common (survey) questions

Some questions from the first two surveys featured similar themes. I have
included them at the end of the chapter in order to better compare responses.

5.5.1 PR sector specialisation/interest

Question five presented students with a list of 11 areas of PR specialisation.

Students were asked to list their top three preferences. This was meant to
indicate the sector of PR in which they would like to specialise. This has
limitations in that their views of PR, and therefore their area of interest, will
more than likely change during their course of study. Professionals were
asked a similar question – which area is of most interest?

Overall % Male % (order) Female % (order)

Entertainment 28 38 (1st) 27 (1st)
Fashion 17 6 (=4th) 20 (2nd)
Tourism 17 11 (=3rd) 18 (3rd)
NFP 12 17 (2nd) 11 (=4th)
International 11 11 (=3rd) 11(=4th)
Health 3 0 3 (5th)
Food 3 6 (=4th) 2 (=6th)
Financial 2 0 2 (=6th)
Industrial 2 0 2 (=6th)
Table 48: Type of PR in which students would prefer to specialise.

Responses differed markedly among males and female students. This is to

be expected, given the high number of women in the survey.

Entertainment PR is clearly an area in which all students want to work. It

was the leading choice overall (28%) and among males (38%) and females
(27%). Noble (2004) also found “sports public relations (29 per cent) and
entertainment public relations (24 per cent) were the most popular choices
for public relations careers [among US students].”

While beauty and tourism were the second choice overall (at 17% each),
there was a clear difference among males in the selection of fashion (ranked
fifth choice at 6%) and females (ranked second choice at 27%). Both males
(11%) and females (18%) ranked tourism as their third choice.

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Working in the not-for-profit sector was selected by 12 per cent of students
as the overall fourth choice. Males indicated a greater desire to work in this
sector, with 17 per cent of men selecting it (and as their second choice),
compared to 11 per cent of women (equal fourth choice). This is interesting,
as it says men (at least those studying PR) do have those ‘innate’ qualities of
compassion, empathy, which are so often associated with women.

The International PR sector comprises work within government and quasi-

government organisations such as the United Nations. It was the fourth
choice by 11 per cent of all students, both males and female. It also ranked
similarly for males (equal third choice) and females (equal fourth).

Health and the food industry PR each only registered three per cent interest.
No males were interested in health. For food, six per cent of males were
interested, compared to three per cent of females.

Financial and industrial PR did not register among males, and only two per
cent of females chose both of them as their main areas of interest.

Figure 51: Female students’ industry sector of interest.

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 Figure 52: Male students’ industry sectors of interest.

Professionals, like students, rated entertainment highly (second choice) as a

sector in which they were interested (Figure 38). However, this result is
skewed. Of the 18 per cent of the population that selected this as an option,
15 per cent were women. Clearly, however, women like to work in the
entertainment PR sector. The leading sector of interest for professionals was
Information Technology, with 22 per cent of respondents selecting it. The
financial and government sectors were equal third choice (10 per cent).
Women did not register interest in the following sectors: travel, health,
sports, mining and property.

5.5.2 Areas of interest

I could walk into a university and ask who wants to work in

entertainment or tourism and the hands would shoot up.
And I could ask who wants to work in investor relations,
and no hands would go up. Then I’d ask who wants to earn
$100K in eight to 10 years? The hands would go up. Of
those, I’d ask who would want to work in investor relations,
and the hands would drop. So I’d walk out and say none of
you are going to earn much. – MD of a Perth PR
consultancy.

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The areas of interest were reflected in question 5 to students, and in question
12 to professionals. Students were asked what three areas of PR (in order)
interested them most, from 12 choices.

Total% Male% Female%

Events 40 6 34
Media 26 4 22
Project 17 3 14
IMC 8 2 6
Com. Relations. 4 1 3
Goal-setting 4 1 3
Writing 4 1 3
Rep. Mgt. 3 0 3
Investor 2 0 2
Budgets 1 0 1
Production 1 0 1

Table 49: PR sectors of interest to students, expressed

as a percentage of the gender group .

Both male and female students agreed on their five first areas of interest (in
order): events management, media relations, project management,
community relations and integrated marketing communication. The only
noticeable difference (and this was marginal) was that more females (37 per
cent) selected events management as their first choice, compared to 27 per
cent of males. This follows traditional employment patterns within PR, in
which females have traditionally performed that function.

Males did not choose any of the following as a first, second or third choice:
community relations, reputation management, investor relations, budgets
and production. While this may indicate they have yet to develop any
interest in these areas, it may also demonstrate that females have a better all-
around appreciation of the many facets of PR.

Noble (2004) found that in the US, sports public relations (29.4 per cent)
and entertainment public relations (23.8 per cent) were the most popular
choices for public relations careers. Her comments pose an interesting
sidebar to this study, regarding the image/perception of the profession as
created by the media (both through entertainment (TV shows such as

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Absolutely Fabulous, Spin City and Absolute Power) and the way the news
media portrays PR people (that is, as ‘spin’ merchants).

Why are students selecting these aspects of public relations?

We are all consumers of the media, and students’ selection
of sports and entertainment public relations fields may be
due to their greater familiarity with these via the news
media and television. Students may gravitate to these
specific areas of public relations because these areas receive
more news coverage. What part do the apparent glamour,
fame and fortune of the sports and entertainment fields have
to do with student interest? Further studies may differentiate
between the interests of students who wish to be in the
sports and entertainment public relations fields versus those
interested in other aspects of the public relations industry
(Noble 2004).

Professionals are mostly interested in Integrated Marketing Communication

(24 per cent), media relations (23 per cent) and reputation management (17
per cent).

Figure 53: Professionals’ areas of interest.

5.5.3 Preferred workplace (sector)

Students and professionals were asked the type of PR in which they would
prefer to work, and had to select one sector from several alternatives. The

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common sectors were: consultancy, government, non-profit and corporate
(in-house). Because students are not working they had two additional
choices – ‘anything I can get’, and ‘undecided’. Most students (52%) list
corporate PR as their first choice. Nineteen per cent were undecided, and
nine per cent said they would work at any PR job. Consultancies, non-profit
organisations and government were highly unpopular choices.

Figure 54: Students’ preferred workplaces.

5.5.4 Influence of gender

Both groups were asked if they thought gender might influence a person’s
entry into PR. Apart from the basic statistical outcome, the aim of this
question was to elicit respondents’ views on the fact that being either male
or female might influence people in commencing a PR career. There was a
marked difference in the way the questions were presented to each group.
The professional survey, which was sent earlier than the students survey, did
not have the option of a “not really” response. My original intention was to
force respondents into making a distinct choice, therefore prompting
comments in the open-ended answer (which happened). This decision was
also a result of the fact that there was likely to be a relatively low response
to the survey, and the priority was to obtain as much qualitative data as
possible.

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 Yes (%) No (%) Not really (%)
STUDENTS
Male 53 0 47
Female 27 18 55
Total 31 15 54
PROFESSIONALS
Male 65 35
Female 50 50
Total 56 44
Table 50: Students’ and professionals’ opinion on gender as an influence into PR.

5.5.5 Awareness of imbalance

Students and professionals were provided with statistics showing the gender
balance of PR and asked if they were aware of it. Professionals were more
aware of the imbalance. Female students and professionals were more aware
of the imbalance than their male colleagues. This gap was slightly more
pronounced among professionals (6% among students, and 11% among
professionals).

Yes (%) No (%)

STUDENTS
Male 58 42
Female 64 36
Total 63 37
PROFESSIONALS
Male 71 29
Female 82 18
Total 78 22
Table 51: Students’ and professionals’ awareness of gender imbalance.

Note: among the universities, Murdoch students were more aware of the
imbalance (39.7%), followed by Curtin (30.2), Notre Dame (17.2) and ECU
(12.9).

A total of 78 per cent of professionals said they were aware most of the
industry was female. As the chart (below) shows once again, women were
more aware of the trend, with 82 per cent aware of it, compared to only 71
per cent of males being aware. This question tried to get to the heart of my
study, which is why feminisation has occurred. There was a good response
(31) in the open-ended answers. The most common reason put forward was
that the industry is simply perceived as being feminine, with 10 respondents

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directly stating that. In conjunction with that theme, it is perceived as being
glamorous (three), a “soft” career option (three). The next most popular
(eight answers) theory was that women have better skills.

Table 52: Professionals’ awareness of imbalance.

Across both groups, females were more aware of the gender imbalance than
males. Is this in itself an indication of what many papers, textbooks and
practitioners are saying: that women are more intuitive and can pick up on
issues?

Only 43 per cent of professionals were aware of the imbalance, compared to

63 per cent of students. Female professionals had a higher awareness (82%)
compared to males (71%). Among students, 64 per cent of females were
aware, compared to 58 per cent of males.

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 Awareness %
PROFESSIONALS
Total 43
Male 71
Female 82
STUDENTS
Total 63
Male 58
Female 64
Table 53: Level of awareness of imbalance.

5.5.6 Ability to build rapport

This question attempts to gauge whether people believe men or women are
better at building rapport with clients. Results varied markedly between the
two groups. Students (both male and female) almost overwhelmingly said
neither men or women would be better at building rapport with clients. Most
(90%) said neither would be better, with the remaining 10 per cent split
between men and women. However, professionals were evenly split, both
overall and by gender, with 25 per cent saying men would be better, 26 per
cent saying women and 39 per cent neither.

Men (%) Women (%) Neither (%)

STUDENTS
Male 5 5 90
Female 5 25 70
Total 5 22 73
PROFESSIONALS
Male 29 33 38
Female 24 38 38
Total 25 36 39
Table 54: Students’ and professionals’ opinions on building client rapport.

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 Figure 55: Level of students’ and professionals’ confidence in the
ability of males or females to build rapport with clients

5.5.7 Qualities of PR practitioners

Students had eight choices. They could choose three. The top choices,
scored on a three-two-one points basis were:

1. Verbal skills 65
2. Organisational 55
3. Strategic skills 46
4. Planning 39
5. Writing 33
6. Media 17
7. Listening 15

5.5.8 Reasons for entering and working within PR.

Students were given nine choices. The result of their responses (in order of
importance) was:

1. Work with people 28%

2. Job satisfaction 21%
3. Variety 21%
4. Creative 17%
5. Current affairs 6%
6. Money 3%
7. Prestige 2%
8. Perceived benefits 1%

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 Figure 56: Students’ reasons for studying PR.

Among males, the order and percentage of respondents who selected a

particular reason for studying PR was:

1. Creativity 44%
2. Variety 23%
3. Job satisfaction and working with people 9%
4. Benefits, current affairs and prestige 5%

Among females the results showed:

1. Working with people 32%

2. Job satisfaction 24%
3. Variety 21%
4. Creativity 12%
5. Current affairs 6%
6. Money 4%
7. Prestige 1%

The responses varied among males and females. The clear difference is that
males and females clearly have different reasons for studying PR. This is
reflected in the top two choices, which differed. Forty-four per cent of males

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chose creativity and variety as their leading selection (compared to only 12
per cent of females), with variety (23 per cent) the second choice. The top
two choices for women were working with people (32 per cent, compared to
9 per cent for males) and job satisfaction (24 per cent, compared to nine per
cent for males).

People Money Satisfaction Benefits Current Variety Prestige Creative

Affairs
M 9 0 9 5 5 23 5 44
F 32 4 24 0 6 21 1 12
T 33 4 25 1 7 24 2 20
Table 55: Summary of reasons why students study PR;
expressed as a percentage of the population.

Additional points of interest were:

• Males across all universities do not consider working with

people to be important when considering a PR career, with only
two males selecting this.
• Money is not an important consideration for students choosing
PR as a career. Only four females chose this. No one from ECU
thought money was important.
• An interest in current affairs was higher among women than
men, particularly at Notre Dame and Murdoch Universities. No
one at Curtin and only one male at ECU thought this a
consideration in selecting a PR career.
• While creativity is a factor considered by most students to be
important, only one female student at ECU selected this as a
factor. This is surprising, as the PR course is part of the School
of Creative Industries.

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 Table 56: Students’ reasons for studying PR (by university).

Perth PR professionals were asked to choose (in order) what made PR a

good career. The phrasing was different to reflect the fact that professionals
had time to consider and evaluate what was driving their careers. The
choices were also different, and included money, career, variety, creativity,
and mental challenge, along with room for respondents to add another aspect
of their choosing, of which only one did (a flexible workplace). Job
satisfaction was found to be highest among females. When asked if they
would choose PR as a career again, 72 per cent of women said they would,
compared to 50 per cent of males.

For professionals, the reasons for choosing PR were:

1. Variety 31%

2. Creativity 29%

3. Mental challenge 25%

4. Career 15%

5. Money 5%

There was no variation in order of selection between either gender, which

contrasts starkly to the different reasons male and female students gave.

Clearly, variety and creativity are important factors for choosing PR among
students and professionals. However, among female students these two
factors were third and fourth choices respectively. Female students chose
“working with people” and “job satisfaction” as their top two choices.

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 Money Career Creativity Variety Mental Other
M 10 11 27 29 21 2
F 13 16 24 25 22 0
Total 12 14 25 27 21 1
Table 57: Professionals’ opinions on what makes a good PR career,
expressed as a percentage.

Figure 57: Professionals’ views on what makes a good career.

5.5.9 Career barriers

Respondents simply had to answer yes or no as to whether they perceived

any barriers to their careers. There was a marked difference in the overall
response between students and professionals in what they thought were
barriers to their careers.

Students were split evenly on whether there were barriers that could affect
their careers. Among male students, 63 per cent thought there were
impediments, while only 53 per cent of females held that opinion.

Among professionals 75 per cent listed barriers – 12 per cent higher than
students. This may simply reflect the naivety of youth and/or the years of
experience/cynicism that practitioners have. Unlike the students, the
percentage response among professionals was consistent across gender, with
76 per cent of males saying there were barriers, while among females it was
74 per cent.

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 Yes (%) No (%)
STUDENTS 50 50
Male 63 37
Female 47 53
PROFESSIONALS 75 25
Male 76 24
Female 74 26
Table 58: Respondents’ concerns about career barriers.

5.5.10 Suitability for PR

Both students and professionals were asked if they thought men or women
were better suited to a career in PR. It was a contentious question designed
to get people thinking. Contrary to some respondents’ replies, this was not
designed to be sexist. Judging by the responses, most professionals (70 per
cent, and three of them men) thought women were better suited to be in PR.
Four per cent thought men were better suited, and 42 per cent said gender
either did not, or should not, enter into it. One woman thought men were
better suited to PR. Even though most people made a choice, they also
qualified it in their open-ended answers, with 13 of the 28 open-ended
answers qualified by saying gender should not really enter into the equation.

Men% Women% Neither%

Students (total) 3 36 61
Male 14 53 33
Female 3 73 24
Professionals (total) 4 42 70
Male 5 26 69
Female 4 38 59

Table 59: How students and professionals ranked each gender’s suitability for PR.
Results are expressed as a percentage of the group.

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5.6 Conclusions

The statistics, which proved the phenomenon and provided further impetus
to conduct this study, show the trend of increasing female predominance
across three countries (the US, UK and Australia) to be similar, and prove
that there has been a rapid increase by women into PR in the past 20 years.

While I initially thought the survey data would act more as a guide for the
“rich” nature of the qualitative phases of the study (i.e., what I could put
towards participants in interviews and focus groups) it yielded a wealth of
material and showed distinct trends about the way the profession is
perceived by students and professionals.

The results of each question are, by themselves, self-explanatory and

therefore, in effect, mini conclusions. However, some of the more notable
aspects of the surveys were:

• Both groups are aware of the gender imbalance, with females

in both groups more aware of it than males.

• Both professionals (70%) and students (63%) thought women

were better suited to PR.

• Variety was among the most highly-ranked reason why both

professionals and students undertake PR. Money is not an important
consideration among both groups.

• Not many students consider an interest in current affairs to be

important in PR.

• Both males and female students both list entertainment PR as

their main area of PR sector interest.

• Females still seems to be “pigeonholed” into technician-type

roles. While at university, they either think this is what they will
end up doing, and those in the workforce tend to either gravitate to
it, or are merely allocated those roles.

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6 Focus groups and interviews
A big issue is when you try to find out what PR is. They
don’t tell you much. Maybe if they tell you more at the start
it might correct the problem of so few guys doing it. Then
again, it might work the other way. But I wouldn’t have
been able to say what it was when I started. But then, I can’t
tell you what it is after two years (male student).

The aim of interviewing the industry (professionals and students) was to

gain “rich” information that might not be apparent from the surveys.
Statistics can only tell so much, and do not give a clear indication of the
insights into what people think of the industry, and even as to why people
choose PR as a career.

6.1 Student focus groups

6.1.1 Focus group 1, ECU

The first student focus group was held at Edith Cowan University in a
lecture theatre, from 7.45pm to 8.30pm. It consisted of 10 fourth-year PR
students (eight female and two male) and was observed by tutor, Mr Vince
Hughes, MBA. There was a mix of students, with two from Norway (1M,
1F), one from India (M), two from China (F) and one (F) from Hong Kong.
For responses, students are identified by number (from left to right, and by
gender (M or F). The format was to put forward results of earlier surveys
and to ask students to respond to the results. All students were informed
their identities would remain anonymous and that participation was
voluntary. The main points to emerge from the focus groups:

6.1.2 Student interviews

I was the only male in my tute of 25 this semester. In

lectures it’s dominated “majorly” by females. You look
around and you might see 10 guys among 50 or 60 females.
So I did think at some stage why there were so many
females (male student, 2005).

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The interviews with students were, as it turns out, the key to the process.
Professionals, in the main, could not provide reasons why the phenomenon
was occurring. They key had to be with students; particularly the males.
This sub-group is where the trend is apparent. The old days of entry to PR
via journalism (previously a male-dominated profession) have long and truly
passed.

From the transcripts of the interviews, a common theme among males was
that PR was seen as “ambiguous”, “fuzzy” and generally lacked direction.
(This feedback prompted the question in the second student survey about PR
being “fuzzy in it logic”). One male student I interviewed was so
disillusioned with PR, after two years, that he decided to switch to
advertising in 2006. The following comment from a male student was
typical.

To be honest, one of the things that has turned me off PR is

that it seems ambiguous compared to marketing and
advertising. It’s hard to measure PR, and you don’t know if
the work you are doing is working or not. If you’re doing
marketing and advertising you have a better gauge.
Sometimes you feel as though you’ve been studying for two
years and don’t know if you’ve done anything. I think this
is one of the big issues we come across. Everyone likes to
measure things at the end of the day to see how they’re
going. Males like that sense of competition and they try to
beat other individuals, so they like to be measured. That’s
where it’s frustrating because PR is hard to measure. We
have sat down and talked about it. And it just seems you
never know where you’re at with it.

And another comment from a male student:

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 The internship proved to me what I had started to think
about the industry. I’d say that it true that the industry isn’t
very black and white. When I was doing my internship, I’d
be there and ask them: ‘exactly what do you do? What’s
involved?’ They were connecting A to B, jumping up in the
air and saying they were brilliant. It’s very grey. And that’s
why I’m switching to advertising/marketing, because PR is
not very definite. You don’t exactly know what your role is.
I think that anyone that hasn’t done PR would see it a
female-dominated industry. And that’s a turn-off for guys, I
think. I think one of the main skill to have in PR is to be
able to be able to say something without saying anything,
and I think women are pretty good at that. That does make it
[PR] fuzzy. I think that’s a motherly instinct (every woman
has a chance to be a mother) and it’s ingrained in females.
Of course guys can have that ability, but it’s more apparent
in females.

Some of the female subjects (as the following comment illustrates) were
aware of the different ways men and women thought about PR and its place
in the business world.

The males did have a different approach. They tended to

come from a marketing or political perspective. I always
feel that men do marketing and women do PR for some
reason. It is just my perception. Generally, men that do PR
often give it a title so it doesn’t look like they’re doing PR.
I’ve always thought of it as a profession that women do,
like nursing. I wouldn’t think of women becoming
marketers. I don’t think they do it consciously. It’s just that
they have this ideas that there are certain roles men do, and
some that women do. It’s like when they enroll, at uni
someone says: ‘what are you doing?’ And they get the reply
that ‘oh, that’s for girls.

With PR not seen by students not be a particularly serious business subject,

it is perhaps is an area in which ambitions do not play an important role. If
we follow the reasoning of Moir and Jessel (1996), in that “ambition simply
means different things to the different sexes”, then PR probably suits
women, more than men.

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6.2 Professionals’ focus group and interviews

6.2.1 Focus group – professionals

Due to the relatively low numbers in the focus group, and the short time
frame, there were fewer topics mentioned (15), compared to the interviews
(26 topics). There was a marked difference in the main topics being raised.
The main differences were:

• Only one person in the focus group raised the issue of looking
at the educational system, whereas 10 mentions were made of
this in the interviews.

• The focus group did not broach the subject of imbalance. The
interviews raised this topic 11 times.

• Other issues not raised by the focus group, but mentioned

(times in bracket) in interviews were: female skills (6), abstract
nature of PR (4), comparison to HR (3), creativity (3), and
gender differences (2).

• Interviews did not raise the issue of PR being glamorous, or of

women being better at multi-skilling.

Overall, the most mentioned topics were: perception of PR (14), influence of

education (university) on PR, general imbalance (11), image of PR (8),
women as better communicators, female skills, compassion (6), women
[general], family issues, abstract nature of PR (5). There were another 11
topics, rating four mentions and below). These topics are simply based on
the number of times they were mentioned. The statistics may vary somewhat
in some categories. For example, if the topic of image in taken to be part of
people’s perception of PR, then the area of perception would increase
markedly to 22 points.

The most-mentioned topics in the professionals’ interviews were:

imbalance/balance (11), university (10), perception of PR (8), “soft” nature
of PR, (6), female skills 6, abstract nature of PR (4), comparison with human

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resources (4). There were another 19 concepts/themes raised, ranging from
three to one mentions.

The most-mentioned topics in the focus group were: perception of PR (6),

writing (4), males and men (3), glamour (3), “soft” nature of PR (3), women
as better communicators, power. There were a further seven topics raised.

Figure 58: Most talked-about professional interview and focus group topics.

6.2.2 Professionals’ interviews

The first round of interviews began in November 2005 and concentrated on

professionals. Interviews were largely conducted at venues of the subject’s
choosing, which usually was a coffee lounge, or the subject’s workplace.
This proved to be convenient and allowed to subjects to be at ease in an
informal situation, thereby facilitating participation. In-person interviews
were necessary, as in most instances I had not met the subject. The personal
contact helped facilitate the discussion and opened the door to additional
contact at a future date. Ethics approval was gained by subjects earlier
signing a form (in the survey) to signal their intention to participate. They

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were informed before the interview that it would be recorded, that their
involvement was voluntary and that they or their company would not be
identified. Interviews were stored on my personal computer at home and
later transcribed. Files were converted to MP3 format and are included on
disc in annex S.

After the first two interviews it became apparent that professionals, despite
their years of experience and wide knowledge of the industry, could not
precisely identify why the industry had become female-dominated. This was
simply explained by the fact that they had never thought of the issue until it
was put before them in this study. However, as evidenced by the above,
there was a good deal of discussion, which should form the basis of further
research into the subject. All agreed that my study was interesting and were
interested in the outcomes.

The more experienced male practitioners had extremely strong opinions on

the way the industry had developed, with most agreeing the calibre of
female practitioner was generally poor, as evidenced by comments such as:

If someone could answer me why is it more difficult for

females to pick up the ‘corporate’ reins of an account, I’d
love to hear it. I could actually develop and education
package that could be slotted into the universities. It just
seems to me that the young guys have a better
understanding of business. That’s probably a slight on
female practitioners, and it’s not meant to be. It’s just that
when they come through, it is a significant effort to get
them thinking about corporate reins, particularly investor
relations. Things like profit, triple bottom line and such
mean nothing to them (senior consultant).

A senior government PR manager was much more forthcoming in his

observations of the way the industry has developed.

There’s a whole lot of blondes out there in black dresses

who are very good at functions, but when they come to
write press releases they create ‘lobsters’ (with a whole lot
of shit at the head). They just can’t nail it in the first three
paragraphs.

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And this, from another private industry practitioner:

I attended a national PRIA event about five or six years ago,

at which 212 people attended. Six were male. I worked as
an in-house ‘associate’ with one of (the city’s) largest PR
operations a year or so back for about 12 months. This
company occupies 80 per cent of the 18th level. They
employed a mix of 30-plus full and part-time staff of which
only myself, the MD and three others were males (two of
which often did crisis management seminars on-site at coal
mines etc). That’s more like an 88 per cent female
dominance by my reckoning. This gender imbalance by
itself didn’t really bother me. It is, however, the lack of any
real ‘humour’ in and about the workplace – everything all
serious and self-important.

Whatever one’s views, these three practitioners have a combined 74 years

experience between them, and their opinions can not be ignored. However,
none could answer why the industry had become female-intensive.

Respondents, both students and professionals, commented on the

characteristics of PR practitioners in the survey questions and interviews.
Both groups had similar opinions of what comprised the typical
characteristics of people entering the profession. This correlated to research
uncovered in the literature review, which found that females possessed
certain qualities deemed necessary to be successful in PR. Respondents
agreed that PR practitioners possessed the following characteristics: ability
to listen, good communicators, organised and can write well. This was in
evidence, given the following excerpts from interviews.

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FEMALE STUDENT: Males in PR seem to be a little bit
more sensitive than other males students in other
disciplines. They are more organised and methodical. The
majority of them, I guess, seem to have more feminine
characteristics. You can talk to them more easily than some
of the other male students. They possibly don’t fit in with
what might be termed the general male culture. They’re
very creative, with innovative ideas and very helpful, when
I’ve done group work with them. I haven’t had to ask for
their work. They’re quite organised. But they’re not quite as
helpful as females. I just think those qualities are needed for
a PR person to be successful, and women generally have
them more than men.

MALE STUDENT: When I was the only guy in a group I

was constantly trying to get them to do things my way. I
found a lot of their writing was a lot more flowery. I guess
if you’re trying to make things positive for the client they
could do it. But I found myself better at organising or
managing things in the group situation. Maybe they were
better at the creativity, and I was better at managing. Maybe
that comes back to the view that men lean towards more
business-related subjects.

MALE PRACTITIONER: Women are very good

communicators (in general), they have an ability to
articulate information in a manner that is often easily
understood and coherent. As such they actually have the
starting point for being a PR practitioner. They are excellent
communicators; they are good at telling a story, they are
good at writing, they actually enjoy writing. And writing is
the critical aspect, whether male or female, which takes
people down a potential career in PR.

MALE PRACTITIONER: I think physiologically and

mentally (left-brain, right-brain) there are differences in the
way males and females work, and their approach to things.
But some of the planning women do are better than men;
particularly event management. They have that attention to
detail (such as colour) and I don’t mean that to be sexist.
But things like that can add value to an event.

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 MALE PRACTITIONER: Men and women do communicate
differently. Women are naturally better communicators. I
think women are certainly generally more empathetic than
males, and that certainly helps in PR. One of the other areas
that women excel in is that they are better organisers. Most
of them, when they try to tell us why they want to be in PR,
they name event management as the reason. Either they
have an interest in organising things, or they have an
interest in parties. That’s fine. Either interest is valid, but
they’re in it for their organisational ability. It’s one of the
reasons women thrive. They are good documenters and they
are thorough. The people who are good at PR are usually
somewhere in the centre. The good males have some of the
feminine characteristics: the ability to build relationships,
have empathy, communicate clearly The very good women
also have some of the necessary robustness to be tough and
use in negotiations, and some of the slight aggression you
need to have to work with the media. It’s a hybrid type of
person.

One thing is clear: PR has changed over the years, reflected not only in the
number of women but in the way it is learnt and the way it is practised. This
was borne out in an interview with one of Perth’s most senior male
professionals, who observed:

The lifestyle stuff is still mainly the women’s preserve.

This, of course makes them valuable in PR, because that’s
where the modern marketing style of PR find its outlet. To
me that is the major part of PR today and that’s where
women are fitting in. It’s the lifestyle aspects of PR that is
emphasised.

This view seems to resonate with Rickertson (1999) who points to the
growth in newspaper ‘lifestyle’ sections. He compared editions from
Melbourne’s The Age newspaper in 1956 and 1996. “There was the same
amount of ‘hard’ news, despite a three to fourfold increase in the paper’s
size.” It poses the question of whether the rise in the ‘fluffy’ side of
journalism, as a possible consequence of our clamour for material things,
has prompted a subsequent rise in the ‘fluffy’ side of PR, often mentioned
by this study’s respondents.

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6.3 Conclusions

The interviews with students and professionals provided a more detailed

insight into the mindset of today’s PR participants, in line with the ‘rich’
nature of the research. While limited by their sample size, they nevertheless
contain the opinions of the local industry’s most senior ‘players’, and those
of future practitioners. In keeping with the ‘rich’ nature of this study’s
research, all interviews are fully transcribed within the annexes. Quite
clearly, imbalance is something that both groups are well aware of. There
was a common theme among males that PR was seen to be “ambiguous”
and/or “fuzzy”. This fits in with a general perception that males are attracted
to more business-like subjects where results are measurable. The material
gleaned from students was, at best “sketchy”; possibly due to them being not
used to present their opinions. On the other hand, the professionals were, as
expected, more forthcoming in their answers. In general, both students and
professionals agreed that PR suffers from a perception that it is “soft”. Both
groups highlighted the way PR is perceived, which, for me, seems to be at
the core of the problem. The subsequent interviews also reinforced these
views, with both groups agreeing that PR practitioners need certain qualities
(also reflected in the literature). These qualities included listening and
writing ability, which were accepted by most participants as inherently
feminine qualities.

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7 Summary
My study has contributed immensely to my personal and professional
learning and development. It has further developed my research,
interviewing and academic writing skills. It has expanded my view of the
workplace, and allowed me to look at fields I had not previously considered
in my academic career: most notably the field of work and gender, and
subjects including sociology and psychology. Additionally, it has also honed
my ability to work to deadline and enhanced my organisational skills. This
was achieved by an almost-daily routine of either reading or writing
something, and by being meticulous in recording Readings and making
relevant notes. From a methodological viewpoint, I gained further
understanding of how to gather, analyse and present statistical information,
with widespread use of programs used to present data (notably SPSS and
Excel). I also became adept at using a textual qualitative research program,
HyperResearch. Most importantly, it has allowed me to explore a subject I
was intrigued by, and present that information to a (mostly) receptive
audience – the people involved in my study: PR professionals.

The staff at Central Queensland University most influenced by the research

are my supervisors, Prof. Alan Knight and Kate Ames. Like the industry
professionals and students, both Prof. Knight and Ms Ames were interested
in the subject from the start, and continued their enthusiasm (and support)
throughout. The high level of involvement, I put down to the fact that the
research was not only original, but was about something that people in the
profession knew was occurring, but had not been explored in any detail.
Being the first Study of its type, this thesis has provided a starting point for
other academic studies. Prof. Knight has commented several times of
different aspects of my study which have surprised him – apart from the
obvious gender imbalance. These included the fact that professionals and
students are not primarily driven by money; that there is (alleged) gender
discrimination within PR, and that tourism and entertainment are the two most

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preferred areas of PR that students want to work in. These are, no doubt, all
subjects for separate research projects.

From an industry perspective, practitioners and students have been

influenced by this Study. This was evident from the start, with the strong
numbers responding to the surveys, and their willingness to follow progress
with regular updates. There were a total of 63 practitioners who received
regular updates. E-mail feedback from the approximate bi-monthly updates
was encouraging, although spasmodic (but not expected). Academics at all
universities were interested, cooperative and encouraging, with all four
universities involved in my study providing statistics and allowing me to
personally present pre-survey information on my study to students. Some
even collected the information for me.

Students, in Australia and overseas, also showed interest. I was interviewed

by two Canadian students for a post-graduate course; by a journalism
student at Notre Dame for an assignment, and provided information to a
UK-based male post-graduate student in the UK.

Further interest was demonstrated by the PRIA, which published several of

my articles on its national web-site and in the Western Australian and
Queensland branch magazines. I was also invited to present my findings to
the Queensland branch of the PRIA (at a date yet to be arranged). The
journal PRism, published by Bond and Massey Universities, printed an
article, as did the UK PR magazine, Beyond Spin.

One of the most positive aspects of my study has been that is has brought
about a change in policy of the Public Relations Institute of Australia, which
will now maintain membership statistics, with a gender breakdown. As
mentioned, prior to this study this was not the Institute’s practice. The
collection and archiving of membership statistics will enable future gender
trends to be tracked more easily. It has also made the PRIA more aware of
the trend and of possible implications for the profession.

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The research undertaken can certainly contribute to the wider body of
knowledge about the PR industry. While my study raises more questions
than it answers, it acts as a catalyst for future research, which needs to be
conducted over ensuing years and with a wider range of subjects. The
inclusion of the PRIA and all major tertiary institutions that teach PR are
necessary for a full picture to emerge. This thesis will act as a base that will
serve to inform and help guide subsequent PR industry gender studies. The
fact that this is the first major project on this subject provides original
findings that should be used to better understand the motivations and
aspirations of PR students. Industry research on the changing gender
composition of PR is also necessary. Questions also need to be asked
concerning whether feminisation is affecting the industry.

The surveys were the first among the ‘PR industry’ in Australia (and to date
the most comprehensive in the Western world) to examine people’s views
on this topic, and to gauge their opinions on the reason for the phenomenon.
There were three surveys undertaken, among the Perth “PR industry”. These
consisted of two surveys among industry professionals (consultants,
government, non-profits and in-house practitioners) and one survey (on-line
and print) among 116 second and third-year PR students.

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8 Conclusions
I have only just recently been exposed to this (increasing
number of women in PR). At a recent course I conducted
for the PRIA there were only 12 women. So I asked them
why there were no men, and they replied that they ‘were
much cheaper than men’. They went on to explain that at
the top end of town, in financial PR, however, most, if not
all the practitioners were men. But I don’t know if that was
just “gender-talk”. I have no evidence to back it up (Male
university lecturer in Sydney).

If only it was that simple. However, the reasons for the growing number of
females, and decline in males, can not be simply attributed to one simple
reason. There are numerous factors – some more obvious than others.

From the literature, the following findings emerge:

1. The changing nature of our society, from industrial to

information-dominated, ideally suits the infusion of women into
knowledge-based industries such as public relations

2. That women numerically dominate in all areas within the

industry

3. They are ideally suited to roles within public relations as a result

of sociological and psychological factors.

However, the literature (particularly the PR literature) falls short when

trying to fully explain the reasons for women’s rise to prominence within
PR. The public relations industry should (if it’s doing its job) be able to
reflect many of the changes in gender relations and roles affecting society;
particularly as immense changes in gender are sitting right on its doorstep.
Accordingly, an important, but unrelated, finding from this literature review
is that the field of gender and its relationship with PR provides an
opportunity for the advancement of knowledge within an important but
relatively uncharted field.

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When I began this study there seemed to be little information. On conclusion
of the literature review, I have found that still to be true. The lack of material
certainly lends credence to the notion that PR does not lend itself to being
studied.

It’s difficult to study the careers of women in the field

because public relations careers are not high profile. The
role of PR in fact often requires avoiding the spotlight. The
result is that public relations history has only produced a
few identifiable personalities (Newsom, Turk and
Kruckeberg, 2004, p38).

Certainly, from the literature (and as you will read later, from the opinions
of professionals and students) women seem better suited emotionally and
psychologically to work in public relations. This may explain the high
proportion of women in the field. Men, perhaps, have yet to grasp and use
the qualities which seem to have put women at the forefront of the
profession. “The next generation of public relations workers will see a
leveling of perceived differences between how men and women public
relations workers think and behave” (Mackey, 2003). This may then see a
more even spread of males and females in the profession. As Indian and UK
professional Prema Sagar, of Genesis PR, said: “Public relations is still a
field that is looked down upon. The simplest example of this is that there are
very few men doing this job” (Newsom, Turk and Kruckeberg, 2000). Sagar,
the first Indian to be inducted into the International Communications
Consultancy Organisation’s (ICCO) International Hall of Fame, reflects on a
pessimistic future for the industry if it remains unbalanced:

Many public relations practitioners fear that the presence of

increasing numbers of women in the field is already causing
corporate "layering" that lowers the status of the PR
function on the corporate ladder. Others believe that, in a
global society where women have lower status than men,
delegating the PR function to women will denigrate the
profession. Few critics are brave enough to voice these
concerns loudly, but their murmurings can be heard.

In her 2005 survey of PR professionals in northern England, Hall

recommended that it was most important an investigation be undertaken into

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why the profession remains so attractive to women, to encompass the
current and future impact caused by the feminisation of the field. “The
argument is that this is important if the industry wishes to maintain its
growing reputation and continue to be taken seriously in future” (Hall,
2005). Has feminisation brought about collaboration, sensitivity towards
audiences and better two-way communication? Certainly PR has become
more open and two-way. But perhaps this may be just a result of media
fragmentation and the development of the Internet, which encourages PR
practice to be more “in tune” with its target audiences.

While it may be the opinion of most writers that women seem more suited to
a career in PR, I do not believe this to have been scientifically justified.
Much of the limited amount of industry-specific research was conducted at a
time when currently outdated perceptions of males’ and females’ roles, and
of the way males and females think, held sway.

The rise in the number of females in PR may simply reflect the changing
nature of the Australian education system. Maushart (2005) outlines the way
that the system has, in the past 10–15 years, been designed to even the
imbalance in the system, which favoured boys. What is happening now is
that females are playing catch-up, and, it seems, surpassing boys’ academic
achievements. Some academics believe education, like PR, has been
feminised. Others argue it has been ‘verbalised’, with a growing emphasis
on self-expression, verbal analysis and information-processing. Certainly the
two of the key competencies necessary in PR – written and verbal
expression – favour women. According to Maushart (2005): “It is true that
females hold a slight edge in these areas. On average, Australian boys do not
perform – and never have performed – as well as girls in any of the main
literacy strands, especially writing and speaking . . . yet perform no worse
than their peers in comparable countries.” So it seems that what holds true in
Australia, in education and PR, would also apply in the US, the UK and
Canada, where the same trends are evident.

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One of the more practical explanations of the rise of women is that simply
because there are more women studying the subject, there are more entering
the profession. It may well be that simple. However, that does not explain
why there are so many women (and so few men) studying the subject. As
Brown, 1998 said: “Maybe public relations is merely the first portion of that
industry to witness some gender equity. In an information economy, where
communication is increasingly vital, perhaps that’s not such a bad place to
start.”

With regard to the subject of brain differences, I can not see that this has a
much influence on whether males or females would choose PR, other than to
generalise and say that because language (written and verbal) is such a
major component of PR, it naturally follows that females would be better
suited and/or more attracted to the subject, given that the research in this
area shows that females are predisposed to language skills. But that is
clearly a nonsense because “if boys are more able in mathematics and girls
have a greater verbal ability, it is hard to see how men can be better fitted for
political life and their dominant role there” (Sayers, as cited in Bland, 2005).

In summary, there seems to be little consistent evidence for significant

differences between men and women in ability to nurture, communicate, or
in the way brain patterns function. As Kimmel (2004) so succinctly put it:
“In most cases, brain researchers (like many other researchers) find exactly
what they are looking for” (p. 32). Or, as (Bland 2005) said:

It is suggested that men and women may tend to think in

different ways, but every individual thinks in his or her
individual way. Let us not come to believe that all women
think in one way and all men in the other.

As with all findings, some are more relevant than others.

Salary certainly could not be considered a reason for more women than men
studying PR, as this study found little difference in salary between men and
women. This is supported by Hutton (2005) and Hall (2005). Hutton stated:
“Detailed statistical analysis of a major salary survey and a review of

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existing studies both indicate that there is no empirical reason to believe that
there is gender-based salary discrimination in the PR field” (pp. 73-83).
Hutton’s findings were based on a 2001 study on salary by PR Week which
showed “there is little or no gender-based salary discrimination”. Hall’s
survey of PR professionals in northern England produced a similar result to
mine: that there was little difference in earnings between males and females.
Hall said: [There was] “only a minor discrepancy in salary . . . possibly
around £500–£1000 ($1000–$2000) per annum (if this can be classified as
minor). Female practitioners seem to be earning slightly less than male
public relations professionals, despite the fact they appear to hold more
qualifications (both industry and non-industry-related).”

Despite some of the negative comments with regard to hours, the issue of a
balance between family and work as a reason for the number of women in
PR, indeed, in any occupation, can not be dismissed. American psychologist
Steve Pinker says economists who study employment practices have long
noted that:

Men and women differ in what they state are their priorities
in life. Men, on average, are more likely to chase status at
the expense of their families; women give a more balanced
weighting. Once again: think statistics. The finding is not
that women value family and don’t value status. It is not
that men value status and don’t value family. Nor does the
finding imply that every last woman has (Pinker, 2005, np).

In line with that train of thought, Pinker also raises another aspect (related to
the above) that was mentioned by women practitioners in surveys and focus
groups. “There are some things in life that the females rated higher than
males, such as the ability to have a part-time career for a limited time in
one’s life” (Pinker, 2005). Female practitioners mentioned this (in PR) being
a flexible occupation and allowing them to have children, then perhaps work
from home. Several (male) consultancy principals also discussed this aspect
of the profession, which is covered elsewhere in the thesis. This aspect is
raised by many scholars, and most recently by Walters (2006) in Business
Review Weekly, which looked at the decline of women in IT; for those very

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reasons. “IT does not attract females because of its culture, in which long
hours are the norm. This in turn “means giving up an active social life,
forgoing hobbies and delaying marriage” (p. 31).

In Germany, studies have shown that cultural professions

(for example, journalism and design, “might serve as a
model for less gendered forms of work and work and life
arrangements [and that] it is more likely that we find
women making the trade-offs between work and family in
the sense of ‘dual earner/female part-time career’ or ‘dual
earner and marketised career’ patterns, a finding similar to
studies of professionals in other countries” (Gottschall
2002).

The gap in the three main areas chosen by respondents as the reason they
work in PR – variety, creativity and mental challenge – (Figure 28) show that
women may possess a more ‘creative’ bent toward the profession, as
indicated by Cline (as cited in Aldoory, 2001) who said: “Women’s interest
in more creative pursuits are examples of socialization.” This brings into
play the notion of whether PR is still seen as a ‘soft social’ discipline, in
which creative concepts are more favoured than hard-nosed business skills.
This may have it roots in the fact that many PR courses are embedded into
university social science departments, rather than business schools and/or
faculties. Does this fact simply attract more women, who are attracted by the
“social” side of PR? In the analysis of surveys, some respondents raise this
aspect. (Folmar, 2005) points to this. Results of my surveys prove that 72
per cent of the women surveyed listed creativity as why they choose PR as a
career.

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 Evident in extensive research is the perception that the
female majority in the field of public relations ‘softens’ the
image of the field and causes it not to be seen as a
legitimate, management-driven profession. Noted public
relations practitioner Philip Lesly (1988) noted that the
impact of a largely female field would have such
consequences as lowering professional aspirations because
women wanted to perform technical rather than managerial
duties, lowering income levels because fields that became
“female” experienced such losses, and creating the image of
public relations as a soft, rather than “heavy-hitting top
management function (Sha, 2001, p. 5).

One of the most relevant ‘snippets’ to shed light on the theory (as cited by
Folmar, 2005) was written by Linda R. Silver, who in 1988 speculated:

The reason feminised professions are often seen by social

scientists and the public at large as ‘semi-professions’ can
be attributed to the differing goals male and female
professionals have in regard to relationship management.
While male professionals work to advance themselves
through their professional lives, using their knowledge to
define their clients’ needs and hence to place themselves
above their clients, women professionals place primary
importance on filling the needs of others (p. 26).

Most importantly, according to Silver, is that “this difference in

management style manifests itself in the perceptions people have of certain
professions”, which is what I have argued in this study. It also holds that it is
not just the perception the public holds about PR, it is also the perception
that the industry, and those about the industry, have about PR.

From comments from males and females in this study, the industry view of
the industry says that the profession is full of “fluff” (both in looks and
content). From my perspective, I think the issue of image is more than “skin
deep”. I believe the industry as a whole suffers from lack of credibility
because its image is still one of being gimmicky, rather than offering
substance. This, in part, is due to the early days of PR, when it was long
lunches and parties – a fact well known by any journalist or PR practitioner
who has been around for more than 20 years (this includes myself). In the
wake of the Brian Burke lobbying scandal in WA, Stewart (2006) looked at

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lobbying and also PR (as many PR firms have specialist lobbyists). He refers
to the “guns for hire provided by dedicated PR and lobbying firms”, and
interviews Adam Kilgour, CEO of the PR and lobby group, CPR. “The work
of most lobbyists is far less exciting than the public perception. ‘Instead of
lunches of Cristal and Krug in Italian restaurants in Perth, lobbing mostly
involves research, strategy, analysing data, turning it into digestible messages
and sharing it with governments’," Andrew Parker of Parker and Partners
says (p. 27).

I and many others believe the issue of the perception and image of PR is
more than “skin deep”. I believe the industry as a whole suffers from lack of
credibility because its image is one of being gimmicky, rather than offering
substance. This, in part, is probably a ‘hangover’ (no pun intended) from the
early days of PR, when it was long lunches and parties.

Folmar (2005) proposes that it might be that males are simply ‘unattracted’
to public relations. Data from her survey of university students “reflected
that students perceive a certain degree of ambiguity associated with public
relations, because public relations does not have one definition by which it is
known, which was evident in both of the texts analysed, the profession
carries with it a stigma of being somewhat nebulous in nature. In other
words, the very nature of public relations might be a turn-off for males” (p.
pp. 88–89). This was in evidence in my interviews, with words like ‘soft’
and ‘fuzzy’ being used (by males) to describe the practice of PR. In general,
male students see PR as being unable to deliver the necessary ‘business’
outcomes that can be achieved in subjects like marketing, which, as one
student said, can be measured more effectively.

There’s a perception in PR that you are always only a

spokesperson for whoever you work for, and that you never
really get involved with driving the business. So that could
be a disincentive for males not doing PR. I guess it gets
back to me thinking that it’s an inadequate subject (Male
student in 2006 interview).

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This attitude, which seems to be prevalent among the wider number of male
students (and it is difficult to ascertain, based on the relatively small sample
in this study) ties in with the theory put forward by Game and Pringle (1983)
who believe “Men who do ‘women’s work’ may be seen as weak,
effeminate or even homosexual. Men’s work has to be experienced as
empowering” (p. 16).

The image and perception of PR is considered by males to be ‘feminine’.

The general consensus among males was that PR is a ‘soft’ subject. PR, it
seems, does not suit conform to what male students’ perceive to be a
business subject. Primarily this means that they do not see the value PR
contributes to a business, and nor can they measure the outcomes of PR
programs. As outlined in the interviews and in answers to my surveys, males
regard the process and outcomes of PR as being intangible. Males continue
to prefer what have traditionally been regarded as male business subjects,
such as economics, marketing and advertising. There are numerous reasons
for this. Principally, students are still socially-conditioned by the media,
both news and entertainment, to view PR in a less-than-serious light.

If we use a feminine/masculine traits analysis on PR, we find that those

skills and traits most people believe belong with PR are ‘feminine’. These
include all those already mentioned, and then some. According to Deaux
(1976): “studies show that women are much more willing to disclose
information about themselves than men. . . . Men like other men who
disclose relatively little information about themselves, whereas women
consistently show a preference for those women who are willing to discuss
personal information” (pp. 60-61). If so many women are working in PR
may indicate that this “information-rich” nature of women may also be
another reason why they may be ideally suited. As shown in this study, men
do not perceive PR to be a ‘serious’ subject. In the business world, having a
tendency towards self-disclosure (that is, being overtly verbose) would
probably be seen by many men in management as a weakness; therefore

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those entering PR could be seen as a vacuous or flighty and not possessing
the competitive traits necessary for ‘pure’ business (accounting, marketing).

8.3 Conclusions from student surveys

While it is not documented, it is common in the industry that women have

been allocated events organisation. This may be a hangover from the early
days of PR when males dominated the industry and women were seen as
only suitable for the “froth and bubble” aspects of PR (launches, lunches,
concerts). The perception (there’s that word again) among students that this
is an important aspect of PR is worrying, and only serves to reinforce the
stereotype. However, this phenomenon (along with the emphasis on media
relations) may be a byproduct of the industry in Perth, which is small and
does not attract the large corporates that are present on the east coast. This in
turn leads to a “dumbing down” of the industry, which is forced to revert to
gimmicks and media stunts to attract publicity.

Many of the small to medium-sized business in Perth either do not consider,

or understand modern PR practices such as stakeholder relations, issues
management and Integrated Marketing Communication. This simply
compounds the problem of academics being unable to present the relevance
of these aspects to students.

The way students perceive PR is, I believe, a worrying aspect borne out by
this study. Students’ perceptions is also the critical factor in helping to shape
future directions for the profession. Today’s students are tomorrow’s
practitioners. Many students (particularly males) initially perceive PR to be
a “soft” option. This begs the question of whether universities are attracting
the right type of person into the industry. This study has shown that PR
attracts people (particularly students) for the variety, creativity, mental
challenges and career path it offers. Money was a fifth choice. So while
there may be negative perceptions of the profession as a whole, people are
still drawn to it for reasons other than financial gain.

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This study’s surveys clearly show that men and women have different areas
of interest with PR, and that they are utilised (by management) in different
areas of PR. Women are still associated (whether by choice or management)
to the technician-type roles (events, media and writing), whereas men are
associated with manager-type functions such as project and reputation
management, reputation management.

In her US study, Noble (2004) found most students “majored in public

relations because [they] find it interesting”. Students also agreed strongly
with the following statements, indicating their focus on life after college: “I
majored in public relations because this major will give me the skills that
will lead to a job when I graduate”; “I majored in public relations because it
combines creativity and business”. Women (73.8 per cent) were more likely
to agree they selected public relations as a major because of the creative
aspects than did men (51.4 per cent). In my survey, the main reason for
choosing PR was variety (53 per cent of respondents), followed closely by
creativity 47 per cent). My survey also found that of those who listed
creativity as a reason for working in PR, 72 per cent were women. The
same applied to variety, with 63 per cent of those choosing it as their main
motivation being women.

With imbalance being the cornerstone of my thesis, professionals’

responses to questions relating directly to imbalance were critical. Despite
the fact that 73 per cent of respondents said there should be balance in the
industry, and that balance is necessary for a healthy industry, there were few
concerns from those surveyed. This may reflect the attitudes of those in
‘power’, who probably do not see beyond today and the long-term effects
imbalance may have. In many ways, PR professionals are no different from
the general population when it comes to future thought. There was general
consensus that imbalance in itself is not necessarily a good thing for any
industry, and particularly PR, which is about promotion and providing a
balance of views. If there was any concern, it was only by a few (and then
from a literary research viewpoint) that salaries may decrease. This is what

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has been shown to happen when an industry become predominantly female.
In summary, there was quite an unreflective response from industry.

Is it merely that, despite PR’s early beginnings as a male-dominated field,

we have now come to recognise, through natural selection, because of our
brain patterns (and differences), females are naturally more suited to PR? It
may be that certain (more business-focused) sections of PR, such as investor
relations and political lobbying, will remain in the male domain. This may
eventually see PR split to produce separate fields in their own right, as we
have witnessed in the case of Integrated Marketing Communication, which
is now offered at one Australian university as a separate post-graduate
degree. According to Moir and Jessel (1996): “the connection between
masculinity, prestige and status is a dynamic one; when traditional male jobs
come to be filled by women, the jobs lose their status in men’s eyes” (p.
162). If this is the case, then here is another reason why men simply avoid
entering PR.

For me, there were several important points raised by the literature that
crossed over into the surveys and interviews and point towards the reasons
why more women than men are entering PR.

It is clearly shown that the way our culture ‘socialises’ us (that is, imparts its
morés, values and customs) is a crucial factor in developing our gender
perceptions of all facets of our lives; from how we play to what we regard as
male or female roles and careers. “Some experts, believe physical
differences in the brain may not be there at birth but are gradually sculpted.
This is because social conditioning begins from the first day of life”
(Midgley, 2006). Our socialisation leads to the way we perceive things,
including occupations. The media, in turn – also a product of our society –
merely serve to reinforce these perceptions. In the case of PR, the media
presents the profession in various negative guises, as dodgy, glamorous,
flaky, secretive, fuzzy and unscrupulous – hardly the light a profession
would seek to advertise itself. Yet this is how PR is being ‘advertised’
consistently.

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Part of the perception is that PR is inherently ‘feminine’ in nature. This thesis
has shown that PR requires certain basic skills, most of which appear to be
better performed by women, and are shown to be aspects of work that women
enjoy more than men. The study has presented evidence that shows women
perform better than men in written and spoken English, and the ability to
listen. These attributes are generally perceived by men to be ‘female’ subjects.
This study’s participants have also indicated in their responses that they
perceive PR to be ‘feminine’. It naturally follows that if women are proven
better performers in these areas, they are better suited to a career in PR.
Similarly, if the perception is that the industry is feminine, then it will remain
that. This, I believe, ties in with evidence showing there has been a rise in the
number of ‘soft’ industries, such as ecology and psychology. PR is simply
just one more of those ‘soft’ industries experiencing large growth. Sue Webb,
who is completing a PhD at ECU on the issue of declining female
participation in IT, believes that the “biggest problem is misperception
[about] the public image of IT jobs” (Walters, 2006, p. 32).

There is also the consideration of how the historical nature of communications

(journalism and PR) is changing. As shown, PR initially was the domain of
former journalists, mostly male. About 10-12 years ago, with the rise in
communications courses and the changing nature of the workforce, more
women entered the profession. PR has now turned almost completely around
in its gender structure, and the signs are that journalism is not far behind. The
conclusion is that the entire communications profession will become female-
intensive.

8.4 Recommendations and observations

End of the road for top spin doctor …

Paul Willoughby, one of the Government’s highest-paid

‘spin doctors’, will leave the public service today, after his
position at the Roads and Traffic Authority was abolished
… The Opposition Leader, Peter Debnam, has vowed to cut
75 per cent of spin doctors from the police media unit”
(Dick and Kennedy, 2006).

218
PR’s portrayal in the media is cause for concern; particularly if PR wants to
be taken more seriously and the indications are that it is not – by both
students and the public. The above example is typical of the way journalists
perceive PR practitioners – until they become one themselves. How the
industry deals with this is up to the industry. However, I believe the
profession should look at ways of rectifying the misconceptions. An
advertising campaign similar to the Numbers campaign conducted in late
2005 to early 2006 by Certified Practising Accountants (CPAs) may be
warranted. However, this is probably not achievable, due to the high cost
and the PRIA’s low membership base, which (at the time of writing) is
slowly being expanded. Certainly, the PRIA could be more pro-active in
performing some ‘PR for PR’.

From both a personal and professional viewpoint, I do not consider that a

growing imbalance is necessarily a healthy thing. All the imbalance will do
for the profession is simply attract more females (and deter males). Some
may argue that the profession may be better served by people who are
interested in it, and if they are females, so be it.

Other industries (notably, mining, engineering and IT) are concerned about
male dominance and have actively sought to recruit females. The mining
industry in WA, and the national IT sector, launched such campaigns in
2006. My view is that the imbalance in PR should be addressed by the PRIA
and institutions by rectifying the false impressions of the profession among
students and the public.

The IT industry has interesting parallels to PR, in that the percentage

imbalance is roughly the same, but in reverse. The difference is that the IT
industry seems to be taking strong steps to correct the imbalance
(Hilderbrand, 2005). Australian IT managers and peak bodies are now
calling for the industry to try to attract more females. The Australian
Computer Society has taken the dramatic and controversial step of
sponsorship the 2006 Screen Goddess Calendar, which depicts women

219
working in IT in various bikini-clad poses which replicate scenes from
famous movies, such as an Ursula
Andress scene from Dr No
(pictured).

Writing in The Australian, the

Society’s president said:

Women are grossly under represented in the ICT sector and

strong measures are required to attract more women into
this industry … the ACS Foundation has a number of
scholarships designed to encourage women in to ICT. We
are constantly looking for opportunities to promote the
interest of women. My hope is that the maelstrom over the
Screen Goddess calendar will at least stimulate some
positive discussion that will lead to effective ways of
addressing the ICT gender imbalance. (Argy 2006)

The CIO (Chief Information Officer) of the Executive Council (an

organisation with offices in Australia, Canada and the US) is encouraging
universities in Victoria, NSW and Queensland to standardise their courses.
Writing in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, Hilderbrand reports the courses will
help reshape IT students’ perceptions about the profession, particularly
focusing on how IT contributes overall to how a business works. The
[Australian] Council’s executive director, Con Colovos, said:

Females are articulate, excellent communicators and very

good at analysis. Without them IT will be without the
balance that will be required for it to mature as other
industries have. We do not want to see our industry be
stereotyped as males doing geeky, nerdy work (Hilderbrand
2005).

Hilderbrand’s observations are backed by McCurdy (2005), who found in

her survey of third-year Queensland PR students that ‘communication’ was
listed by 12 per cent of women as the reason they were studying PR, while
no males listed it as a reason. This may simply indicate that females like to
communicate. While it may seem a blindingly-obvious question, it is, after
all, the reason for PR’s existence – to communicate. This theme was

220
explored further by Walters (2006). Writing in Business Review Weekly
about the decline of women in IT, she said women have the skills that IT
needs (communication, organisational and analytical ability). However,
because of the ‘blokey’ culture of IT, the long hours and the nerdy image,
they are drifting into other occupations. Certainly these qualities are
essential in PR. It may be that many current PR graduates could be the very
people the IT industry is letting slip through the net.

From an educational viewpoint, perhaps the way PR is taught and promoted

may need to be addressed. Clearly, many students (and indeed, some
professionals) have misconceptions about PR. A first step would be for
educational institutions to correct the negative image PR has, particularly
among males. This relates to the perceptions that PR is a ‘female’
profession, that is not ‘serious’ and is simply about spin. If balance is to be
restored, or even slightly corrected, PR needs to be presented in a more
serious light in order to attract more males. Educators may have to question
the choice of materials (texts, in particular) that are being presented to
students. Are texts mostly written by males for males in countries where the
industry is male- or female-dominated? I believe universities may need to
take a better look at the way PR is portrayed in promotional material. Rather
than show females doing PR, why not show males, or at least a balance?

While students may soon discover that the study of PR is subject to most of
the normal disciplines of any university course, the fact that many enter it
with little knowledge (and some of that knowledge quite distorted) is a
situation that needs to be addressed by universities, and by the industry,
through the PRIA. Public relations could certainly do no worse than, at the
minimum, supply career information to prospective students through a direct
campaign at State education authorities. Beyond that, it may look at
increasing its profile with another direct campaign aimed at leading
businesses, which may highlight campaign successes. There is, however, a
clear need for industry bodies, particularly the PRIA, to maintain a watch on
trends.

221
There are several questions that arise from this research and which could be
addressed by further study. The most important is: will this trend affect the
way information is interpreted? In other words, is there a female bias that
presents in PR communications? Other salient points are: will an imbalanced
PR profession alter the public’s perception of the subjects it seeks to
promote, advertise and report on?

One of the main considerations is to consider whether the profession, and

individuals, will be greatly affected by the change in gender construction.
This study showed that 62 per cent of professionals are concerned about
what effects imbalance may have on the industry, but none indicated what
effects these might be. The inference is that while professionals are
concerned, until the situation affects them directly, they are not worried
about it.

Finally, is the PR industry even aware of the phenomenon of increasing

numbers of females entering the industry? If so, does it at all care? I would
answer, “yes”, the industry is aware of the phenomenon, but, “no”, it does
not care enough to have it on the agenda for discussion at any official level.
The profession should be asking itself if and/or how the increasing number
of women in PR has impacted, or will impact, on the profession. And what
are the long-term implications, if any, for the profession as a result of such
an imbalance.

As shown, other industries are well aware of gender imbalances and possible
problems that may arise from that. Some, notably IT and engineering, are
taking steps to correct the situation. While many PR professionals (mostly
from Queensland) have shown interest in this study, no-one from the
national body, or academia, has come out and said “yes, there may be a
problem and we should be analysing a response” – if one is necessary. Only
time will tell whether this trend will have any effects on the industry.
However, as someone who has observed the phenomenon over many years,
at the very least, I believe the profession needs to be prepared for a possible

222
change in the way PR is practised. Whether this will be detrimental is hard
to say at this stage.

The overall aim of my study was the examine the reasons for the growing
number of women entering PR. Based on the evidence, I believe that while
there are many factors which contribute to the predominance of women in
PR, it is our cultural view of PR (our socialisation) which is the dominant
force in determining whether males or females enter PR.

A growing female presence may serve to enhance or hinder the industry;

although this will depend on the level on influence women will exert at
upper management levels – something that seems not to have happened yet.
Whatever the eventual outcome, the composition of the profession should be
no different from what we seek to achieve in many aspects of life – balance.

As Dan Edelman said: “We need balance” (2002).

223
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Annexes
Annex A – Request to conduct surveys

Sent via e-mail to PR course co-ordinators mid-June 2005

SUBJECT: PR GENDER SURVEY

Hi, (Name of course co-ordinator)

I am undertaking a PhD through Central Queensland University. The project is a gender

study of the PR industry. To that end, I would like your permission to conduct a survey of
second- and third-year [University name] PR students.

All I request is time at the end of a lecture to present the survey and to distribute
questionnaires. All up this should take 30 minutes (that includes time for the students to
complete the survey, which I have attached).

The methodology has been approved by the CQU Ethic Committee (Ref. H05/05-54 of 2
June 2005).

Any assistance is appreciated, [name]. Thanks for your consideration.

Regards,
Greg Smith

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 Annex B – Request for enrolment statistics

Sent via e-mail to University Heads of Communication, June 2005

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR ENROLLMENT STATISTICS

I am a Perth-based PhD student (Central Queensland University) researching the

predominance of women in communications (PR) in Perth.

I am in the stages of initial research and would like to know if your School would be able to
provide statistics of course enrolment, preferably for as many years as possible, please?

Could you also indicate to whom I should address future requests for possible participation of
[University name] students in survey and/or focus groups, please?

The research has been approved by the CQU Ethic Committee (Ref. H05/05-54 of 2 June
2005).

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Greg Smith

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 Annex C – Professionals survey

2005 gender survey into the public relations industry

This survey is the second stage of research into the predominance of women in public
relations (primarily in Perth) and is being conducted as part of a PhD in Communications
through the School of Infomatics and Communication at Central Queensland University,
Rockhampton. The supervisors are Professor Alan Knight, and Kate Ames.

It is intended to form the basis for interviews and focus groups, to be conducted later in 2005
and 2006.

In brief:
o All information in this survey is confidential.
o No names are being used.
o No-one will be identified.
o There is no compulsion for you to complete the survey.
o All surveys will be destroyed once the results have been collated.

You will be advised of the survey results by e-mail. These will also be published at the web
site http://members.westnet.com.au/gsmith/study. If you require further information, please
contact me at [email protected].

I thought it necessary to ask a question about income. While I realise for many people this is
“private”, its inclusion will help show the relationship between gender and earning capacity.
Again, I assure you that this information is strictly confidential. No person is identified, and
all responses will be destroyed. Results will be used only in this study.

Finally, thank you for your continued interest and participation in this study, which, as far as
I am aware, is the first of its type. It should form the basis of future research. Your
involvement will contribute to knowledge about our industry, particularly in Perth.

Sincerely,

Greg Smith
3 June 2005

243
 INSTRUCTIONS

This survey should take no more than 25 minutes. Please answer all questions. To
answer multiple choice questions, highlight the box, and click your mouse. For
answers which require wording or numbering, type in the grey area. Please save your
document and return by e-mail to [email protected]. Thank you.

1. Sex
M F

2. Highest schooling
A High School
B TAFE
C Uni

3. Highest qualification

A School Cert/HSC/Leavers

B TAFE Cert/Diploma

C University Degree

D Post-Grad

E Other

4. In order, list the three areas you mostly work in.

Community relations
Media relations
Issues management
Event management
Product promotion
Other (specify)

244
5. What sector of the industry do you mostly work in?
A Private company (in-house)
B Government
C Non-profit
D Consultancy (in-house)
E Other

6. How many years have you worked in public relations?

years

7. What type of role best describes the work you do?

A Writer
B Client liaison
C Event management
D Media
E Support and co-ordination
F Strategy development?
G Other

8. What level are you employed at?

A Junior/entry

B Technician (writer, media, events)

C Middle (some client liaison, some strategy)

D Senior (strategy only)

9. What is your salary range?

A $20,000–$35,000
B $36,000–$45,000
C $46,000–$60,000
D $61,000–plus

245
10. On average, how many hours a day do you work?
A 6–8 hours
B 8–10 hours
C 10–12 hours
D 12–plus hours

11. Several factors may influence the choice of PR as a successful/good career.

Number (in order) what you believe makes PR a good career?
Money
Career path
Creative aspect
Variety
Mental challenge
Other (specify)

12. What three aspects of PR interest you most (number 3 only, in order):
Goal-setting
Marketing and branding
Project management
Budgets/cost control
Graphic design
Writing
Media liaison
Events management
Investor relations
Reputation management
Research
Community relations

246
13. In order, what type of PR would you/do you prefer to work in:
Consultancy
Government
Corporate/in-house
Non-profit

14. Do you think there is a balanced workforce in PR (as it relates to gender)?

Yes No

15. A census of the Perth PR industry and universities this year showed that on
average that 74 per cent of the industry is female. Were you aware of this?
Yes No

Why do you think this has happened?

16. Do you think men or women are better suited to a communications career?
Men Women

Why?

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17. Do you think a person’s gender influences his/her entry into PR?
Yes No

If yes, in what way/s?

18. Do you think men or women (or neither) are best able to build rapport with
clients?
Men Women Neither

Why?

19. Are there any barriers that you believe could hinder a person’s career in PR?
Yes No

What are they?

248
20. Do you think there should be a balanced workforce in PR?
Yes No

Why

21. Do you think gender impacts on individual performance in PR?

Yes No

Why?

22. Do you think gender imbalance might have any effects/s on the PR industry?
Yes No

If yes, what effects might they be?

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23. Do you think there is a difference in the way males and females work with
clients?
Yes No.
If so, how?

24. Are there any aspects of working in this industry that affect your ability to work
with clients and other industry professionals, media, target audiences?
Yes No
What are they

25. Are there any ethical issues that effect your work within the industry?
Yes No
What are they?

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26. Does this differ between males and females?
Yes No.
What are they?

27. Will you be available for an Interview and/or Focus group?

28. What day and time best suits you for:

a. An interview Preference: In-person Phone

b. Focus group

29. Do you have any comments or questions about this survey?

Thank you for your participation

- Greg Smith
June 2005

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 Annex D – Student survey 1
PR GENDER – STUDENT SURVEY

This survey is the first stage of research into the predominance of women in public relations.

This questionnaire is being conducted as part of a PhD in Communications through the

School of Infomatics and Communication at Central Queensland University.

It is intended as a guide towards more in-depth interviews and focus groups, to be conducted
late in 2005 and 2006. Supervisors are Prof. Alan Knight, and Kate Ames.

In brief:
1. All information in this survey is confidential.
2. No names are being used.
3. No one will be identified.
4. All surveys will be destroyed once the results have been collated.
5. No e-mail addresses or names are passed to any third party.

You will be advised of the survey results by e-mail. These will also be published at the web
site http://members.westnet.com.au/gsmith/study. If you require further information, please
contact me at [email protected].

Please read the instructions on each question carefully, as some of the pilot surveys were
invalid due to questions not being completed correctly.

Finally, thank you for your interest and participation in this study, which, as far as I am
aware, is the first of its type. It should form the basis of future research. Your involvement
will contribute to knowledge about our industry.

Sincerely,

Greg Smith

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INSTRUCTIONS
This survey should take no more than 20 minutes. Please answer all questions,
marking boxes with an X. Please answer all questions, otherwise the survey is
invalid.

1. Sex
M F

2. Year of study
Year 2 Year 3

3. Course Major being studied

Public Relations
Journalism
Other (specify) ________________________________

4. How do you see PR?

A Career A Job May lead to something else

5. What aspects of PR interest you most (LIST 3 ONLY, in order of interest):

Goal-setting
Integrated Marketing Communication
Project management
Budgets/cost control
Production (print/web design)
Writing
Media relations
Events management
Investor relations
Reputation management
Research
Community relations

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6. What type of PR would you prefer to work in? (MARK ONE):
Consultancy
Government
Non-profit
Corporate (that is, in-house for one firm)
Anything I can get
Undecided
7. List in order (from 1–3) the areas of PR that interest you most.
__ Beauty/fashion
__ Travel/tourism
__ Non-profit
__ Entertainment
__ Health/medical/pharmaceutical
__ Food and beverage
__ International
__ IT
__ Financial
__ Industrial/manufacturing
__ Sports

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8. Reasons for studying (and therefore presumably wanting to work in) PR vary. For
the following, rate in order (1 to 9) what might motivate you to choose a PR career.

__ Desire to work with people

__ Money

__ Job satisfaction

__ Job security

__ Perceived benefits

__ Interest in current affairs

__ Career variety

__ Prestige

__ Creative aspects

9. What chance of success do you think you will have in obtaining work within PR:

Less than 20 per cent

20–40 per cent

50–70 per cent

80–100 per cent

10. List the number of male and female tutors you have
Male
Female

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11. Do you perceive any differences in the way your male and female tutors/lecturers
teach?
Yes No

If yes, what are they?

12. A census of the Perth PR industry and university courses this year showed that on
average 74 per cent of students are female, with some courses up to 80 per cent
female. Were you aware of that?

Yes No

Why do you think that is?

13. Do you think men or women are more suited to a communications career?
Men Women Neither

Why?

256
14. Do you think a person’s gender might influence his/her entry into PR?
Yes No Not really

Comment:

15. Do you think men or women would best be able to build rapport with clients?
Men Women Neither

If you answered male or female, why?

16. Number, from 1 to 3, the three qualities you believe make a good PR practitioner.

Verbal skills

Written skills

Planning skills

Organisational skills

Knowledge of the media

Strategic thinking

Financial management

Listening ability

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17. Do you see any barriers that might hinder your career in PR?

18. Rate whether you disagree/agree with the following. Place X in the box.
Strongly disagree Mildly disagree Mildly agree Strongly agree
A. PR is an easy study option

B. I am mildly interested in PR

C. PR will suffice until other

opportunities arise

D. PR allows me to be inventive/creative
E. PR offers good practical skills

19. Are you aware that in PR, men are, on average, paid more than women?
(PR Week Opinion Survey, 2002)
Yes No

What do you think of that?

20. In PR, do you think men or women are more likely to be hired for basic
(technician) communication skills (that is, writing, editing, design, web/print)?
Men Women Both equally

258
The following information is confidential. It will be destroyed after the interviews
and focus groups are completed.

Would you be available for a focus group and/or interview?

Your name:

E-mail address:

Phone number (optional):

259
 Annex E – Student survey 2

1. Your gender 1 Male 2 Female

2. Your university 1 Curtin 2 ECU 2 Notre Dame

4 Murdoch

3. Which socio-economic (family) group do you come from? (ABS definitions).

1 Low ($6k-$21k) 2 Average ($22k-$58k)

3 Above average ($59k-$70k) 4 High (above $70k)

4. Which of these traits best describes you? (Select one only).

1 Positive 4 Creative 7 Quiet

2 Personable 5 Outgoing
3 Decisive 6 Organised

5. What was your favourite subject at school? (Select one only)

1 Science 7 Economics
2 Geography 8 Politics
3 Maths 9 Art
4 English 10 Drama
5 Other language 11 Other (list)
6 History _____________________________

6. What influenced you most to study PR? (Select one only).

1 Friend 5 Influenced by media (TV)

2 Knew someone in the industry 6 Knew about it and made some enquiries
3 Schools careers counsellor 7 Always had an interest
4 Switched to PR course 8 Other ___________________________

7. How do you think most people view PR? (Select one only)

1 They have a positive impression

2 They think it’s about spin
3 They’re a little unsure about it
4 They don’t know
5 Other (specify) ––––––––––––––––––––

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8. What type of work situation suits you best?

1 Prefer to produce my own ideas

2 Prefer to implement others’ ideas
3 Prefer to weight up my ideas against others’

9. Rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the statement: “PR is ‘fuzzy’ in
its logic”.

1 Strongly agree 2 Mildly agree

3 Mildly disagree 4 Strongly disagree

10. Did you have any perception about PR before studying it?
1 Yes 2 No

11. Do you think students study PR because of their perceptions about it?
1 Yes 2 No

12. If “yes”, what did you think about PR then? What do you think about PR
now?
 Annex F – Responses to professional survey (open-ended questions)

Q. 14. Do you think there is a balanced workforce in PR (as it relates to gender)?

1. Balance and performance is not gender-specific. (M)

2. Balance would better represent the needs of diverse clients. (F)
3. Like any industry, there should be gender balance. (F)
4. I can’t see what advantage it would confer or difference it would make
ultimately. If the job is done properly doesn’t matter who does it, regardless of
gender or age. (F)
5. There should be a balanced workforce in PR; just as there should be in other
fields. (M)
6. It should be about hiring the best person for the job. (F)
7. A predominance of female PR and media practitioners leads to a bias toward
women’s issues and beliefs. Female beliefs should have an equal male
counterweight in both the choice and analysis of issues. The genders might be
equal but they still think differently on many issues. (M)
8. Those who best suit the job should get the job. (F)
9. It may bring a greater measure of external respect for the industry if more men
were in it (sad but true). (F)
10. It’s good for the industry, to provide aspects from both genders. (F)
11. Attempts to enforce arbitrary balances are futile. We should be attracting the
best people for the job regardless of their gender, eye colour, race or shoe size.
(M)
12. Balance is necessary to uphold principles of equity and diversity. (M)
13. It is always preferable to have a range of opinions, experience and views, so of
course a workforce should be balanced rather than dominated by any one
view. (M)
14. If PR is to be seen as a profession rather than a trade then gender imbalance
should be addressed. It shouldn’t be an issue. (M)
15. There should be a balanced workforce everywhere. (M)
16. Every workforce should be balanced. Employment should be about merit and
what individuals, regardless of gender, can bring to the mix. (F)
17. I think like any function PR benefits from balance between creativity and a
more business and structured approach to work. (F)

262
18. I believe there should be balanced workforce in every area that an equal
amount of men and women are interested in pursuing - unhindered by
stereotypes. (F)
19. A better gender balance would help ensure better client relations at all levels.
If the industry is seen to be exclusive to women it is likely to not be able to
fully understand or service the needs of all client groups. (M)
20. Balance can help, depending on who the client and stakeholders they are
dealing with. Also, it appears that male and female approaches can be quite
different. (There’s a) need to be able to consider different angles. (M)
21. It should be a natural product of selecting the best people for the relevant jobs.
(M)
22. We should simply get the best people. Do you think the engineering industry
(or other male-dominated industries have suffered due to their gender balance?
If we agree with the question, does that mean an ‘imbalanced’ workforce is
good? (F)
23. I don’t believe it makes any difference if there is a gender imbalance. (F)
24. Balance is not relevant. However, I think the upper echelons of PR should
reflect the female dominance at lower levels. As the industry is so female
dominated woman tend to primarily work with and around women. A male
influence is needed to balance teams.(F)
25. In consultancies, particularly, you will usually have a client list which
includes brands/services which target different audiences. It is helpful to have
both a male and female (as well as younger/older for that matter) perspective
on consumer insights. (F)
26. Teams work best when there is a balance of ideas, backgrounds and
orientations - obviously gender plays a part in that. (F)
27. It can sometimes create a one-gender approach. (F)
28. I think the industry is best served by intelligent, articulate, strategic people,
irrespective of gender. (F)
29. Some people may work better (or not) with (or without) men/women in the
workplace. (F)
30. The high proportion of women in junior roles contributes to the image of the
profession being tactical in nature – not corporate, strategic. The over-
proportion of men in management positions contributes to the reality that the
industry is a poor promoter of relationships in the workplace. There should be
balance because half the people we communicate with are men. (M)
31. Yes, there should be balance. Yes, because men bring different skills and
some corporations still simply prefer dealing with men - particularly in
industries like engineering and mining. Men and women both have different
qualities to offer and a mixed team creates a better dynamic. It’s less effective
marketing to men, lack of men’s perspective. (F)

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 32. It creates diversity (F)
33. Balance in any industry is preferable but I’m not sure it will change the
outcomes for the client. (F)
34. A balanced workforce can address the needs of all clientele at a particular time
and deliver an even spread of creative thinking. (M)
35. It’s not necessary to have men in this profession. (F)
36. Balance brings variety and different approaches to the work. But an office
with too many women can be bitchy. I sure know that. (M)
37. There should be a balanced workforce in any industry. (F)
38. (Males and females) complement each other’s skills, provide a gender balance
in the office and help steer away from it being a traditionally female-
dominated area. (F)
39. Does it matter? (F)
40. We need the right person for the right job, which can be any gender. (M)
41. Any workforce that contains a more equal balance of males and females is
generally a happier and arguably more functional workplace (comment made
from personal experience of almost 30 years in the workforce). (F)
42. All industry sectors should strive to have a balanced workforce. (F)

Q. 15. A census of the Perth PR industry and universities this year showed that
on average that 74 per cent of the industry is female. Were you aware of this? If
yes, why do you think it occurred?

1. PR has been promoted as an attractive career for women. (M)

2. Women are drawn to PR because of their confidence and their knowledge. (F)
3. A lot of girls study PR at uni I believe, as they think it’s a fairly glamorous
career, thinking it’s lots of parties and schmoozing. Often they think of very
consumer-oriented PR with lots of events. Most of PR is not really about that.
It’s more media relations. As you become more senior, issues management,
corporate reputation. It’s seen as a more female occupation due to the
perception of events, schmoozing, very tactical work. PR is often perceived by
men to be a glorified secretary’s role. (F)
4. People think PR is glamorous so mostly women are attracted to this as a career
path. (F)
5. Women have better natural skills for undertaking PR and are more interested
in it. (M)
6. In the older age groups, I feel it could be due to secretaries and PA’s having
moved into the PR area or given ‘PR’ to do as part of their original role

264
 because they have secretarial skills. I suspect many small PR consultancies are
run by women and if they’re home-based then a woman is less likely to bring
a man into that situation; people say the nature of women is better suited to
PR and communications (that of course is debatable. (F)

7. Female high school students often have PR suggested because of basic

psychometric assessment which identifies the creative/intuitive aspects of the
profession as suitable for women. There has also been a strong promotion of
PR as a celebrity profession through media, which seems attractive especially
to young women. (M)

8. Senior government positions in particular are occupied by women and they

simply recruit other women. It’s quite scandalous. (M)

9. There’s been a focus on softer/product marketing aspects of PR encourages

PR houses to hire softer employees and housekeepers for event management.
Women see it as a career in itself, particularly in sub-disciplines such as event
management. (M)

10. Women are conditioned to believe PR is a right-brained industry and women

are ‘naturally’ right brained. I’ve actually heard people say, ‘you can talk, you
get on with people, who don’t you go into PR. (F)

11. I think PR has a perception of being a female industry a bit like nursing and
thus men are not naturally drawn to it, unless they come in via journalism or
publishing. (F)

12. It has traditionally been an area women have been seen to excel, so I imagine
as a female student you would want to chose a career path that doesn’t appear
to have an overt glass ceiling. (F)

13. The industry generally has more opportunities today for females and, as
women gain more senior PR roles they tend to engage more females. As the
numbers of females grow in the industry they tend to influence others to
pursue the profession. (M)

14. I think PR is a great profession for men and women but women have taken to
it as an alternative to journalism with the opp. to work in with clients, flexible
career paths, events, media, marketing etc and still write - without the issues
of death knocks, chequebook journalism, male dominated media circles. (F)

15. PR shifted from being a career progression for ex-journalists (mainly men) to
a more recognised professional option in its own right with university courses
attracting more women. (F)

16. Young men tend to view communications as a career path for women. (F)

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17. Women are better-suited because it is more natural for women to
communicate. (F)

18. It is now perceived as ‘female’ sector. (F)

19. It was traditionally viewed as a female career path. (F)

20. More women entering previously male-dominated roles in media generally.

(F)

21. Possibly women are drawn more to humanities. (F)

22. Males are actively discriminated against at [uni] course selection and at time
of employment. (M)

23. PR is based strongly on communication skills, and women felt that it was an
area they could specialise in. (F)

24. Women are more interested in communicating than men. PR is mainly about
communicating. (F)

25. Representations in popular media portray PR as a ‘cool’ profession for

women. I believe it is viewed as a ‘chicks’ field and therefore is not taken as
seriously as it would if there were more men. (M)

26. The whole world of (white collar) work is becoming feminised, but PR is the
most visible example of this phenomenon. PR work tends to work best as a
group activity. Could this be another factor that tends to suit females more
than typically solitary and competitive males. (M)

27. Maybe due to school/parental career choice (that is, what’s encouraged or
lack of understanding of what PR involves).

28. The PR industry perhaps is seen as a more a ‘softer’ alternative and perhaps
men are more attracted to what are seen as more ‘harder’ hitting’ industries
such as journalism. Because there are more females in the industry, it naturally
attracts more females. (F)

29. Because it’s largely a communication discipline, which women are typically
attracted to. (F)

30. Both can be suited but for reasons above women are attracted to the field. Men
and women can be good at anything. Have worked with men and women who
are brilliant and both who aren’t. It’s not a gender issue but a mindset. (F)

31. Females are more suited to PR because they are better communicators, possess
stronger interpersonal skills, are more intelligent emotionally and enjoy being
creative. (M)

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 32. It is an industry in which women can be just as successful/ possibly more
successful than men and I was aware of this when I chose it as a career. Also, I
believe women are sometimes more suited to the hands-on, creative,
communicative requirements of PR. (F)

33. I think it’s the creative aspect of the industry. Plus, I also think the PR
industry allows women to progress to management positions, which
traditionally has been difficult in other industries. (F)

34. I think it is not common for men to enter PR as it is traditionally seen as a job
which involves a large amount of organising. Men are not typically known for
being good organisers and are not really brought up in the household as being
responsible for having to organise themselves much. The imbalance of
responsibilities in the home may still contribute to this. I think men who get
into journalism also see PR as a soft option and don’t want the extras that
come with it, such as events management. (F)

35. Perhaps because PR is increasingly seen as a job women are most suited to.
Men may think they should be doing more ‘blokey’ professional jobs, like law
or engineering. I also think the public perception of PR as a bit of a ‘blow up
balloons and make sure the coffee is nice’ side of it doesn’t appeal to men. (F)

36. Girls are still (surprisingly) encouraged to follow more creative paths. (F)

Q. 16. Do you think men/women/neither are better suited to a communications

career? If men or women, why?

1. Suitability for PR is not gender specific. It comes down to ability, and either
gender can succeed. It comes down to individuals and natural selection. Some
PR tasks are better suited to men or women, but that is a generalisation. Some
women perform better in the corporate PR world, if given the chance. Some
men are brilliant organisers for events, which is traditionally a female area.
Again it is the individual that counts. (M)

2. Women have better natural skills for undertaking PR and are more interested
in it, this is because it involves large amounts of people skills, use of intuition
and expression through writing. Women are naturally better at this. (F)

3. Some sectors of industry and commerce, such as design, cosmetics etc will
benefit more from female input. similarly, men would be better suited to
engineering or agricultural PR. (M)

4. Women are better-suited to PR because they are more level-headed. (F)

5. Women have greater empathic qualities, better listeners, able to multi-task,

less reliant on relationships/contacts to succeed. I believe women feel more

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 comfortable about entering the industry. Men rely on ‘old boy" network and
have more time to network/socialise outside of working hours. (F)

6. Both are equally – it’s not a gender issue. (M)

7. A career in communications is all about building relationships. If you don’t

have the wherewithal to do that you will fail. (M)

8. Women are more likely to enter PR as a career in sub-disciplines, such as

event management, so they may get more satisfaction out of that. Men often
burnt out, in PR as the last option, tend to the cynical and the maladjusted. (M)

9. I unfortunately believe that being a physically unattractive, or poorly groomed

person, and even possibly being a much older person, especially if you are
female, would be a barrier to success in PR – as is probably true of most jobs.
(F)

10. I think men, if they are interested in this kind of work, would be more
attracted to advertising/marketing, business/commerce, rather than PR itself.
(F)

11. Both have pros and cons. There is need for a balance. (M)

12. Perhaps they’re (men are) taken more seriously. (M)

13. Everybody is different. I look for someone with integrity, honest and respect
(and a degree). (F)

14. I think both men and women are equally suited to PR. (F)

15. Neither. Both are capable. (M)

16. Woman tend to score better in English/humanities subjects and tend to be

better organisers than men, and PR is largely about organisation. (F)

17. Women are generally more intuitive; strong verbal and written skills; high
emotional intelligence; detail oriented; can multi-task. (F)

18. Young men tend to view communications as a career path for women. (F)

19. Women are better-suited because it is more natural for women to

communicate. Women are (also) more adaptable and able to make fast
decisions. (F)

20. I think gender is irrelevant to ability to communicate and strategise. (F)

21. Women make better professional communicators. They can relate to a larger
range of people. (F)

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22. It suits both genders. (F)

23. Females are more suited to PR because they are better communicators, possess
stronger interpersonal skills, are more intelligent emotionally and enjoy being
creative. (M)

24. No media experience. (M)

25. Neither men or women are best suited. Both have varied and positive skills
that they can bring to the industry. (M)

26. I don’t think gender matters. (F)

27. I think both sexes can do a really good job at PR, though it tends to appeal
more to women. (F)

28. The psychological make-up of females which affects their superior ability to
balance several tasks at one time and that they are also recognised as
possessing better fundamental communication skills. (F)

29. Depends on the specific person. You just need to be good at communicating
with people: that’s not gender specific. (F)

30. I don’t think gender impacts on one’s ability to excel in the PR industry. (F)

31. I believe this is true is some cases. There are men who I am sure are good
communicators, but it is an intrinsic quality that most women possess. (F)
32. Women are naturally good communicators and organisers. (F)

33. It comes down to personal aptitude. Men can be equally good, perhaps even
better than, some women in writing and client liaison, etc. I think neither are
more suited than the other. It’s a fairly flexible job. (F)

34. Everyone has different talents - gender doesn’t necessarily determine this.
Either you’re good at PR-related activities or you’re not. (F)

35. I think it is very dependent on the personality of individuals. Whilst my

experience is that women dominate the industry and seem to have the
personality fit for the job - this doesn’t exclude males. (F)

36. I think women are more attracted to the field because men view it as ‘fuzzy’.
(M)

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Q. 17. Do you think a person’s gender influences his/her entry into PR? Yes/no.
If yes, in what ways?

1. It depends on the individual rather than gender. (M)

2. Women are naturally more interested in the type of activities that are involved
in PR, from event management to writing and client liaison. Young men (early
20s) find it harder because they are invariably less mature than their female
counterparts, can’t express themselves as well, and can’t intuitively read group
or individual dynamics so a lot of stuff just goes over their heads. (M)

3. Some sectors of industry and commerce, such as design, cosmetics etc will
benefit more from female input. similarly, men would be better suited to
engineering or agricultural PR. (M)

4. Yes, to some extent. I think as it is seen as a female dominant industry that it

may be harder for men to get jobs in the industry over women. (F)

5. The gender imbalance makes it difficult to work within the mainstream media.
(M)

6. In looking at gender differences, I suspect it is still the woman usually who

has to drop work to attend a sick child, and this would impact on performance,
although one would expect irregularly. (F)

7. Men become much more matey, joke a lot more with clients and don’t take
criticism as personally as women practitioners. (F)

8. The only impact of gender would be only in as far as women seem to be better
communicators; there is no actual preference for men or women that I have
experienced. (F)

9. Gender doesn’t really have an influence, or an impact. It has an impact as

much as any other characteristic, no more and no less. (M)

10. Men are more likely to see it as a career move after burning out in journalism
or politics. Women see it as a career in itself, particularly in sub-disciplines
such as event management. (M)

11. Gender is virtually irrelevant, as it is skill sets, personalities etc. that matter.
(F)

12. I think the statistic of 74% of females entering PR proves gender influence and
I would assume, as I have earlier, that female students have a perception that
this is an area where they could pursue a successful career path. I imagine
given the gender basis for females studying PR that maybe some men could
feel it is not a ‘manly’ profession but I would only be guessing, as I have

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 never heard any man say this. I would think this would come down to
personality and interpersonal skill of the PR person. (F)

13. Yes, gender does influence, because it is now pretty well established as a
female-dominated profession. (F)

14. As the numbers of females grow in the industry they tend to influence others
to pursue the profession. (M)

15. Men tend to think PR is a ‘woman’s career’. (F)

16. I think gender is irrelevant to ability to communicate and strategise. Some

corporates believe men are better at "tough" strategy, hence their number in
senior mining and government PR. (F)

17. Both genders bring their own abilities and experience to the profession. (F)

18. Many men perceive PR as frivolous and touchy/feely. That’s why more
women pursue the career. (M)

19. Gender does influence entry. Males are actively discriminated against at [uni]
course selection and at time of employment. (M)

20. I do not think gender matters. Both can be equally as suited. (F)

21. Assuming (as is the case) that senior positions still tend to be taken by men,
then they may prefer to hire a woman onto their team. There need be nothing
improper in this, simply a recognition that a mixed team may have greater
overall strengths. To the extent that public relations is about relationships,
gender may play a part. (M)

22. PR is one of the ‘soft’ careers that appeals to women. (F)

23. Both have skills that are gender-based. The old adage: women are better
communicators than men, is often bandied about but quite simply untrue. (M)

24. If it is male-dominated, then I feel creativity is stifled. (M)

25. I think only now that men may be influenced or put off by the imbalance of
gender; that is, not many men are doing it, so why would I? (F)

26. Similar answer to question 16. Girls are still (surprisingly) encouraged to
follow more creative path. (F)

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Q. 18. Do you think men/women (or neither) are best able to build rapport with
clients? If men or women, why?

1. It depends on the client. Serious clients would generally go for men, wankers
for women. (M)

2. It depends upon the gender of the client. Men and women relate differently to
the opposite sex in all walks of life and this is also true in PR. However,
diversity is the spice of life and I see no particular problem with the different
ways that female PR practitioners relate to their clients. (M)

3. I could be either, depending on the client and the consultant. (F)

4. It depends on clients. We do a lot of mining/infrastructure/primary industry

work and they still prefer to deal strategically with a male (not that it makes
any difference to the level of work done). Some other industry sectors seem to
prefer women … horses for courses. (M)

5. Neither men or women are best at building rapport. It depends on the client. I
don’t think its gender, rather personality, that drives this. (F)

6. Women are more focused upon not verbal signs and obtaining consensus. (F)

7. Clients are usually men and they relate better to other men on a professional
level. That said, women have advantages, too, such as mentioned above:
they’re better at getting along with all types of people. Male clients often
won’t take women seriously and will get on better with men. (M)

8. I think this depends entirely on the personality and interpersonal skills of the
person, not the gender. (F)

9. Clients (decision makers) generally tend to be men, networking opportunities

better established by men – golf days, drinks, etc the BOYS club really does
still exist. (F)

10. Do not agree either gender has an advantage, but better gender balance would
help ensure better client relations at all levels. (M)

11. It depends on person. I work with men and women and it comes down to their
individuality. Both can bring experience and strength to client relationships -
not cut and dried. (F)

12. Business is still very much a ‘boys club’. (F)

13. I have seen good and poor operators of both genders. (F)

14. Building rapport has nothing to do with gender. (M)

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 15. Neither are better at this. It depends on the individual’s personal attributes
unrelated to gender. (F)

16. Most of the ‘big-end’ clients tend to be represented by men and men like to
deal with men. (M)

17. I find this a very hard one to answer definitively; but have favoured women
again on the grounds that most clients (in certain sectors) are male. Sometimes
they prefer the male bonding potential of having a male PR consultant, but
mostly I suspect they might prefer an attentive female client (I recognise that
this answer, and some others, could easily be misinterpreted). There is of
course a difference in how individuals work with different clients. I (male)
was always formal and businesslike with my clients (some later became good
friends, but only once they were no longer clients). Some of my female
colleagues found it much easier to strike up an easy rapport with these same
clients; yet other female colleagues were even more formal than me. (M)

18. Neither would be my answer. Both are equally able. Rapport is about
personality not gender. (M)

19. I think it depends on the specific person. Women may be seen as the friendly
nurturers, but sometimes in the business world women aren’t taken as
seriously as men, particularly by senior execs. (F)

20. As a young woman in the PR industry, it can be difficult building rapport and
earning respect from senior male clients. However, this could be more of an
age issue, than gender. (F)

21. If the consultant is an effective communicator I believe they will be able to

build a strong relationship with their clients, regardless of gender. (F)

22. It depends on the individual. Some people can easily built rapport, others
can’t. While it can certainly be a learnt skill, some will still have an advantage
because they can sell ice to the Eskimos (that is, are skilled and persuasive
communicators) anyway. (F)

Q. 19. Are there any barriers that you believe could hinder a person’s career in
PR? Yes/no.

1. Employers may feel a job is more ‘suited’ to a female, and would not hire a
man. (M)
2. As in some other industries, aspects relating to personal presentation,
grooming, speech, etc – all things that generally can be modified or improved
on by the individual if necessary. And of course skills/abilities. (F)

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3. As in all careers, it is difficult to balance a family’s needs with a full-on
career. (F)
4. Government and corporates are still (in the main) uncomfortable working with
female dominated professionals on equal footing (consider nursing etc) a
‘Female’ PR profession will take longer to gain acceptance. (M)
5. Personal ethics: harder to get on if you’re honest. You need to be able to sink
into the dark side comfortably. (M)
6. In government political interference can impede a person’s PR career. (F)
7. Lack of communication skills, tact, definitely need to be a good
communicator. (F)
8. Ability and lack of common sense. (F)
9. Gender does influence entry. Males are actively discriminated against at
course selection and at time of employment. The main barrier to PR entry is
that the education system discriminates against males entering the world of
PR, through course selection process. Males are not encouraged to think of it
as a choice and when they do it is made more difficult for them to be selected
despite results and aptitude. (M)
10. I have heard of many young females (with uni degrees) who entered the
industry with consultancies and were expected to work long hours doing all of
the office’s general work (little of which is genuine PR work but menial tasks
such as taking the boss’ dry cleaning in or getting coffees.) They were treated
rudely by supervisors and more experienced colleagues. They decided to
leave PR. This treatment is not at the hands of males but other females.
Others have received this treatment but hang in there and move on within the
industry. (F)
11. I see many students competing for junior roles, and have anecdotal evidence
that women are favoured in the interview process because they often appear
more assured, whereas young men can still appear gauche. They are barriers
of skills and commitment. Not everyone has the stomach for a full-time PR
role (and perhaps we are guilty in higher education of not fully preparing
students for the pressures of real work.) (F)
12. PR tends to be full of good-looking, well-groomed people, so someone who
doesn’t fit that mould may find it difficult to get ahead (F)
13. Lack of understanding of the political environment in which the practitioner
works - needs to understand the culture and the ‘small p’ politics. (M)
14. Age, gender and looks. (F)
15. If the person is not confident, a good communicator and able to adapt to suit
different clients I think PR would be difficult. (F)
16. A lack of ability/aptitude for writing. Writing is such a large part of PR, if you
don’t have the skills, it will be very hard to succeed. (F)

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 17. The ‘old school’ PR people who have been working in the industry for years
and have become set in their ways and aren’t necessarily open to younger,
fresher creativity. Also, the recent tendency for government to become more
policy driven, which puts a number of impediments in place that can staunch
the feeling that creativity and autonomy are encouraged in PR. (F)

Q. 20. Do you think there should be a balanced workforce in PR? Yes/no/doesn’t

matter. Why?

1. I can’t see what advantage it would confer, or difference it would make

ultimately. If the job is done properly doesn’t matter who does it, regardless of
gender or age. (M)

2. Yes. To match the balanced audience. A predominance of female PR and

media practitioners leads to a bias toward women’s issues and beliefs. Female
beliefs should have an equal male counterweight in both the choice and
analysis of issues. The genders might be equal but they still think differently
on many issues. (M)

3. Those who best suit the job should get the job. (F0

4. Having a better balance may bring a greater measure of external respect for
the industry if more men were in it (sad but true). (F)

5. Attempts to enforce arbitrary balances are futile. We should be attracting the

best people for the job regardless of their gender, eye colour, race or shoe size.
(M)

6. I think there should be a balanced workforce everywhere. (M)

7. I think like any function PR benefits from balance between creativity and a
more business and structured approach to work. (F)

8. I believe there should be balanced workforce in every area that an equal

amount of men and women are interested in pursuing - unhindered by
stereotypes. (F)

9. The industry is so clicky that I think everybody generally works within their
own networks and establishes themselves with the people they need to know
in order to fulfill what they need to do - regardless of gender ... it’s more
individual. Generally PR people work in teams, which would include men as
part of the creative development / concept team. (F)

10. The industry generally has more opportunities today for females and, as
women gain more senior PR roles they tend to engage more females. A better
gender balance would help ensure better client relations at all levels. If the

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 industry is seen to be exclusive to women it is likely to not be able to fully
understand or service the needs of all client groups. (M)

11. We should simply get the best people. Do you think the engineering industry
(or other male dominated industries have suffered due their gender balance?
(F)

12. Gender segregation is dangerous. As the industry is so female dominated

woman tend to primarily work with and around women. A male influence is
needed to balance teams. (F)

13. I think the industry is best served by intelligent, articulate, strategic people,
irrespective of gender. (F)

14. Some people may work better (or not) with (or without) men/women in the
workplace. (F)

15. There should be balance, because half the people we communicate with are
men. (M)

16. Men and women both have different qualities to offer and a mixed team
creates a better dynamic. Having less men in the industry could mean less
effective marketing to men, lack of men’s perspective. (F)

17. Balance in any industry is preferable but I’m not sure it will change the
outcomes for the client. (F)

18. Balance brings variety and different approaches to the work. (M)

19. Does balance really matter? (F)

20. Diversity is a strength. PR should represent the diversity of our society. (M)

21. We need the right person for the right job which can be any gender. (M)

22. I can’t see what advantage it (balance) would confer or difference it would
make ultimately. If the job is done properly doesn’t matter who does it,
regardless of gender or age. (M)

23. In consultancies, there is an imbalance favouring women. In corporate work

there’s more of a balance between the genders, but a preference for males in
the senior roles. When I arrived at (Company), two years ago had 25
employees - one of them male. One of the first thing I did was look for more
gender balance and we now have four male members of staff: nowhere near
the balance I’d like, but there is a clear dearth of male candidates available.
Where they appear to exist is the corporate finance areas. (F)

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 24. Personally for me it doesn’t matter. I like working in a predominantly female
workforce but it does have its disadvantages, too. (F)
25. Doesn’t matter. (F)
26. It doesn’t matter. I think as long as the people working in PR want to be
working in PR and love their job it doesn’t matter if it is all men or all women.
(F)
27. I would like to see some more men around the office, but also I think men
have a lot to offer and a slightly different perspective on things. In PR the
perspectives the better. (F)
28. It would be ideal, but it doesn’t matter - ultimately the most competent and
confident people should be working in PR, regardless of gender. (F)
29. Men and women have different perspectives, and can offer a broader range of
ideas and opportunities than only one gender or a gender biased group of PR
professionals could. (F)
30. In an ideal work, it should always be the best person for the job. (F)

Q. 21. Do you think gender impacts on individual performance in PR? Yes or

no. If yes, then how and why?

1. It depends upon the environment. For example as a woman I have been more
effective in male-dominated work environments and less successful in
women-orientated organisations and I think this is about complementing each
other strengths and abilities. (F)
2. Again, it comes down to individuals not their sex. (F)
3. Different skill sets based on how people are nurtured and encouraged through
their development and schooling. Different ‘drives’ according to how genders
are nurtured (e.g. aggressive macho male stereotype versus the calmer more
creative female stereotype). (F)

Q. 22. Do you think a workforce gender imbalance might have any effects/s on
the PR industry? Yes or no. If yes, what effects might they be?

1. (This response is more from a media perspective, even though the respondent
works in PR). (Imbalance) is already reflected in the greater emphasis on
lifestyle issues within mainstream news and current affairs, although this is as
much a result of the similarly disproportionate female employment levels in
the mainstream media. There has been an increasing emphasis on women’s
lifestyle editorial rather than complex investigative issues. The emphasis on
appearance and marketing appeal suggests that such skills (serious journalism,
aka PR) are not an important criteria for employment. Market forces are
presumably causing the glut of women in PR but it is interesting to observe

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 the subtle impact on society caused by this fundamental shift in values within
the public relations industry and its associated political/media clients. (M)

2. Focus on softer/product marketing aspects of PR encourages PR houses to hire

softer employees and housekeepers for event management. (M)

3. I think that the PR industry is in trouble. Serious management of

organisational reputation or bottom line financial issues does not usually fall
into PR but into areas like strategic business or marketing or advertising. PR
is a process and is seen as promotions and events and therefore not serious
elements of core business. Further marketing and advertising and multimedia
are also eating into traditional PR areas so the profession is becoming
fragmented. (F)

4. If the industry is seen to be exclusive to women it is likely to not be able to

fully understand or service the needs of all client groups. (M)

5. Effects caused by people being concerned that it might be an issue. Is this

about equality in the workplace or perception of the industry as a whole? The
PR industry is already suffering a crisis of confidence – where is our place,
what is our role? Whether male or female we live or die by the performance
and ethics of individuals. (F)

6. Industries that are perceived as ‘female’, for example, nursing, are generally
given less prestige and remuneration. (F)

7. The high proportion of women in junior roles contributes to the image of the
profession being tactical in nature – not corporate or strategic. The over-
proportion of men in management positions contributes to the reality that the
industry is a poor promoter of relationships in the workplace. (M)

8. Less effective marketing to men, lack of men’s perspective. (F)

9. There is positive discrimination (against males) at entry level and ongoing

feminisation of the industry. (M)

10. The whole world of (white collar) work is becoming feminised, but PR is the
most visible example of this phenomenon. (M)

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 11. Low entry wages, compared to other sectors, is also a factor for males
ignoring the industry and favouring marketing disciplines. Also, if more
females graduate, it makes sense that more females will get jobs. Industries
trying to equalise their gender balance in male-oriented industries will tend to
prefer female PR professionals, which may discriminate against male
applicants. This systematic preference over time will lead to industry-wide
deficiencies, as I think we are now seeing. (M)

12. The feminisation of the industry is something I worry about. Look at the two
most heavily feminised industries – teaching and nursing. Look at the pay
rates, the conditions and the prospects in the ‘caring’ professions. I fear the
public relations industry, particularly in the marketing communications space
is becoming heavily feminised to the detriment of the credibility of the
industry as a whole. When you only represent 50% of the population how can
the intellectual property you provide be accurate, representative and the best
informed. (F)

13. If the industry is seen to be exclusive to women it is likely to not be able to

fully understand or service the needs of all client groups. (M)

14. Gender imbalance could affect PR. The industry is excluding males and
becoming female-only and restrictive and long term there will be no room for
any males, their thoughts and opinions. Diversity gives an industry strength.
(M)

15. Some male clients may feel intimidated about so many women in the industry,
though they shouldn’t. (F)

16. If the industry continues to be dominated by females, then the industry needs
to come to terms with issues such as maternity leave, work/life balance and
flexibility (portability of skills when following the career path of a partner
interstate and overseas). (F)

17. If the imbalance continues, men will continue to steer clear of the industry.
(M)

Q. 23 Do you think there is a difference in the way males and females work with
clients? Yes or no. If so, how?

1. Men and women have expertise in different areas and can relate to clients
differently. Men may be reluctant to pursue a PR career, which would result in
a loss of creative talent. Women are often not able to market products/services
to men effectively. (M)

2. Females are more intuitive and can usually find out or work out much better
what a client actually wants. Men just tend to do what they think a client
wants and keep barging on until they are told otherwise or client leaves. (M)

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3. Men rely on ‘old boy’ network and have more time to network/socialise
outside of working hours. Men become much more matey/joke a lot more with
clients/ and don’ take criticism as personally as women practitioners. (F)

4. Women are better communicators, and more likely to work to a goal rather
than to achieve notoriety (ego trip) than men. That is, they don’t care as much
who gets the credit, so long as the goal is achieved. Thus, they make better
advisors and strategists. I think it would be good discipline for men to learn to
work in an environment where the outcome is the priority, rather than focusing
on the micro stuff (that is, winning the war, rather than the battle). (F)

5. In all industry men and women work differently but I don’t think that alters
the outcomes for the client. (F)

6. A mixed team is likely to have a wider range of experience of different

audiences to draw on (this statement applies equally to age and ethnicity as
well as gender). But how many old PR consultants do you meet (that aren’t
the chairman)? (M)

7. Unsure of specific effects but believe there will be some. (F)

8. I think it is important to have at least a few men working within a female-

dominant PR agency to give their perspective and opinions on certain topics.
It could hamper a client whose product is aimed at middle-aged men, if there
were 20-year-old girls working on the account. (F)

9. It may mean that we never see men influencing corporate bodies on

communications issues. If women got to do things their way all the time it
would be no fun and not a challenge at all. It’s kind of like having a lack of
male teachers in classrooms – the boys don’t have role models. If there are no
men in PR then this trend is likely to keep continuing, as they won’t be around
to mentor other men. (F)

10. I think men massage people’s egos more and women like to be honest and up
front, not so much ego boosting, just common sense and a need to get things
done at the end of the day. Women are slightly better at relationship-building,
too. (F)

11. I think PR people are expected to always have the answers, or are often simply
told how things should turn out and are then expected to make that outcome
happen. A lot of corporate heads don’t heed PR people’s expert advice or even
ask for it. It is a matter of making them understand how the media works and
there are always people who think they know better … Hello! The media just
doesn’t work like that. Many people like to tell us how to do our job. (F)

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 12. When women compete with women in the workforce it can become a
dangerous place to be! Gender balance (and by this I mean equality in
management also!) may help to address this issue. (F)

13. Women tend to try to seek the underlying agenda or heart of a matter. Men
perhaps have a more black and white view, which may give them a more
straightforward perspective on a situation. Women and men also communicate
differently – and this can work as both an advantage and disadvantage,
depending on the client. (F)

14. I find women are more thorough, and men are more laid back. (M)

Q. 24. Are there any aspects of working in this industry that affect your ability to
work with clients, other industry professionals, media, target audiences? Yes or
no. What are they?

1. Being female and a young age is still an issue with old stalwarts in any area
you go into, which is part of a lack of understanding and therefore not valuing
the role of PR in the workplace. (F)

2. Age. (F)

3. I can’t bear, sometimes, to do the rubbish that this industry requires. (M)

4. One thing not mentioned so far is the individual’s tolerance of disappointment.

In-house PR consultants can become demoralised by receiving a steady stream
of negative calls from the media; consultants can be depressed by receiving
negative responses to their (outbound) media calls. Yet it’s much worse when
you work for yourself: there may be no one to share the frustrations with or to
share your temporary triumphs. To this extent, PR work tends to work best as
a group activity. Could this be another factor that tends to suit females more
than typically solitary and competitive males. (M)

5. A lack of confidence can hinder professional relationships. (F)

6. Gender bias where male management treats a female PR professional as ‘the

girl who does that media/PR stuff’. PR is not taken seriously, few have any
idea about what our role really entails (including ridiculous hours and
backbreaking effort) and essentially, we become a necessary nuisance! (F)

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Q. 26. Are there any ethical issues that affect your work within the industry? Yes
or no. What are they?

1. We chose not to work for industries or clients that we feel morally disinclined
to do so. Aggressive, overbearing clients who show a continued lack of
understanding is another aspect that affects ability to work with them. (F)

2. Occasionally you may be faced with a conflict of interest – especially if you

develop a specialty in a specific field. Also, you may hear that a client is not
happy but has not yet dropped its consultancy – do you approach the client
and ‘poach’ them, or wait until someone else does? If you find out a client has
another consultancy, so you still try to woo then or leave them alone. (F)

3. Being paid to market a product/service which you do not have faith in. (M)

4. Personal ethics: harder to get on if you’re honest. You need to be able to sink
into the dark side comfortably. Honestly, I’m too honest for this industry.
Spilling from the honesty issue, there’s a matter of personal pride. I sometimes
have difficulty living with myself at some of the lines I have to spin. (M)

5. Politicisation of the PR process ensures that within government

communications is about reinforcing government agendas and not necessarily
with highlighting the disadvantages of public domain decision making. I think
PR suffers the same problems that most industries in a pluralistic and most
modern economy suffer and that is defining what is the message that best
pertains to the public good. How is the truth or the most comprehensive vision
of a decision developed so people have the knowledge they need to make the
best civic decision. (F)

6. Spin doctoring that amounts to fabrication of the truth is of great ethical

concern to me. PR that aims to keep the public in the dark in the light of
knowledge that could save lives, protect the environment, bring down corrupt
Governments, uncover health dangers is unethical and in many cases criminal.
(F)

7. Ethical issues are conducting research on children, protecting their rights. (F)

8. Need to look at PRIA code of ethics and stick to them and more importantly,
individual ethical and moral framework. (F)

9. Ethics are fundamental. They affect every aspect of my work. (F)

10. Whether the work we are doing for a client is ethical, do they want us to ‘spin’
a story, should I work for a client even if I believe that the work they are doing
is not ethical. (F)

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 11. The fact that the PRIA does not ‘hang out to dry’ anyone who lowers the
reputation of the industry by operating outside the Code of Ethics. (M)

12. Should I work for / represent company X (they may pay me well, but do I
approve of their product or their labour practices?)
a. Is my primary objective to provide good advice to my client, or to
make money out of them? (The two may be incompatible)
b. Should I lie, or be evasive, to protect my client or employer? If so,
what will this do to my reputation as a professional.
c. Should I tell the emperor he has no clothes, or will the honest truth
affect my career advancement? (M)

13. The need to protect an organisation will always create ethical dilemmas for
practitioners. (M)

14. Privacy/confidentiality. (F)

15. Big business trying to stamp out the little guy through nefarious and
underhanded tactics - sometimes the PR professional doesn’t know that there
is another agenda! (F)

16. My personal integrity and credibility is never for sale to an employer. While I
always endeavour to show my employer in the best possible light in any
situation, I would resign rather than compromise my integrity. As far as I’m
concerned, any employer that expected that is not the sort of company with
which I want to be associated. (F)

ADDITONAL ANALYSIS

This section contains additional analysis of material which was not canvassed as part
of the formal survey, but resulted from answers provided by practitioners. Basically,
these are key concepts which appeared in answers.

1. Female skills/traits

Critical to the Study is the ability to try to determine what ‘makes’ a PR practitioner.
It was important to learn what practitioners think; for they are the ones who are the
industry. Their views and the way they work shape the way the industry operates and
is perceived by others – their publics. The most important aspects are the basic
building blocks (skills and traits) of practitioners. From my initial attempt at trying to
determine an industry profile, these are what (presumably) makes practitioners
practice.

Analysis of any answer is open to the reader’s interpretation. In fact one (female)
participant wrote the following (after reading the summary): “I was imagining a not-
too-professionally appealing headline: Study suggests women ‘fluff’ better than me,
or some such horror forever locking women into the perceived ‘soft’ end of PR. So
much of this is just so ‘wrong’. The terms self-serving, stereotypical, dangerous,

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unfounded, appalling, outdated come to mind. Not to mention infuriatingly ignorant!”
I wonder if she could have been more to-the-point?

I liken my comments to those of a newspaper leader writer; made after consideration

of the facts and as unbiased as possible. This is purely a sociological analysis. I would
hope that any future studies could incorporate more aspects of the psychological
profile of practitioners – something I am not equipped to undertake.

For the purpose of this Study, skills are defined as those abilities (physical or mental)
which are learned throughout, and contribute to, a person’s career. Traits are
considered (either scientifically or generally) to be inherent in a person, male or
female. In some instances, I had to make a value judgement whether what was being
referred to was a skill or trait.

1. FEMALES SKILLS/TRAITS

SKILLS TRAITS
Women seem to be more professional. (F) Women have better natural skills for
undertaking PR and are more interested in
it, this is because it involves large amounts
of people skills, use of intuition and
expression through writing. Women are
naturally better at this. (M)

I think women are more focused upon Greater empathic qualities, better listeners,
engaging clients to develop shared able to multi-task, less reliant on
concepts. (F) relationships/contacts to succeed. (F)

I have had some very poor communicators Women are aware of the issues involved
as communication director roles who were and are dedicated to working through
female. (F) them. (F)
Women tend to score better in English/ I think women are more sensitive to the
Humanities subjects and tend to be better issues, perhaps more subtle in their way of
organisers than men. (F) dealing with things.
(F)
Women tend to listen and find a solution Females are more intuitive and can usually
that will appeal to the client and sell the find out or work out much better what a
idea with a smile. (F) client actually wants. (M)
Women have shown a greater aptitude for Women (in general) tend to bullshit their
the new wave of PR. (F) way through client interviews. (M) Note:
difficult to categorise
PR involves a lot of detail work, computer Compared to men, a greater proportion of
skills. It’s been my experience that women females are disinterested in non-lifestyle
are a little better suited to these things. (F) news and current affairs. This is reflected
in their choice and presentation of PR
issues, angles or viewpoints. (M)

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Women are better communicators, and Female high school students often have PR
more likely to work to a goal rather than to suggested because of basic psychometric
achieve notoriety (ego trip) than men. assessment which identifies the
That is, they don’t care as much who gets creative/intuitive aspects of the profession
the credit, so long as the goal is achieved. as suitable for women. There has also been
Thus, they make better advisors and a strong promotion of PR as a ‘celebrity’
strategists. We think longer term and will profession through the media, which
work to build a relationship rather than tell seems attractive, especially to young
clients what to do. I think this is why women. (M)
advertising attracts more males (they are
expected to tell the client what to do,
whereas in PR we work with the client.
Women also tend to rely on their ability to
service the client more than men. (F)

Women are more focused upon non-verbal People say the nature of women is better
signs and obtaining consensus. (F) suited to PR and communications. (F)
Women may find it much easier to relate They’re more adaptable in getting on with
to female clients, and in some case charm people, and more sensitive to clients’
or get on very well with male clients. (F) needs. (M)

Women are colleagues; men are ‘mates’. I think that the essentially conciliatory,
(F) creative, coordinating, people-orientated
nature of PR means that women have the
natural skills for the traditional PR service
roles.
Women tend to be better at listening and Women may be better suited to a
responding to client needs. (F) communications career in a majority of
cases, because I believe research has
shown women to be better at empathising
with others and listening well, both critical
to communications. However, this it not
true in all cases. (F)
Tend to be more clever when choosing the Relate better to other women and are more
way to communicate. (M) likely to want to hire women; can relate to
a larger range of people. (F)

Have some tactical advantages: for Have better innate communications skills
example in dealing with journalists who in than men. (M)
certain sectors (eg IT, automotive) remain
predominantly male. (M)
Tend to be better at multi-tasking and are
Are more creative, which is an essential
also very people-focused. (F) aspect of the industry. Women are more
trusting. (M)
Women ask more personal questions and More adaptable in getting on with people.
remember the smaller things, which mean (M)
more to the client than we think. (F)

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They are better at multi-tasking, creative Women are conditioned to believe PR is a
concepts, client empathy, etc. (M) right-brained industry and women are
‘naturally’ right-brained. I’ve actually
heard people say, ‘you can talk, you get on
with people, who don’t you go into PR.
I’ve found women are actually better
communicators. (F)
Women are more interested in
communicating than men, and PR is
mainly about communicating. (F)
Females are better communicators, possess
stronger interpersonal skills, are more
intelligent emotionally and enjoy being
creative. (M)

2. MALE SKILLS/TRAITS

SKILLS TRAITS
Better at networking. (M) Tend to do what they think a client wants
and keep barging on until they are told
otherwise or client leaves. (M)
Better at translating PR processes into Will tend to try to develop ‘mateship’
business language and repacking for more. (F)
reputation management and sales and
marketing. (F)
Tend to be more instructive and thus Male clients often won’t take women
engender confidence with their knowledge. seriously and will get on better with men.
(F) (M)
Some corporates believe men are better at There’s a perception of PR as a ‘soft’
‘tough’ strategy, hence their number in alternative in comparison to journalism.
senior mining and government PR. (F) Women are aware of the issues involved
and are dedicated to working through
them. Many men tend to only complete
90% of the job, leaving detail to others. (F)
Tend to be better at the tactical level. (F) Tend to be more direct with their clients
and typically a more commercial mind. (F)
Far more technical expertise and generally Men in PR would be more likely to access
more factual (rather than vacuous) and the camaraderie angle with male
accurate in writing. (M) executives than women would, who may
have to work quite hard at convincing
these same executive of their professional
value. (F)
Clients (decision makers) generally tend to
be men, networking opportunities better
established by men - golf days, drinks, etc
the BOYS club really does still exist. They
also seems to establish friendships. (F)

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 Men are mates; women are colleagues. (F)

Can be more aggressive/assertive in

pushing their ideas. (F)

QUALITIES

• If the client is a woman, she is likely to be more trusting of a female rather

than a male PR consultant. (M)

• Women are more adaptable in getting on with people. And that is necessary.
(M)

• Everybody is different - I look for someone with integrity, honest and respect
(and a degree). (F)

AGE

• In the older age groups, I feel it could be due to secretaries and PA’s having
moved into the PR area or given ‘PR’ to do as part of their original role
because they have secretarial skills. (F)
• Most PR consultants and many in-house practitioners are young (20 to early
30s). Few make it into their 40s for a whole range of reasons (for women it
might be work-life balance if they decide to have children. Because of
biological factors, more women than men are likely to leave at this crucial
stage, leaving the PR industry short of experience and talent (and leaving the
plodders in charge of the show). (M)
• In my experience in Australia and internationally, males dominate the
industry, especially in senior strategic positions. (M)
• Women have been winning most full-time and casual jobs for the past 10–20
years. Before women’s equality in the workplace, attractive women in
particular were more likely to marry and be housebound. They are now highly
employable and most choose a career rather than be married at a young age.
Their workplace domination is probably more noticeable in the PR industry
simply because of the nature of the PR/media industry itself. (M)
• I have been rejected a number of times at interviews, as I’d rather work part
time, yet I could achieve results in half the time someone more junior than me
can, even it they work the extra three hours a day. (F)
• I would speculate that men in PR mostly run their own businesses or hold very
senior positions which leaves the service and lower-paid positions to the
women in the workforce. I also think that men in PR have re-positioned
themselves as strategists or policy makers or marketing which are more
mainstream and move away from perceptions of events or promotions. (F)
• It’s still an industry where experience is measured by how old you are.

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 • Age affects my ability to work with clients. (F)
• Throw in some older more experienced women, and it (age) shouldn’t make
any difference. (F)

3. DRAWBACKS IN PR

• Family responsibilities. PR has some odd hours, which make it hard for
mothers. (M)

• I suspect it is still the woman usually who has to drop work to attend a sick
child, and this would impact on performance (although one would expect
irregularly). (F)

• One thing not mentioned so far is the individual’s tolerance of disappointment.

In-house PR consultants can become demoralised by receiving a steady stream
of negative calls from the media; consultants can be depressed by receiving
negative responses to their (outbound) media calls. Yet it’s much worse when
you work for yourself: there may be no one to share the frustrations with or to
share your temporary triumphs. (M)

• Being female and a young age. This is still an issue with old stalwarts in any
area you go into, which is part of a lack of understanding and therefore not
valuing the role of PR in the workplace. (F)

• As in all careers, it is difficult to balance a family’s needs with a full-on

career. (F)

• Age. (F)

• Sometimes the image of this profession as being spin/publicity orientated can

affect how seriously you are taken when making an introduction, because
most people don’t ‘get it’. (M)

HISTORICAL ASPECTS

• In a State of male-dominated industries (mining and agriculture) PR has been

one department that females have been encouraged to populate. (F)

• The preponderance of males in very senior positions is as much an artefact of

the ‘old school’ PR, when journalists made the move to the dark side (and
most journalists were male). This seniority imbalance will progressively shift
as these old ‘crusties’ (self included) drop off the professional twig.
Government and corporates are still (in the main) uncomfortable working with

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 female-dominated professionals on equal footing (consider nursing etc) a
‘female’ PR profession will take longer to gain acceptance. (M)

• It has traditionally been an area women have been seen to excel. (F)

• It’s been the case for more than 10 years throughout Australia. Same
percentage when I studied at RMIT in the early 1990s. (F)

• PR has been increasingly being perceived as ‘female’ sector. (F)

• PR shifted from being a career progression for ex-journalists (mainly men) to

a more recognised professional option in its own right with university courses
attracting more women. (F)

• The whole world of (white collar) work is becoming feminised, but PR is the
most visible example of this phenomenon. (M)

IMAGE and PERCEPTION OF PR

• How many old PR consultants do you meet (that aren’t the chairMAN)? (M)

• PR tends to be full of good-looking, well-groomed people, so someone who

doesn’t fit that mould may find it difficult to get ahead. (F)

• There’s been a dumbing-down of the profession. These days a pretty face

counts for more than knowledge. (M)

• Women are likely to be employed in a profession that favours appearance. (M)

• People think PR is glamorous, so mostly women are attracted to this as a

career path. There is also a possible employment bias within PR firms
operated by women, that being their preference to work with other women
rather than men who may be sexually threatening and who don’t have
marketing appeal based upon appearance. The emphasis in all communication
is nowadays visual rather than written, and females are more attractive
presenters with greater marketing appeal. People are more likely to get a job if
they’re an attractive woman rather than a male or an unattractive woman.
Again, however, this is true in all professions. (M)

• PR is seen as ‘fluff’ while journalism is seen as ‘tough’. (F)

• I unfortunately believe that being a physically unattractive, or poorly groomed

person, and even possibly being a much older person, especially if you are
female, would be a barrier to success in PR, as is probably true of most jobs.
However, it’s particularly important in many PR roles that are taking about
reputation management and promotion of positive image there would be a
reluctance to hand over your company’s reputation and image management to

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 someone who did not take care in their own appearance. The stereotype would
be that good-looking women would do better in PR. A charismatic, energetic
young guy would often sit more comfortably with executives than a similar
young woman. (F)

• I believe it is viewed as a ‘chicks’ field and therefore is not taken as seriously

as it would if there were more men. (M)

• I think it is seen as a ‘fluffy’ role and equated more to something women

would do. (F)

• The industry is so clicky that I think everybody generally works within their
own networks and establishes themselves with the people they need to know
in order to fulfil what they need to do, regardless of gender . . . it’s more
individual. (F)

GENERAL CONCERNS

Though there was room for practitioners to express concerns about gender, some
deviated from the topic to express general concerns about the industry. Their
comments have been recorded here as a matter of record.

• My only concern is the amount of tripe generated by some practitioners. (M)

• An increasing emphasis on women’s lifestyle editorial rather than complex

investigative issues. (M)

• There are too few good professionals and the PRIA has no real quality
assurance program in place - nothing as rigorous as the law or accounting
professions. Until we take ourselves seriously, other won’t. (M)

• I think the gender imbalance of females, especially the 40-something

generation that heads up the PRIA or the 20-something set that heads up the
Young Guns, has a negative impact of the professional reputation of the PR
industry in WA as there is a perpetuation of the stereotyped ‘big-boobs, big-
hair’, or ‘young buns’ ‘click’ of the same women - that do not encourage the
business marketplace to see PR as a strategic professional skill. (F)

• I have heard of many young females (with uni degrees) who entered the
industry with consultancies and were expected to work long hours doing all of
the office’s general work (little of which is genuine PR work but menial tasks
such as taking the boss’ dry cleaning in or getting coffees.) They were treated
rudely by supervisors and more experienced colleagues. They decided to leave
PR. This treatment is not at the hands of males but other females. Others have
received this treatment but hang in there and move on within the industry. (F)

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 Annex G – Student survey 1, open-ended questions responses

Perceived tutoring differences

1. Men are more relaxed and expect less standards from students. Women tend to
expect more. (F)

2. The females tutors are more interactive. They try to get opinions from you,
compared to the males, who tend to stick mostly to the facts. (M)

3. Females are more approachable and you do not need to be buddies with them.
(F)

4. Probably due to stereotypes and perceived ideas from society. Women are
known as being good communicators. (F)

5. The males are boring in PR lectures/tutorials (the ones I’ve seen). Females
have conviction and passion for the industry, and it shows. (F).

6. Their approaches are always different. Males are more straight to the point,
and less theoretical. (F)

7. Women include students more in the class. (F)

8. Women tend to be more creative, organised and focused on finer details – all
aspects needed for success in the industry. Also, women tend to be more
nurturing, which assists with developing and maintaining relationships. (F)

9. Female lecturers/tutors seem to be more interactive and participative whereas

the male seem to tend to stick more to facts and figures. (M)

10. Females communicate more easily (that is, their ideas are conveyed and
understood more clearly). (F)

11. I find most of the time male tutors will be very objective in handling a class
(they stick to class plans better and define the key themes better). Females
tutors will generally proceed with the class as a ‘community’ activity. (M)

12. Males are more easy-going. Women have more standards (that is, attendance
at tutorials). (F)

13. Males are more direct and factual. Females integrate stories and real-life
experiences. (F)

14. Males are more creative and “live” teaching. Females tend not to stop talking.
(F)

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15. Males tend to be straight to the point, and humorous at times. They are also
more patient. Females tend to be more strict and attentive to detail, well
prepared and organised with material. Although they can be moody at times.
(M)

16. Males are more direct in teaching approach. (F)

17. Women are more personal and in-depth. Men concentrate more on facts. (M)

18. Females tend to be more strict in the way they teach. They follow rules and
schedules. Men go on tangents, allow group discussions and have a loose
schedule. (F)

19. Males tend to be more supportive and flexible. (M)

20. Females are more open, take a personals interest and tend not to teach by the
book. (F)

21. Some males concentrate on getting the work done and done well. Some
females have been ‘fluffy’ and bad. They tended to get sidetracked. (M)

22. Female tutors have more of a willingness to elaborate on discussion topics and
engage in further in-depth coverage. (M)

23. Women are more personal and nurturing. Men love their statistics. (F)

24. Female teachers seems to be more concerned and interested in the students.
(F)
25. Women have more structured tutes and set goals to achieve by the end. (F)

26. Men seems more laid-back, easy-going. Women sometimes act as ‘teachers’
and don’t treat us as equals. (F)

27. Males tend to be more direct, whereas females seems to spend more time
discussing issues. (F)

28. Women are more in-depth. (F)

29. (Generally) males are more casual about the way things are done. Females are
more strict and organised. But this doesn’t apply to all. (F)

30. Males more understanding and mark fairer. (F).

31. Some female tutors tend to be really moody and its affects the way they teach
in class; whereas male lecturers are usually neutral. (F)

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 32. Female tutors are generally more dedicated than males. They are also more
understanding and approachable. (M)

33. Females are more polite, less arrogant and friendlier. (F)

34. There are differences in the way they present material, and their
approachability. (F)

35. Male tutors tend to be more entertaining and attention-grabbing. (F)

36. Female tutors are more caring and still always show concern about students’
progress, whereas males are more strict with students. (F)

Reasons for female predominance

1. Women find it easier to get into PR because most people in the industry are
female. (F)
2. Women can be more sensitive. (F)
3. Women dominate because PR requires creativity and intuition. Not many guys
have that, where it is second nature to females. (F)
4. Females are better listeners and communicators, whereas males prefer to be in
management roles. (F)
5. Communication skills, empathy, attention to detail – all traits that women
master. (F)
6. Women are more thorough and can communicate more openly. (F)
7. Women are more perceptive of other people and generally better listeners and
in some cases more articulate. (F)
8. It’s more of a female job because the PR industry don’t do the same things.
And I feel that males prefer a set job and don’t like overdoing stuff, like we
have to do in PR. (F)
9. Women are better at dealing with people and give greater attention to detail.
(F)
10. The glamorous work-life image that is perceived through the media. For
example, Eddie on Absolutely Fabulous, or something from Sex in The City.
(F)
11. Certain stigmas that have been associated with the PR industry that have
indicated that it is a ‘woman’s job’. (F)
12. I think it’s more of the perception of the industry being more female oriented
and that it’s a lot easier for a female to get in. In addition to that, I feel that
generally females tend to be more creative than males and female in general

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 tend to have better interpersonal skills with people they have just met as
compared to males in general. (M)
13. PR has a feminine connotation to it. It stops men from entering because they
and women perceive it to be a world of entertainment, beauty, cocktail parties
etc. (F)
14. Females are more aware or pay attention to details and have a better ability to
deal with major and minor tasks. (F)
15. Marketing and PR are seen as ‘girly’ units as they are about communication,
which is believed to be an area that females understand or are better at than
men. (F)
16. I think it’s a perception, especially when people think about PR they think
‘events’, and it comes across to people that girls tend to be able to get more
cooperation from organizations because of their looks. Bluntly put, it could be
that belief that more males are the ‘bigger names’ in the organisational ladder,
and they are more susceptible to a woman’s charm. (M)
17. People have a false perception of what PR is. Males just think it’s a female
course. (F)
18. It seems fashionable to younger women, and the job is about multi-tasking,
which I feel is more applicable to females. (F)
19. It is perceived as a feminine industry/career. Males and female interests vary
naturally. Women are more confident in communications. (F)
20. PR is more creative than factual and number-crunching, which tends to attract
males more. (F)
21. A large part of PR is about communicating and networking. Traditionally this
has been a role taken by females. (M)
22. I believe that PR requires a certain level of attention to detail, and women also
seem more adept at that. Women are more inclined to understand how/what
the company’s image should be. (F)
23. Neither are better suited. There are many different areas in communications. I
believe men would be better in some areas, and women in others. (F)
24. The industry is female-dominant because of public perception. Females (have)
added credibility and ease of communication. (F)
25. Women are perceived as communication specialists. While that may be
preconceived, it therefore means less men enter the industry. (F)
26. PR has a ‘glamorous’ connotation to it (that is, cocktail parties and events)
therefore women are attracted to it and men find the idea off-putting. (F)
27. Women are better at communicating. (F)
28. Males are more interested in other industries. (F)

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29. Males are typically interested in and excel in numbers-based occupations, and
females are typically more creative. (F)
30. Women dominate because they are better at communicating than men. (F)
31. There’s a perception that the career is ‘feminine’, as opposed to civil and
mechanical engineering, which is (seen as) ‘masculine’. (M)
32. Perhaps journalism is more competitive and prestigious, and men prefer this
environment. Women enjoy communication and ‘behind-the-scenes’ work,
therefore PR is their preferred option. And it is more flexible. (F)
33. Women have more of a desire to work with people, are more chatty and work
well with groups of people. (F)
34. Because men prefer to do commerce and science courses. (F)
35. Women are more social, mature and better communicators. (F)
36. Possibly because it’s generally perceived as a god job for females – lots of
working with people, etc. (F)
37. Maybe women are perceived to be better communicators – more humanistic.
(F)
38. Maybe they’re just more suitable. (F)
39. Women are better communicators. (F)
40. In general, females enjoy interacting with people more than men. (F)
41. Women are looking for gender equality in society. (F)
42. PR is seen as ‘girly’. There’s a stereotype of ‘PR bitch’ that perpetuates.
Women want to be in this industry. (M)
43. Guys go to other institutes like TAFE, where they are able to concentrate on
logical and mechanical stuff. (F)
44. Females are natural communicators and it is a modern industry in fields of
interest to women (that is, creative). (F)
45. Women seem to be people-orientated and not so much inclined towards
maths/science, whereas I believe men leaving school are more interested in
those subjects – maybe to be seen as ‘manly’. (F)
46. Women are more communications-oriented than men. (F)
47. Females are more interactive and sociable than males. (F)
48. Females have better communication/writing skills than guys in general. (F)the
industry is traditionally thought of as female. Stereotypes still exist, where
males should be interested more in science, etc. (F)

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49. Females tend to be better at accepting challenges, and being more serious than
males. PR could be considered a very challenging career. (F)
50. Females are easier to communicate with. (F)
51. Females are easier to talk with. (F)
52. Females tend to be more active socially, and therefore love communicating.
PR is a communication industry. (F)
53. The dominance of women is perhaps because PR is concerned with
communication, which may mean it is a more attractive career and study
option for women than men. (F)
54. There might be more females simply because of genetics – girls have longer
attention spans, meaning they find studying easier/more desirable? I’m not
sure, and this is not based on any factual/statistical knowledge. (F)
55. Women tend to be more willing to ‘upgrade’ themselves. They also tend to
look at the bigger picture. (M)
56. Women like being creative. (M)
57. Being a career dominated by organization and communication I feel it is a role
that women have often been relegated to. (F)
58. Females are more gentle and critical toward issues. The can make friends and
create good rapport with people more easily. This is not to say that males can
not do so, but males’ masculinity always makes it harder for others to
approach and accept them. (F)
59. Women are still said to be more communicative and able to build relationships
than men . . . and diplomatic. Probably we believe it. (F)
60. Women are better communicators. (F)
61. It appears women are increasingly seeking professional careers in creative
fields. (M)
62. The profession is more appealing to women. Organising and event
management come more naturally to women. Men do not perceive the
industry and profession highly. (F)
63. Generally females are more comfortable with communicating than males. (F)

64. The trend in PR currently focuses on women’s success in

fashion/entertainment fields. (F)
65. It appears to be an attractive job, with diversity and creativity. There’s appeal
that it could take you around the world. (F)
66. PR involves many aspects that historically women have always done
(organising, communications). I think this trend continues as we see more
women in the workforce and drawn to PR. (F)

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 67. Some people still think of PR as it is portrayed in shows like ‘Ab Fab’. (F)
68. It probably just reflects the fact that more women are studying than men
generally, particularly at Notre Dame. (F)
69. Even on work experience this is evident. The field appeals to females more
because it is creative and fun and includes creative writing, which I always
thought females excelled at, compared to males. I think men tend to follow
more powerful careers and positions than females. (F)
70. I think there is some gender-role confusion. Young males do not know what
they are supposed to be and do not have the emotional support women have.
We are currently raised to believe that women are superior to males and do not
know what to do to gain acceptance and respect. (M)
71. Most males (at least that I know) choose to enter a trade after high school. (M)
72. PR is just perceived as a female industry. (F)
73. Traditionally men in Perth work in labour-related, or more male-dominant
(traditional) roles. For that reason, Perth may have a perception/tradition that
PR is done better by women. (M)
74. I don’t think guys have as much patience and show attention to detail (suited
to PR) as girls. (F)
75. Males tend to do commerce in general, and girls are more interested in the
creative side, for example, PR. (F)
76. Females perceive PR to be a ‘glamour’ industry. (F)
77. Women are more interested in building relationships and communication,
which are integral parts of PR. (F)

Suitability for PR

1. PR is probably more suited to females because of the creative or

communication aspects, which women tend to be better at. (F)

2. Neither would be better. It depends on what area they go into. Some fields
would be more appropriate for women. (F)

3. Both are suited. It depends on the person’s character and personality, not
gender. (F)

4. Women are best suited because they are understanding, patient, empathise. (F)

5. Women are more intuitive. (F)

6. Women are better suited because they are more understanding than men. (F)

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7. It depends on the type of PR career. Media planning and event management
may be more suited to women. (F)

8. Both would be suited. Men get to the point quickly and provide a direct, fast
source of information. Women get to the point in a more roundabout way,
therefore they are good for relationship-building. (F)

9. It comes down to the individual and their personality. There are certainly some
women who could not do PR well. (M)

10. It depends on suitability and personal traits. (F)

11. PR is multi-disciplinary, and different people are good at different things.

Gender might play a small part in determining what one person excels at but
does not limit an individual’s capability. (F)

12. I think women are still biologically ‘programmed’ to have that communication
ability, whereas many men would have trouble in that area. (M)

13. It’s more a case of willingness to succeed and continue in the field that’s
important. (F)

14. They’re both capable of communicating effectively. A communications career

just sounds like it’s more suited to women that’s why men choose not to do it.
(F)

15. Women are better suited as they are easier to approach. They have a better
understanding of mindsets and feelings/thoughts, and are clearer than males.
(F)

16. Depending on how you look at the questions, the answers are different. In the
sense of choosing to go into the industry, once again it’s not the gender but the
personality and interest of the individual that matters. In terms of getting a
start in the industry, I think it’s a lot easier for females because somehow they
tend to portray a more friendly image straight from the start. (M)

17. Women are more suited because they are better at communicating. (F)

18. Women tend to exhibit more confidence in public affairs. (F)

19. Both sexes are equally suitable, as they as they have good communication
skills. (F)

20. Neither is more suited. It depends on the individual. (F)

21. I think women are better suited, as they communicate better than men (where
does gossip come from?) Women are more attentive to detail. (M)

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22. Individual personalities are the determining factor. (F)

23. Women because they are approachable, emphatic, nurturing and chatty. (F)

24. Neither, as there are advantages and disadvantages between masculine and
feminine traits. (F)

25. It depends more on an individual’s personality rather than gender. (F)

26. Women usually are better at communicating. (F)

27. Women are better-suited as they are more creative, persuasive and dedicated
to their career. (F)

28. Most females give a better first impression, more presentable, great smile and
are warm and loving. The give out a better vibe. (F)

29. Depends on the type of person. (F)

30. Women are naturally better communicators. (F)

31. Women are better suited because they are more effective communicators. (F)

32. Depends on personality and character. (F)

33. Neither are better-suited. It’s an individual things. (M)

34. Both are equally capable. It depends on the individual. (F)

35. Women are more patient, more tough and think more about the future. (F)

36. It is better to have men and women in this career. (F)

37. Females tend to be more active socially, and therefore love communicating.
PR is a communication industry. (F)

38. I think suitability is based on personality, not gender. (F)

39. Both are equally capable. (M)

40. The business world is male-dominated. Mates take other mates more
seriously. (M)

41. As it can be a learned practice (better communication) I feel either gender can
do it well. (F)

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42. Females’ way of thinking is different from males’. They (women) will think of
a lot of pros and cons before making decisions, whereas males are usually not
as careful. (F)

43. Women generally tend to (and like) talking more. (F)

44. It depends on the personality, not on gender. (F)

45. People just have a hard time taking women seriously. (F)

46. Women in our society tend to be taught to be organised and to think of all of
the small things and they seem to be able to empathise with people more
whereas men aren’t taught to think beyond themselves and empathy (Which
perhaps gets confused with sympathy) isn’t encouraged in young boys. (F)

47. Neither are better-suited. I feel it’s mindset, not sex, that determines
suitability. (M)

48. Although men in our traditional society are respected more than women.
Neither would be better-suited because you need to be a good communicator
and writer to be effective in a communications career, which applies to both
genders. (F)

49. They both have attributes that would contribute positively and negatively to
PR. (F)

50. Women are proven better communicators. (F)

51. Audiences are both male and female and in order to appeal you need
representation from both genders. (F)

52. Women are more relationship-focused. They would more often understand
others’ points of view. (M)

53. Women seems to be more emotive and display higher communication skills
than males. (M)

54. Women are better communicators, although ultimately it comes down to the
individual. (F)

55. Women are natural talkers/communicators. (F)

56. Individuals communicate differently due to personalities, and the role for
communications differs. It also depends on the message/topic that is being
communicated, and to whom. (M)

57. Women are more creative, better at multi-tasking and communicating. (F)

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 58. Both have different skills of equal values to offer. (F)

59. Workplaces would be more effective with both genders, but not necessarily
50/50. (F)

60. Men would be suited because they don’t get emotionally involved/attached to
the issues at hand. (F)

61. Women are better communicators and can build stronger relationships. (F)

62. Neither are better suited. It depends on the individual. They shouldn’t be
stereotyped. (F)

Influence of gender

1. No. It depends on personal choice. (F)

2. Although the industry is female, it is now being shown that the entry of men is
rising. (F)

3. To be honest, I think gender does have an influence. It also depends on the

organization. (M)

4. Gender would be a factor if men know the field is dominated by women then
they may feel reluctant to enter it. (M)

5. Gender does influence entry into PR because males think PR is women’s

work. (F)

6. Gender in society is a major focus and people are taught how to act and think
depending on their gender. (F)

7. Gender not really a factor. But it depends on the individual and what qualities
and attributes they may bring to a company. Females and males are equal in
that sense. (F)

8. Depends on the person. (F)

9. Both sexes are capable of excelling. (F)

10. Gender isn’t a factor, as communication skills is the critical thing. (F)

11. It may be hard for males to study PR because of the number of females. They
may feel alone or isolated. (F)

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12. Unfortunately, perceptions of gender and a person’s ability/skills are
entwined. People need to recognise that skill and ability is more important
than gender. In some industries it is still strictly a boys’ club, and females are
only good as receptionists and personal assistants. (F)

13. It depends on how they work and interact with people/publics. (F)

14. It varies. But for some jobs a male would be better suited (for example,
WESTRAC or CAT) and for others a female would be better (Coles-Myer).
(F)

15. You generally need a proportional representation to balance the industry. (F)

16. If you are good at what you do, and have passions, gender will not be an issue,
unless it is in a field like sports or fashion. (F)

17. I don’t think gender is a factor, as PR is used by both large and small
companies, so it’s not as competitive, and PR isn’t always used at top-level
management level (perceived to be a male domain to some). F

18. Most careers can be said to have gender bias. (M)

19. I think there’s a gender influence, but relates to looks. Most of the time pretty
women or a handsome guy will have the first opportunity for a PR job. (F)

20. There may be a stigma on males entering the industry. But this may change as
male/female roles in society change. (F)

21. Gender could be a factor; particularly because of the way many people are
brought up with stereotype behaviour. (F)

22. Regrettably, I think women are used more often as ‘something to look at’ (for
example, a team of female news presenters) and this makes them more
desirable in PR. (F)

23. It’s all a matter of personal taste and preference. (M)

24. I think it comes down to individual aspects (for example, personality,

credentials). (M)

25. I hope gender may not be a factor in influencing someone to enter PR. (F)

26. Employers are led by personal preferences. However, this does not only relate
to gender but to age, and probably even haircut. (F)

27. This would depend on who is hiring the staff. A classic ‘old-school’ employer
of a company may only trust men. I wouldn’t go for a job where a man’s

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 work would be more valued over mine (regardless of education and
experience) and the dominant coalition doesn’t trust my competence because
of my sex. (F)

28. I might get told off for it but I believe equal opportunity legislation currently
favours women. (M)

29. It seems gender may be tied in with they type of PR, that is, females have
easier entry to fashion and males easier entry to corporate PR. (F)

30. I now think there will be a higher demand for males in PR. Females will still
obtain jobs but I think it will be easier for males. (F)

31. Because it’s obvious that women are dominant, there must be bias in employer
views. However, if men are good enough, they should make it. (F)

32. Gender could be an influence on someone as to which firm they enter. If it’s a
male or female firm. (F)

33. I would hope gender wouldn’t influence this. It would come into play if a form
needed more men or women. (F)

34. The fact the PR industry is dominated by women may discourage the hiring of
more women, or it may create a perception that women are better at it,
prejudicing males. (M)

35. Because there are few males in PR, they may get preference. (F)

36. Women can work at an all-female company and believe they are empowering
the sex and may find a job this way. However, men don’t have the opportunity
on not competing against women in a male-only company. (F)

37. Whoever is best for the job will generally get it, regardless of gender. (F)

38. Some organizations prefer men or women. Some PR may be better-suited to a

certain gender. (F)

39. It is an influence in that sometimes it depends on appearance. (F)

40. It wouldn’t have an influence unless he or she was unbelievably good looking.
(F)

41. Females are more likely to be employed if they are the point of contact for the
business, or employed to be in the public eye, or dealing with high-profile
people. (F)

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Rapport

1. Both would equally build rapport. It depends on the communication skills of

the person. (F)

2. Because women have a more nurturing side to them and empathise with
people. They remember dates, i.e. sending gift baskets to clients for an
occasion. (F)

3. For PR issues, often women are more understanding and sensitive to the
issues. F)

4. One sex would not be better than the other. Everyone has their own way of
expressing rapport. It comes down to personality. (F)

5. Women would be better as they have usually larger social circles than males,
as they are better at maintaining friendships through contact, etc., whereas
males are not as inclined to do so. Women are more sensitive to relationships.
(F)

6. Women would be better due to public perception on different views on

different professions. (F)

7. Men are more protective towards client confidentiality and have better success
at networking. (M)

8. To a large extent this would depend on the interaction between a client and a
PR person. It’s an individual thing. (M)

9. Neither would be better at it. Men have charm and charisma, too. (F)

10. Females have a tendency to notice superficial details that fuel conversation;
hence build better rapport. (F)

11. Men would be better as they are less shy. (F)

12. Females are good at forming friendships and talking general ‘chit-chat’. (F)

13. I think men may be better, only because in the corporate world men tend to be
looked up to. They are seen as the more confident and in charge. (F)

14. Both are equally capable. (M)

15. Men probably would be better suited as they can more easily relate to other
men in a male-dominated society. (M)

16. Men might be best at building rapport, as they can be less intimidating. (F)

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 17. Women can sometimes adapt better than men in a situation, however on face
value men are accepted quickly and perceived to be better at managing and
communicating (no emotion involved). (F)

18. Women are more personal, can relate more easily to people of any gender and
age. (F)

19. This may depend on the industry they are working in. For example in fashion
PR women would probably be better, while in sport men would be better. (M)

20. Women are good at building relationships. It’s in out nature. (F)

21. Men would probably most able to build rapport with male clients, and women
with female clients. (F)

22. Females are better because they are natural talkers. (F)

23. Men would be better because they can separate their emotions from business.
(F)

24. Women would be better because of their communication skills and ability to
develop an emotional connection. (F)

25. A well-presented person, male or female, will get on well. (M)

Barriers

1. An unwillingness to create something different may hinder your career. (F)

2. Lack of awareness of a changing media environment. (F)

3. Prior experience is always vital, but graduates without this advantage may find
it hard to establish themselves, or may take long(er). (F)

4. Lack of experience, skills, confidence and knowledge. (F)

5. In Perth there’s not a nig enough market for PR practitioners. (F)

6. The small market in Perth means less opportunities. (F)

7. Lack of jobs and competitiveness of industry. (F)

8. Limited amount of jobs make it hard to gain experience. (F)

9. The limited amount of job available in the industry. (F)

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10. Perth doesn’t have as many options for employment in PR as there are in the
eastern States. (F)

11. Number of job places may affect my career, making it difficult to find a job.
(F)

12. Amount of people seeking a job in PR with the same qualification. (F)

13. Too many (PR) people, not enough jobs. (M)

14. Barriers are the huge amounts of people graduating and wanting the same
jobs. (F)

15. Too many females. (F)

16. Although there are lots of women in the industry, their numbers in
management are few. (F)

17. A barrier could be my age and my foreign background. (F)

18. My age. (F)

19. Age. (F)

20. Age might be against me at 41. (M)

21. Lack of experience, small and competitive industry in Perth. (F)

22. Limited experience. Lack of networking. (F)

23. Working with so many women usually leads to a ‘bitchy’ work environment.
(F)

24. The competitiveness of the industry and the fact that many jobs are available
only through a network of contacts. (F)

25. The rising interest in PR may make it difficult to get a job. (F)

26. Female employers. Not enough high-profile positions. (F)

27. There are too many people studying this Degree, and not enough jobs. (F)

28. Women do not have the ‘balls’ to stand up and work hard for the high-profile
positions. (F)

29. Competition. (F)

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 30. Competition (F)

31. Competition. There are so many graduates all competing in a small area
(Perth). (F)

32. The limitation for PR in Perth is the small population. This can only be
overcome by moving to a more populated city or specialising in a certain
aspect of PR. (M)

33. There’s only a small number of jobs in Perth, compared to the eastern States.
(M)

34. The large number of enrolments in universities will lead to an ‘over-supply’ in

the industry. (M)

Wage difference

1. Ironic, considering women dominant. (F)

2. It sucks. What a crock. (F)

3. Great for me, but should be an even playing field. (M)

4. Because there’s so few men in the industry, they have become a ‘commodity’.
(F)

5. There are less men in PR so this may make them more highly-valued. (M)

6. I believe men are paid more because they currently have higher positions
within organisations. That is more to do with ‘length of service’ rather than
having to do with their sex. This should invert within a decade as the women
who are entering the field recently match them for time in the profession. (M)

7. This (imbalance) will continue to be the case, until the next generation of
managers who do not think so traditionally come into play. Men usually have
less inhibition and are able to promote themselves on a regular basis, whereas
women tend to promote the team as opposed to individual work. Women are,
generally-speaking, more emotive. (F)

8. Maybe men tend to assume higher positions and are therefore paid more. (F)

9. Not surprising. Men usually get paid more than women in other occupations.
(M)

10. Men probably fill more management positions. (F)

11. Earnings should be based on an individual’s performance. (F)

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 12. It’s ridiculous that gender affects pay rates when the same job is being done.
(F)

13. A patriarchal society base is to blame. (F)

14. If they have the same qualifications, they should be paid the same. (F)

15. We (still) live in a patriarchal society. It needs to change. (F)

16. Males may be in higher-paying positions (management). There’s a general

tendency for men to be paid more in all industries. (F)

17. This is so unfair. But PR isn’t the only industry where this is a problem. (F)

18. I think it is still typical of most professions for women to be paid less than
men on average. And it’s ridiculous. (F)

19. It’s the same old story. It’s a boys’ club. Older generations of men don’t
respect women or their work. It’s getting better with my generation, I think.
(F)

20. The wage differential is surprising. (M)

21. Salary discrimination is bad, but I expected it to be so. (M)

22. I’m hoping I might be able to change the imbalance. (F)

23. Males have the power in society. (F)

24. It’s not fair and I can’t believe it’s still the case these days. (F)

25. It is unfair. (F)

26. It’s shitty. (F)

27. That should be revised. (F)

28. I should change courses. (F)

Technician role

1. Women would be hired as these things are (stereotypical) duties. (M)

2. I feel this is more to do with women dominating the lower, cadet style,
positions within the industry, rather than having to do with their sex. (F)

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Perception/thoughts on PR, then and now (from second survey)

1. PR to me was initially all about the glitz and glamour of meeting people and
to ‘get’ around. Also, the interpersonal relations skills that will be
strengthened during the course of studies. (M)

2. I imagined a significant amount of creative (possibly manipulative) writing.

PR seems to be more solidified in its approaches. (M)

3. I first thought it was about drinks and parties. Now I know it’s about
communication. (M)

4. I first thought it’s about your relation with the publics. Now I think it’s all
about writing. (M)

5. My thoughts of PR has always been the same. Just that now my interest within
PR is more defined. (M)

6. I didn’t know much about it when I started. Now I love it – it’s creative and
exciting. (F)

7. I thought it was glamorous work, mostly events management; like Samantha

Jones’ character from the TV show Sex in the City. Now I think it’s less
glamorous, with a focus on media relations and creating perceptions. (F)

8. I thought PR was about liaising with the media and other companies, and
managing events. Now I realize there’s a lot more to it. (F)

9. I think a lot of students think it is a lot of events management and glamorous,

rather than ethically-driven. (F)

10. I originally thought PR was about selling companies/organizations through

‘wheeling and dealing’, with different sources to create networks. I now seems
to believe that it is more about image, branding and perception. (F)

11. I used to think of PR as a lot of interpersonal skills, as you meet al. l kinds of
people, and there would be a lot of social functions. After studying PR, there
is a lot of thinking and writing. (F)

12. At first my view was PR was a fast-paced industry, requiring a lot of

networking. Now I see it involves a lot of writing and networking. You must
be organized. (F)

13. I thought it was lots of communication with people from all walks of life, and
now I think you really only deal with the same people (for example, business-
minded). (F)

14. I think PR is a lot more writing than I thought, and perhaps more difficult. (F)

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15. PR means you have to be detailed [sic] and organised. (F)

16. I didn’t know too much about PT. I just looked into it and it sounded fun. Now
I know it’s fun, but there’s much more writing involved than I initially
thought. (F)

17. There is more publicity/promotion/events management focus, rather than

strategies/theory. And it’s hard work. (F)

18. PR is about communication of the business to the outside world, and support
to the firm’s marketing department. (M)

19. I thought PR would be about going to parties, getting dressed up, working
with good-looking people, like on the TV. But it’s much more detailed, logical
and hard work. Nothing like the perception whatever. (F)

20. I thought of Absolutely Fabulous initially. Now I know it’s not as glamorous,
and much more professional. (F)

21. My perception was that in PR I would have to be interested in the world in

general, especially in people. Now I realize it’s much more in-depth than I
expected. But the same, in general. (F)

22. PR is a very people-oriented field and is all about providing and image of
something to the public. I still feel this way. However, PR is more strategic
and theory than I thought it would be. (F)

23. PR is about managing a company’s reputation, smartly and positively. It

provides a link from the company to its various publics to present (the)
profession in a socially-responsible manner. (F)

24. I thought I was more about spin-doctoring, and it was purely to control the
image of a company: nothing more than that. But now I think there’s a lot
more to it than that. (F)

25. I always thought PR would be an interesting field, with constantly-challenging

and stimulating situations. And I still see the industry as being like that. (M)

26. I thought PR was about providing ideas and information at a senior corporate
level, as well as playing a lot of golf. I now know it’s a bloody hard-working
industry. (M)

27. Initially I thought it was based around spin-doctoring, public speaking and
selling and image. Now I tend to think it’s more about selling an image to the
public. (M)

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28. Most of what I thought about PR came from television and film, showing that
it was glamorous. Now I see it’s so much more than that, and less glamorous:
sometimes never. (F)

29. I thought PR as about parties and events planning. I didn’t really know about
the technical and research components (F).

30. I thought it would be creative. Now it’s boring and repetitive. (F)

31. Used to think it was all about events, parties and organizing people. Now it’s
more liaising with clients, organizing problems with corporations/media. (F)

32. Most students would think it’s about being social and glamorous. I’ve realised
that PR is about your ability to coordinate the communication channels for
your organisation in order to create and sustain a positive image in public. (F)

33. I thought PR as an industry that promoted events, or publicise a company.

Nothing has changed. (F)

34. I thought PR was about organizing the company’s functions and pubic
speaking. PR is about communicating to the public about the goodwill of the
company. (F)

35. I thought PR was more flexible and about spin, whereas now I realize how
structured it is. (F)

36. It’s not just cocktail parties. It’s work. (M)

37. It’s not like Sex in The City. It’s real work. (F)

38. I believe that students begin to study PR because of their perceptions, but once
in the course they find these ideas change. (F)

39. I always view PR as an influential medium, an industry capable of making a

difference. After studying PR I now know this to be true. However, I also
know the importance of ethical behaviour in making sure this is true, and that
PR can make a difference in the wrong way. (F)

40. I thought PR was for a ‘people person’. There are more aspects to PR than I
thought. (F)

41. The I thought spin, publicity, propaganda, marketing, events management.

Now, ethical communication and persuasion, mutual objectives, humanizing
corporate organizations through aligning organization goals with public
expectations. (F)

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42. I knew it was a job that involves the media and big companies. Now I am
aware all companies can have a PR officer, and that all forms of PR are
thought-invoking. (M)

43. I thought PR was about relating to ‘publics’. Now I think it is much more
sinister and complex (propaganda, etc). (M)

44. A creative job but still about spin. No I know there is a strong focus on ethics,
but I am still unsure as to how true this is in the real work environment. (M)

45. I thought it was glamorous. But I am much more informed now and much
more interested. (M)

46. It’s more technical than just organising events. I didn’t realise the level of PR
for crises, etc. (F)

47. I thought PR was about spin and cover-ups. Now I think it’s about
communication and is an essential part of most organizations. (F)

48. Many people I know have gone in with misconceptions that PR is similar to
practical media studies, or that the course will involve more practical work
(writing, etc). (F)

49. I used to think PR was about portraying the image/the face of a company. Also
for self-gratification of looking good. Now, PR has an important role to play
in an organization, and it’s logic isn’t fuzzy. (F)

50. I thought it seemed a little glamorous, based on instincts, not books. Now it’s
more based on theory than I realized. (F)

51. I thought PR was when you represent an organization and help them organize
their management. Now I think it’s something where it is spin, and includes
marketing, reports, advertising, cleaning up any mess that is created, and also
building the image of the organization. (F)

52. Then: all about spin, and my perceptions formed the assumptions of PR. Now:
from the positive perspective PR is the base to relationships between
organisations and the public, and they are sometimes stereotyped by people.
(F)

53. I thought it would be very simple: about spokespeople. But now I think it’s
broad. (M)

54. I’ve always thought PR is about building image only. I now think of PR not
just about building image, but also to manage and anticipate future issues and
conflicts. (F)

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 Annex H – Transcript of professionals focus group, Monday 5 December 2005

This industry focus group took place in the boardroom of Scarboro Surf Life Saving
Club on Monday 5 December, from 5.30pm top 6.45pm. Participants were informed
that the session would be videotaped and voice-recorded. Identities would be
anonymous. Originally six practitioners indicated they would attend. However, one
had to withdraw for family reasons, and the other (a male) got the days mixed up
(does this say something about women being better organisers?). There were four
mostly senior female practitioners present. HF is currently undertaking a PhD,
lectures at ECU and has managed the communications department of large WA
Government Departments; RW is a media relations specialist for a government
agency; HL has worked for several government departments and was working in an
international promotions role at the time; HM has several years’ PR experience and
is working for a quasi-government research/charitable organisation with a staff of
300. (A copy of the session, movie and MP3 are included on CD).

HF: Is it being linked to a particular timeframe (chronological order). There are links
to the development of PR as a tertiary sector subject. I suppose my first question: is
there imbalance? PR is still very unclear. There’s PR and advertising, PR and
marketing, communications PR, social reform PR. There’s so many elements that
there still is a lack of clarity as to what constitutes pure PR. I observe that with the
corporates their PR teams are mostly men and can come from law or engineering and
they look as though they communicate well, you know the business well and they
move across into PR without having any of those skills we would consider PR skills.
In government it’s different. Here’s an overwhelming predominance of women. But
there’s other factors that favour women in government. They have family-friendly
policies, and the hours are more flexible. In small business I see men who will start
there and go move across into marketing. I see in the literature one of the fundamental
issues is that they’re still justifying what PR is. It’s almost a defence why PR should
be legitimate source of power.

HL: People out there find us (PR) a bit confusing. One of those disciplines people
don’t understand, and that’s why we always battle. People want it to do more
marketing. Yes, there are more men in the corporates. Consultancies are more
dominated by women.

HF: If the consultancies are ostensibly women, what does that say about selling
communications services into the large companies and how much value they place on
it. If they are actually putting PR in an operational model, and not strategic. We say
be strategic, manage relationships, yet our core output is about being operational (this
media release, this brochure, this event). It goes back to people not understanding that
they want something that’s about forward planning but their ability to understand
what PR does is based on this ‘thing’ newspaper, or this coverage. It just about being
on TV or in the newspaper. Another observation is that it’s very much about politics.
You can say I want PR to be strategic, and I want you to manage my reputation in the
future, yet you have ministers that are completely reactive because they are going to
take a hit politically. You be strategic, and then one hit and the whole thing goes to
hell. I think that genuine politicisation of government tends to filter down to PR in

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particular because it’s about reputation. It poses some real challenges about how
strategic we can be. With the large corporates you can actually plan, because it’s tied
to a business outcome, rather than a political outcome.

RW: For me (I entered it because) it was about writing. I guess I fell into it
accidentally.

HF: I was a journalist and we moved back to Perth, so I had to find something related,
and PR uses writing. I really enjoy writing and crafting things. I like planning things
and working on future projections.

HM: I was working as a waitress at the Hilton. The PR team used to come in, and it
all used to look very glamourous. I used to listen to their conversations and it sounded
interesting. But I was attracted to the glamour, and it was quite glamorous in those
days. But of course the culture has changed now. From there I did my TEE and later a
PR degree, which I didn’t really know a lot about. But in terms of my skills, I was
good at English and the non-scientific, mathematical, things. In terms of my skills I
thought I’d be good at that (PR). It was all new then. My class was one of the first to
go through ECU. Even at that time it was very female-dominated. It never occurred to
me that it would be a female-dominated industry. If you were to compare it to
advertising and marketing, I would think the skills involved and needed are more
female in PR, for me in terms of the hard sell that’s involved in marketing and
advertising, compared to the softer sell that’s possibly involved in PR. In terms of the
people I’ve worked with, the guys tend to go more into marketing and management,
whereas the girls go into writing and media roles.

HF: All my students (at ECU) think it’s about glamour and parties. But that’s all you
want to do when you’re 20. One of them wanted to be a Paris Hilton. It’s a maturation
things though. As you mature and you realise what is involved, your view quickly
change.

HL: The fact that people go into it because of that (glamour), is not something that
bothers me, but it’s a fact and that’s the perception, and I find that is a hindrance
when you want to build a serious career. But getting back to women in PR, I think
they certainly tend be better multi-communicators and better at the subtleties of
observation within communication. I think it’s one element. I wouldn’t say they’re
more nurturing, although do those things even fit with PR. I do believe that in that
communication and listening area, and being able to pick up the subtleties of
interpersonal communication and the dynamics, which goes wider to the political
dynamics of what’s going on, there’s probably an edge there. But I don’t know
whether that would be a motivator for men not to go into PR.

HF: I’ve met some really hard-arsed female PR practitioners. There’s no nurturing
going on there. I think it comes back to a construct of power. Maybe it’s a chicken-
and-egg thing. If you think of an organisation that you require women to build
relationships to influence and manage media, you need a particular skills set that may
be exclusive to the hard-arsed approach that you need. The more senior you are the
more hard-arsed you have to be, because you have to change other senior people who

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have been doing things a certain way for so long; so you become a change agent. You
have to be quite forceful. So your skill set changes from a mid-level PR practitioner,
which is about relationships and doing all the nice things, and you’re everybody’s
mate at the mid-level. But once you step up to a more leadership role you’ve actually
got to be clear on what you’re delivering on. And that becomes about power, which
depends on how much power your CEO is prepared to give you. And that changes it
again. I actually see quite masculine traits in really senior female PR practitioners. It’s
a power issue, rather than a gender issue.

HL: Whether you would look at other women in senior management and how much
of those types of qualities they’ve needed to get there. But there’s a perception of you
holding parties, but (in effect) you are really in a corporate policing role. We were
talking about more women in consultancies. Many women have started them, or gone
to work for them, mainly because they are more flexible, and cater more for a family
lifestyle. There would be a heavier need (reason) for women there.

HM: I appreciate your point about the senior women being hard-nosed. But in terms
of the essential core of what PR is, I’m not sure if they fit in to that. They’re moved
away from that. Their staff would have it. As their role has progressed into a
leadership they would develop masculine or leadership qualities.

HF: We actually have to define PR. People run around saying strategic PR, which is a
different skill set to operational PR. But operational PR is what I have observed that
most people think is PR.

HL: The whole thing about being strategic is another ‘crap line’ that needs great
investigation.

HM: Being strategic would be ideal. When you’re in your normal routine, you don’t
have time to do strategic things. In NFP we don’t have the budget for outsourcing, so
your dealing with the available resources.

RW: It’s a matter of perception. Where I work, I’m in the media room and there’s
three men and one woman (me), while in PR and that’s all women with one men. So
we’re viewed as the hard-arsed people because we say ‘no’. PR does the magazine
and does the corporate parties. That perception is encouraged there, too. I see no
evidence of where it’s not discouraged

HL: I find that disconcerting not from the fact that people won’t be motivated to get
into it, but that there’s a negative stereotype being perpetuated. If people think all you
do is parties it makes it hard to be perceived as serious. Things like the Young Guns
foster the perception of ‘young buns’. The promotion they did had shots of them with
girls with champagne in one hand and mobiles in the other. That’s really negative and
a hurdle the rest of us have to get over. Maybe it’s funny if you’re coming through the
ranks.

HF: I think there’s a danger of viewing it just through gender. One of my assumptions
about masculine behaviour is that men are more expedient than women. Women will

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work at things and try to make it work. And they will labour and work over things to
produce a more optimal outcome, while guys will just come in and say, ‘nah, it’s not
working, gone’. So by being really expedient, and PR is fraught with this endless
relationship-building, often for a momentary win that become nothing as you move
on to the next (political) goal. Blokes get their gratification from their power hits and
from having obvious wins. They will move forward, and if you’re in a fluffy field,
where you fluff around, where it changes on the basis of personality, where your
boundaries are not consistent they will bail. And they’re not even going to be attracted
to it in the first place. Guys like expediency, they like boundaries and they like power.
That’s what motivates them.

RW: That’s why they’re attracted to the media room. They’re got no conscience.

HF: Don’t talk to me about building relationships. And the political environment can
change. I mean, they think ‘what a waste’?

RW: It also might have a lot to do with the product you’re promoting. BHP for
example is a more masculine industry, whereas at DCD they’re hardly any men at all.

HF: That’s positioning. You’ve got to look at it what is the role of PR. In government
it’s about telling people what you’re doing. It’s often an unpalatable message across
government and that is intrinsically an unhappy message and you never win with it.
Do men want to do that?

HL: You (could) think how often have you had a male partner, and they tell you about
an incident at work or family or friend where they’ve given some news to someone
and they’re taken it really badly. And you ask him: ‘well, what did you say?’ They
tell you ‘oh, you’re sacked’. It’s like whether you pick a mother or father to deliver
bad news to a child. In most cases, compassion and empathy is where females
definitely have more skills. Possibly it’s the reason why so many women have risen in
these positions. There’s the age-old thought that women can do more things at once. I
don’t know whether those sort of multi-skilling roles are attractive to men.

HM: I also think it’s interesting in the way PR is perceived in television. For example,
in Ab Fab. There have been other sitcoms. They’ve all been females in these roles. I’d
like to see where that sits.

HL: Where I am now, we have run Rally Australia, but there has been this plethora of
blondes. It’s great experience to come in and work at this event. But I wonder if once
you’ve done all those operational promotional roles, writing, brochures and launches
and, and you want to go higher do you suddenly want to give it away when you
realise it’s like that.

HF: Once you’ve passed a certain level, your job satisfaction reduces because the
very thing that draws you to it is no longer part of your core business.

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HL: It’s common in a lot of businesses that people start out doing something they
love. You start out doing something you love, the business grows and you end up
doing accounting and management.

HM: I’ve now got myself into a management position, but moving away from what I
originally did, but in a bid to make my role more interesting and challenging.

HF: It’s a classic organisational misunderstanding of PR is seen as a process, separate

and apart from whatever it is your selling. An organisation can say they want you to
be strategic and do all these things, but you are actually a process: sit down and write
that media release, sit down and develop that event, produce that web-site. Of course
it’s a collaborative process with the person that’s got the content. So you can’t
actually be a content-free PR person, and yet because of the systemisation of PR
that’s what you’re forced into. So you have PR process separate from your core
content, your business content, and I think if you just stay in your PR process without
engaging with your content and trying to get greater depth with that it does become
boring.

HM: PR is such a formula. After I had been doing it for 10 years, it just becomes
basic, like using the 10-point plan. Here’s your template, just fill in the blanks. Or
someone else can just complete it and send it off. It become such an easy job.

RW: It (PR) just becomes mainstream and not special, and not rewardable with
promotion, which discourages men from going for it. I think a of women in their 30s
they think I’m going to have kids anyway, so they don’t strive to go into another
career. Men think: ‘well, I’ve got another 20 or 30 years of working, I should transfer
my sills into something else. Women may think it’s all too bloody hard and I’ll have
kids.

HM: That’s a good point. I admit that there’s been a few times I’ve thought if I get
pregnant, I’ll work from home. So it really does suit that female thought process in
that regard.

HL: It’s not the easy way out, but it does enable you to work say two days a week,
and fit in kids. A lot of (government) PR units are set up, depending on the resources,
the structure is that the career path is set out with the skill sets not being very flexible.
You usually have to go through the media role, then progress. The career paths tend to
make you go sideways.

HF: And why isn’t there more blokes in government? I think it flows from the degree
of complexity. If my supposition about masculine behaviour is true . . . men think:
‘I’ve got to handle the minister, the DG, executive directors, staff and I’ve got
multiple issues. Who would do that?’ Women are more inclined to do that sort of
thing successfully. A bloke would get impatient with that.

HM: I think men are more attracted to the corporate and consultancies. I thought in
consultancies it was even, and most of the bosses have been men.

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HL: I’ve been struck by the propensity of government to outsource. I think it might be
connected to males in the industry. You’d go to PRIA functions and it would be all
the old boys. I’m wondering if the men who has those senior PR roles before, like a
CEO or advisor, and who had all the corporate knowledge, whether now it’s not
valued as much because we can outsource the expertise. And now you have women
who are managers who are far more operational and hands-on. I can remember
working with chaps who had a more advisory role, which is something I do not see
those female managers doing now.

HF: And if you do that type of role; people question what you are doing. It’s not like
you’re doing something visible. The climate of the government is that you have to
produce something, like a magazine.

HM: I’ve worked in organisation where you do the day-to-day things, and suddenly
the organisation is in the news, so they call in the men to handle the crisis. They don’t
view it as a PR role because the PR team didn’t do it.

RW: I wonder if that resulted from when these men who were in senior roles and they
got PR confused with promotion and they hired all these dolly birds for motor shows.
Maybe that’s where it started. They thought promotion and PR were the same.

HM: I can remember you had to be careful when you were applying for jobs, because
you could end up with a topless bar job because it was regarded as public relations.
Again, there’s a perception problem.

HL: I think there’s still a problem with the way the industry promotes itself. There are
some negatives which have come out of women being involved with the PRIA.
There’s that female mafia perception. [All commented briefly on the low
membership].

HF: Their (PRIA’s) biggest problem appears to be the struggle between national and
state and payment of fees, and what goes where. The profession’s changing and the
PRIA is not keeping up. Other associations become more professionalised. They have
mandated education standards. So it’s difficult (for the PRIA) to establish legitimacy.
Professional codes are so strict in other professions. It was critical for your career to
attend. There’s nothing compelling PR practitioners to attend these things.

HM: When I attend PRIA functions, I saw it as just an opportunity to exchange

business cards with fellow members.

HL: It gets quite repetitive sometimes.

H: There’s been a shift in the last seven years in terms of PR in WA. For a long time
they decided they needed corporate communicators, or generalists who could do a bit
of everything. But with this government there’s been such an emphasis on handling
the media. That’s because the main local paper (and we’re a one-paper town) has such
an inordinate amount of power. Because of that it shifts the power of how you
construct a PR team. In the east there’s a variety of ways you can segment yourself.

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But in WA if you get a bad rap in the West you’re done. People run around and
they’re saying ‘it’s terrible’. You’ve got to completely respond and you try to tell
them it will blow over by tomorrow. Because of that incredible micro-focus on one
newspaper it means PR teams all over the State have to adjust. And there’s been this
increasing and obvious focus on people with issues management skills and people
who have strong media contacts, or can build them quickly. You can be a great writer
or strategist, or whatever. But it comes down to ‘is the West going to do us over
today?’

RW: I used to work in an office and there was one guy who we used to say because he
had a dick he would get ahead.

HF: Reverse discrimination, where you have one bloke among a bunch of women.

HL: Women are often other women’s worst enemy. If you’re shafted at work, very
often it’s by a woman. There’s a lot of female management stresses. I know someone
who points to arguing with men and calling each other names and it’s forgotten the
next day. But women will not forgot that. It can be quite toxic.

HF: I think in this regards it needs a look at culturalisation of men and women.

HL: It would be interesting to see what similarities there are in the UK and the US.

HF: In my five years in the US, I found PR very much a profession, and that’s related
to the number of schools teaching it. It’s taken very seriously. It’s anchored to
anthropology and sociology. In the US the approach is more pragmatic. Mass Comms
includes PR, advertising and journalism. But here we separate things. Marketing says
it’s the over-arching discipline. And they sit in different schools.

HM: Maybe we should look at the way the universities sell the subject and structure
it.

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 Annex I – Transcript of student focus group, 19 October 2005

EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY

The student focus group at Edith Cowan University was held in a lecture theatre,
from 7.45 pm to 8.30pm. It consisted of 10 fourth-year PR students (eight female and
two male) and was observed by tutor, Mr Vince Hughes, MBA. There was a mix of
students, with two from Norway (1M, 1F), one from India (M), two from China (F)
and one (F) from Hong Kong. For responses, students are identified by number (from
left to right, and by gender (M or F). The format was to put forward results of earlier
surveys and to ask students to respond to the results. All students were informed their
identities would remain anonymous and that participation was voluntary.

Importance of balance in PR

• I think it’s good (to have balance). You get more points of view and different
angles. It makes opinions more diverse and makes people look at things
differently. (F4)

• It depends on the individual. (F8)

• Family circumstances. Most of the time women work part time, quit their jobs.
(F4)

Reasons for doing PR

• Women are more likely to stop work to have children. There’s a gap when you
might start your profession, then you have five or 10 years to raise your children,
then you have to start at a lower level to restart your career. Whereas men have
had career continuity, so the women have to play catch-up. (F8)

Creativity

• Is it that boys don’t choose PR because they just think it’s a woman’s job? (F4)

• When I was thinking of doing PR I was thinking of business, and I thought ‘be
sensible and do business’. And then I looked at the units and said ‘no, you’ll fail
miserably, those units are not interesting to me’. So (and this may be sexist) men
they want to get into management the business/financial side might interest them
more than women, who want to have that slight creative ability so they’re getting
into PR. (F9)

• I agree with that. I was thinking that maybe men work better in a hierarchical
structure (like business). Because PR is more creative and you need to be flexible,
I think women can be more flexible and creative. (F8)

• The structure thing of the financial side. Men seem to like that structure, so it
appeals to them more to do business. (F9)

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• I agree with all that. But by the same token, marketing and advertising have a lot
of men in it and that’s creative. I don’t know if the creativity argument is strong
here. (F10)

• I think it’s the image of PR. If I were a guy I would probably choose something
more manly, not ‘serious’, because I take PR very seriously. I think the reputation
of PR is pretty feminine. For a guy maybe it doesn’t sound too cool. (F4)

• I think it depends on the industry as well. If I am a company and have to hire a PR

person because women are better-looking and it is better for a company when a
woman talks, because society sees women as more persuasive and gentle. I think
women are better at talking. They are talking all the time. You can’t stop them.
(M5).

• The way women persuade: maybe they can read things better. Many people read
things as black and white, and it’s fair to say that most men see things as black
and white. A woman’s way of persuasion might be a little more subtle than a man
who will stand there and just say ‘you will believe what I am saying’. A woman,
on the other hand, will say ‘well, I really understand but here’s another
suggestion’. Maybe it’s just a subtle communication difference that helps in PR.
(F9)

• Maybe it’s about multi-skilling. We’ve heard that men are apparently only able to
do one thing at a time. Probably in PR because we have to do some many things,
that’s why women are suited. (F7)

• I think it’s more about cultures and location sometime. In Asian culture you find
men in the industry because men dominate over there. (M1)

• In Hong Kong and China women do most of the PR work. I think most of the PR
workers are less energetic than men. Men are stronger so it’s better for women do
an in-house [read office] job. (W5)

• Women are more interested in people. (W2)

Society

• What about the aspect, that its about the way society has brought us up. A child is
15, 16 and looking at their future. Maybe girls look at their careers a little less
seriously than boys at that stage, and maybe that’s why boys would want to go
into the business/management aspect because they know they can get higher. We
learn it’s hard in PR for women to get into top-level management. Maybe it’s the
way we’re raised. Boys think ‘I’ve got to raise my family for the next 45 years
and I have to get a good job’, so they opt for the better-paying path. (W9)

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Teaching of PR

• Two schools of thought about the way PR is taught. One in the business stream,
the other in the creative stream. I’ve had strong interest in that and I still haven’t
come to a conclusion on how to handle it. (Hughes).

• Marketing is creative, and that’s in the business school. (F4)

• HR resource management has an element of PR to it, yet it’s in business schools.

Especially with corporate communication. But a lot more men will go into HR
rather than PR. (W10)

Gender imbalance

• Okay for us, if we’re the majority. (F10)

• Maybe sometimes it’s what societies want. The men in management maybe just
want girls in the PR department. (M1)

[Student F4 was concerned there was a problem with the industry because this
subject was being studied. It was pointed out that I didn’t think there was a problem
with the industry; rather just that I wanted to now why this phenomenon is occurring.
It was pointed out that some scholars perceive there to be a problem in that too many
women can lead to a “ghettoisation” of PR].

Ethics

• With women being in PR I thought about men and their attitude in other
industries; like corruption. It seems to be more men involved in that (way).
Would men perhaps not act as professional or ethically as women in PR? (F8)

• Sounds awful saying it but maybe women are more likely to be sympathetic to
other peoples’ points of views. (F9)

Gender roles in PR

• I’ve been doing some work in a consultancy and I’ve noticed about 80 per cent of
women, and all the men do the work for the mining companies, or energy (where
the money is). But all the women do the launches and events and that kind of
thing. And they’re not getting paid more. (F10)
• Notice Condoleeza Rice in a PR role. Are females sometimes used in these front-
lines roles to soften the hard news? (Hughes)
• I know a lot of guys that can be just as persuasive as women; so maybe is it just a
certain type of person that is attracted to PR. (F4)

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Traits

• I was thinking that you could go to that notion that females the idea of women
and sex; that females can be more persuasive through using their charm. (F9)
• Some jury studies say good-looking men who have been charged with an
offence have a better chance of getting off than if you’re ugly. If you read that
into PR, so maybe if you’re good looking are you more persuasive. (Hughes)
• It’s like in Amsterdam; people feel more compassion for pretty whores than
ugly looking whores. (F4)
• Maybe it’s about our society and culture. (F8)

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 Annex J – Interviews with professionals

INTERVIEW 1, PH, 21 NOVEMBER

PH is one of Perth’s leading PR professionals, and is general manager of one of the

three largest companies. He has worked in media and PR for 20 years, first as a
newspaper journalist for 13 years. The company employs eight men and 27 women.

Over the years I’ve seen the direction of PR very much slanted by the media’s
perception of what PR is. The media projects PR as being about events, celebrities,
the glamour of the industry. They are just aspects of PR.

The girls in PR are all coming from university, that’s undoubtedly why there are so
many now working in the industry. I look at one of our young ladies, here. She got
into PR through radio, where she was doing behind-the scenes stuff, music section,
doing promotions in the cars. In the end she said ‘no, I don’t want to do that; I want to
do something more substantial’.

Our company used to be more evenly balanced. Back in 96-97 there were about the
same numbers of each sex. Then from 1998 to 2000 it very much picked up and ran
with female employees. There were more females coming out of uni, but blokes were
wanting much higher salary packages.
“We’ve always had two guys at the top of the company, as MD and GM, with the
exception of recently when we have appointed a woman GM. If you look at the top 15
companies in the Business List, there are a number of companies with females at the
top. (However, those companies were all started by women).

[There were some pertinent comments made on women taking breaks from
employment when having families. From 17-20 mins].

Women are very good communicators (in general), they have an ability to articulate
information in a manner that is often easily understood and coherent. As such they
actually have the starting point for being a PR practitioner. Journalism, I find, is a
very hard and factual industry, in most instances. In general news you’ve just got to
write the facts. You might get into feature or health writing. I think women just get
fed up with writing the hard nuts and bolts. A lot of the women we have had find PR a
panacea. I like writing, I like dealing with publics, I like handling sort out issues and
handling accounts. So, what can provide me with that type of ongoing career? They
see PR, they look at it (and we have several former female journalists). And why?
Because they are excellent communicators; they are good at telling a story, they are
good at writing, they actually enjoy writing. And writing is the critical aspect,
whether male or female, which takes people down a potential career in PR.

Then they get into what should I do. Should I be a copywriter, a brochure-writer? But
they don’t go down that path because it’s about the sell, or has too much fluff. PR
offers them a halfway point, in that it can be halfway there.

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In general, when it comes to strategy, I wouldn’t be going to my senior women over
my senior men. Sorry. Tactically, of my top five or six, only two are women. In some
cases it just gets downs to experience. In a general PR sense, the two women would
be part of the senior team, but if we had a rally major crisis, say with an oil company
(for whom we have a female account manager). Why? Because our backgrounds in
government and issues just mean that the men here can provide the best solutions.

The reality is that the human body clock for women kicks in between 30 and 40. If
they are in a stable relationship, the women are more than likely to go off and have a
family. But we are now encouraging these women to come back. We want to make it
easier for them to resume their careers.

There are some instances where clients (mostly in the corporate sector, particularly in
mining and resources) prefer to work with men. It’s just that those industries are
traditionally male-dominated. Their culture is just that way. Some meetings I’ve
walked into a mining-related client meeting with a female colleague, and the
comment has been that I’ve brought along my personal assistant. Would you be able
to make us a coffee? And it’s been made in a demeaning sense. They only talk to me
and have eye contact with me. They just don’t want to know her. And there are other
anecdotal stories where clients have said ‘you don’t need to bring her next time; she
wouldn’t understand our business’.

I don’t bemoan the fact that the industry is predominantly women. I think it would be
good if we could attract more men in to the industry. I believe that in the WA market
there is a lack of good corporate-orientated young male practitioners. The majority of
those that come though are female, and if someone could answer me why is it more
difficult for females to pick up the ‘corporate’ reins of an account, I’d love to hear it. I
could actually develop an education package that could be slotted into the
universities. It just seems to me that the young guys have a better understanding of
business. That’s probably a slight on female practitioners, but it’s not meant to be. It’s
just that when they come through, it is a significant effort to get them thinking about
corporate reins, particularly investor relations. Things like profit, triple bottom line
and such, mean nothing to them.

I could walk into a university and ask who wants to work in entertainment or tourism
and the hands would shoot up. And I could ask who wants to work in investor
relations, and no hands would go up. Then I’d ask who wants to earn $100K in eight
to 10 years? The hands would go up. Of those, who would want to work in investor
relations, and the hands would drop. So I’d walk out and say none of you are going to
earn much.

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INTERVIEW 2, IW, 22 NOVEMBER

IW is a male practitioner with 30 years experience in communications (12 in Perth).

He has a BBus (Communications) and Grad Dip Marketing. He heads a semi-
government organisation which has one of the State’s largest PR budgets. The
organisation turns over more than $200m a year. He also works closely with external
PR consultancies.

(About 10-12 years ago) PR might have been seen as a soft and attractive profession.
PR didn’t have a lot of the hard-nosed stuff, such as issues management. There was a
lot of events management. If you encountered a female PR operative in those days
(and they may have come out of journalism) they probably had a reasonable
understanding of the media. But these days everyone is a reporter. Everyone’s got a
camera on their phone. I think having that capacity: to want to part of a pleasant
profession with career opportunities, but allowing women to develop their profession.

I think there are things around the edge around PR that leads them to think it’s a
pleasant profession.

I think PR about 15 years ago was media relations; getting the company story across,
putting corporate views out. PR has grown in line with the growth of the media.

Up until 15 months ago, I dealt with for more than three years a company that had
never had a male practitioner. In some respects I felt that was objectionable. You had
to have no penis and be blonde and you’d get on in the industry (and an e-mail from a
friend of mine who runs a consultancy interstate tackles this point). He calls some of
these females in the industry “grimbos”. I thought that was an interesting observation.

There’s a whole lot of blondes out there in black dresses who are very good at
functions, but when they come to write press releases create ‘lobsters’ (with a whole
lot of shit at the head). They just can’t nail it in the first three paragraphs.

Really, I don’t have a simple answer as to why there are more women in this industry.
As far as our account is concerned (and apparently this is the biggest). There are some
places that if you didn’t have a penis you’d never get a job there.

Sometimes you have to look how education works. That’s probably where the answer
lies.

I think physiologically and mentally (left-brain, right-brain) there are differences in

the way males and females work, and their approach to things. But some of the
planning women do are better than men; particularly event management. They have
that attention to detail (such as colour) and I don’t mean that to be sexist. But things
like that can add value to an event. I think in the area of community relations they’re
good at that, because sometimes it’s better to put a women in front of “CAVES”
(Citizens Against Everything). They have a softer negotiation skill and can find the
middle ground.

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Dare I say it, but in the public sector there is strong evidence that certain women can
evolve and develop power bases, and will have amazing pulling power with a CEO,
where a bloke mightn’t have; given that there’s an 80 per cent chance the CEO will be
male.

It’s a bit like human resources, where there’s a very similar trend, where HR
specialists tend to be female.

INTERVIEW 3, AH, 30 NOVEMBER 2005

AH part-owns of one of Perth’s top three PR firms, employing 21 people, including

nine in PR (eight women and one male – him). Originally a TV journalist, he has been
in PR for 13 years, including a stint for the British Government. He has worked in
Perth for the past seven years, ever since he started his current business.

The PR profession is a very loose profession. Unlike engineering you don’t have to be
part of a national body. Therefore it’s going to be harder for it to make any conscious
decision, if people think there’s a problem, to address the imbalance.

I think it does matter if there are a lack of men coming through. I think that any
industry that gets unbalanced is doing itself a disservice, like in engineering, because
you need all types of viewpoints. And men and women do communicate differently.
Women are naturally better communicators, but sometimes you need a male
communications approach to communicating, writing or speaking, because their
approach often more robust. So I think it (imbalance) is actually an issue. The trouble
is whether you can see it as an issue. It’s not in our firm. But for the profession as a
whole I think it is an issue.

There’s no doubt guys are naturally attracted to technical subjects. That’s the case in
our company, where it’s evident that we have more women applying for the PR and
design jobs, yet for the web side of things, which is mostly technical, we attract
males, which are the predominant group. The guys have vacated the design space and
left it to women, and the women occupy the PR space. The other big problem, which
you can already see in universities, is that most of the kids are foreign students and
don’t have the capacity to work in our industry. If the unis go down this track they
will just produce people that are only of use to their own countries.

I think women are certainly generally more empathetic than males, and that certainly
helps in PR. One of the other areas that women excel in is that they are better
organisers. Most of them when they try tell us why they want to be in PR they name
event management as the reason. Either they have an interest in organising things, or
they have an interest in parties. That’s fine. Either interest is valid, but they’re in it
for their organisational ability. It’s one of the reasons women thrive. They are good
documenters and they are thorough. Because in a consultancy people need to be

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thorough. I take their organisational skills as being high on the list on why they want
to be in the profession.

It’s easier to train a guy on how the business, or a client’s businesses operate. On the
other hand, it’s much easier to train a women to build a relationship with clients. At
the end of the day, which is more important? As I’m the guy who has to understand
how the business runs, then I place an emphasis on relationship-building. Also, if they
don’t understand something, women will ask a question, and males generally don’t do
that. I guess it is similar to guys taking up engineering skills.

As for characteristics of PR people, there can be very aggressive females and some
males who are at the opposite end of the spectrum. The people who are good at PR
are usually somewhere in the centre. The good males have some of the feminine
characteristics: the ability to build relationships, have empathy, communicate clearly
The very good women also have some of the necessary robustness to be tough and use
in negotiations, and some of the slight aggression you need to have to work with the
media. It’s a hybrid type of person.

I have think women enter PR because they probably have an inkling of what PR is
about when they apply (that’s PR is a spin-off of marketing, for example). If they’ve
heard of it’s because it’s been connected to fashion, or parties. That doesn’t matter,
but at least something has led them into the profession. Guys don’t get that because
they’re not interested in that type of stuff. They don’t think “oh, good, it’s about
organising things: I’ll go into that’. So they don’t have anything nudging them
towards the profession. I also think the organising aspect is important. Women are
good organisers and they know it. Even in their teenage years, women are organising
things, whether it’s the school ball, or their friend’s party, sister’s wedding. Therefore
they’re very attracted by the notion of event management. I just don’t have any
theories on why men are attracted; just that they’re not.

If you wanted to draw males into the profession, you would have to study what other
professions do. They start in the schools. By the time you get to uni, the decision has
been made. You have to start off in the schools, explaining what it is and enticing the
right sort of guy into the profession. Guys will quickly sort out if they’re interested.
But there’s probably a raft of guys out there who could potentially do quite well, but
are foundering around with no knowledge of PR. Oddly enough, in WA we are better
placed than anywhere else to demonstrate we have a role for males. Unlike Sydney
and Melbourne, which has the ‘fluffy’ stuff PR like fashion and entertainment, the
reality is most Perth PR is business. I think that’s one of the hardest things for women
when they leave university here, because in order to do PR they see they have to go
into ‘serious’ business, not fluff, so they have to understand mining companies and so
on. At the end of the day, you have to find out what might appeal to guys. Whether
it’s saying, ‘look, I spend a lot of my time on mine sites and dealing with heavy
industry’. Something has to be said to them.

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INTERVIEW 4 KS, 6 DECEMBER 2005

KS is one of Perth’s most senior and respected practitioners and academics. Only
recently retired, he is now an Adjunct Professor in PR. Originally from a radio and
newspaper journalism background (eight years), he has 44 years’ PR experience, for
consultancies, multi-nationals and governments (in Australia and Indonesia).

PR was born out of journalism. Back in 1962 the face of PR was all male. Journalists
were very anti-women. To be a woman journalist, there was true glass ceiling. They
never rose above a B-grade. Their highest aspiration was to be women’s editor. There
was an ‘old school’, sort of Victorian-Edwardian hangover that maintained this anti-
female culture. Senior women journalists were becrying [sic] the fact they couldn’t
get the same opportunities as men.

PR has always been about information ‘in’ as much as information ‘out’. It was often
the information you gathered that was most important. And the best collectors of
information were journalists. So the PR companies recruited the best journalists, but
only male. You wouldn’t have head-hunted a woman. The ABC was a bit of an
exception, and did not discriminate.

I was managing Eric White and Associates in Perth when I came back from Jakarta in
1981 and I employed a woman to run one of our major accounts. Jim Griffin, who had
been the manager, and was now a director, said ‘I don’t know about that client
accepting a woman’. But she was a great success.

Among the first women were Jan Barry and Marie-Louise Sinclair.

Jan Barry also became the State manager. Theoretically there were no barriers, but it
didn’t happen because of the culture. We respected our colleagues and they were
getting the same pay, at a time when many women were not getting equal pay. But at
the same time their perception was they couldn’t get the top jobs, except in ‘women’s
writing’, which is what we’d now call lifestyle stuff. And the lifestyle stuff is still
mainly the women’s preserve. This, of course makes them valuable in PR, because
that’s where the modern marketing style of PR find its outlet. I believe the type of PR
has changed. We were employed much more strategically. As I said, in obtaining
information. I can remember at one stage having not written a release in two years. I
just finding out information. It was more what we’d now call public affairs.

As to why women are entering PR, it’s really a mystery to me. I would say PR is
perceived as a glamour industry. This, I think, does have implications as to why
women enter it.

I made a transition from public affairs to marketing PR by way of advertising in 1968.

I joined Ogilvy and Mather who had just arrived in Australia. They had senior women
in advertising running major accounts and it worked. They were mainly food and
service-type accounts. But they all had PR aspects to them. It was what we now call
IMC. To me that is the major part of PR today and that’s where women are fitting in.

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It’s the lifestyle aspects of PR that is emphasised. The exception is government,
which appears to employ a lot of women.

Education has certainly helped women break the glass ceiling, simply because the
men didn’t think they had to.

If we start to generalise, we can have a problem. I think the male desire to be in

control is stronger than the women’s desire to be in control. It’s about power. I think
that in PR, power is what drives the men, I’m pretty sure, but it’s not apparent in the
lower echelons. These days men don’t get attracted to PR because it’s not as certain
as other things they can now do. PR’s power (in government) never has been ‘fully
there’ when it comes to exerting influence. There was time when the PRIA looked
down at government PR people because they considered them more journalistically-
oriented. They wouldn’t admit them as members.

INTERVIEW 5, DAN EDELMAN, 8 FEBRUARY 2006

Dan Edelman could well be regarded as one of the world’s pre-eminent practitioners.
His New York-based practice has offices in several countries, including Australia. He
was interviewed by phone.

Almost every service industry now has a high proportion of women. They’ve come
into the workforce in numbers unseen. It’s a remarkable development and is
particularly obvious in occupations such as legal, accounting and communications..

PR certainly has disproportionate numbers. It’s sometimes said there are not enough
women in leadership roles. But that’s not always true, particularly when it comes to
PR. We have company presidents in five countries, including Italy, Brazil, Spain and
Australia, plus in many capital city offices. Women’s salaries are also much higher
now, so it’s inaccurate to say they do not get the same opportunities in PR.

Women can handle anything. They’re not limited in what they can tackle; certainly
not from their perspective. However, they tend to be more numerous in health and
consumer product industry PR. The crisis and financial management side of things
still seems to be the men’s domain.

Maybe men have more choices. There are now a lot of women doctors.

With regard to having more men in PR, I don’t think it’s something you can force,
because then you wouldn’t have enough staff. It does come down to the best person
for the job.

As far as the numbers go, I think it’s as high as we can go (with women).

PR is more appealing to people now, and women certainly can compete equally.

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INTERVIEW 6, MR, 22 MARCH 2006

MR is a male practitioner with a degree in journalism. He worked for six months in

journalism (country paper) and then switched to PR. He has two years’ experience
and is working for a WA Government Department.

Maybe blokes see PR as being a bit airy-fairy. Maybe men are a bit more forthright,
and because PR is a bit fuzzy they shy away from it. It’s probably a male thing.

You’ve definitely got to be confident; to be able to pick up the phone and talk to
people. You’re out there.

Because I’m working alongside an industry that’s traditionally male-dominant, I see

that a lot of older men don’t like being told by women (particularly younger ones)
how they should do things (from a PR aspect).

In journalism it isn’t really good money, so that could be a reason why some men will
do PR. I thought I would just keep doing journalism as a freelancer, on the side.

There’s certainly more job security in PR than journalism, and more room to move up
and quicker than in journalism.

I can’t see blokes doing events. It’s too much about keeping everyone on side. Too
much crap. Probably women have more patience and are able to deal with unhappy
clients, and they are probably more thorough.

INTERVIEW 7: JW, 22 MARCH 2006

JW majored in PR and has been working in the industry for 10 years. He currently
works for a Perth consultancy.

The trend of more women has certainly been noticeable. Even when I studied there
could be 20 in the class, and only three men. It was a common joke that there were so
few men doing it. However, there was never any stigma about the males doing it.

I think it’s good to have a better balance in the industry, and of course, at university.

But it’s hard to say why this (imbalance) has happened. Women might be more aware
of attention to detail and also with the design of various communication materials.
They take more pride in presentation and appearance, and I don’t think most males
think that way. Those things are important in PR.

Women can probably handle more than two or three things at once. I think there’s
been a bit written about that.

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There could be a perception that PR is soft and fluffy. But there’s all sort of PR, from
issues to promotions in bikinis. There seems to be confusion out there. Maybe it’s a
female thing that they just grasp the many facets and can adapt to them.

PR is a job that is flexible, and you can work at it for two or three days a week. That
would suit women better. Men, I think, would prefer to work fulltime. Maybe that’s a
traditional thing. Certainly if women have children, PR would suit them in that
regard.

You have to have a strong personality in PR. You have to be able to pick up the phone
and talk to anybody, and deal with all sorts of people in many industries.

Maybe PR is not seen as serious. It’s hard to know. It’s often portrayed as spin. A lot
of journalists see PR people as ‘spin doctors’. Maybe, women can handle challenges
from journalists [better than men].

Maybe there’s just not enough substance for men in PR.

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INTERVIEW 9: MB, 28 July 2006

MB is a (male) senior lecturer in communication theory at the University of

Technology, Sydney. The interview took place by phone. It was prompted late in the
study by a colleague who mentioned that MB had asked about the study and had some
‘theories’.

I have only just recently been exposed to this (increasing number of women in PR).
At a recent course I conducted for the PRIA there were only 12 women. So I asked
them why there were no men, and they replied that they “were much cheaper than
men”. They went on to explain that at the top end of town, in financial PR, however,
most, if not all the practitioners were men. But I don’t know if that was just “gender-
talk”. I have no evidence to back it up.

The rest is really just my thought process which flowed from that. In New South
Wales we have an extremely high UAI (Universities Admissions Index) score to
enter communications courses – PR and journalism. It’s 96 per cent, and we attract
the top four per cent of the State’s students, who happen to be women. So you look at
the HSC (Higher School certificate) there is a female dominance at the top.

I think that also PR has changed in recent years from being not so much about
persuasion, but now it’s more project management. We don’t so much have to try to
convince organisations to run material, because 60 per cent of the news is PR-driven
anyway.

Like I said, I’ve only just encountered the issue and haven’t given it much thought.

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 Annex K – Interviews with students

INTERVIEW 1: LS, 24 NOVEMBER 2005

Lisa is a 27-year-old third-year student, who has also worked for several years in
other areas, and briefly on PR internships. She was completing a double major in PR
and marketing, and is considering doing honours.

I found the male students to be quite determined. Their work is quite good and they
really apply themselves. Maybe they’re more determined because they feel they have
to prove themselves among the women. The majority of the guys I know get good
marks, so they must work hard.

Males in PR seem to be a little bit more sensitive than other male students in other
disciplines. They are more organised and methodical. The majority of them, I guess,
seem to have more feminine characteristics. You can talk to them more easily than
some of the other male students. They possibly don’t fit in with what might be termed
the general male culture.

They’re very creative, with innovative ideas and very helpful, when I’ve done group
work with them. I haven’t had to ask for their work. They’re quite organised. But
they’re not quite as helpful as females.

I started many years ago doing secretarial and PA work, which involved a lot of
organisational tasks. And there was a lot of interaction with the marketing
department. I also did a few units of PR at TAFE and realised what I had been doing
was PR. I went travelling and when I was away I realised this is what I wanted to do.

PR is an easy subject if you just want to pass. You’ll never fail. But there’s quite a lot
work in getting a high distinction.

The stereotypical PR person needs to be organised, methodical, a very good

communicator and network easily. That implies an outgoing person, which men are
more likely to be, as they don’t have the inhibitions that women have, and they don’t
think too far whether they’re hurting someone else, or saying something they
shouldn’t be. So they’re not that sensitive, in general. But it depends on the person. I
just think those qualities are needed for a PR person to be successful, and women
generally have them more than men.

Listening is important. A PR person ends up running their little department and they
have to listen to the other external departments, so if you’re not listening you’re not
going to be sending out the right message. [Do you think the male or female students
have better listening skills. Perhaps?]

Event organising seems to be quite popular at uni. It comes up every time in what
students are interested in.

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The men I know are doing very well. They are in consultancies and government. I
would think men have the edge in (obtaining work) PR. Because there are so few of
them and they are a lot more fun to have in a department. I imagine, though, that the
level of how serious person is determined by the culture of the organisation.

INTERVIEW 2: JB, 3 December 2005

JB is a 19-year-old second-year male student majoring in PR and multi-media. He

will study in the US in the first semester 2006, before competing his degree.

I was the only male in my tute of 25 this semester. In lectures it’s dominated
“majorly” by females. You look around and you might see 10 guys among 50 or 60
females. So I did think at some stage why there were so many females. You kind of
keep a bit more quiet when there’s 24 females. When there’s so many you don’t want
to get on the wrong side of them. I’ve only worked with females this year, so it’s
difficult for me to measure other males.

I don’t think they treat you differently. In group work you can still put your point
across. But I guess like it’s like any group; there’s good and bad. But I could always
get my point across. Maybe you feel a little intimidated sometimes because of the
overwhelming number of females. So I tend to just sit back and watch them. I don’t
think any of the other guys have any problems with being among so many females.
We all tend to get along well with people. I know my mate can talk to someone and in
30 seconds he has them laughing.

I don’t think you could go far in PR if you were shy. As for common traits, we get
along with people well, make friends easily. I think also we weren’t really sure what
we wanted to do when we left school. PR is something where you get to interact with
people, which I wanted to do. I also didn’t like the fact that I might be stuck in front
of a computer screen doing multi-media for the rest of my working life, so that’s why
I took a PR option as well and I can see which one I prefer. I didn’t choose
advertising because there are a lot of guys in it, so I thought that if I chose PR I would
have a better chance because there weren’t many guys in it. With advertising I always
pictured it as sitting at a desk and trying to think of ideas. With PR I thought it would
be more interactive and I could get out of the office a bit more.

I think being creative is important in PR. Maybe the fact that I do multi media and
that my mate plays an instrument indicates we are creative. I think the kind of males
we are is a real mix. One of my mates can be a bit feminine, but the other guy is laid
back, a surfer and smokes a bit. I guess I’m in the middle. The females are also a mix,
some are assertive, some are chatty, others quiet. I think the ones that makes their
voice heard are the ones that will do well in PR.

To be honest, one of the things that has turned me off PR is that it seems ambiguous
compared to marketing and advertising. It’s hard to measure PR, and you don’t know
if the work you are doing is working or not. If you’re doing marketing and advertising
you have a better gauge. Sometimes you feel as though you’ve been studying for two

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years and don’t know if you’ve done anything. I think this is one of the big issues we
come across. Everyone likes to measure things at the end of the day to see how
they’re going. Males like that sense of competition and they try to beat other
individuals, so they like to be measured. That’s where it’s frustrating because PR is
hard to measure. We have sat down and talked about it. And it just seems you never
know where you’re at with it.

When I was the only guy in a group I was constantly trying to get them to do things
my way. I found a lot of their writing was a lot more flowery. I guess if you’re trying
to make things positive for the client they could do it. But I found myself better at
organising or managing things in the group situation. Maybe they were better at the
creativity, and I was better at managing. Maybe that comes back to the view that men
lean towards more business-related subjects. I found many of their ideas didn’t have
much value in that they would only fix one part of the jigsaw, when they should have
been looking at fixing the whole problem.

I found generally the girls were more comfortable with me. They tended to get on
each others’ nerves. Maybe it was just the novelty of having a male in the group. In
places I’ve worked, where there were males and females, the atmosphere is better
than when it’s all males. It tended to get boring sometimes, because you tend to talk
about the same things all the time.

INTERVIEW 3: EP, 7 DECEMBER 2005

EP is a mature-age female student who completed three years of a teaching degree.

She is now in the final year of a Communication Degree at Murdoch University.

I think because of the lack of prestige given to the profession it’s sort of seen as
women’s work. It’s difficult to define. I thought I’d like to do PR after having my
children and I’d met some people who had done events (which is not just what PR is).
Before I started doing PR, people would say ‘what does it mean you do?’ And I just
couldn’t verbalise what a PR person did. I remember that most of the males that asked
me, they would say it’s like ‘party-planning’ or advertising. They seemed to think it
was a really pathetic thing to do. Maybe that’s why men aren’t drawn to it. It’s not a
stigma, but really just the idea of what PR is. I think they think it’s standing on the
corner doing surveys, like in marketing.

At the end of PR campaign, you don’t really come out with figures, hard-and-fast
results. It’s just what worked and what didn’t. A lot of it is feedback. I sort of think
it’s a social thing: that society regards it as a female profession. Talking to a lot of
students, most of the ones I worked with are using it (PR) as a component for other
things. They use it as an elective, or part of another degree, say in journalism or
marketing. I think that social idea of PR really affects what people think.

I think movies like Wag The Dog, show how manipulative it can be influences how
PR is seen, although that’s from an American perspective. But they make it sound
ugly, with people manipulating things. I think that’s what people think PR is

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(manipulating things). Even I get sceptical. We had a lecture from someone who
works for the Premier’s Department. And they coordinate things like what colour of
tie the Premier is wearing: even if he shouldn’t wear a tie. There are things like they
pick and choose who will and who won’t be interviewed. So that’s all manipulation.

I would never have looked for media releases on a web-site before I started doing PR.
I guess I didn’t grow up with that, unlike the younger students. This makes me
wonder if the public actually look up things like that.

Many of the male students at Murdoch in the Communications course aren’t doing
PR; they are doing journalism. The males did have a different approach. They tended
to come from a marketing or political perspective. I always feel that men do
marketing and women do PR for some reason. It is just my perception. I think I like
the whole communication aspect of PR. I’m ‘big’ [sic] in trying to find ways of trying
to communicate well. It’s important that when we send out messages, we get the right
one across and that we’re not manipulating things.

I like writing because it gives you the time to create a good coherent message.

There’s a mix of people doing PR. There are the outgoing ones, but there are also the
quiet achievers. They tend to get quite passionate about some of the work we had to
present.

I think writing is the most important component of doing PR. Presentation is also
important because people “read” things visually. By that I mean that we take in
images more quickly than just reading words. Then I think organisational ability is
important. I would probably be happy just writing media releases, because I enjoy
writing.

A lot of the men in PR are ex-journalists, and they’re not viewed as a PR person.
They’re given a title that eliminates the fact they are doing PR. Generally, men that do
PR often give it a title so it doesn’t look like they’re doing PR. I’ve always thought of
it as a profession that women do, like nursing. I wouldn’t think of women becoming
marketers. I don’t think they do it consciously. It’s just that they have this ideas that
there are certain roles men do, and some that women do. It’s like when they enrol, at
uni someone says: ‘what are you doing?’ And they get the reply that ‘oh, that’s for
girls’.

I guess people do not really know much about PR. When you go to a high school
careers night, every boy wants to be a pilot or girls want to be dressmakers or nurses.
We are making choices at earlier ages, and really no one really knows about PR. So
how will they make an informed choice?

Because there’s this whole idea of women having to look after the children, simply
because women “have” them. It like there’s this debate about male and female roles,
which might never disappear. We’ve gone through three waves of feminism, but
we’re back to where we started. There’s the idea of men being linear thinkers, and

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women being better at multi-skilling. We stereotype PR. It’s similar to thinking all
men that do party-planning are gay. But are they?

I have young girls in my unit, and we were talking about feminism and what rights
they have. They didn’t realise that in many occupations women still get paid less than
men. They just thought all that [EEO] was in place.

INTERVIEW 4: SW, 16 DECEMBER 2005

SW is a recently-graduated female with a PR Degree and working in events

management. She is about to commence a Masters Degree in media studies.

The women PR people I deal with through events I think feel that they more
marketing-aligned. The men are more serious and aligned with business-development.
I wouldn’t say the men are overtly masculine, but neither are they ‘wimpy’ or ‘girly’.

I think probably PR people need a quite ‘forward’ trait, of being able to step up and
take on a leadership role or make decisions. Maybe you need to be able to have an
element of risk-taking. Just being very definite about what you’re doing. And yes, I’d
agree with all those general things that you need to be a people-person, and I would
agree with that, because you do need to have a way with people, of making them
comfortable.

I hate going to a function and having to network. It feels very false, I suppose you just
‘schmooze’ people. I guess I’m not someone who can make small talk. I suppose
that’s a character trait.

I’d say that probably the nature of PR being “behind-the-scenes” industry probably
means that when practitioners are recognised it is probably projected as fluff and
bubble, and not actually what they do behind the scenes. It just comes out at
functions. That’s where I think the fluff and bubble impression comes from.

I wonder if people choose PR without knowing what it is? For me I thought I would
do something in management and work in hospitality. But I quite like writing, so I
could be good at journalism. I did one unit of journalism, and thought it’s okay. But I
don’t want to do this as a living. No one could give men an answer of what PR was.
They sort of said it was like marketing, but more strategic. So I did the unit, enjoyed it
and kept going.

For me I was trying to find a match in the area I was working in, and that’s probably
different to a lot of uni students. I know a lot of students say they choose a subject
because they want to be a journalism, or a film-maker. You don’t actually do PR to do
PR. You get a skill base and then you go and apply it. It’s not like a lawyer or doctor:
once you finish you are a doctor or a lawyer.

When I started uni a lot of people were doing a bachelor of arts. You don’t really get
anything at the end of it. To a certain degree I think communications has replaced the

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BA. The skills are more relevant, but don’t set you in any one direction, and I think
that appeals to a lot of students.

INTERVIEW 5: ZM, 11 JANUARY 2006

ZM is a male second-year student who is disillusioned with PR and is switching to

marketing/advertising.

I also have a class with first-year students, and there’s two out of 20 students being
male. My classmate has noticed a difference as well. For the most part we are ignored
in class. It’s almost as though we’re shoved in the corner. He is very placid, and quiet.
Unusually, he’s not really that outgoing, which is definitely a trait of the girls. They
are very out there, very loud.

There’s a definite issue with it (being ignored). I’ve experienced not being taken
seriously by teachers. It’s the same with my mate. Mostly female teachers. Maybe
that’s got something to do with it.

I think PR is perceived as a con industry. Speaking to people who don’t know much
about it, they think it’s about telling people what they don’t want to hear. I went to
PRIA night (student challenge). If there were journalists there. It was just a “bitchy”
night. They would talk to one person, then criticise them when they walk away.
I think the whole point of the industry is to be honest, and these people are not doing
that, and that’s among their own.

The internship proved to me what I had started to think about the industry. I’d say that
it true that the industry isn’t very black and white. When I was doing my internship,
I’d be there and ask them: ‘exactly what do you do? What’s involved?’ They were
connecting A to B, jumping up in the air and saying they were brilliant. It’s very grey.
And that’s why I’m switching to advertising/marketing, because PR is not very
definite. You don’t exactly know what your role is.

The teaching is different. I was taught PR is part of marketing, and some places teach
the opposite: that marketing is part of PR. I think it’s taught differently everywhere.
They need a consistent standard across the country, at least in the way of what it’s
supposed to be.

I think females would have a different method of teaching from males, though I can’t
tell because I don’t have any male teachers. But I’d say most of them have been very
wishy-washy. It was like they were unsure of what they were teaching.

I think that anyone that hasn’t done PR would see it a female-dominated industry.
And that’s a turn-off for guys, I think.

One of the differences between advertising and PR is that they both put a positive
spin, and leave out the negative. But you pay for advertising.

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I still think PR is a new industry. People say it’s been around for ages, but it’s only
trying to take on a modern approach now. It seems PR has taken over a lot of
marketing and advertising roles, branding, events management and journalism. They
stick themselves in the middle and say ‘we can do everything’. In my internship the
company said it was doing advertising and marketing. What gives PR the right to do
marketing things? No one in marketing does PR things.

I think one of the main skill to have in PR is to be able to be able to say something
without saying anything, and I think women are pretty good at that. That does make it
[PR] fuzzy. I think that’s a motherly instinct (every woman has a chance to be a
mother) and it’s ingrained in females. Of course guys can have that ability, but it’s
more apparent in females.

Sometimes people are more comfortable talking to a [PR] women if there’s an issue
to deal with. It could come down to that nature thing, in that woman is caring and
sensitive.

I think there’s also an aspect of how the media portrays PR. I’ve often mentioned that
I’m doing PR and people refer to Eddie in Absolutely Fabulous.

It’s a very pretentious industry. When you go to a [PR] function, it’s all put on.
People just have their hand in each other’s pockets. Even one of my teachers said she
same thing.

It’s [PR] not here or there. That whole schmoozing up to people, and buttering them
up, I think that’s a load of shit. Maybe it doesn’t equate to what I’ve been taught: that
you have to be honest. So I dislike the industry immensely.

A big issue is when you try to find out what PR is. They don’t tell you much. Maybe
if they tell you more at the start it might correct the problem of so few guys doing it.
Then again, it might work the other way. But I wouldn’t have been able to say what it
was when I started. But then, I can’t tell you what it is after two years.

INTERVIEW 6: FM, 16 DECEMBER 2005

FM is a female and former primary-school teacher now doing a Grad. Dip. She has
some work experience in PR.

I’m sure none of the younger students wouldn’t want to work in NFP. They all like
fashion, and music. But then again, they’re young and that’s just natural.

My main opinion about PR is that when you go through school nobody knows about
PR. I imagine most people think of it being advertising. I suppose it’s also that
conditional perspective that a lot of people have that men need to go out and get a job
with a career that pays well, but women can be a bit more ‘airy fairy’ about their
careers. I can just get a job I like, have kids when I like, then go back and work part-

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time. Maybe males are looking for higher paid jobs, but PR teds to be more middle
management. Maybe it’s a money thing and males just do a business degree which
will get them further.

Maybe it is the traditional ways that men and women think. I thought that the units in
PR were more interesting than business units. With units like accountancy, I just think
I would have failed. I just feel the need to communicate, and that’s what PR is.

Women are very much into pleasing the boss, as opposed to breaking ‘out of the
mould’ a bit. Maybe men breaking out of the mould is more acceptable. A guy may
be able to present a radical idea better, simply because he’s male.

I think that a lot of women are more interested in talking through situations. With job
satisfaction, men like to prove with figures they have succeeded, whereas women like
to know the internal and external environments are working well. They just may have
different approaches.

The higher people go up in pay, the more hours they are expected to do. Maybe
women know that predominantly they will be the main child carer, so they gravitate
towards PR, which you are not always expected to work long hours.

Looking at the males at uni, they are quite fit and attractive (not that I’m interested).
Maybe they consider it a similar line to advertising, which may be a little more
cutthroat than PR, and they may think ‘I might have a more glamorous life’.

If you want to get into TV you have to have certain look, be a certain age. There was
one young guy and he was good looking with a deep voice. The journalism tutor was
mesmerised by his voice; so he was ‘in there’, as far as the tutor thought. Who cares
about his skills? I made a judgment about someone. She was really scruffy, and it
turned out she was doing journalism, and PR was just a side unit. But I had made a
judgement based on appearance. It’s not that you have to be the best-looking person,
but you have to look professional.

Maybe females feel more capable of getting a personal relationships going quickly,
whereas males may feel on guard or not wanting to look like a sleaze. A man,
especially being friendly to a woman, may come across as bad, whereas a female
being friendly to a man is somehow more professional-looking. So maybe it’s safe to
have females in that [PR] position.

When you’re trying to put forward an idea to senior management. Maybe men can be
a little more aggressive, but in fact [because they are in PR] are not accepted readily
by management. Females may be a bit more submissive and can take a different tack,
whereas the men would get fed up more easily knowing their idea will not be
accepted, so they’ll just give up. Maybe if there were men in the industry it’s going to
promote the whole industry. Management will be including PR in the mix more often.
On the other hand, there also needs to be more women in the top end of business.

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I am such a typical ‘girl’. I was more inclined towards social sciences and English.
But I have a sister who is so scientifically-minded.

One good thing for PR was with Tom Baddley [ABC TV newsreader] going to PR.
That’s good for the public to see someone move from serious news to the Western
Force [WA-based Super 14 rugby union team]. Maybe that’s a good rap for PR. I
didn’t know PR existed when I was younger; so how do people find out about it [PR]?
I know in Year Nine I started to learn about advertising. You know that it’s a job, but
PR wasn’t. It’s portrayed as airy-fairy, I suppose.

One thing I have discovered is that I enjoy writing, whether it’s media releases or
brochures. Not that I would want to do journalism. I don’t actually think if I knew PR
existed when I was 17 I would have done it, though.

INTERVIEW 7: SD, 6 FEBRUARY 2006

SD is a third-year male PR student, who worked in a junior role for a WA government

department, before being told to go to university. The interview was conducted by
phone.

At one stage there were just two guys in one [PR] class, so, yes, I’ve noticed there is a
situation with the low numbers of males.

A PR degree always seems to have had a female-type work tag attached to it. In Perth
the PR industry is small and a lot of the males really don’t seem to get a look-in..

It’s not a ‘hard-core’ career. It’s so broad, and it means so many things. It’s not
specific. It’s not like being a doctor or an engineer. I like the idea of having a
specialised titles, but with PR you just don’t get that. I guess that PR is not a career on
its own: it tends to be consumed by other aspects of a business, such as marketing.

I think males can equally have what is generally regarded to be female characteristics,
such as nurturing and ability to organise and listen. But females also have the ability
to be up-front. Some of them are extremely up-front. But it’s no good to be a freight
train.

I’ve heard the UN had asked the Australian Government to help push more women
into management positions; so maybe there’s a push to have females in PR
management, and that might be coming at the cost of males. I think whoever is the
best person for the job should get it.

Maybe females are just more attracted to PR than males. Perhaps there’s a social
stigma for men if they don’t do the traditional male subjects and occupations. I come
from a family that always been tradesmen, and most people from my home town
worked in trades. But I always liked music and art. There was the whole
entertainment thing of being vibrant has something with me doing PR, I imagine.

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I’ve heard some people talking that there’s a perception in PR that you are always
only a spokesperson for whoever you work for, and that you never really get involved
with driving the business. So that could be a disincentive for males not doing PR. I
guess it gets back to me thinking that it’s an inadequate subject.

The sheer number of people doing this course is huge, but the imbalance is bound to
have some effects. I guess that may or may not work in my favour. On one hand, it
might mean that because there are so many females, employers might not look
favourably on a male. But it also might make males more valuable. The saturation of
female might mean that males are seen as less capable among so many females.

But any saturated industry is not healthy. Diversity is something which is bad, and is
sorely lacking at university. I hope someone goes on to point out the pitfalls.

INTERVIEW 8: LEIGH, 15 APRIL 2006

Leigh is a 20-year-old male third year PR student.

I’m just as keen on PR now as when I started. I haven’t particularly been deterred by
the number of females, although it was evident they are the majority.

I never noticed any talk about it being unusual that I was doing PR. There may have
been some comments but nothing dramatic. Such comments would have been made in
reference to the large number of female students, as opposed to singling out me as an
individual. Among students we mostly joked about it. There was no serious
discussion. Of course there were comments from people outside uni, mostly along the
lines of PR about being a bullshit artist.

I don’t think the number of women in PR will work against males. It may work to
their benefit in that it could make their work more evident, and give them a greater
reputation, as men will be more easily identified, being a minority. I think that being a
male might actually help. There may be benefits as firms seek greater gender balance.

As regards the type of skills PR people need, obviously good communication skills
and creativity for some jobs. I like to think I have those skills, and that I have a
friendly nature and I’m easy to talk with.

The males in my classes certainly aren’t stereotyped, based on the males studying PR
in my classes.

As to why more women study PR, I think verbal communication is seen as a

‘woman’s domain’: that there’s a general feeling women are better communicators.

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 Annex O – Record of meetings and e-mails with supervisor/s

Meetings with supervisor/s (Rockhampton) 1

Tele. conferences with Prof. Knight 1

Telephone interviews 9

Internet conference (Skype) 1

E-mails to Prof. Knight 38

E-mails from Prof. Alan Knight 25

E-mails to Kate Ames 9

E-mails from Kate Ames 10

Phone conversations with Kates Ames 3

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 Annex P – Published articles

JOURNAL ARTICLES

‘A few good men’, PRism (journal published by Massey and Bond

Universities) June 2005.

‘Public relations dominated by women’, PRprobe (Bond University PR

journal) April 2005, http://www.hss.bond.edu.au/probe.

INDUSTRY MAGAZINE AND ON-LINE ARTICLES

‘PR gender study’, May 2005. Inside PR (PRIA Qld magazine, p. 10).

‘Girls, girls, girls’, October 2005, Behind The Spin (UK). Vol. 10.

THIRD-PERSON ARTICLES

‘PR-fect match’, Sydney Morning Herald, 23 March 2005.

‘Women over populating PR’, 15 March 2005, national PRIA newsletter and website.
Also appeared in WA Newsbrief (April 05).

‘Where have all the good men gone? (lack of male public relations executives)’,
December 2006, B&T Weekly,
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4931/is_200612/ai_n18074590

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 Annex Q – Recordings of focus groups and interviews
(Focus groups as QuickTime movies, interviews as MP3s)

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