A pilot qualitative study of the under-representation of Hispanics in public relations

Public Relations Review 40 (2014) 835–837

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Public Relations Review

Research in Brief

A pilot qualitative study of the under-representation of

Hispanics in public relations

David Radanovich∗

High Point University, 833 Montlieu Avenue, High Point, NC 27262, United States

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:

Received 18 October 2013

Received in revised form 5 September 2014

Accepted 8 October 2014

Keywords:

Public relations

Hispanics

Latinos

Diversity

Culture

a b s t r a c t

This pilot study explored the under-representation of Hispanics/Latinos in the public rela￾tions profession by conducting focused interviews with Hispanic practitioners. The study

found that public relations was not the Latinos’ initial career choice, identified three bar￾riers to Hispanics entering the profession, elicited practical suggestions to attract more

Hispanics, and also revealed opportunities for future scholarly research to address the

under-representation of Hispanics in public relations.

© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

Growth of the Hispanic population in the United States has significantly outpaced growth of Latino public relations

professionals. Hispanics comprise 17 percent of the U.S. population, but only 8% of public relations professionals (Bureau of

Labor Statistics, 2012). Because Hispanics now comprise the largest minority group on U.S. college campuses (Fry & Lopez,

2012), there is an unprecedented and growing opportunity to attract Hispanics to the study of public relations. This under￾representation, left unaddressed, has significant implications for the public relations profession, including diminishing the

chance to achieve organizational and public relations excellence. As Grunig, Grunig, & Dozier, 2002 noted, “Practitioners

from both genders. . . and from different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds are needed in an excellent public relations

department – not just for the benefit of these diverse practitioners but because they make the organization more effective”

(p. 12).

The purpose ofthis study was threefold:to gain insights into how Latinos became interested in public relations as a career

choice; to investigate perceived barriers to entry; and to solicit ideas for increasing the number of Hispanics involved in the

field. This research built on previous research on diversity by addressing a significant gap in the literature, as very little has

been written specifically about Hispanics in public relations.

2. Method

With little existing research on this specific topic, a pilot qualitative, exploratory study was appropriate. Since the study

sought to describe perceptions of Hispanics, focused interviews was the method well-suited to this study. Two criteria

∗ Tel.: +1 8608054258.

E-mail address: [email protected]

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.10.003

0363-8111/© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.