The impact of Serbian public relations on economic indices

Public Relations Review 37 (2011) 332–335

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Public Relations Review

Short communication

The impact of Serbian public relations on economic indices

Milan Nikolic´ a,∗, Mirko Savic´ b,1, Dragan Co´ ckalo ´ a,2, Vesna Spasojevic´ Brkic´ c,3,

Dragica Ivina,4

a Dept. of Management, University of Novi Sad, Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Zrenjanin, Serbia b Dept. of Quantitative Methods, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Economics, Subotica, Serbia c Dept. of Industrial Engineering, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:

Received 13 October 2010

Received in revised form 18 April 2011

Accepted 25 April 2011

Keywords:

Public relations

Economic indices

Poll

Multivariate analysis

Serbia

a b s t r a c t

This study presents the research results whose aim was to examine and define dependences

and the impact of public relations on business effects (economic indices are taken as repre￾sentatives of business effects). Serbian companies were the object of this research. The data

were collected by polling 100 managers from 100 companies. Multivariate regression and

correlation were applied in order to determine the observed dependences. The research

results confirm the existence of a significant direct relation between public relations and

economic indices.

© 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

According to Baskin, Aronoff, and Lattimore (2000), PR can be observed and interpreted as a profession, process and

communication with the general public and practice. PR activity was not well established in a large number of Serbian

companies during the 1990s. In the late 1990s, with the establishment of a larger number of foreign marketing agencies,

this activity became increasingly significant in the practice of companies which operated on the Serbian market. However,

PR is still in the initial stages of the process of establishing itself on the Serbian market.

According to Taylor (2004), a similar situation (but somehow more favourable) is present in referent neighbouring coun￾tries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria). In the reference (Kent, Taylor, & Turcilo, 2006), the

development of PR in Bosnia and Herzegovina was studied and it was established that PR had the potential to improve

business in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the research carried out in Croatia (Zlof, ˇ 2007), PR in Croatia has been

developing and even progressing, although the most favourable situation in the region (CEE region), concerning PR, is in

Slovenia. This, among the others, can be found in the following references (Verciˇ cˇ & Tkalac Verciˇ c, ˇ 2007; Verciˇ c, ˇ Tkalac Verciˇ c, ˇ

& Laco, 2006).

∗ Corresponding author. Address: Technical faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Djure Djakovica´ bb, 23000 Zrenjanin, Serbia. Tel.: +381 0 64 248 5763;

fax: +381 0 23 550 520.

E-mail addresses: [email protected] (M. Nikolic), ´ [email protected] (M. Savic), ´ [email protected] (D. Co´ ckalo), ´ [email protected] (V.S. Brkic), ´

ivin [email protected] (D. Ivin).

1 Faculty of Economics, Segedinski Put 9 - 11, 24000 Subotica, Serbia. Tel.: +381 0 64 118 3528; fax: +381 0 24 546 486.

2 Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Djure Djakovica´ bb, 23000 Zrenjanin, Serbia. Tel.: +381 0 62 801 9741; fax: +381 0 23 550 520.

3 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kraljice Marije 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Tel.: +381 0 63 830 2465; fax: +381 0 11 337 0364.

4 Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Djure Djakovica´ bb, 23000 Zrenjanin, Serbia. Tel.: +381 0 62 801 9764; fax: +381 0 23 550 520.

0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2011.04.004