Organizational Reputation And Public Trust

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role of public relations in building organizational reputation and public trust. Communicators and public relations practitioners are synonymous with the responsibility of advising and relationship-building, both of which depend on earning trust. As trust is reported to be declining in institutions, the role of ethical values and conduct are explored in the context of communicating operational objectives. Primary research was conducted through online surveys with communicators, public relations practitioners and senior executives in Ontario; secondary research included a review of current literature and a content analysis of “Trust: Twenty Ways to Build a Better Country”, a book by David Johnston. Through the primary and secondary research, it was found that ethics play a pivotal in forming organizational character and authentic stakeholder perceptions.