PUBLIC-RELATIONS PRACTITIONER ATTITUDES TOWARD GENDER ISSUES - A BENCHMARK STUDY

This paper reports on the attitudes of 443 randomly-selected public relations practitioners from two professional organizations toward the increasing number of women in public relations. Practitioner beliefs about how their own characteristics have affected their careers and the effects of demographics on the attitudes reported were also assessed. Results were that there is salary disparity in public relations between men and women. Women face special problems when they attempt to achieve management positions in public relations. Women are victims of sexual bias, either through overt acts of sex discrimination or because they are perceived differently on such attributes as managerial motivation, willingness to sacrifice work over family demands, and ability to command top salary. © 1991.