Report and recommendations: Cathay Pacific

Résumé du document

The framework of this research is based on Hazleton's taxonomy. Thus, the aim of this research is to apply the theory to the company, Cathay Pacific Airways. Cathay Pacific is successful using its current strategies that are cooperative problem-solving, informative and promise rewards for employees and passengers. However, this research will demonstrate that Cathay Pacific needs to focus more on problem-solving strategy and to add a facilitative strategy for their employees and to improve their informative strategy as well as adding a cooperative-problem solving for their passengers to keep its status of leadership and to improve its two-way communication. In 2006, passengers have awarded Cathay Pacific Airways "The Company of the Year" for the second time, but this company must keep maintaining its leadership by providing more efforts over the next years. Indeed, an article published in BRW in May 2006 warns big companies of the fact that people have difficulty in trusting them, and they do not do enough for the community as well as for the environment. Yet, as Mayhew claims, leadership depends on trust (chapter 9).
Nonetheless, Cathay Pacific attempts to present the latest facts and figures about their operation and service. The official website provides the information such as annual reports and traffic figures in details. Their news releases meet public interest and are relevant to the current issues as fuel charge and 2005 profit decrease. This helps to create a sense of openness and trust among the public audience. However, the company is facing tough competition and to maintain its performance and its image of leadership, Cathay Pacific needs to improve its public relations through strategies proposed by Hazleton.

Extraits

[...] This helps to create a sense of openness and trust among the public audience. However, the company is facing tough competition and to maintain its performance and its image of leadership, Cathay Pacific needs to improve its public relations through strategies proposed by Hazleton. To find which ones are the best for the company, two surveys were conducted, among both passengers and employees. Despite of the sample size of the survey that was reduced, conclusions might be drawn and strategies that are advised should be carefully considered for a further development of the company as the aim of the research is to enhance the position and the communication of Cathay Pacific among its main stakeholders. [...]

[...] Jr Empirical Analysis of Factors Influencing Public Relations Strategy Selection and Effectiveness”, see class notes. Stanton, R., “Discussion of Mayhew's Contribution”, see class notes. Werder, K.P “Responding to Activism: An experimental Analysis of the Public Relations Strategy Influence on Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavioral Intentions” International Communication Association, Annual Conference Public Relations Division Wilcox, D. L., Cameron, G.T., Ault, P.H. and Agee, W.K Public Relations Strategies and Tactics, 7th edition, Allyn and Bacon Appendices Appendix Passenger Survey Part Passenger profile 1. [...]

[...] Thus, this research will be based on facts that are related into newspapers or articles and theory established by researchers Review of literature One of Grunig's influent masterpieces on public relations is Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management. Through his “excellence theory”, he explained the importance of public relations as they can improve effectiveness of organisations. For him, a company might adopt two perspectives that divide themselves in sub-categories. His theory is based on symmetry in communication. On the one hand, there is what he calls way communication” when the company does not try to involve stakeholders and does not want any comment on what it is doing. [...]

[...] Based on a research on their website, Cathay Pacific's goal is to be the most admired airline in the world. To achieve this aim, a reliable and extensive communication is necessary between the company and its stakeholders. Botan and Taylor put forward another point as far as community is concerned. Indeed, for them, shared values also apply to the community, and Cathay Pacific tries to get involved in it as it is very active through several programmes it founded to help the community, mainly in Hong Kong. [...]

[...] He gave a new definition to the Public that is concerned by Public Relations practitioners. He focused his research on The New Public, which is the mass public. According to him, this public is more aware than what politics and organisations tend to believe. Richard Stanton who discussed Mayhew's contribution opposed Mayhew's to Habermas's opinion in the way that “Mayhew argued that professional communicators now dominate public communication, displacing Habermas's free public of the enlightenment- in which objective discussion formed public opinion and setting up in its place a next public which is subject to systematic mass persuasion” (Richard Stanton Discussion of Mayhew's contribution, p.2). [...]