Public affairs as a Public Information Model of corporate communications : a case study of Appalachian Power Company's 765-kV transmission line project

This research examines the practice of Grunig's public information model of communications as it relates to an organization's attempt to reduce conflict. The goal was to expand and generalize public relations theory by exploring the characteristics of Appalachian Power Company's 765-kV transmission line project from Wyoming County, W.Va., to Cloverdale, Va. The researcher attempted to demonstrate that strategically planned, two-way symmetric communication could have reduced opposition, and improved the likelihood of project approval. By using pattern-matching, theoretical propositions concerning the one-way dissemination of information from Appalachian to its active publics were examined. It was suggested that the dismissal of Appalachian's application with the West Virginia Public Service Commission was the result of the company's lack of communication planning. This was attributed to the technical nature of the Public Affairs Department, which did not stress problem identification, solution implementation, and evaluation of communication strategies. The researcher stressed that, to prevent similar confrontations in the future, the company should adopt strategic communications that rely on managed public participation at the decision-making stage of the project.