The pathways of successful entrepreneurial women in public relations: Ethics, theoretical models of practice, and motivating factors

In the past two decades, women have dominated the public relations practice, leading to a feminization of the field. Women's enrollment in public relations courses has skyrocketed and now exceeds 80 percent in undergraduate programs. Studies on women in public relations have focused on the field's loss of status, salary disparity, discrimination, stereotyping, and practitioner roles. Few studies, however, have investigated women who broke through the glass ceiling and forged their own pathway in the practice. Furthermore, in the past four decades, the public relations practice has shifted from the press agentry/publicity model to a two-way symmetrical model of public relations, one considered most ethical. Several studies have revealed that women are much more inclined to consensus build and focus on the interests of others, which are important characteristics in the two-way symmetrical model of the practice.;This study used a phenomenological approach to investigate the pathways of women entrepreneurs in public relations, those women who founded their own public relations firms and bypassed the glass ceiling by constructing their own reality. Ten women who head top public relations firms in Southern California were interviewed in depth about their motivations, ethical considerations, and models of practice. Participants also completed a questionnaire about their modes of practice.;The career pathways of the participants were forged by formal education, on-the-job learning experiences, business opportunities, and familial influences. A passion for the business and the freedom to create their own work environment were motivators for the women. Ethical dilemmas involved client credibility, billing, and various employee issues. Key words used to describe public relations were bottom-line results, relationship building, and communication. Participants described their relationship with clients and employees as professional and personal. Although the participants practiced a coalescence of the four models of the practice, the women leaned more heavily toward the two-way symmetrical model. Requiring courses on ethics and gender issues in public relations was recommended for undergraduate and graduate programs, along with ethical training for professionals.