Toward a quantitative evaluation model of public relations in sport: Combining the situational theory of publics and the coorientation model of relationships to identify alumni fundraising publics and the levels of symmetry between these publics and a gra

A major concern for sport managers is how to evaluate directly the contribution of public relations relative to the goals of the organization. The purpose of this study was to assess the applicability of the situational theory of publics and the coorientation model of relationships as operational models for measuring both the salience of an issue by a strategic constituency and the degree of understanding between a sport organization and its public on this issue. The organization and strategic constituency chosen from which to evaluate these models were a graduate sport management program and its alumni, respectively, regarding the perceived need of financial support for the program. The literature in alumni fund-raising indicates that alumni are more likely to make a donation to their alma mater if they perceive a financial need exists. A telephone survey was administered to a sample of 90 alumni, representing 57% of the population, of a sport management program. Additionally, four individuals who comprised the faculty and administration of the sport management program were surveyed. The situational theory of publics segmented the alumni into the following publics: aware public, 64.8%; latent, 21.6%; and active, 13.6%. The literature in the situational theory of publics indicates that only the active public will be likely to perform a behavior such as making a donation or joining an alumni advisory board. Additionally, the coorientation model of relationships indicated that although both the program and the alumni feel that more financial support is needed, the alumni did not feel as strongly about the issue as the program. The program also underestimated the alumni's perception of the issue. Combining the two models indicates that although there is some agreement between the program and its alumni on this issue, there may not be enough donors in the alumni pool to make a fund-raising campaign worthwhile. An analysis of the results implies that the program should target two objectives to enhance their relationship with the alumni on this issue: (a) transform a majority of the aware public into an active public and (b) generate a greater level of symmetry with its alumni. An investigation into the nature of the aware public revealed that it is most likely being held back from being active on this issue because of a high constraint recognition, such as a perceived lack of disposable income. Eliminating this constraint by indicating that small donations can make large differences is one possible tactic. A stronger sense of agreement between the program and its alumni can be achieved through by providing opportunities for alumni to obtain detailed information regarding this issue.