After thirty years of development in mainland China, public relations is suffering from a stigma because of its negative connotations, misconception and paradoxical perception among the general public, and development constraints. To overcome this stigmatization, a positive public relations theory that posits the positive functions of public relations in contemporary China is proposed by integrating the three public relations dimensions (i.e., communication, organization-public relationships, and ecological networks), the dialogic theory of public relations and the Chinese philosophical thinking of Yin and Yang. To achieve this, the paper first explains the cause of stigmatization in public relations. Second, it introduces the three dimensions of public relations as a profession and discipline. It then articulates how the dialogic theory of public relations and the Yin Yang philosophy contribute to the development of positive public relations. Lastly, it proposes the Taiji model of public relations and the underpinnings of positive public relations. It is important to note that positive public relations serves as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, existing theories of public relations.

Introduction

Research about public relations in mainland China (hereinafter “China”) has drawn wide academic attention in a variety of topics, such as public relations and Chinese modernity (e.g., Hu, Huang, & Zhang, 2015), corporate social responsibility (e.g., Hung-Baesecke, Chen, & Boyd, 2016; Kim & Ji, 2017), social media for public relations practitioners (e.g., Luo & Jiang, 2012), public diplomacy (e.g., Zhong & Lu, 2013), issues and strategies in public relations (e.g., Meng, Yan, & Hung-Baesecke, 2013), crisis management (e.g., Liu, Chang, & Zhao, 2009), and stakeholder engagement and organization-public relationships (OPRs) on social networking sites (e.g., Chen, 2017; Men & Tsai, 2013). However, modern public relations in China, originally driven by the market economy in the early 1980s (Hung & Chen, 2004), is struggling with its legitimacy as a profession and discipline for many reasons (Chen, 2009; Hu et al., 2015; Huang, 2018). Existing public relations literature, largely developed in North America, has demonstrated public relations as a function that provides values in relationship cultivation and development (Grunig & Huang, 2000), reputation management (Hong & Yang, 2011), and stakeholder engagement (Johnston & Taylor, 2018). Unfortunately, public relations is stigmatized in China and most Chinese societies despite the rapid growth of studies conducted in these areas that contribute to the body of knowledge about it. To overcome this stigmatization, this conceptual paper proposes a positive public relations theory that posits the positive functions of public relations in contemporary China by integrating the three public relations dimensions (i.e., communication, organization-public relationships, and ecological networks), the dialogic theory of public relations and the Chinese philosophical thinking of Yin and Yang. To that end, the paper first explains the cause of stigmatization in public relations applying Foucault (1984) problematization. Second, it introduces the three dimensions of public relations as a profession and discipline. It then articulates how the dialogic theory of public relations and the Yin Yang philosophy contribute to the development of positive public relations. Lastly, it proposes the Taiji model of public relations and the underpinnings of the positive theory of public relations. It is important to note that positive public relations serves as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, existing theories of public relations.