Public relations activities of the development agencies in Turkey with regards to the excellence in public relations approach: WMDA example

Organizations introduce themselves and their activities to the public by means of a variety of tools and methods. Accordingly, societies trust them and are influenced by their activities easily. Moreover, they demand for improvement in the services and management of the organizations and require them to correct the problems that they observe. If organizations evaluate such demands and act by considering the correction of such demands, a symmetrical communication emerges. In this context, this study investigates public relations activities of the development agencies in Turkey.Public relations activities carried out by the symmetrical communication model are the important variables of the organizational excellence and excellence in public relations approach. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore whether the characteristics of the symmetrical model and excellence in public relations circle exist in the legal structure and managerial makeup of the investigated institution.In the theoretical section of the study, public relations models applied by the institutions are examined and the theoretical structure is considered by means of the Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management approach. Hence, Governance approach, including contemporary communication and management views are considered in the study.Within the aim of the study, the excellence in public relations circle is investigated and analyzed in the public relations activities of the Western Mediterranean Development Agency (WMDA), built in 2006 via a partnership between the private sector and civil society institutions, by means of in dept interview method and the legal and administrative structure of the agencies, a new governance model, are examined by a revision of the written documents. The positive and negative characteristics of the public relations activities are examined by asking the opinions of the selected people within the administrators, communication and public relations team, the staff of the institution, its shareholders and target audience.As a result, this study concludes that the Western Mediterranean Development Agency (WMDA) considers the characteristics of the symmetrical model in its public relations activities and acts according to the Excellence in Public Relations approach and adopts the contemporary communication and administration view of governance while performing its public relations activities. Furthermore, some administrative and attitudinal precaution proposals are offered in order to provide more excellent and healthier public relations administration for the institution.Keywords: Development Agencies, Excellence in Public Relations, Governance, Western Mediterranean Development Agency, WMDA.