Public Relations Roles in Brazil: Hierarchy Eclipses Gender Differences

This study adds to the theoretical base of knowledge about global public relations by describing the prevalence of the different social roles of Brazilian public relations professionals. Four social role constructs were validated: (1) Ethics and Social Responsibility, (2) Employee Well-Being, (3) Community Well-Being, and (4) Government Harmony. Gender and hierarchy differences were observed. Women were more likely than men to perform the Employee Well-Being role and less likely to perform the other 3 roles. In addition, being in the highest position in the hierarchy is associated with performing the Ethics and Social Responsibility role and the Community Well-Being role. However, differences between male and female role performance disappear when women occupy the higher positions in the organization; women at the top of the organization perform these roles with the same regularity as men.