| Chapter 1: | Introduction and Underlying Assumptions |
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Almost 14 million U.S. users said the Web enabled them to help a loved one who had an illness, while more than 4 million reported the Internet helped them cope with a major illness. The growth of these trends has been observed in more recent years, showing that Web sites have become an intrinsic and important part of American life (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2005).
The data presented here show that a very large number of people rely on the Web for information regarding decisions in many aspects of their lives. Many Web users, in their quest for various kinds of information, make use of corporate Web sites. This makes it important to be able to understand, analyze, and evaluate the public relations experience of visiting corporate Web sites by developing theory about it. This research study sets out to propose and validate a conceptual framework for understanding, analyzing, evaluating, and improving the public relations Web site experience. The study’s goals are detailed next.
Project Goals
The basic question driving this research project inquires about the nature of the experience of visiting a public relations Web site. More specifically, how are organization-public relationships built and maintained online? How does a Web site visitor experience a site that attempts to create and maintain relationships? What aspects of the experience communicate the organization’s intention to build a certain kind of relationship? Finding answers to such questions requires the articulation of a theoretical perspective capable of explaining the experience. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to articulate and validate a theoretical framework and associated research protocol for explaining and analyzing the public relations Web site experience. Before articulating such a framework, it is useful to consider the needs and criteria the framework should meet.