The three main trends identified in the world of public relations are changes in the human climate and personal values, changes in the nature of the organization, and changes in the nature of the profession and the composition of its practitioners. These forces are expected to continue driving the evolution of PR given the continuous innovations in communication and information technologies, as well as the social and political revolutions breaking out all over the world. To succeed in a constantly changing environment, the distinguished lecturers recommend that PR practitioners be committed to 'lifetime' education and the development of critical thinking abilities. The communication technology revolution and the momentous political changes of the past decade, according to 1990 Vernon C. Schranz Lecturer Carole Howard, are only two of the many "forces" that will reshape the public relations profession as it evolves from a strictly American concept into a globalized business and management function in the next century.
Public relations is in a state of transition, and in our case, rapid transition. We are forever passing from one order of practice, goals and circumstances into another. The cycles overlap. Change is constant. The implication for educators is more like uranium than gold. What is taught today will have a relatively short life and will have to be altered considerably almost on a yearly basis if education is to continue to keep pace with practice in our profession.
A principal function of public relations has been, and continues to be, the building of relationships and the management of communication between organizations and individuals. To understand the global forces affecting the enterprise is to first understand how people, in the United States and around the world, are changing and how these changes affect their relationships with businesses, governments, and institutions.
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