The article “A global exploration of workplace well-being in public relations,” published in the international journal Public Relations Review, has received an Honorable Mention in the Outstanding Journal Article category, a distinction awarded by the Public Relations Division of the National Communication Association (NCA), one of the leading academic communication associations in the United States and one of the world’s most important professional public relations associations. The article was among just four papers shortlisted for this award category in 2026.
The study is authored by Nicky Garsten (University of Greenwich, United Kingdom), Anca Anton (Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of Bucharest), Dalien Rene Benecke (University of Johannesburg, South Africa), Eugen Glăvan (Institute for Quality of Life Research, Romanian Academy), and Anthony Tibaingana (Makerere University, Uganda). Assoc. Prof. Anca Anton, PhD, is also the corresponding author of the article.
“The fact that research bearing a Romanian signature has made the shortlist of one of the most important communication associations in the United States confirms the position of the FJSC public relations school in international research. We are all the more pleased because the article, which is the result of a collaboration between researchers from several continents, addresses the conditions in which communication professionals work, a subject that deserves much more attention from organizations,” said Assoc. Prof. Romina Surugiu, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies.
The research analyzes nearly 1,500 qualitative responses provided by 293 public relations practitioners, educators, and researchers from 24 countries across six continents. The data come from the global study “Future of PR/Comms and their Social Impact,” coordinated between 2022 and 2023 by Ana Adi (Quadriga University of Applied Sciences, Germany) and Thomas Stoeckle (Bournemouth University, United Kingdom), with the support of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) in the United Kingdom.
The analysis shows that positive feelings related to professional activity are particularly associated with the perception of success at work and ethical autonomy, while negative feelings are associated with disconnection from organizational leadership and misalignment between personal values and professional roles. Based on these findings, the authors introduce the concept of “profession-practice alignment,” meaning the extent to which professionals are able to act in their day-to-day work in accordance with the values and normative aspirations associated with the profession, as an important dimension of well-being in public relations.
The study thus draws attention to the fact that well-being in public relations depends not only on workload or the benefits offered to employees, but also on autonomy, relationships with management, the ability to work in accordance with one’s own professional values, and the sense that the work being performed is meaningful.
“One of the key aspects emerging from our analysis is that public relations professionals constantly work with relationships, dialogue, and trust-building, but they themselves do not always benefit from the organizational conditions that would allow them to practice these principles. Well-being cannot be separated from the way in which people are able to exercise their profession, and this conclusion directly concerns the way communication agencies and departments are organized, including in Romania,” explains Assoc. Prof. Anca Anton, PhD, co-author of the research.
The article was published in Public Relations Review, one of the leading international journals dedicated to public relations research, and is available open access through the transformative agreements in which the University of Bucharest participates through the Anelis consortium. The research findings were also presented to the international professional audience by the Institute for Public Relations, as well as in Corporate Communication Review, a publication that facilitates the transfer of relevant academic research to communication practitioners.
The distinction will be presented at the NCA Annual Convention, which will take place on November 21, 2026, in New Orleans, United States.
The article can be accessed here:
Garsten, N., Anton, A., Benecke, D. R., Glăvan, E., & Tibaingana, A. (2025). A global exploration of workplace well-being in public relations. Public Relations Review, 51(5), 102622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2025.102622
The Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies (FJSC) was established on January 19, 1990, and is the first public journalism faculty in Romania. FJSC is part of the networks of the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA), “Théophraste” – Réseau mondial francophone de centres de formation au journalisme, Réseau Transméditerranéen de Recherche en Communication (RTRC), and the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education (a branch of the European Association of Communications Agencies). FJSC faculty members belong to prestigious academic associations such as the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), International Communication Association (ICA), European Sociological Association (ESA), and the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA).
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