GENERATING AND SUSTAINING THE IMAGE OF BERLIN: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CITY PR-STRATEGY BASED ON THE GROUNDED THEORY METHODOLOGY Tatiana Sitnikova (M.A.) Department of Economic Sciences and Media Technische Universität Ilmenau A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil) Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Wimmer Second Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carsten Winter Thesis defense: 16.01.2018 urn:nbn:de:gbv:ilm1-2018000417 Table of contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Zusammenfassung ................................................................................................................................... 5 Author’s declaration on originality.......................................................................................................... 6 Eidesstattliche Erklärung ......................................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 8 List of tables ............................................................................................................................................ 9 List of figures ......................................................................................................................................... 11 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Research interest and objectives ................................................................................................ 13 Research relevance and novelty .................................................................................................. 13 Structure of the thesis ................................................................................................................. 15 2 Literature review ................................................................................................................................ 17 Relevant aspects of PR ................................................................................................................ 18 2.1.1 Definition of PR .................................................................................................................... 18 2.1.2 Image and PR ........................................................................................................................ 22 2.1.3 PR-conception ...................................................................................................................... 26 2.1.4 PR-strategy ........................................................................................................................... 31 2.1.5 PR-evaluation ....................................................................................................................... 33 PR in established fields of action ................................................................................................. 37 2.2.1 Organizations and multi-referentiality ................................................................................. 38 2.2.2 “Embossment” of PR ............................................................................................................ 39 City and communication.............................................................................................................. 41 2.3.1 A variety of perspectives ...................................................................................................... 42 2.3.2 Municipal PR: a comprehensive view ................................................................................... 43 2.3.3 City PR ................................................................................................................................... 44 3 Research questions............................................................................................................................. 48 4 Methodology ...................................................................................................................................... 51 Grounded theory: An overview ................................................................................................... 51 Grounded theory as research methodology ............................................................................... 53 4.2.1 Advantages of the methodology .......................................................................................... 53 4.2.2 Limitations of the methodology ........................................................................................... 54 Simultaneous data collection and analysis.................................................................................. 55 4.3.1 Theoretical sampling ............................................................................................................ 55 4.3.2 Memo-writing ....................................................................................................................... 57 4.3.3 Theoretical saturation .......................................................................................................... 57 4.3.4 Theoretical sensitivity .......................................................................................................... 58 4.3.5 Constant comparative method ............................................................................................ 59 1 Evaluating a grounded theory study ........................................................................................... 60 5 Methods and procedures ................................................................................................................... 63 Implementation of grounded theory elements .......................................................................... 63 Data collection ............................................................................................................................. 65 5.2.1 Primary data collection: Interviews ...................................................................................... 66 5.2.2 Complementary data collection: Documents....................................................................... 77 Data analysis ................................................................................................................................ 79 5.3.1 Coding ................................................................................................................................... 79 5.3.2 Coding procedure ................................................................................................................. 89 5.3.3 Developing and grounding categories .................................................................................. 92 5.3.4 Doing document analysis ..................................................................................................... 93 6 Findings 1: Focused codes and categories ......................................................................................... 96 Focused codes ............................................................................................................................. 96 6.1.1 RQ1: What are the orientations of the Berlin PR-strategy? ................................................. 96 6.1.2 RQ2: How can the PR-strategy of Berlin be characterized? ............................................... 101 6.1.3 RQ3: What are the specifics of implementing PR-measures within the PR-strategy of Berlin? ..................................................................................................................................................... 127 6.1.4 RQ4: What aspects of city PR should be considered for its (primary) evaluation? ........... 134 Categories .................................................................................................................................. 153 6.2.1 Developing categories ........................................................................................................ 153 6.2.2 Pillars of PR-communication .............................................................................................. 154 6.2.3 Customized PR .................................................................................................................... 154 6.2.4 Multidirectional PR-communication .................................................................................. 155 6.2.5 Patchwork PR ..................................................................................................................... 155 6.2.6 Commitment of the authorities ......................................................................................... 156 6.2.7 Professionalized PR-communication .................................................................................. 156 6.2.8 Collaboration ...................................................................................................................... 157 6.2.9 Grounding categories in operation .................................................................................... 158 Relationships between categories ............................................................................................ 158 6.3.1 Implementation of theoretical