Network Theory

Network theory is closely associated with systems theory. It is the vital part of systems theory that addresses the pathways of information flow within and between systems. Each pathway is a repeated or potential route for information to flow from person to person, organization to organization, person to organization, organization to person, and so on. Network theory features the central premise, vital to public relations, that people need and want information. How they obtain this information or feel the lack of the desired information can affect their attitude toward and knowledge about various topics that are relevant to the goodwill and success of each organization. People may experience either information underload, not having the information they want, or information overload, possessing too much information to process comfortably. One of the predictors of satisfaction is that people feel they have the information they want and know that others do as well. If all relevant parties appropriately share information and use it wisely and ethically, decisions can be made that bring harmony rather than friction between people and organizations.

For these reasons, network theory poses two challenges to public relations practitioners. They need to know what information key stakeholding/stake-seeking publics want or need. Also, they need to understand and strategically operate in the networks by which the needed or desired information can get from one point to the desired audience. In that sense, communication management as a paradigm of public relations relates to the ability to [Page 565]facilitate information flow and decisions that arise from the shared information. Thus, network theory poses a challenge of getting information to people who want and need it, and practitioners need to know where this information is available and how it can be shared in the network. This challenge may require that practitioners create networks where none exist. In addition, they need to know how to facilitate and maintain existing networks.

Information theory, refined by systems theory, rests on many assumptions about the nature of information. Central to that analysis is the reality that what is information or informative depends on the judgment of the people who obtain and evaluate the information. Typically, such people feel various amounts of uncertainty. Uncertainty can be uncomfortable and thus motivates people to seek information, process it, and form useful attitudes.

At various turning points in their lives, people want to know something. They may want information about products, services, missions, visions, policies, community service, problems, solutions, and myriad other aspects of their lives. The amount of information in any or each message depends on the impact it has on each person's sense of uncertainty. Information, so conceptualized, is the impact each message has, as interpreted. The amount of information is measured by the degree to which individuals who receive it and evaluate it become more or less uncertain on some matter based on their interpretation of the information.

So conceived, organizations and individuals are information processors. Each system—organization or individual—takes in information, processes it, and outputs it in various forms. Thus, the three major functional elements of a network are input, processing or throughput, and output. Newspapers and other mass media are seen as parts of networks—systems. In fact, it is logical that networks such as NBC, CBS, and ABC would be called such. They are part of the news and entertainment industry, a system composed of many information networks. Each is in and of itself a network that gathers information (input), processes that information into news, and outputs the information to listeners and viewers.

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