Research Handbook on Public Affairs

‘As a Public Affairs professional, it was a joy to read the chapters of this Handbook written by scholars who understand the practice of public affairs. This thoroughly up-to-date work builds on 40 years of research and settles the question of whether public affairs is a profession. It is indeed a profession and an essential organizational function in a world of increasing “velocity of information” and ''intensifying volatility of positions and preferences.'' Familiar topics are treated with a fresh look and a view to the future. A chapter on reimagining the corporate affairs function describes what remains the same and what new skillsets are needed to meet the challenges of the future. The chapter on issues management offers a new model for this workhorse of public affairs by revising it to incorporate ethical values and analysis in the development, implementation, and evaluation process. There is much in this Handbook that invites more research, but as the editor argues, it must take place in dialogue with practitioners in whose daily experience this profession continues to evolve. Moreover, scholars and practitioners should work together to persuade academic institutions to include it as a formal course of study in higher education. How we are able to navigate through an increasingly risky world may well depend on the quality of our public affairs professionals and the organizations who rely on them. This Handbook moves us in the right direction.’
– Fruzsina Harsanyi, Public Affairs Counselor, Chevy Chase MD, US

‘This book is a further step in building the much needed, but badly neglected, bridge between the theory and practice of public affairs. It provides an up to date and comprehensive coverage of the major areas of the emerging function that has become integral to the performance of organisations in an increasingly challenging socio-political environment. With contributions from both scholars and practitioners, it will be of value to executives from business, government and the not-for-profit sectors as well as to scholars and students in the field.’
– Geoff Allen AM, Australian Centre for Corporate Public Affairs, Australia

‘A common stereotype is that public affairs practitioners tend to dismiss academics as esoteric, who in turn say that practitioners rely mostly on instincts. This book unpends that notion: Timmermans and other known experts artfully reframe the connection between research and practice, casting into sharp relief emerging points of fusion between the two spheres. This book makes a relevant and substantive contribution at a time where issues crest to a global tipping point: the stunning sweep of AI, the collective clamor for increased transparency and higher ethical standards, and the unyielding demand for good governance pose new challenges to old public affairs paradigms. Timmermans and other experts tackle these challenges head on, making an ironclad case that researchers can shape relevant frameworks which engineer real-time campaign success. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the now and future of global public affairs.’
– Jennifer Smits Kilgus, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands

‘This Handbook is essential reading and a guidebook for the modern senior executive or company chairperson, politician, practitioner or observer on the dynamic and multi-cultural world of modern international strategic public affairs. The work reflects a lovely, robust, and vibrant collection of chapters on the best of public affairs analysis, strategy and management. Professor Arco Timmermans and his international group of authors and researchers have put together some of the best thinking on modern public affairs and making it available to the strategic practitioner and thinker, policy maker, and researcher in the field. It reads exceptionally well and cogently, is comprehensive and will stimulate better and responsible strategy development. It is over a quarter of a century ago since a group of pioneers started teaching, researching, and writing in the public affairs area. This Handbook is a must read for everyone who wants to understand public affairs and apply the knowledge produced for responsibly influencing policy making and managing reputation in the next decade.’
– Phil Harris, University of Chester, UK

‘What is “public affairs?” How has the field of public affairs evolved since its inception? How is the art of public affairs practiced in the real world? What have academics learned about what separates effective practitioners from feckless ones? And finally, how are public affairs professionals assessed and evaluated by those who employ them? This superb volume, which features articles by many of the world’s leading lobbying and public affairs experts, addresses these and many other novel and important questions about public affairs. It should be of great interest to scholars and practitioners alike and is a crucial addition to the public affairs canon.’
– Anthony J. Nownes, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, US

‘In a time when the publicization of lobbying and advocacy is on the rise, this book equips us with a compass to navigate these complex waters. This book is a must-read for professionals in public affairs and academics alike. It not only sheds light on the current state of the field but also presents a compelling vision for its future, one where the gap between academic research and practical application is effectively bridged.’
– Laura Chaquès Bonafont, University of Barcelona, Spain

Contributors: Anil Yasin Ar, Joost Berkhout, Patrick Bernhagen, Paul Beijer, Anne Skorkjær Binderkrantz, Alberto Bitonti, Shannon A. Bowen, Ana Cláudia Niehardt Capella, Marialessandra Carro, Claudio Di Mario, Craig S. Fleisher, Jennifer J. Griffin, John Hogan, Øyvind Ihlen, Karel Joos, Wiebke Marie Junk, Direnç Kanol, Alessandro Lovari, Christiaan Luca, Danny Moss, Helene Helboe Pedersen, Douglas G. Pinkham, Ketil Raknes, Paul Shotton, Arco Timmermans, Erik van Venetië, Marjolijn Vencken, Jean-Patrick Villeneuve, Jason Voiovich