4. Discussion
This study marks the first foray into the empirical understanding of the relationship between advertising and public relations and as such, had some notable findings. In particular, the study found that professionals from both fields generally agreed on how they perceived the relationship between the fields with regard to organizational management, education/training and the overall perception of the relationship. Similarly, respondents in this study were also fairly con-As more and more organizations move toward integration of the communication function, the results of this study provide a basis for understanding between the professions. While there generally seems to be a mutual respect between the professions, as well as an understanding that each field can work together to the maximum benefit of the organization, there also seems to be a certain level of territorialism with regard to specific tasks within the organizational communication matrix. Research by Grunig and Grunig (1998, p. 145) suggested that “. . .integrating all communication functions through the public relations department enhances the ability ofthe communication function to participate in strategic management”.
