The Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) was created to dive deeper into the principles of the Situational Theory of Publics (STP). There are four main independent variables included in STOPS. They are: problem recognition, involvement recognition, constraint recognition, and reference criterion (Xuemei, et al, 2024). STOPS examines an individual’s situational motivation to acknowledge and tackle a problem. Organizations are able to communicate with their key publics better by understanding and utilizing STOPS.
The Importance of the Publics: Why is Strategic Communication So Essential?
STOPS views the publics differently from other theories. STOPS uses segmentation to analyze what situational factors were motivating people to act in favor of an organization or against them. It analyzes why people choose to be active in certain situations compared to others. If organizations have a grasp on understanding their publics from the perspective that STOPS provides, they can more accurately communicate and build relationships with the publics (Tam et al, 2022). A lot of James Grunig’s work that birthed excellence theory led to the development and understanding of the situational theory of problem solving.
The textbook “ Public Relations Theory: Capabilities and Competencies” states, “That research led him (Grunig) to consider how institutions and any public can work together (collaborate) to solve problems, including the factors that hinder and facilitate cooperation. Such challenges led conceptually to the situational theory of publics and eventually to the situational theory of problem solving” (Shin, Heath, 2020, p.57).
An organization can produce a carefully crafted message, but if they don’t understand how to get their publics involved with the information, then they won’t be able to build those authentic relationships between each other. STOPS has even been explored in a way that allows proper segmentation to solve crisis-related communication problems and work collaboratively with other theories (Chon, et al, 2023).
Public Relations + STOPS: It Starts On The Inside
It is easy for the internal dynamic of a public relations workplace to be overshadowed. The internal audience of an organization is equally as important as the outside. Employees serve as extremely powerful messengers and can guide how the public views an organization. STOPS explores the necessity of understanding stakeholders in a way that crafts the message to get a predicted reaction. It also can explain the “why” of how certain information and messages are created or chosen to be shared (Chon, et al, 2023). Employees have the power to be vital advocates for an organization by their carefully crafted messaging. A healthy environment for employees will almost always be reflected in their messaging and the work they do to represent the organization.
Ultimately, STOPS acts as a reminder that public relations is about more than just perception of the external publics. The people inside the organization are just as important, and their ability to think a few steps ahead is crucial.
Keywords:
Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS), Publics, Public Relations, Strategic Communication
References:
Chon, M.-G.,Tam, L., Lee, H. & Kim, J.-N. (2023). Situational theory of problem solving (STOPS): A foundational theory of publics and its behavioral nature in problem solving. In E. Sommerfeldt & C. Botan (Eds), Public relations theory III (pp. 58-76). Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003141396-6
Shin, J-H., & Heath, R. L. (2020, December 22). Public Relations Theory: Capabilities and Competencies.
Tam, L., Kim, J.-N. & Lee, H. (2022). The Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS): past, present and future. In D. Pompper, K. Place & C. K. Weaver (Eds.), Routledge companion to public relations (pp. 115-124). Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003131700-11
Xuemei, C., Binti Hashim, N., & Binti Kamarudin, S. (2024). Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS): A Foundational Theory of Publics and It’s Application in an Eastern Cultural Context. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v14-i4/21064