This was a very difficult task. We discovered, after working with several iterations of the work activities list, that there was considerable overlap among items. For example, media relations, a major work activity for many practitioners, was a component of other work activities such as crisis management, community relations, and special events. We discovered that, unlike other professions, the work of people in public relations does not easily fall into discrete categories. For example, accountants do tax, consulting or auditing.
Nurses treat patients, administer tests, and assist in the operating room.
Public relations professionals do a variety of things that are not so neatly categorized. We considered several ways to categorize the work, including categorizing by function, audience, and specialty. After conferring with the expert panel, we decided to categorize work by function. A Taxonomy of Work. We developed a taxonomy that classified work in public relations into tasks, work activities and work categories.