LOS ANGELES: PR departments that closely align their own goals with their companies' strategic business goals receive greater executive support, have larger budgets, and have a higher perceived contribution to their organizations' success, according to a new survey.

Conducted by the USC Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center (SPRC) on behalf of the Council of PR Firms, the survey evaluated more than 300 responses from a cross section of American businesses.

"Our profession has matured to the point where we are now finding ...