To examine why public relations agency-client relationships frequently break down, a study investigated the sources of conflict between 25 southern California public relations agencies and their clients by having 30 agent/client pairs complete questionnaires. Of the 25 agencies, 12 agreed to participate; the 30 pairs were obtained because some agencies produced information on more than one of their clients. Coorientation analysis compared agencies' and clients' views on the steps in the public relations programming process. Results revealed that the issues of severest conflict were: (1) targeted audiences; (2) implementation; and (3) cost; and that agencies were more accurate in their reading of client perceptions of conflict points than were clients in their reading of agency perceptions. (One table of data and 58 notes are included.) (SR)