M.A. (Communications) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This study attempted to determine what specific course criteria pubic relations educators believed to be most important in an international public relations course. The researcher provided fifty-seven public relations educators with fifty statements covering potential areas an international public relations course could include. The statements covered the areas of business, media, culture, government and miscellaneous. Each public relations educators was asked to sort the statements according to how much he or she agreed or disagreed with them.The QMETHOD program was used to determine two factor groups from the nineteen responses received. The factor groups, Type I and Type II. Type I consisted of twelve public relations educators and Type II consisted of seven public relations educators.Public relations educators in both groups agreed that an international public relations course should teach students to follow global current events and public relations issues, should cover various countries and their cultural taboos, and teach students to identify social trends abroad.The researcher expected public relations educators to support an international public relations course structure which favored the study of a broad range of international public relations at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to achieve a consensus on statements relating to cultural sensitivity training. For the most part, the researcher's expectations were met. However, more technical skills issues (i.e., fundamental, pragmatic public relations knowledge needed to execute public relations plans) were raised than expected, and educators' views on the level at which international public relations should be taught differed from what the researcher had anticipated. / Department of Journalism

A valid, reliable survey instrument was created to be used by public relations student-run firms and other applied public relations courses to gauge client satisfaction. A series of focus groups and pilot tests were conducted to ascertain themes, refine questions, and then to refine the entire instrument. Six constructs to be measured, including strategies used by the students, project management, communication tools, professional demeanor, communication skills, and overall effectiveness, emerged as themes needing to be assessed. The final instrument included 40 scale questions, six follow-up questions (one for each set of scale questions), and four open-ended questions. As an outputs evaluation within General Systems Theory, this evaluative tool provides a feedback loop that did not exist prior for public relations applied courses and student-run firms. This survey, when used by public relations educators, will provide a standardized tool from which discussions can ensue and pedagogy may advance. / Department of Educational Studies

This study is based on the assumption that globalisation is an inevitable phenomenon, affecting all spheres of society, including public relations and higher education. The study identifies both integrating and disintegrating forces of globalisation, and argues that these forces imply different future scenarios for the global community, depending on the management of globalisation. The study points out the potential role of public relations in contributing to the management of globalisation, leading towards a constructive outcome. This potential contribution, however, brings new demands as far as competencies are concerned. This calls for changes in public relations education, in order to prepare future practitioners for the strategic skills and paradigm shift needed in a globalising context. These required changes form the focus of the study, and are applied to South African technikon-level public relations programmes. The purpose of the study is to determine the extent to which these programmes provide students with the competencies required in globalised public relations vocational contexts. In order to provide a framework, in terms of which public relations education at technikons could be analysed to reach this goal, a prescriptive generic Globalisation Model was developed for vocationally-oriented public relations education in global contexts. This model consists of a recommended curriculum, as well as recommendations pertaining to the functioning of public relations education departments in the context of globalisation. A prescriptive public relations education model, formulated by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and published in Gold Paper No. 7 of 1990, together with recommendations to facilitate globalisation in public relations practice and education, published in Gold Paper No. 12 of 1997 (together referred to as the IPRA Model), was used as a starting point for the development of a new model. The new model was developed based on: a critical literature review of the existing IPRA Model; a study of the impact of globalisation on higher education, and public relations practice and education; a theoretical perspective incorporating complex, dynamic systems, chaos theory, network thinking and the principles of a learning organisation; and a worldview which defines public relations as symmetric, idealistic, critical and managerial, and which emphasises relationship management as the primary tool of public relations. Public relations programmes at technikons were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis in terms of the new, generic Globalisation Model, to determine whether such programmes provide students with the competencies required in globalised public relations vocational contexts, as reflected in this model. The latter model was first adapted to the technikon context in terms of education requirements unique to the African, South African and technikon systems. The study concludes that the original IPRA Model is outdated in terms of globalisation, especially as far as the 1990 section is concerned, and recommends that IPRA prescribe a new model for the new millennium. It also indicates that the new Globalisation Model has validity as a recommended model for globalisation of vocationally-oriented public relations education, at least as far as technikons in South Africa are concerned. It consequently offers recommendations for further application of this model, at both a South African and international level. With regard to technikons, the study indicates that the standardised curriculum prescribed for public relations programmes offered by these institutions is outdated as far as technological, African, theoretical, research, social responsibility, financial and global perspectives to public relations are concerned. The study shows that, collectively, technikons have adapted this curriculum to incorporate recent local and global developments affecting public relations, but that deficiencies still exist, especially with regard to public relations, the Internet and other new technology, international public relations and a theoretical base for public relations. Deficiencies are also identified with regard to the approach followed by public relations education departments, in terms of the contribution of these departments to the globalisation of higher education, as well as globalisation in public relations practice and education. A number of recommendations are made to address the identified deficiencies. Recommendations are also made for further research. / Prof. S. Verwey

Data obtained through interviews with eleven directors of school public information directors and four university chairmen in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex indicated that they are generally satisfied with public relations education being housed in the journalism department, with course format, and with undergraduate study and specialization; and that they are dissatisfied with practitioner-educator relationships. Some of their recommendations included that graduatelevel study be offered more often, and that more emphasis be placed in the curriculum on specific areas of public relations, the social sciences, and the news-editing side of communications studies.

This study has presented an overview of the roles that African American female professors take on while a part of the public relations academy. The evidence suggests that African American female professors take on a dual role as professors and professionals while they are teaching at their respected colleges and universities. The professors perceived that they added value to their public relations departments and also that they played a significant in the development of future public relations professionals. / Department of Journalism

Insufficient research has addressed communication apprehension (CA) as it relates explicitly to the journalism and public relations disciplines. The purpose of this study was to measure the CA levels of undergraduate journalism and public relations interns after participating in communication events with their immediate supervisors during their internship experiences.A total of 55 male and female undergraduate students, who had completed internships in the four semesters prior to this study, chose to participate. McCroskey's Personal Report of Communication Apprehension 24 (PRCA-24) scale (McCroskey 1984b) was administered to each participant to measure CA in four contexts: group discussions, meetings, interpersonal communication, and public speaking. The two hypotheses predicted significant differences in CA levels based on the age differences and sex differences between interns and their immediate supervisors. The results showed no significance for either hypothesis. Limitations and implications for future research were discussed in the final chapter. / Department of Journalism

Thesis (MTech (Public Relations Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / Public relations (PR) scholars and industry partners continue to emphasise the importance of a sustainable relationship between PR disciplines and key industry iii partners. This relationship seeks to respond to stakeholders that remain despondent with the quality of engagement between the South African PR academia and industry. Existing literature in this field argues that PR departments at South African universities are experiencing adverse scrutiny by industry as many current academic programmes do not produce students who are industry ready. To address this critical concern, building and sustaining relations with key stakeholders is imperative. This study examines engagement strategies that the PR programme at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology uses to build and sustain relations with key industry partners. The research draws on two Public Relations theories: stakeholder theory and two-way symmetrical communication to make sense of the strategies used by this programme. It is based on a qualitative approach and an exploratory case study research design. Empirical data were collected through one-to-one interviews and focus group discussions with PR programme staffs, final year PR students and employees from two external PR consultancies. The data were coded and thematically analysed. The main finding of the study is that current engagement strategies are ineffective for relationship building purposes between the PR programme and key industry partners. To sustain mutually beneficial relationships, it is recommended that existing strategies be revised in order to improve relations between the PR department at Cape Peninsular University of Technology (CPUT) and its industry partners, as well as to promote the advancement of both PR as an academic discipline and a profession.

The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) in their Gold Paper No.7 (1990:6) recognises two schools of thought about education and training for public relations : one that it is preparation for a technician level post and the other that it is preparation for management. These two approaches broadly represent that of public relations education in the USA and that in Europe, respectively. These two different approaches differ markedly. South African tertiary education utilises both of these approaches, university education in public relations following the European model, and technikon education following the model of the USA. This has created confusion in industry and, as a result, graduates of both universities and technikons are often not given due recognition. It also results in public relations not realising its true potential. Added to the foregoing, there are fundamental problems in the field of public relations itself, such as its lack of definition and also of scientific status and professionalism. South Africa is currently introducing an outcomes-based approach to education throughout its tertiary education system. While the introduction of a particular curriculation approach such as outcomes-based education would be problematic in the general sense because of the fundamental problems of public relations, it is particularly so in the South African context where public relations education is being offered in accordance with the two different approaches to education. For this reason, this study seeks to provide guidelines for the curriculation of technikon level public relations education within an outcomes-based approach to education. The compilation of a set of guidelines for technikon level public relations education will serve a useful purpose in several directions, as set out below:- (1) The confusion in South African industry with regard to the recognition of the abilities of public relations graduates can be alleviated. (2) The path can be opened for the accreditation of public relations graduates to be instituted. (3) The chances of graduates gaining managerial positions and of becoming members of the dominant coalition of an organisation and of being able to utilise the Excellence Model of public relations practice will be promoted. (4) Research is more likely to be theoretically-grounded and is likely both to increase in volume and to make a worthy contribution to development in South Africa. (5) The chances of the fundamental problems of the field of public relations being engaged will be enhanced and this could make significant contributions to the field on a generic scale. (6) The fulfilment of the requirement of The White Paper (1997) that South African tertiary education carry out its function with economy and efficiency will be facilitated. In order to fulfil the primary purpose, current approaches to tertiary level public relations education will be analysed and assessed in various contexts; weaknesses and strengths in current curriculation perspectives adopted for tertiary level public relations education will be identified; the impact of the educational context on the curriculation of technikon level public relations courses will be analysed; and a theoretical framework for understanding the context of technikon tertiary level public relations education will be developed. The foregoing yield information for the compilation of guidelines and recommendations for technikon level public relations education in South Africa. / Prof. S. Verwey