Public relations and communication management: In search of a pedagogical model for the MBA curriculum in Canada
Loading...
Date
2013
Authors
Rath, Theresa
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) curriculum in Canada is lacking in that it does
not include a public relations (PR) and communication management component. This is
counterintuitive to the belief that effective management and leadership are tantamount to
effective communication, and flies in the face of both the onus on organizations to communicate
with their publics and those publics’ right to know. This study strives to illuminate the void in
the Canadian MBA curriculum as it relates to PR and communication management, and to
determine Canadian business leaders’ acceptance of such content therein. It uses a mixed
methods approach to inquiry; the author first conducts a conceptual content analysis of Canadian
MBA program websites which demonstrates the absence of strategic communication concepts in
the graduate business school curriculum, and subsequently interviews Canadian business leaders
to determine PR and communication management’s possible place in the MBA, the findings of
which overwhelmingly call for such instruction in the graduate business school curriculum.
When considered both individually and collectively, the quantitative and qualitative research
findings inform the creation of a pedagogical model for a PR and communication management
curriculum in the MBA which is steeped in PR/communication, ethical and pedagogical theories.
This work stands to advance the pedagogy and practice of PR and communication management,
bolster the MBA curriculum and create scores of Canadian MBA graduates – our future business
leaders – who understand and value the PR and communication management function, and
ultimately embrace their responsibility for it in their professional pursuits.
Description
Keywords
Master of Business Administration (MBA) curriculum , Corporate Communication management