A case study on how universities in West South Central states that offer baccalaureate programs in public relations prepare graduates to manage crisis communications situations once they enter their professions.

Abstract

This multiple case study examines the research question. A multiple case study was used because it provided insight into how several universities were preparing baccalaureate public relations graduates for crisis communications situations. The West South Central region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, was included in this study. During the content analysis phase of this study, the findings showed that no universities in Arkansas offered a crisis communications component to their public relations students; so Arkansas was omitted from the study.

In our ever-changing, fast-paced and uncertain world, where the media reports stories with increased responsiveness, especially if the story is sensational, it is imperative that the public relations industry be prepared to manage crisis communications situations. This preparation begins at the university level. This study examines the question, "How are universities in the West South Central states that offer baccalaureate programs in public relations, preparing graduates to manage crisis communications situations once they enter their professions?"

Nine themes were revealed in this study, including four primary, four secondary, and one notable theme. The four primary themes included internships, case studies, managing the media, and ethics. The four secondary themes included teamwork, public relations strategic planning, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA), and role playing. The notable theme included the benefit of having a minor with the major degree.

Concluding the study, four recommendations were made for future studies. The first recommendation focuses on crisis communications components sponsored by PRSSA at universities in the United States; the second recommendation replicates this study in another area of the United States; the third recommendation focuses on the 90 percent of universities in the West South Central region that do not offer a crisis communication component; and the fourth recommendation explores how ethics are incorporated into undergraduate public relations programs with a crisis communication component. In addition, there were two areas of program recommendations, with the first focusing on revisions for undergraduate programs and the second focusing on the leadership role of public relations professional organizations with undergraduate public relations programs.

After identifying two universities from Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, that offered a crisis communications component in their public relations programs, the study focused on one professor and two graduates from each institution. These six professors and 12 graduates were the primary data sources for this study. The supporting data sources were artifacts, which include crisis communications course descriptions, syllabi, textbooks, class assignments, and field notes. This triangulation of the data from one professor, two graduates, and several artifacts were considered a separate data set for each of the six universities. This triangulation of information from these three sources provided the data for this study.