A Study of the Implications of Recent Changes in the Practice and Management of Corporate Public Relations for the Professional Preparation of Undergraduate Students of Communication

This study describes the changing role of corporate public relations and examines the implications of these changes for the professional preparation of undergraduates in communication studies. More specifically, for those who plan to enter the practice of public relations in contemporary business, this study attempts to clarify the relationship between current trends in the business practice of public relations and the growing field of study in "organizational communication." "Public relations is first and foremost a communication function." (Robinson, 1966) A theoretical as well as an applied knowledge of the human communication process has long been thought to be a first principle for acquiring proficiency in the practice of public relations (Robinson, 1966). Rex Harlow (1976) argues that public relations in business is defined as "a distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication ...between an organization and its publics.