Outcomes desired by practitioners and academics

Citation
Bd. Neff et al., Outcomes desired by practitioners and academics, PUBL RELAT, 25(1), 1999, pp. 29-44
Citations number
2
Categorie Soggetti
Communication
Journal title
PUBLIC RELATIONS REVIEW
ISSN journal
03638111 → ACNP
Volume
25
Issue
1
Year of publication
1999
Pages
29 - 44
Database
ISI
SICI code
0363-8111(199921)25:1<29:ODBPAA>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
The Outcomes Task Team, using data from the national survey conducted for t he 1998 National Communication Association Summer Conference, developed out comes profiles for entry-level and advanced level practitioners, and for ed ucators teaching public relations in under graduate and graduate programs. Outcomes were defined as the desired characteristics of public relations pr actitioners or educators at various stages of their professional lives. Sur vey respondents were asked to rate the extent to which each outcome was des ired and the extent to which it was found. They also were asked to identify the top five requirements in practitioners they hire and the top five prob lems they encounter in hiring. The task team examined the survey data in the light of existing scholarship and their own experience to identify sets of outcomes for each professiona l level. The term dimensions was used for general headings or categories of desired and found outcomes, such as communication competencies. The term d escriptors was used for the specifically named cognitive, behavioral, or af fective outcomes. The task team also identified missing descriptors and/or areas needing further development. Once the descriptors were grouped into dimensions the task team prepared ma trices of each group's responses from the survey. These matrices revealed u nexpectedly strong agreement between educators and practitioners regarding the training, experience and expertise outcomes needed for career developme nt in public relations. However, significant gaps were found between desire d outcomes and those actually found in the opinions of both practitioner an d educator respondents. Dostal Neff is a professor in the Department of Communication at Valparaiso University. Walker is in the Department of Communication Studies, at the U niversity of Technology, Sydney, Australia. Smith is in the Department of C ommunication at LaSalle University and Creedon is the Director of the Schoo l of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University.