Public Relations Management in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of Ghana

Abstract

This article reports on a study that examined the nature of public relations (PR) management in Ghanaian higher education institutions (HEIs), specifically public and private universities. The study aimed to determine the degree to which PR practitioners in Ghanaian HEIs practise excellent PR. The study adopted a qualitative approach in gathering data from 14 PR practitioners purposively sampled from public and private universities. The findings demonstrated that PR practice in Ghanaian HEIs is premised on the technician role with a minimal managerial role. PR practice is also based on one-way communication and PR practitioners do not have much influence on the decision-making process. The implication is that PR practice cannot be highly valued in HEIs unless it fulfils its dual role.

Keywords:

• public relations management
• higher education
• universities
• communication
• excellence in public relations
• Ghana