Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and colleges
Over the past decades, higher education institutions (HEIs) across the world have institutionalized communication departments and played an increasingly important role in communicating science to the public. While a growing body of research has analyzed the practices and structures of central commun...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Seismo Verlag
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Studies in Communication Sciences |
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1797961973929869312 |
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| author | Silke Fürst Sophia Charlotte Volk Mike S. Schäfer Daniel Vogler Isabel Sörensen |
| author_facet | Silke Fürst Sophia Charlotte Volk Mike S. Schäfer Daniel Vogler Isabel Sörensen |
| author_sort | Silke Fürst |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Over the past decades, higher education institutions (HEIs) across the world have institutionalized communication departments and played an increasingly important role in communicating science to the public. While a growing body of research has analyzed the practices and structures of central communication departments in HEIs, little is known about developments over time. This study examines perceived changes in HEI communication along different analytical dimensions and across HEI types. Conceptually, neo-institutional theory is used to derive the factors that foster this change, specifically the new public management reforms and the accompanying coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures on HEIs. The empirical study is based on a survey of 196 members of HEI leadership in Switzerland. The results show that, according to organizational leaders, HEI communication has diversified and intensified considerably over the last five to ten years. It has also become – albeit to a somewhat lesser extent – more professional and strategic. Multiple linear regression analysis reveals that the strongest predictors of perceived change in HEI communication are the goal to build public reputation, the perceived competition among HEIs for public reputation, and the observation of other Swiss HEIs. The study outlines implications for future research and for HEI communicators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:06:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-20af0ed6932e4a70b83fa7529d566e9e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-4896 2296-4150 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:06:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Seismo Verlag |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studies in Communication Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-20af0ed6932e4a70b83fa7529d566e9e2023-01-04T12:11:39ZdeuSeismo VerlagStudies in Communication Sciences1424-48962296-41502022-12-01223515534https://doi.org/10.24434/j.scoms.2022.03.3489Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and collegesSilke Fürst0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1978-4277Sophia Charlotte Volk1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0887-8224Mike S. Schäfer2Daniel Vogler3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0211-7574Isabel Sörensen4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1094-6794University of Zurich, Department of Communication and Media Research IKMZUniversity of Zurich, Department of Communication and Media Research IKMZUniversity of Zurich, Department of Communication and Media Research IKMZUniversity of Zurich, Department of Communication and Media Research IKMZUniversity of Zurich, Department of Communication and Media Research IKMZOver the past decades, higher education institutions (HEIs) across the world have institutionalized communication departments and played an increasingly important role in communicating science to the public. While a growing body of research has analyzed the practices and structures of central communication departments in HEIs, little is known about developments over time. This study examines perceived changes in HEI communication along different analytical dimensions and across HEI types. Conceptually, neo-institutional theory is used to derive the factors that foster this change, specifically the new public management reforms and the accompanying coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures on HEIs. The empirical study is based on a survey of 196 members of HEI leadership in Switzerland. The results show that, according to organizational leaders, HEI communication has diversified and intensified considerably over the last five to ten years. It has also become – albeit to a somewhat lesser extent – more professional and strategic. Multiple linear regression analysis reveals that the strongest predictors of perceived change in HEI communication are the goal to build public reputation, the perceived competition among HEIs for public reputation, and the observation of other Swiss HEIs. The study outlines implications for future research and for HEI communicators.university public relationsstrategic communicationorganizational goalsprofessionalizationneo-institutional theorynew public managementhigher education researchswitzerland |
| spellingShingle | Silke Fürst Sophia Charlotte Volk Mike S. Schäfer Daniel Vogler Isabel Sörensen Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and colleges Studies in Communication Sciences university public relations strategic communication organizational goals professionalization neo-institutional theory new public management higher education research switzerland |
| title | Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and colleges |
| title_full | Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and colleges |
| title_fullStr | Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and colleges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and colleges |
| title_short | Assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions: A survey of leaders of Swiss universities and colleges |
| title_sort | assessing changes in the public communication of higher education institutions a survey of leaders of swiss universities and colleges |
| topic | university public relations strategic communication organizational goals professionalization neo-institutional theory new public management higher education research switzerland |
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