Abstract
Advances in technology have flattened the public relations playing field as the industry
focuses on new media and related opportunities. At the same time, entrepreneurship among
practitioners is increasing. The number of independent practitioners in the Public Relations
Society of America increased from 15.5 to 18 percent from 2010 to 2011 (Lagorio, 2011).
Forbes ranked public relations as one of 10 most promising careers for aspiring entrepreneurs
(Casserly, 2012). Public relations students have also expressed interest in learning about
entrepreneurship in their classes (Hays & Sidlow, 2010).
What remains unknown is whether and how public relations educators are preparing
students for these entrepreneurship opportunities. This study seeks to fill this gap by assessing
public relations educators’ attitudes and opinions toward entrepreneurship education and whether
and how they are teaching entrepreneurship to undergraduate students. The researchers used a
triangulated approach by implementing a survey and conducting in-depth interviews with public
relations educators.
One hundred and fourteen full-time public relations educators responded to an electronic
survey in June 2012. Sixty-one percent of respondents teach entrepreneurial skills or concepts.
Public relations educators believe that entrepreneurship should be embedded in certain courses,
such as Public Relations Campaigns and Public Relations Management, and that students should
learn how to understand financial information, secure clients, and work with vendors. In the indepth
interviews, educators said that teaching entrepreneurship in public relations is important,
although their ideas differed regarding its priority in the curriculum. Pedagogies included folding
entrepreneurship into lectures in beginning courses, tying ideas into the management of studentrun
firms, and having students in the capstone campaigns course prepare and present proposals to
clients. Assessment of these activities includes some nontraditional ideas such as incorporating
client and peer input.
Implications for teaching future entrepreneurs are provided.
Citation
ID:
240437
Ref Key:
oneil2013publican