Exploring the Equation between Public Relations Education and Practice: A Study Based in Mumbai and New Delhi,

India.

Nida Umerjee (BMM) University of Mumbai

Dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc/Dip. in Strategic Public Relations and Communication Management, University of Stirling.

University of Stirling 2010-2011

DECLARATION

1. This work is composed by me. 2. This work has not been accepted in any of my previous applications for a degree 3. The work of which this is a record is done be me
4.

All verbatim extracts have been distinguished by quotation marks and the sources have been successfully acknowledged.

Signature: Date: 22 September 2011

(i)

AGREEMENT

I agree to Film, Media & Journalism using my dissertation for teaching purposes. I understand my dissertation may also be made available to future students in the library.

Signature: Date: 22 September 2011

(ii)

This dissertation is dedicated to Shayaan,

My adorable nephew For the limitless joy you have bought in my life...

(iii)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Im immensely thankful to all the public relations academicians and practitioners who shared their invaluable views and experiences for this dissertation. Im grateful to you all for your time and generosity in guiding me on this research. Special thanks to Ms. Mini Ribeiro, for helping me reach out to the best people in the business and for inspiring me to take up Public Relations as a subject for my Masters degree. My deep gratitude to Dr. Jacquie LEtang for your expert guidance on the direction and structure of this dissertation and your co-operation in working with me through this period. I have immensely valued your views and critique on this study which have enabled me to improvise my work and challenged me to do better. I thank my parents for their constant support and unconditional love which they have showered on me all through my life. Every conversation with both of you through the writing of this dissertation has only made me feel more positive about it and has motivated me to keep the battle on. A big thank you to my sister for entertaining me with her new mom stories and for bringing my little bundle of joy, Shayaan, into this world. I would also like to thank my aunt, Mumtaz Choonara, for making up for the absence of my parents in the United Kingdom and for looking after me like her own child. Last but not the least; I would like to thank my closest bunch of friends, Sunny, Riddhi, and Kritika for making this one year the most beautiful experience of my life. I miss you all and Im looking forward to our fun times soon.

(iv)

ABSTRACT This research study was undertaken to discover the relationship between public relations education and the practice in two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi, in India. The limited research conducted on public relations in India was another important reason why this study was commissioned. The question of how education plays a vital role in establishing a professional status of an occupation was an initial trigger to this enquiry. This study employs qualitative methods to collect the views of eighteen participants which comprised of public relations academicians and practitioners. The in-depth interviews were conducted in person and over the telephone between July-August 2011 in Mumbai, India. Exploring the current level of PR education in India, the curriculum and pedagogy of these programs, the qualifications of the faculty, the employability of the PR graduates and the expectations of the industry from these graduates are some of the overarching elements of this study. It was also a goal to understand the interdependency of the institutes that offer PR education and the agencies that hire these graduates. But the most vital question governing this research study was whether academicians and practitioners feel that PR education is important to achieve success in this occupation and whether the present education that is offered meets the industry requirements. After conducting primary and secondary research on this topic, it was found that PR education is at an infant stage in the country. There are many institutes that are offering PR programs but very few focus on PR alone and the lack of any accreditation raises a question on the credibility of these institutes. On the other hand, the public relations practitioners feel that the curriculum of these programs lacks practical knowledge of the occupation and produces an inefficient work force. Also the PR professional bodies are found to be inactive on advancing the mandate of PR education in the country.

(v)

TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration...............................................................................................................(i) Agreement....................................................................................................................(ii) Dedication....................................................................................................................(iii) Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................(iv) Abstract........................................................................................................................(v)

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale of the study..............................................................................................1 1.2 Research Question...................................................................................................2 1.3 Aims & Objectives..................................................................................................4 1.4 Research Approach..................................................................................................5 1.5 Brief overview of the chapters...............................................................................6 [1,468 words] CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................7 2.2 Brief history of PR education......................................................................................7 2.3 Education & professionalization.................................................................................8 2.4 Background of public relations education in India......................................................9 2.5 Critique of the literature.............................................................................................12 2.6 Gap in the body of knowledge...................................................................................15 2.7 Summary....................................................................................................................16 [2,711 words] CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction................................................................................................................17 3.2 Research question .....................................................................................................17 3.3 Research paradigm.....................................................................................................18 3.4 Empirical research.....................................................................................................20 3,5 Sampling....................................................................................................................21 3.6 Data Analysis.............................................................................................................22 3.7 Limitations of the research............................................................................. ..........23 3,8 Summary....................................................................................................................24 [2,094 words]

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS & FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction................................................................................................................25 4.2 Role of PR education in the professionalization of the occupation in India..........................................................................................25 4.3 Academic background of the interviewees................................................................27 4.4 Current level of PR education in India......................................................................29 4.5 Curriculum design & Pedagogy.................................................................................31 4.6 Faculty.......................................................................................................................33 4.7 Employability of PR graduates..................................................................................35 4,8 Role of PR professional bodies in advancing the mandate of PR education.....................................................................................37 4.9 Lacunae for a body of knowledge.............................................................................39 4.10 Summary..................................................................................................................40 [5,016 words] CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Introduction................................................................................................................42 5.2 Recommendations of the interviewees to improve the current structure of PR education in India...........................................................42 5.3 Discussion of the findings.........................................................................................43 5.4 Recommendations for future research.......................................................................45 5.5 Conclusion.................................................................................................................46 [1,279 words] BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................................................47 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1- Interview guide...........................................................................................52 Appendix 2- Email sent to potential interviewees...........................................................54 Appendix 3- List of Interviewees....................................................................................55 Appendix 4- Example of transcribed interview highlighting the coding process...........57 Appendix 5-List of PR courses offered in different states of India.................................65 Appendix 6-IPRA Gold Paper No.7 (1990)/A typical curriculum..................................70 Appendix 7-PR course at XIC, Mumbai.........................................................................73 Appendix 8- PR course at SIMC, Pune, Maharashtra.....................................................74 Appendix 9-PR course at EMDI, Mumbai......................................................................76 Appendix 10- A print advertisement of EMDI in Mumbai Mirror newspaper...............77 Total word count = 12,568 words Excluding all references, tables, appendices and acknowledgements.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY The researcher has been intrigued with the idea of PR education because of a personal reason. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in Media and Mass Communication (specialising in Journalism), the researcher decided to pursue a postgraduate degree in Public Relations in the United Kingdom, because of the lack of a specific degree program of the discipline in India. After researching for PR courses of a masters level in the established and reputed Media and Mass Communication institutes in the country Communication country, the researcher discovered that what was on offer was either a marketing or an advertising degree with public relations as a subject in the curric curriculum or a PR

diploma/short-term program. A Also the credibility of the faculty and the academic reputation of most of these institutes were questionable.

While on the other hand when the researcher looked at similar opportunities of obtaining PR education in the United Kingdom, there were a range of options available ucation of studying the discipline at a masters as well as an undergraduate level. The curriculum of these programs was explicit and focused on a detailed study of the various theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline. Therefore, the researcher chose to study an M MSc degree in Strategic Public Relations and Communication Management at the University of Stirling, Scotland. Therefore, the search to find a qualified program of PR education in India was not only disappointing but intriguing a well. as

Public relations, is a

50 billion industry in India and employs over 100,000

practitioners in government, private, public and non profit sectors (Reddi, 1999, cited in non-profit
1

Bardhan and Sriramesh, 2004, p.71). A survey on PR & its future prospects carried out by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) states that the Indian PR industry is growing at an annual rate of 32% and is likely to double its size to over US $ 10.56 billion by 2012 from over US$ 6 billion presently, since corporate are relying more on public relations to improve their brand image (IIFL, 2011).

In contrast to these figures, a latest industry report Public Relations Practice Ground Realities authored by the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI, 2011, p. 17) claims that acquiring and retaining best talent in the industry has turned out to be a key challenge. To add to that nearly 80% of the interview participants of this report believed that the Indian education system is not geared up to cater to the PR industry needs (PRCAI, 2011, p. 19). According to Reddi, education in this area is an imperative for the professional growth and repositioning of public relations in India (1997, cited in Singh, 2000, p.307).

Therefore, having studied a postgraduate degree in PR from United Kingdom, and having learnt the historical and theoretical underpinnings of the discipline in the western world, the researcher was intrigued to study about the public relations industry in her own country. PR education was chosen to be a more specific topic of research so as to draw a comparison of the current status of the same in India in contrast with the western countries like USA and UK. Although some scholars like Sriramesh Krishnamurthy (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004), Nilanjana Bardhan (2003, 2004), Raveena Singh (2000) and Seema Gupta (2007) have contributed detailed studies on the public relations industry in India, education in particular has not been the main focus of those. The findings of these

studies present criticisms on the lack of specialised educational programs in PR at a masters/postgraduate level and the credentials of the faculty on these programs. But the need for structured and formalised PR education has been the concern for most of the participants of these research studies. Another issue raised in these studies has been the lack of a body of knowledge for the discipline in India.

Indias history in public communication spans centuries and could be explained in three component parts and phases: propaganda (1500 BC- 1858), publicity and public information (1858-1947), and public relations (1947 onwards) as it is known today (Reddi, 1999, cited in Singh, 2000, p. 300). But unfortunately only two authors, C.V.N. Reddi and M.L. Kaul have documented the evolution of the public relations practice in India (Sriramesh, 2000). Therefore, the researcher wanted to make a contribution to the scarce body of knowledge in the country with this study with the hope that it will draw the attention of academicians and practitioners who in turn may be motivated to build a scholarship base for public relations in India.

1.2 RESEARCH QUESTION The main research question of this study is: To explore the equation between PR education and practice through the views of academicians, practitioners and senior members of the PR professional bodies based in two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi in India? Supplementary research questions have been listed in the forthcoming Methodology chapter.

1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This research will aim to study the relationship between PR education and practice in two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi, the capital of India. The study will attempt to explore the scope of PR education, the academic level at which it is imparted, the curriculums and pedagogy implied by the faculty, the credentials of the faculty and the employability of the graduates from these courses. On the other hand, the study also attempts to record the views of practitioners on the quality of PR education available in these cities and whether it matches up to the skills and talent they expect from new hires. Also the study shall explore the reasons for the lack of a scholarship base in the country in the opinion of academicians, practitioners and the representatives of PR professional bodies. These cities have been chosen as large PR companies are based out of Mumbai and New Delhi, primarily because of the large corporate head offices and key media offices located in these cities. Also more than 60% of the PR business comes from these locations, followed by Bangalore and Chennai (PRCAI, 2011, p. 12). Another reason for limiting the study to these cities was the constraint of time and resources to cover a country as vast in size as India.

The main objective of this study is to gather as much information possible about the existence and extent of PR education in India, research and critique the work of other academicians and scholars on this topic, and lay the foundation for an original piece of research based on the data collected from the interviews of academicians, practitioners and senior members of the PR professional bodies based in two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi, in India during the months of July-August 2011. Collecting data from the appropriate participants and analysing the results of this study in an efficient, valid and reliable manner will also be the goal of the researcher. Finally writing this piece of

research in a logical, coherent and detailed manner will be an ultimate objective for this piece of research.

1.4 RESEARCH APPROACH The researcher has adopted the qualitative research paradigm and the in-depth semistructured interview method was used to collect information from the suitable participants for this study. A total of eighteen interviews were conducted, of which ten were face-to-face, seven were telephonic and one was an email response. It was discovered that most practitioners interviewed for this study were also part of the visiting faculty of the PR education programs conducted in Mumbai and New Delhi. Full-time faculties were rare and belonged to other disciplines like journalism, marketing and advertising. Therefore it was deemed appropriate to interview some academicians and mostly those practitioners who taught as visiting faculty for these programs. Further the interviews were audio-taped and transcribed to assist in the thematic analysis of the data.

1.5 BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTERS The next chapter discusses the relevant literature on this research topic and underpins some theoretical concepts which offer a foundation for this study. Though the researcher found limited literature on PR education in India, contributions of other scholars on this topic have been discussed and critiqued. Further, the Methodology chapter will provide explicit details of the research procedures and methods used for sampling, data collection and analysis. It shall also enlist the supplementary research questions and offer the limitations of this research. Next, the Analysis and Findings chapter shall present the data collected from the interviews under appropriate themes or

sub-categories to present a coherent description of the participant views provided for this study. The difference in the findings with the previous research studies carried out will be exemplified. The Conclusion and Recommendations chapter will collate the overall summary of this study as well as offer some suggestions for commissioning future studies that can help build a body of knowledge of the PR discipline in India.

CHAPTER TWO LITRETURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION The aim of this chapter is to trail a history of PR education in the Western world, namely the United States of America and the United Kingdom, where the initial efforts to shape the educational curriculum for the discipline of Public Relations in relation to practice, actually began. This chapter will also attempt to relate the concept of professionalization to education and explore their long standing equation. Further, the researcher will frame the background of PR education in India and discuss the literature that influenced the inception of this study. The methods and findings of other authors who have conducted research on PR education in India will also be critiqued and lastly the gaps in the body of knowledge will be addressed including a brief justification for the structure and direction of this study.

2.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF PR EDUCATION The roots of PR education can be traced back to journalism courses where students were able to specialise in PR by choosing options. The first PR course was offered in the journalism department of the New York University School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, taught by Edward Bernays in 1923 (Theaker, 2001). The 1981 Commission on Public Relations Education recommended that the content of undergraduate and postgraduate courses should include mass communications, PR theories, media relations techniques, research methodology, case studies, work placements and PR management (Cutlip et al, 1985, cited in Theaker, 2001, p.54). The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) proposed a model for Public Relations education for professional practice by publishing the Gold Paper No. 4 in 1982 in which it made various recommendations for commencing post graduate/masters level specialised programs on
7

Public Relations education, it advised on the qualifications of teachers, to promote a dialogue between academics and practitioners and to evaluate the effectiveness of Public Relations.

While many undergraduate programs were already being conducted on mass communication and journalism with PR options in both USA and UK, the recommendations of the IPRA Gold Paper, No. 4 propelled the introduction of many new courses such as the full time MSc degree programme at the University of Stirling in Scotland in 1988 (IPRA, Gold Paper No. 7, p.3).

The first UK undergraduate degree in PR was launched at Bournmouth in 1989, followed by Leeds Metropolitan University and the College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth in 1990 (Tench, DArtrey and Fawkes, 2009, p 60). Although PR education did commence in the West but it was soon adopted by other countries as a means of legitimizing the occupation.

2.3 EDUCATION AND PRODESSIONALIZATION Grunig and Hunt (1984) introduced the idea of education and training as being an important prerequisite for a practitioner to be called a professional. In presenting the characteristics of a professional, Grunig and Hunt (1984, p. 66) emphasise that a professional has the technical skills needed to provide a unique and essential service and they acquire these skills during a long period of prescribed professional education. Theaker (2001, p. 54) adds that one element of a claim to a professional status is an emphasis on well-qualified practitioners.

Also Cutlip et al included specialised educational preparation to acquire knowledge and skills based on a body of theory developed through research and an emphasis on public service and social responsibility in their list for prerequisites of a profession (1985, cited in Theaker, 2001, p. 53). Also LEtang and Pieczka ( 2006, p.276) stated that education is an instrument for the public relations occupation to achieve status by contributing to the legitimizing process of social acceptance and by helping to define public relations expertise and the scope of its operations. In the view of Grunig and Hunt (1984), professionals can be distinguished from the average citizen due to their skills and knowledge base: True professionals possess a body of knowledge and have mastered communication techniques that are not known by the average citizen. They also have a set of values and a code of ethics that discourage the use of their knowledge and technical skills for antisocial purposes. (Grunig and Hunt, 1984, pp. 5)

The use of professionalism normally is linked in our field [Public Relations] with the expression of a need to improve the occupational standing (LEtang and Pieczka, 2006, p.270). Therefore, one can deduce that education has a direct relationship with the concept of professionalism and is imperative for legitimizing the occupation of Public Relations. The relationship between education and professionalization has also been explored in the Indian context in the analysis chapter of this research and theoretically influenced the researcher in the development of this study.

2.4 BACKGROUND OF PUBLIC RELATIONS EDUCATION IN INDIA The main source of literature on public relations education in Asia has been contributed by Krishnamurthy Sriramesh. In the book, the Encyclopaedia of Public Relations, Sriramesh (cited in Heath, 2005, p.46) suggests that the reasons why Asia has not been well represented in the public relations body of knowledge is because of a relatively
9

small number of graduate public relations programs in Asian universities. He further explains that the few public relations graduate programs that currently exist in Asia are predominantly skills oriented and generally lack theoretical and methodological rigor, which inhibits efforts at advancing education and the profession (cited in Heath, 2005, p.47). Therefore, there is little literature available on public relations education in specific countries in Asia.

However, Bardhan & Sriramesh (2004, p.70) offer a detailed study of the public relations profession in India and highlight that the lack of trained professionals in the country and a dearth of quality new entrants into the profession is a matter of concern. They also attribute the reasons for this situation as follows: Only a handful of universities and institutions offer postgraduate diplomas in public relations and many of these programs are not exclusive to public relations but offer courses in advertising and journalism as well. A sizeable number are not recognized by the government and therefore lack the stamp of legitimacy (Mehta, 1977, cited in Sriramesh, 2004, p. 71) Most people who currently teach public relations are themselves practitioners who do not have formal education in the field. (Bardhan & Sriramesh, 2004, pp.70-72) All these points have helped the researcher develop the direction of enquiry of this study. The researcher had personally conducted a search for post graduate programs on Public Relations in India to pursue a masters degree in the discipline. It was observed that there were very few courses that only focused on public relations as a major and it was difficult to gauge the credibility of these institutes due to a lack of government accreditation.

10

The first public relations program in India was started at the Dr. Ambedkar Open University in Hyderabad, a non-traditional university for adults who do not have undergraduate degrees and attend on a part-time basis, in 1986 (Bardhan & Sriramesh, 2004, p 71). This was later upgraded to a Bachelors degree in 1992 the first in public relations in the country (Reddi, 1999, cited in Bardhan & Sriramesh, 2004, p 71). Madurai Kamraj University also started a masters degree in 1998 and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, was set up by the government for training personnel in journalism, advertising and public relations at the postgraduate diploma level (Mehta, 1997, cited in Bardhan & Sriramesh, 2004, p 71). According to Reddi (1997, cited in Singh, 2000, p.307), Indian PR must be established through more research and the higher education system must be revamped for PR education. PR is not yet offered as a fully fledged tertiary qualification in India. Rather, it only comprises one or two subjects in other areas of study, mainly in journalism.

This statement throws light on the similarity between the evolution of PR education in India and the western world which progressed through the same disciplines of journalism, marketing, advertising and mass communications at large. Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury, Director, Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication (SIMC), Pune, India, in his interview in the PR-e-Sense electronic magazine (2007a), said that largely people with an MBA degree in marketing or general communication and journalism degrees including former journalists have usually come into PR profession but professionally trained PR professionals are very rare. Curriculum design and content is now a pressing issue for education and training. Sriramesh (1996) also criticised that there is too much dependence on imported concepts and textbooks and more local research needs to be conducted on the public relations practice in the Indian context. At

11

present, there are few publications on Indian PR and a paucity of literature and research.

Gupta (2007) conducted a study to measure the extent of professionalism in the Indian PR industry by questioning the influence of gender, education and work experience on education the identification of professional standards. It was found in the study (which comprised of 108 professionals of which 67 worked with a PR agency, 34 worked in corporate communications and 7 worked in other areas such as marketing, event management, etc) marketing, that PR practitioners did not think that marketing or a business degree is the appropriate training for the field while agreeing to the fact that most practitioners have had formal instruction in management skills and techniques. However they did agree that techniques. practitioners should continue to enhance their skills through training.

Gupta (2007, p.306) also presented the following facts in her study: at present there are about 700 public relations firms in the country with a workforce of about 10,000 people. workforce In 2004, the public relations industry in India had revenues in the range of 1.21.6 billion. The industry is growing at a healthy rate of 30% per year and undergoing consolidation. Because of the pace of growth, these agencies are facing an acute shortage of trained manpower. The industry takes in only 90 150 students from various 90150 schools offering public relations as a specialisation, making those schools an inadequate pool of talent.

2.5 CRITIQUE OF THE LITERATURE The most crucial literature on public relations in India has been contributed by Sriramesh Krishnamurthy (1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2004), Nilanjana Bardhan (2003, 2004, 2011), Raveena Singh (2000) and Seema Gupta (2007). Bardhan and Sriramesh

12

(2004) used a mixed method research including quantitative surveys, in-depth fieldwork and ethnographic interviews over the span of twelve years to study public relations in India. Sriramesh Krishnamurthy has also contributed various articles on the impact of societal culture on public relations, the lack of multiculturalism in PR education and the various models of public relations in India.

But the study conducted by Bardhan (2003) which combined a cultural analysis approach with ethnographic fieldwork laid the foundation of this study. She carried out eighteen in-depth, face-to-face interviews with practitioners and educators in New Delhi during the summer of 1999 and the winter of 20002001. Initially the researcher gained access to the interviewees by using her professional contacts and then gradually moved to a snowball network sample. The questions asked to the educators pertained to (a) the history and state of public relations education in India; (b) the types of programs (graduate as well as undergraduate) that are available, including matters pertaining to curriculum, content, texts used, and the importance of accreditation; (c) the state of endogenous research in public relations in India; and (d) culturally specific definitions of public relations in the Indian landscape and definitions of practitioner roles (Bardhan,2003, p 231-233).

The key findings of this research have been discussed in the preceding section of this chapter and have influenced the researcher of this study to conduct a similar research after eight years in the city of Mumbai and New Delhi, to explore the equation between PR education and practice, the sample interviewees of which would be senior practitioners, academicians and representatives of PR professional bodies. The researcher wanted to trace the notable developments in PR education, the practitioner

13

roles and the contribution of the PR professional bodies to encourage higher education in these previous years. Bardhans (2003) study traced the evolution of the public relations practice pre and post independence in India, marking the changing roles of practitioners, the educational developments and the efforts of the PRSI (Public Relations Society of India) to professionalize the occupation. Therefore the findings of the same have laid the historical and theoretical foundation for this study to explore the changes in the PR education structure as well as the perceptions of practitioners about the same.

On the other hand in a recent study, Gupta (2007) has attempted to understand the identification of professional standards amongst Indian practitioners who are members of the Public Relations Society of India, but the method used to do so was questionnaires which presented a general consensus amongst the participants rather than provide an in-depth analysis of their beliefs and opinions. The ethnographic study of southern Indian organisations conducted by Sriramesh (1996) used qualitative methods to interview key employees of the public relations agencies and corporates to study the phenomenon of power distance in an organisation. In his study on the models of public relations in India (2000), data was collected from eighteen organisations and forty public relations professionals using the survey method and ethnographic analysis.

Thus, qualitative research has been used in the past to conduct research on public relations in India, using ethnographic studies and in-depth interviews which have produced an enriched analysis of the various perspectives of key practitioners, educators and senior members of the PR professional bodies. Therefore, this study shall also follow suit and imply qualitative methods like in-depth interviews to investigate the

14

equation between PR education and practice in the two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi in India.

2.6 GAP IN THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE As the researcher has been able to access limited literature on PR education in India, it can be confirmed that more research needs to be added to the public relations body of knowledge in the country. Although some studies have been conducted on PR education in India, they have largely presented an overview of the Indian economic, political and social landscape. M. L. Kaul and C.V.N Reddi have been the only authors to trace the evolution of public relations in the country in great detail (Singh, 2000, Bardhan, 2003, Sriramesh, 2000 and Bardhan and Sriramesh, 2004). Kaul has authored two editions (1976 and 1988) of the book Public Relations India while Reddi has authored books like Public Relations in Municipal Government, 1978, Public Relations in Public Transporters, 1992, and Effective Public Relations and Media Strategy, 2009. C.V.N Reddi is also the editor of the PR Voice, the only journal of PR professionals, published since October, 1997.

There is yet a paucity of research conducted on the current curriculum of public relations programs in India, the academic level at which they are imparted, the pedagogy used for imparting this education, the credentials of the faculty, the response of the PR industry towards these programs and the employability of the graduates of these courses. Therefore, this study attempts to bridge this gap in knowledge by presenting an in-depth research on the various aspects of PR education in the country at large but more specifically in two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi in India. This study will also present the relationship between the PR education and the occupational

15

practice in the country and will analyse their interdependency on each other. The qualitative method of in-depth interviews shall be used to explore the various aspects of this topic in great detail from the key participants best suited to this study.

2.7 SUMMARY This chapter provided a roadmap of the development of PR education in the Western World together with analysing the relationship between education and

professionalization. The available literature on PR education in India was discussed thereafter, highlighting the need of redesigning the curriculum of these programs and the severe shortage of qualified talent in the country. It was proved that qualitative research has been conducted in the past to study public relations in the country but the views of academicians and practitioners and the relationship between the education and practice in the country has not been researched earlier. The following methodology chapter shall present the detailed methods used to conduct this research along with highlighting the underlying research paradigm and the research questions of this original study.

16

CHAPTER THREE METHODOLGY 3.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter will inform about the research process and tools adopted for the same. It will highlight the main research questions of this study and introduce the research paradigm followed. Then the empirical data collection and sampling details will be discussed along with the data analysis procedure. Lastly, this chapter shall conclude with the underlying limitations of this piece of research.

3.2 RESEARCH QUESTION At the onset of this research study, the objective of the researcher was to explore the existence and scope of PR education in India. This involved searching for various educational institutes throughout the country that offered PR education at an undergraduate as well as postgraduate level. It would then be imperative to interview the PR academicians attached to these institutes to gauge the current scenario on the quality of PR education in the country and its scope in relation to the practice. At this point, the researcher realised that covering the expanse of a country as large as India with the limited period of time and resources was not feasible and hence it became crucial to narrow the scale of the study to two key cities in India, those being Mumbai and the capital of the country, New Delhi.

Thus the overarching research question that this study attempts to investigate is to, Explore the equation between PR education and practice. A study based in Mumbai and New Delhi, in India. In other words, this research will examine whether the contemporary PR education in these two cities relates to the current practice or not. To

17

probe this topic area in further detail, the researcher framed the following supplementary questions that assist in the further investigation of the research topic: 1. What PR education exists? (What kind of syllabus is designed for this discipline and at what level are these imparted undergraduate or postgraduate?) 2. What does the faculty comprise of? (Are they just visiting PR practitioners or is there a full time faculty in place?) 3. How do PR practitioners in Mumbai and New Delhi view the quality of PR education in the country? (Also does PR education enhance the chances of employability? Do practitioners who studied PR deliver better results at work than those who have not?) 4. Does PR education hold any importance for practitioners? Is it a mandatory pre requisite for new practitioners entering the occupation? (Is PR education important to achieve success in this occupation?) 5. Do PR education programs deliver practical skills or are they theory focused? 6. What have the PR professional bodies in India contributed towards creating education and training programs for practitioners and students alike? 7. Why is no initiative taken either by academicians and practitioners to develop an intellectual and scholarship base for the public relations discipline in India?

3.3

RESEARCH PARADIGM

This research study forms its base in the philosophical concept of phenomenology (concerned with how individuals make sense of the world and how in particular the philosopher should filter his perceptions about his own grasp of that world) and the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism (that views social interaction in terms of the meanings actors attach to action and things) Bodgan & Biklen (1992) and

18

Bryman, (2008). Both of the above concepts in turn form the underpinning assumption of the qualitative research paradigm. Jankowski and Wester (1991) suggest that 'qualitative research is performed in a naturalistic setting with emphasis on everyday behaviour and is often descriptive in nature. But to understand this paradigm in deeper context, it would be helpful to look at Brymans (2008, p. 366) definition: Qualitative research tends to be concerned with words rather than numbers and provides an inductive interpretivist view, where a theory is generated from the research, based on understanding the social world through an examination of the meaning deduced of that world by its participants. (Bryman, 2008, pp. 366)

Thus, this study which will attempt to gather the perceptions and opinions of PR practitioners and academicians in Mumbai and New Delhi, India, on the importance of PR education and will be following the qualitative research paradigm by enquiring and exploring this topic through the eyes of its participants. This study will also be acquiring intensive observation of a few cases which will be examined in great detail, which is considered the primary strength of qualitative research (Broom & Dozier, 1990, p. 143).

Qualitative research is lauded for its rich description, a natural setting being its direct source of data and the researcher being the key instrument (Bogdan & Biklen, 1992, pp.29-30). Besides these Daymon & Holloway (2011) regard its ability to embrace complexity and contextualized subjectivity as its biggest strength. They also acknowledge the characteristic nature of qualitative research as being emergent and provisional as one of its strengths. This is because the research is flexible and builds a theory on the way by incorporating inputs which are discovered during the process of the research.

19

3.4 EMPIRICAL RESEARCH As there has not been any prior research on this particular topic in India, the researcher could not find any secondary data and had to make a start from scratch in enquiring about PR education in the country. It began with a desk search of the institutes and universities that offer PR education and their corresponding websites were looked at for details about the program duration, curriculum and entry levels. The institutes in Mumbai and New Delhi were shortlisted to make contacts with the course head/director of the PR programs in the respective institutes. After the researcher personally visited some of these institutes in Mumbai, it was found that most of these programs were taught by visiting faculty from the industry (PR practitioners) and there were very few full time faculties. Therefore, the researcher chose to conduct face-to-face semistructured interviews with PR practitioners who taught as visiting faculty at most of these institutes. This would fulfil a dual objective which is to get the views of both the academicians as well as PR practitioners.

Daymon and Holloway (2011, p. 221) suggest that the key features of interviews are that they are flexible and allow you (the researcher) to develop an understanding of the perspectives of interviewees. Also Deacon et al. explain that semi-structured face-toface interviews enable the interviewer to gain control over the discussion by referring to an interview guide, which sets out issues to be covered during the exchange (2007, p.67). The interview guide used by the researcher can be read in Appendix 1. Therefore, the researcher conducted eighteen semi-structured interviews of which 10 were fact-toface, seven were telephonic and one was responded via an email due to the busy work schedule of the interviewees.

20

3.5

SAMPLING

In the beginning, the researcher sent emails (see Appendix 2) to those individuals whom she felt were suitable participants for the research. Contacts for these participants was found on the website of the institute or taken from the PRCAI (Public Relations Consultants Association of India) and PRSI (Public Relations Society of India) website through the member agencies section and then accessed through the corresponding PR agency website. Creswell has stated that the idea behind qualitative research is to purposefully select participants or sites that will best help the researcher understand the problem and the research question (2009, p. 178).

Thereafter a snowball sampling process was adopted where some contacts were selected on the basis of their relevance to the research and then those were used to establish contacts with other potential participants of the study (Bryman, 2008, p. 184). It was kept in mind that an equal number of participants are chosen from Mumbai and New Delhi and that academicians, PR practitioners as well as representatives of PR bodies are interviewed. This method, as suggested by Deacon et al. is widely used in research into either very closed or informal social groupings, where the social knowledge and personal recommendations of the initial contacts are invaluable in opening up and mapping tight social networks (2007, p.55).The primary criterion for selecting participants was their designation and work experience. Individuals who had an experience of minimum fifteen years in the PR practice were chosen for the study and hence they were amongst the senior most practitioners in their respective organisations. Finally, only two interviewees were based in New Delhi but all the participants had worked all over the country throughout their career, though most of them are currently

21

based in Mumbai. All the interviewees are visiting faculty at various institutes which imparted PR education and two interviewees were representatives of the PRCAI professional body in India.

Each interview lasted for half an hour on an average and some were even a little over an hour. All interviews took place in the respective offices of the participants except for the telephonic interviews and one face-to-face interview took place at the participants residence. They were all audio taped to assist in analysis along with maintaining concurrent notes. A complete list of the interviewees can be read in Appendix 3.

3.6 DATA ANALYSIS To begin with all the audio recordings of the interviews were heard twice to get a sense of the views of each participant. Phenomenological research uses the analysis of significant statements, the generation of meaning units and the development of an essence description (Moustakas, 1994, cited in Creswell, 2009, p. 184) Next, the interviews were thoroughly transcribed, read and re-read to categorise the data into codes and later coding schemes were used to record recurring themes from all interview transcripts (see Appendix 4). Coding is the process of organizing the material into chunks or segments of text before bringing meaning to information (Rossman & Rallis, 1998, cited in Creswell, 2009, p.186). Some of the codes were reviewed and re-coded and some data was grouped under similar codes to eliminate overlapping themes. Relevant quotes pertaining to every theme were highlighted in a separate document for quick references during the writing of the analysis and findings chapter. The coding schemes were used to generate the following themes; Role of PR education in the professionalization of the occupation in India, academic background of the

22

interviewees, current level of PR education in India, curriculum design and pedagogy, faculty, employability of PR graduates, role of PR professional bodies in advancing the importance of education in the occupation and the lacunae for a body of knowledge, which enabled the presentation of multiple perspectives from

individuals and were supported by diverse quotations and specific evidence (Creswell, 2009, p.189). At the same time supplementary information from books, journals and websites has been used to complement the findings of this study.

3.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH A limitation but also a uniqueness of this study is that it is the first of its kind in India. As mentioned in the previous chapter there is an inadequate body of knowledge for the public relations industry in the country. Lack of books and authentic statistics on the size and scale of the occupation are also negligible and posed a deficit to conduct any form of secondary research. On the other hand, since this study was the first of its kind, gaining access to the participants was also a challenge. Repeated emails, calls and mobile text messages had to be sent to gain an appointment with the desired participants. Also the time of conducting the study was the summer season during which many participants were away on a holiday while for some their busy schedules could not allow any time to participate in this study. Secondly, few participants were not prepared to part with some vital information due to confidentiality issues, which they accepted as being an inherent function of their job responsibility as a PR practitioner. But at the same time the information received from the final interviewees has also been invaluable because of their expertise and experience in the field of Public Relations. Lastly, this study limits itself to two cities in India where as there is ample scope to further the findings of this research in the form of an intensive all India study if

23

sufficient time and resources are employed.

3.8 SUMMARY In order to yield the maximum findings pertaining to the research question, a qualitative approach was considered to be the best way to investigate this research topic. Semistructured in-depth interviews enabled the researcher to probe the participants in detail to access substantial information for the study. The thematic analysis of the data collected was beneficial in incorporating different perceptions and opinions of the participants in this study under varied headings and hence encouraged a systematic and logical representation of the findings.

24

CHAPTER FOUR ANALYSIS & FINDINGS 4.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter contains the main findings of this study. It presents the diverse views of the interviewees with respect to certain themes. As mentioned in the previous chapter, these themes have enabled the researcher to present the data collected through the medium of interviews in a coherent argument that contradicts or supports the findings of earlier studies on public relations in India and relates the analysis of this study with that of some theoretical concepts such as education and professionalization. The themes have been developed through the process of coding after the relevant information was aligned under similar categories. The themes have been chosen to draw a link in the analysis of this study and enable a clear understanding of the equation between PR education and practice, in the views of academicians, practitioners and senior members of PR professional bodies, from two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi. All the quotes and excerpts presented from the eighteen interviews conducted for this study have been attributed to the corresponding interviewees unless specified otherwise.

4.2 ROLE OF PR EDUCATION IN THE PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE OCCUPATION IN INDIA As it has been stated in the literature review, education has a direct relationship with the professionalization of an occupation. Hence, the researcher first decided to seek an answer to the question does the PR occupation lack a professional status in India and if the lack of formal PR education has contributed to this falling? Most of the respondents believed that PR has lacked a professional status in the country but that was when the practice started back in the 1990s, however things are now beginning to change. The

25

following excerpt of an interview with Ujjwal Chowdhury provides an account of how this change has occurred: Public Relations is a young profession in this country. Most of the agencies mushroomed post liberalization in 1992 and a large amount of the PR growth has actually started in 2000. Earlier the purpose of public relations was not clear, both to the client as well as the practitioners. Initially all it was to do with was to get your story up in the media. However in the last two decades it [the public relations occupation] has emerged from a wining, dining and lobbying activity to a communication advisory to the CEO. Today, PR is considered more intellectual than advertising, because in the latter you tell your story but in PR you make a third party tell your story so therefore there is an increasing acceptance to intelligent PR. (Chowdhury, 19/07/11)

On the other hand, Ashwani Singla, MD & CEO, South Asia, Penn Schoen Berland believes, There is no lack of legitimacy in the profession. It may not have the sophistication, in terms of education, techniques and the experience as the West because the profession in much younger [in India], so professionalism may be a problem but not legitimacy (Singla, 04/08/11). Some respondents even credited PR education as the reason for the awakening in the PR occupation. Kavita Lakhani, President, Linopinion PR, says, Ten years ago we did not have any formal training in PR, we were training on the job, we were all self and book taught. Today at least there is some understanding of what is PR due to the communication schools that offer this education. (Lakhani, 26/07/11). Mini Ribeiro, Course Director, Public Relations and Corporate

Communications (EMDI Institute of Media and Communication) & Director, Litmus PR, adds, We have a long way to go by the means of education but I think we are getting there Private institutes have realised that there is a lacuna in specialised PR education and that just communication graduates wont fit the bill of the industry hence there has been a stronger focus on PR education in the last few years (Ribeiro, 26/07/11).
26

However, the general consensus amongst the interviewees directed towards the fact that the occupation has evolved in terms of offering more services which has helped it earn a professional status. MNCs have brought in a lot of respect for Indian public relations because they come from countries where PR is considered a more matured industry and they value and respect the services of the PR department, say, Zeenat Khan, Director, Corporate Communications, Turner General Entertainment Networks, India (Khan, 20/07/11). Besides the multinational companies setting base in India, another important aspect that has led to the growth of the PR practice in India has been the globalization effect. Indian companies are going global and realize the value of on-going PR plus the innovative work that is being done through PR sometimes overshadows the advertising campaigns. Since PR is able to demonstrate good results, it is given more respect now, concludes Veena Gidwani, Chief Executive Officer, Madison PR (Gidwani, 01/08/11). Therefore, most of the participants of this study believed that PR education has played a small role in the professionalization of the occupation in India. The shift in the professional status of the PR practice can be contributed to the economic growth in the country as well as the expansion of PR services and practitioner roles.

4.3 ACADEMIC BACKGROUND OF THE INTERVIEWEES As the interviewees of this study have been working in the PR industry in India since the last fifteen-twenty years, the researcher felt it was imperative to determine their academic backgrounds and the contribution it has made in their successful PR careers. Most of the interviewees were found to have studied communications either in Journalism, Advertising and Marketing. Some participants had even studied Business Management, Accountancy, Engineering and Economics. Therefore, they had varied academic backgrounds but only 3 participants had studied Public Relations either as a

27

part of a mass communication degree or at a post graduate level. Vishwanathan Ganapathy, General (Manger West), 20:20 MSL, possess a post graduation degree in commerce along with a couple of part-time evening (diploma) courses in advertising and marketing. Although he has been working in the public relations industry for nearly two decades he says, My commercial knowledge has helped me run a business but the rest is all practical training. I believe this [Public Relations] business doesnt need great qualification, all you need is common sense, creativity and the ability to write (Ganapathy, 19/07/11). The same thought is echoed by Gidwani (01/08/11), I think having a degree in business management gives you an overall perspective on various aspects of business though it doesnt have a direct bearing to PR, but it still helped me. Deepshika Dharamraj, Chief Talent Officer, Genesis Burson Marsteller, India, who holds a Masters degree in Business Economics, confesses:

Practitioners who come from a business background in academics are able to apply their communication knowledge to the business of their clients and keep an eye for figures and details. This way they add value to the business of their clients. In my case, it helped me become a good business manager and a strategic advisor to my clients (Dharamraj, 27/07/11)

On the other hand, an engineering graduate, Pavan Karimbil, Partner, Mutual PR, unconsciously drew closer to communications, I always liked to be talked to and communication came easy to me, but I could not imagine myself sitting in a room doing coding all day. So I took up consulting initially which is very similar to PR and it helped me move across various platforms and companies (Karimbil, 30/0711). While, Sharif Rangnekar, Director & CEO, Integral PR and President, PRCAI, offers a different perspective on academics, people overstate the relevance of degrees they have. When it comes to professions like medicine and Law, the degree matters a lot. But when it comes to media, public relations and advertising I think your own sense of
28

communication and people is important and thats something you dont learn in school (Rangnekar, 04/08/11). It is also crucial to note that when the interviewees of this study began their respective careers in public relations, there were very few programs that even offered PR as a subject in a communications course let alone the option of a standalone PR program. To sum up this section, Khan (20/07/11) makes a valid point:

In public relations, I think its more experience than the qualification that matters. Off cause when you are getting your first job I think your degree helps but beyond that I dont think it matters. You need to be street smart in this business and have a very strong command over the [English] language. I have seen very average people become great PR professionals. Khan (20/07/11).

4.4

CURRENT LEVEL OF PR EDUCATION IN INDIA

Professor Jethwaney of the Indian institute of Mass Communication (1999, cited in Bardhan, 2003, p. 242), claimed that until the early 1990s, public relations diplomas were mostly offered at the postgraduate level by a handful of institutions and universities. Public relations education was often lumped with journalism and advertising or subsumed under the umbrella of communication studies. The situation was similar with undergraduate - level education. Twenty-one years later the level of PR education in the country has changed for the better in some aspects and is stagnant on others. The number of specialised PR programs being conducted in the country have increased by leaps and bounds and also most of these programs now focus only on public relations. Appendix 5 displays a list of PR programs being imparted in several states all over India (PR-e-Sense, 2007).

But since there is no uniform accreditation of these institutes, it is difficult to judge the credibility and quality of these programs. Atul Dev (former chair of the

29

Delhi PRSI chapter and Founder of the Indian Institute of Public Relations) believes much like the agencies, several private public relations education shops [have] mushroomed almost overnight. These are often led by staff with little or no expertise in or understanding of public relations pedagogy (1999, cited in Bardhan, 2003, p. 242).

As this study focused on two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi, the participants were more aware of the PR education programs conducted in these cities. Although a few institutes were graded better than the others but overall the participants of the study unanimously agreed upon the fact that PR education in the country is still in its infancy or nascent stages. Ribeiro, Course Director, Public Relations and Corporate Communications (EMDI Institute of Media and Communication, Mumbai), suggests, We should be happy that it [specialized PR education] has at least started. But instead of offering short term and half baked courses, proper research needs to go into what the industry needs and the programs must be designed accordingly (26/07/11).

To this, Chowdhury (19/0711), adds, There have been attempts to structure PR education in this country and several private universities have taken efforts to develop better courses. However this [PR education] is much younger than marketing education and comparatively younger than advertising education so it will develop more in the future. Another point to be taken into consideration is the quality of the curriculum and the pedagogy used by these institutes to impart PR education, the trick here is that as [public relations] is an evolving discipline, by the time you put the curriculum together the trends have changed, laments Amitesh Banerjee, Secretary, Managing Committee, (PRCAI) and Managing Partner (West), Genesis Burson Marsteller, India (22/07/11).

30

4.5 CURRICULUM DESIGN & PEDAGOGY This section shall focus on the curriculum contents and pedagogical instruments of study implied by some of the institutes which have been acclaimed by interviewees of this research. On a general note, Newsom, Turk and Kruckeberg (2001, p.651), have recommended a worldwide topical syllabus for public relations programs, which include the following: definitions of public relations and explanations of its use; public relations management role and its strategic communication functions; the environment for public relations practice in terms of socio economic, political and cultural characteristics and the expectations of public relations efforts and the measurement of outcomes. Also, the IPRA Gold Paper No. 7 (1990) had published the responses of 1,500 public relations practitioners and academics, in the 1987 report of the US Commission on Public Relations Education, on a typical PR curriculum (see Appendix 6). However, the curriculum design and suggestions made by international PR bodies have had little impact on the Indian educational systems. Barring a few programs that focus entirely on PR, most of the courses in India still offer PR as a part of advertising, event management or marketing studies. The respondents of this study however have graded certain institutes over others in the quality of PR programs. Most of the interviewees, listed Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC), Mumbai, as one of the best institutes offering PR education in Mumbai (see Appendix 7 for its curriculum), followed by Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication (SIMC), Pune, Maharashtra (see Appendix

31

8 for its curriculum), EMDI Institute of Media and Communication, Mumbai (see Appendix 9 for its curriculum) and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in New Delhi. In the words of Rajeev Chawla, Course Head, Public Relations and Corporate Communications (Diploma), Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai:

Our USP at XIC is our industry relevant program. The industry loves our students and they are absorbed as soon as the graduate, so I guess we are meeting the demand with the right supply. We constantly seek the feedback of industry practitioners to keep in line with the latest trends in the occupation so that we can produce graduates with specialised PR knowledge and practical skills. (Chawla, 01/08/11)

While most of the practitioners seemed to acknowledge the curriculum of these programs, some pointed out certain gaps in the structure of these programs. The institutes promise to cover several topics under the umbrella of PR education but what they teach in those topics is a question mark. Unfortunately its left pretty much on the discretion of the lecturers knowledge as there is not much written material on PR to rule our curriculum, says Dharamraj (27/07/11). Gidwani adds, Current curriculums dont include topics like measurement of PR activities and digital PR as many of these things are bit hazy for the occupation as well. So I think that they [curriculums] will get defined and refined as we go along and Im sure they will be more focused and comprehensive (01/08/11).

Further, Vinod Nair, Chairman & Managing Director, Clea PR, raises few other questions on the pedagogy of these programs, I think at a theoretical level, the structure, the curriculum, is pretty right and robust. I think its to do with what finally gets translated in terms of imparting the knowledge, who does it and how do they do it?

32

I dont think there are full time professors who are garnering a lot of domain knowledge and therefore imparting it well (28/07/11). Lakhani makes another crucial point, These programs are unable to give the students a practical exposure. Its very important for these graduates to be industry ready when they go into their jobs but as of now they are not. A minimum of six months internship program must be a part of the course duration otherwise there is always going to be that gap between theory and practice (26/07/11). Another point to consider is the reason why most of these PR programs reward a diploma rather than a degree at the end of the course. To this, Chowdhury (19/07/11) clarifies,

Universities usually function in the traditional established formats of education. I mean advertising, design and PR are comparatively much younger in comparison to say journalism. So journalism has more structured university degrees whereas in advertising, PR and some others which are just evolving in India do not follow the University format. Its a question of time, over time things will evolve as of now some universities are offering degrees but there will be more in times to come.(Chowdhury, 19/07/11)

Lastly, another crucial reason for running these programs for 1 year is suggested by Ganapathy (19/07/11):

If students study PR for 2 years then their salary expectations increase and the start up salaries for PR graduates are minimal at present. The institutes that conduct a 2 years PR program expect a high salary for their graduates but in turn what happens is that no agencies recruit these students. Also I dont know how much there is to teach in PR as it is really not that vast a subject. (Ganapathy, 19/0711)

4.6 FACULTY As it has been established in the Literature Review chapter, the qualifications of the faculty which impart PR education in India has always been a concern. Most people

33

who currently teach public relations are themselves practitioners who do not have formal education in the field (Bardhan and Sriramesh, 2004, p.70). Chawla (01/08/11) attributes the following to be the reason for the same, When these practitioners started out there were no formal PR education programs but they have the invaluable experience of an evolving discipline and that I think is important for students to absorb.

Unfortunately, the situation has not changed much. Most of the institutes that offer PR education in the country are still relying on visiting faculty in the form of practitioners to fill up their staff requirements. Further, there is no structure to the lectures imparted by these faculties and neither are they committed to teaching. Deepa Thomas, HeadCorporate Communications, Partnerships & Pop Culture, eBay India, Philippines & Malaysia, is a visiting faculty at institutes like EMDI and SIMC, she recalls, I will be given a module to teach on corporate communications and I will have to probably cover ten topics but what I cover in those topics is pretty much up to me and a person B may teach it in a completely different way as well. So I think to some extent that might be a disadvantage [to the students] where the faculty would decide the subject matter that is covered in the program (03/08/11). Nair, voices another concern, I know how we professionals are if I have to give a lecture today, what do I do? Simply brush up on whatever I can read before I go there and then try and get past their 1 hour. So I dont think there is any commitment involved. We need adequate and full time professionals to teach the curriculum so that the quality promised can be delivered (28/07/11). Another important aspect to hiring faculty is the cost involved. Most respondents suggested that in order to bring in more commitment and time from the visiting faculties, one must at least consider teaching a

34

as a lucrative option for them to spend their time in doing so. Otherwise retired senior practitioners should be approached to teach students as a need to give back to the industry, the experiences and skills they earned throughout their careers.

To contradict this thought, Ribeiro (26/07/11), says, Theres no point asking senior academicians to teach who are totally out of touch with the industry trends, issues and demands. While retired practitioners bring their old school thought to the classroom which is again unfavourable. Faculties need to be able to connect with the youth and use the latest technology for teaching instructions. Although the qualifications of the faculty who teach PR education in India is an ongoing debate, the fact still remains that there are no pure academicians in the PR discipline in India since the education itself is in its infancy and so not many practitioners or academicians have had the chance to pursue a PhD or an equivalent qualification to be able to impart formal PR education in the country.

4.7 EMPLOYABILITY OF PR GRADUATES One of the research questions of this study is, Does PR education enhance the chances of employability? Do practitioners who have studied PR deliver better results at work than those who have not? The researcher felt that it was important to seek the answer to this question as then one could judge the importance of PR education in the eyes of practitioners and understand the interdependency of education and practice. Khan, throws light on this aspect, PR education is important and having some basic knowledge helps. But today even an MBA wants to get into PR and people with marketing degrees are working in PR so I dont think its mandatory to study PR to make a career out of it (20/07/11). Dey, elaborates further:

35

To achieve success in PR one needs to have a sound academic background with strong fundamentals in language proficiency. But specific PR knowledge is not a prerequisite. Any good Marketing and Communication course can offer the fundamentals that are required. On the job training and learning are obviously where the rubber meets the road and gives young talent a true picture of what the profession really has to offer. One of the big problems I see is that people are drawn in [public realtions] by the perceived glitz and glamour that this industry seems to offer from the outside but when they actually get in and see how much hard work they need to put in they often want to opt out. (Dey, 01/08/11).

Most of the interviewees did not disapprove of the benefits of having studied PR and accepted the fact that it would give someone who had obtained this education an edge over others. However, when it came to hiring PR graduates, the interviewees declared that PR education alone would not be a selection criterion. When I hire for my organisation, I would definitely want the candidates to have a communications background, ideally in public relations, but if not than a larger mass communication background. I would want them to be technology savvy, use social media actively, have an eagerness to learn, a sense of curiosity and a huge amount of creativity, says, Thomas (03/08/11). On the other hand, Karimbil, shares a personal experience, If I look at any fresh graduate from any educational background and pit him against a PR graduate for a job, I dont see too much difference between their skills and knowledge. So I dont think that they [PR graduates] bring anything extraordinary to the table (30/07/11).

The employability of PR graduates is becoming a potential concern for most agencies and corporates. Nikhil Dey, President, Public Relations, Genesis Burson Marsteller, India, shares a solution to this problem:

We only hire postgraduates in our agency with a valid communications or equivalent degree. In fact at an entry level, we ensure that all new hires spend about a year in our own education cum practical program called
36

Associated Learning Program, where we train our employees both in the class room and on the job environment. We realized its crucial to take this step to improve the quality of new talent entering the PR industry. Its lucrative for the students as well because they are paid a stipend while they are on the program but off cause they do enter into a 3 year work contract with us. (Dey, 01/08/11). The Associated Learning Program is one of its kind in India and has proved to be an asset for the Genesis Burson Marsteller, India, employees and clients alike. But whether other agencies will follow suit to improve the efficiency of the new entrants in the PR industry is yet to be seen.

4.8 ROLE OF PR PROFESSIONAL BODIES IN ADVANCING THE MANDATE OF PR EDUCATION The Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) is the first association of public relations in India and it sets ethical standards for the occupation. It was established in Mumbai in 1958, and it currently boasts of 3000 members and 28 chapters nationwide (Bardhan and Sriramesh, 2004, p. 69).The education and training arm of the PRSI is known as The India Foundation for PR Education and Research (IFPR) and was registered as a trust by the PRSI in 1990 to provide an academic and professional base for PR education and training (Singh, 2000, p. 304). Toward its contribution to educational courses, the IFPR has also offered diploma-level examinations for practitioners and has launched a PR fellowship for basic research in PR and related areas. Within its charter, the IFPR maintains contact with universities and institutions of mass communication to improve and contribute to the standard of education in the field (Singh, 2000, p. 304).

The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI), modeled on the successful UK PRCA, was founded by a group of seven likeminded PR firms, with the aim of furthering the cause of the PR industry in India. The PRCAI is a trade association that represents India's public relations consultancy sector while providing a

37

forum for Government, public bodies, industry associations, trade and others to confer with public relations consultants as a body (PRCAI, 2011). Besides these two professional bodies, the Global Forum for Public Relations (GFPR) and the Associated Business Communicators of India (ABCI) have also been striving to conduct several programs to enhance the skills of practitioners and represent the PR profession in India on an international platform.

While researching on the topic of PR education in India, it was found that the two bodies PRSI and PRCAI have not contributed any efforts to bring about any standardisation or accreditation in the PR education imparted in the country. In fact the respondents of this study were mostly unaware of the activities conducted by these bodies and some of them had even ceased to be their members. Table 1. presents the views shared by senior members of the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) for its shortcomings:

Deepshika Dharamraj
Past President, PRCAI PRCAI has got the right kind of purpose and agenda the only thing is that the Managing Committee keeps changing so its activities depend on who is in the Management Committee at what time and how much time they have to give to drive the agenda. PRSI and PRCAI have no office bearers it is managed by industry professionals who have full time jobs and

Amitesh Banerjee
Current Secretary, Managing Committee, PRCAI

Sharif Rangnekar
Current President, PRCAI

I feel associations like PRCAI and PRSI can play a major role in at least endorsing PR curriculums and have someone review it every now and then. They can bring in international faculty to teach in India because of their international associations with PR bodies in other countries. ..But here just to get people to meet and have an event is such an effort People have their
38

We are trying to develop certifications of PR programs that will be endorsed by the PRCAI and working to have accreditations across the country. We have a singular model right now which we hope to start at a university in Kolkata we need to start somewherethere needs to be a pilot and a good example for others to replicate it

have to extract time out of those to do this association workits not easy and its pretty thankless

own personal interests to achieve and it is a breeding ground for politics and ego clashes.

Table 1. VIEWS OF PRCAI MEMBERS

Another aspect attached to the functioning of the PR bodies is the difference in their ideologies. Schubert Fernandes, Vice-President, Member-Leadership Team (Mumbai), Hanmer MSL, reveals, The PRSI represents practitioners that work for government organisations and their views are archaic in comparison to the new breed of practitioners. Hence, the PRCAI was founded to use the young generation (agency practitioners) to bring more structure and value to the PR industry. (03/08/11), However, Pal, believes that PR bodies must adjoin their efforts to bring in more capable and talented professionals into the industry and that would mean working from the grass root level by redesigning the PR education available in the country. PR as an industry is still struggling to find its feet in the business....Today we dont have the right set of professionals entering the industry which poses talent as the biggest problem for the industry. If these are the institutes we are looking at to get them from then the PR bodies must ensure that we get some decent practitioners into the industry so that everybody can benefit from that. Pal (28/08/11).

4.9 LACUNAE FOR A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE The researcher has stated early on in this study that the PR occupation in India lacks a body of knowledge. There are very few books written on Indian PR and there is no trade journal of the practice as well. PR education dwells more or less on borrowed concepts and case studies taken from Western countries and on the practical knowledge shared by the visiting faculty at these institutes. However, a lack of a body of knowledge did seem to bother a few respondents of this study while a few were of the belief that less can be documented in terms of case studies and knowledge sharing because of the confidential nature of the PR practice. Gidwani shares a similar thought, Not many people are

39

willing to share what they are doing. So I think thats one of the reasons why nothing has been documented. Its a confidentiality issue, clients dont want to get exposed so thats one of the reasons. and not many Indian authors have taken the initiative so may be when I retire I will write a book on my journey as a PR practitioner (01/08/11)

In contrast to the above, Chawla, feels, There has been some good stuff written in the West so I dont see any reason to recreate the wheel (01/08/11). However, Natasha Pal, Chief operating officer, Vitcom Consulting, feels the PR bodies should have initiated such a contribution from academicians and practitioners, today we dont have a cohesive body that is facilitating knowledge shareI dont think anyone has put any thought into it. (28/07/11). At present there seem to be limited efforts taken by the PRSI and the PRCAI in establishing a body of knowledge for the PR discipline in India. But the onus to do so does not fall on the PR bodies alone. Ideally there should be more active participation by the PR academicians and practitioners in seeking membership of these bodies and actively contributing case studies and original research to build a body of knowledge of public relations in India.

4.10 SUMMARY This chapter presented the original findings of this study in a coherent structure using suitable themes. The perspectives of the interviewees on various aspects of PR education in India were highlighted and both the academic as well as practitioner views were taken into account. It can be deduced that the PR education in the country is lacking in many elements like, practical training of the students, full time faculty and an insufficient curriculum. Also the duration of these programs is restricted to one year and the certification awarded is usually a diploma rather than a degree. Though post graduate programs on PR are being offered throughout the country, the same cant be
40

said for undergraduate PR education. On the other hand, the practitioners dont view PR education as a necessary pre requisite for achieving success in the PR practice. The PR graduates are also not quite efficient at the work place due to gaps in the academic and practical training. Therefore, there is a need for revising curriculums, establishing full time faculty and including practical training in the course duration. It can be said that skilled talent is the biggest concern for the public relations industry in India and the education being provided is not meeting the expectations of the PR industry. Also more efforts need to be taken by the PR professional bodies to enhance the education in the country and create a body of knowledge for the occupation.

41

CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter aims to discuss the findings of this research and summarise the study by offering recommendations for future research on the topic of PR education in India. At first the chapter will highlight some of the recommendations of the interviewees to improve the current structure of PR education in the country, followed by the discussion of the findings and lastly the researcher shall offer some recommendations for building the body of knowledge in India.

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERVIEWEES TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT STRUCTURE OF PR EDUCATION IN INDIA On an average almost all the interviewees of this study felt that the lack of practical training in the current curriculum of PR programs is a major concern for them. BK Sarala, National President, Global Forum for Public Relations, suggests, It will be helpful to include more practical aspects in the curriculum rather than stressing more on the theory part (04/08/11).

There were some recommendations made on the curriculum content and the duration of the programs as well. Make all public relations courses from one year to at least two yearsmore specializations should be made available within the PR domain with a foundation of communication studies recommends, Singla (04/08/11). While Lakhani, lays more stress on practical training within a curriculum, If we have a 1 year program, I would recommend six months of intensive theory and the rest one year should be focused on gaining practical experience in the industry, may be two hours of

42

class room teaching and six hours of practical exposure. That would be so much more beneficial for a student and any institute that designs a model like this will have a winning proposition (26/07/11).

Most of the respondents also made suggestions to include internships as part of the program duration, but the question of how much do the students learn in these internships was also raised. Interns are cheap labour, exploitable to the extent of long working hours so therefore we use them for back end work more than front end work. For the 2 months that they are here, I dont think they learn anything except for making some observations, says, Nair (28/07/11). Therefore, Karambil (30/07/11) recommends that the interns should be treated like a temporary hire so that they compete for that position and both the organisation as well as the intern take this training period more seriously.

Some respondents also suggested frequent updating of the curriculum to keep track of the evolving trends and practices of the PR occupation and bringing more accountability and a system of evaluation of the faculty so that the quality of education is not compromised. Overall the practitioners agreed that the PR industry is measured by the quality of the skilled talent that it comprises. Therefore, since PR institutes are directly feeding into the requirements of the industry, there should be a more responsible contribution by the practitioners towards these institutes in terms of offering guidance on curriculum as well as creating internship opportunities.

5.3 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS This study started with an aim to explore the relationship between PR education and

43

practice in two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi, in India, based on the eighteen interviews conducted with academicians, practitioners and senior members of the PR professional bodies. The following points of discussion reveal that the objective of this study has been achieved.

The views of the respondents show that there is a symbiotic relationship between the PR educational institutes and the practice. The educational institutes are using practitioners as faculty for their programs and the PR industry is absorbing the graduates from these institutes. However there are discrepancies in the expectations of both sides. The practitioners feel that the curriculums do not create industry ready graduates while the academicians feel that the industry does not provide adequate opportunities for the students to take up internships and gain practical exposure. Also the PR professional bodies seem to be absolutely inactive in advancing the mandate of PR education in the country and bringing more cohesiveness in the industry by promoting knowledge sharing.

Therefore on one hand, the institutes offering PR education need to restructure the curriculum to incorporate the changes of the evolving practice of public relations, bring in more full time faculty and increase the duration of the courses, while on the other hand the PR agencies need to provide more on job training opportunities for students as well as the new hires. Another important aspect of PR education in the country is that some of the institutes offering these programs, create a very glamorous image of the occupation (a print advertisement of the EMDI institute seen in Appendix 10 depicts this phenomenon).Hence more and more students come into the occupation with sparkles in their eyes and once they realise the hard work that the occupation demands,

44

they want to opt out of it.

In comparison to the findings of Bardhan (2003), the PR education in the country has grown as a lot of institutes offering these courses have sprung up in country. However, their dependency on visiting faculty from the industry remains the same. Few institutes are offering a PR standalone course while many institutes are still offering PR education as part of an advertising or mass communication program. Thus, some progress has been achieved in developing the PR education in the country but there seems to be a big gap between theory and practice which needs to be bridged in the near future.

5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH The researcher strongly believes that this study is a minute fraction of a body of knowledge that India needs to develop for the public relations discipline. Although this study has made a start in that direction, it can influence other students both from India and foreign countries to add to the findings of this study. There is ample scope of conducting a similar study in other cities in the country and using a quantitative method of inquiry. The student perspectives about PR education and its implications can also be studied which can add another dimension to this area of research.

Also, public relations academicians and scholars can gain a new insight into the aspect of PR education in India with the help of this piece of research. Present and forthcoming students can base their research on the findings of this study and use it to commission further research in different cultural contexts. PR practitioners from other parts of the world can gain an understanding of the occupation in India and mark similarities or dissimilarities in their own opinion of the importance of PR education with those

45

mentioned in this study. This study can help garner further interest of students, academicians and scholars to the aspect of PR education so that more research in this specific area can be contributed and thus help in shaping the future of the occupation worldwide.

5.4 CONCLUSION The relationship between education and professionalization is similar in all countries and a sound academic base of any occupation does contribute a lot to the status that it enjoys. The same is true for PR education in India and the practice at large. Though the pace at which the practice has evolved in the country has been faster than the academic progression, they still depend on each other for shaping and utilizing the most important resource of the PR practice, which is talent. As India is a developing country, it can be said that the PR education in the country needs to match up to the practice so as to sustain the demand and value for public relations in this new age.

46

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bardhan, N. (2003) Rupturing Public Relations Metanarratives: The example of India, Journal of Public Relations Research, 15(3), pp. 225-248

Bardhan, N. and Sriramesh, K. (2004) Public Relations in India, in Sriramesh, K. (ed.) Public Relations in Asia-An Anthology. Singapore: Thomson, pp. 63-96.

Bardhan, N and Weaver, C.K. (2011) Introduction: public relations in global cultural contexts, in Bardhan N, and Weaver, C.K. (eds.) Public Relations in Global Cultural Contexts: Multi-Paradigmatic Perspectives. London : Routledge, pp. 1-28.

Bogdan, R.C. and Biklen, S.K. (1992) Qualitative research for education: an introduction to theory and method. 2nd edn. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Broom, G. M. and Dozier, D.M. (1990) Using research in public relations: applications to program management. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods. 3rd edn. New York: Oxford University Press.

Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches. 3rd edn. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Daymon, C. and Holloway, I. (2011) Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications.2nd edn. London: Routledge.

47

Deacon, D., Pickering, M., Golding, P., and Murdock, G.(2007) Researching communications: A practical guide to methods in media and cultural analysis. 2nd edn. London : Hodder Arnold.

EMDI (2011) EMDI Institute of Media & Communication, Available at: http://www.emdiworld.com/india/courses/pgdprcc.html (Accessed: 10 July 2011)

Grunig, J.E. and Hunt, T. (1984) Managing Public Relations. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Gupta, S. (2007) Professionalism in Indian public relations and corporate communications: An empirical analysis, Public Relations Review, 33(3), pp. 306-312.

Heath, R.L. (ed.) (2005) Encyclopaedia of Public Relations. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

IIFL (2011) India Infoline News Service Available at: http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/PR-industry-to-double-in-size-to-USdollar-10.5bn-by-2012-Assocham/5066000016 (Accessed: 25 July 2011)

International Public Relations Association, Education and Research Committee (1982) A model for public relations education for professional practice (IPRA Gold Paper No. 4)/ prepared 1980-81 by the IPRA Education and Research Committee in collaboration with the IPRA International Commission on Public Relations Education; introduction

48

by Goran Sjoberg., London: IPRA, p. 3.

International Public Relations Association, Education and Research Committee (1990) Public relations education: recommendations and standards (IPRA Gold Paper No. 7) , London: IPRA, p.3

Jankowski, N.W. and Wester, F. (1991) The qualitative tradition in social science inquiry: contributions to mass communication research, in Jensen, K.B. and Jankowski, N.W. (eds.), A handbook of qualitative methodologies for mass communication research. London: Routledge, pp.44-74.

LEtang, J. (1999) Public Relations education in Britain: An historical review in the context of professionalization, Public Relations Review, 25(3), pp. 261-289.

Mumbai Mirror (2011) EMDI Institute of Media & Communication [PRINT ADVERTISEMENT]. 9 August, p.7.

Newsom, D., Turk, J.V., and Kruckeberg, D (2001) International Public Relations: A Focus on Pedagogy, in Heath, R.L. (ed.) Handbook of Public Relations. London: Sage Publications, pp. 649 658.

Pieczka, M. and LEtang (2006) Public Relations and the question of Professionalism, in LEtang, J. and Pieczka, M. (eds) Public Relations: critical debates and contemporary practice. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 333357.

49

PR-e-Sense (2007a) Prime Point Foundation. Available at: http://www.primepointfoundation.org/presense/presense0307.pdf (Accessed: 15 May 2011)

PR-e-Sense (2007b) Prime Point Foundation. Available at: http://www.primepointfoundation.org/presense/presense0407.pdf (Accessed: 15 May 2011)

PRCAI (2011) Public Relations Practice-Ground Realities. Unpublished report. Public Relations Consultants Association of India.

PRCAI (2011) Public Relations Consultants Association of India: About us. Available at: http://www.prcai.org/aboutus/index.asp (Accessed: 12 September 2011)

SIMC (2011) Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication. Available at: http://www.simc.edu/PublicRelations.aspx (Accessed: 10 July 2011)

Singh, R. (2000) Public Relations in contemporary India: Current demands and strategy, Public Relations Review, 26(3), pp. 295-313.

Sriramesh, K. (1992). Societal culture and public relations: Ethnographic evidence from India, Public Relations Review, 18(2), pp. 201-211.

Sriramesh, K. (1996). Power distance and public relations: An ethnographic study of

50

southern Indian organisations, in Culbertson, H. & Chen, N. (eds.) International Public Relations: A Comparative Analysis. Mahwaj, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 171-190.

Sriramesh, K. (2000). The models of public relations in India, Journal of Communication Management, 4(3), 225-239.

Sriramesh, K. (2003) The missing link: multiculturalism and public relations education, in Sriramesh, K. and Veri, D. (eds.) The Global Public Relations Handbook: Theory, Research and Practice. Mahwah, N.J.; London: Lawrence Erlbaum, pp 505-522.

Sriramesh, K. (ed.) (2004) Public Relations in Asia-An Anthology. Singapore: Thomson.

Tench, R., DArtrey, M. and Fawkes, J. (2009) Role of the public relations practitioner, in Tench, R. and Yeomans, L. (eds) Exploring Public Relations. 2nd edn. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall, pp 35-67.

Theaker, A. (2001) The Public Relations Handbook. London: Routledge.

XIC (2011) Xavier Institute of Communications. Available at: http://www.xaviercomm.org/diploma-courses/courses-pr.htm (Accessed: 10 July 2011)

51

APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Interview Guide

1. How long have you worked in the Public Relations/Corporate Communications industry and how did you get into it? Please share a brief account of your academic and professional history.

2. How has your academic background helped you in your career?

3. Do you think that the PR occupation lacks a professional status in India? If yes, do you think lack of formal PR education is one of the reasons why people dont consider the practice as a legitimate profession?

4. What is your opinion of the current level of PR education in India? Are you aware of institutes that impart undergraduate/postgraduate PR education?

5. If your answer to the second part of the previous question is yes, what do you think of the syllabus and quality of these programs?

6. In your opinion, what is the importance of PR education and do you think it is necessary in achieving success in this profession.

7. Basically what counts at work, an academic background in PR or on job training and real time learning experiences?

8. As a senior professional in this industry, what are the key responsibilities in the PR practice which can be enhanced with education?

52

9. Most of the faculty teaching in various institutes that offer PR education have never studied PR themselves but have valuable work experience. Do you think even though the faculty lacks an academic background in PR, it is acceptable as long as students are given vital insights into the industry?

10. Have you ever delivered a guest lecture at any of the PR institutes in the country? If yes, what has been the topic of the lecture and when/where was it delivered?

11. What in your opinion is the reason for most courses or programs that offer PR education to reward a diploma rather than a degree?

12. Can you recommend any changes to the present structure of PR education in the country?

13. What is your opinion of the functioning and work of the PRSI and PRCAI bodies in India? Do you think these bodies should commission education and training programs for practitioners or design a universal PR syllabus which educational institutes should adapt?

14. There is a dearth of books written on PR in India and the academic content in most programs is largely influenced from PR industries in western countries like USA and UK. Also there is no research conducted on public relations practice in India to increase the body of knowledge. Comment.

15. Lastly, would you recommend PR education to existing and future practitioners?

53

APPENDIX 2 Emails Sent to Potential Interviewees

Dear Sir/Madam, I'm a Public Relations student pursuing a Masters degree at the University of Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom, and I'm currently undertaking a thesis on Public Relations education in India. My research focuses on the available Public Relations education options in Mumbai and how does the PR education relate to PR practice. I intend to explore the syllabus and scope of the various undergraduate and postgraduate Public Relations courses taught in Mumbai and New Delhi and hope to interview the senior faculty members and practitioners from the industry to understand their views on the importance of education and training for Public Relations practitioners in India.

I have approached Ms. Mini Ribeiro, Director, Litmus Public Relations, for an interview for my thesis and she has recommended your name as a potential interviewee for the same. Hence, I would be extremely grateful for an hour of your time to be interviewed for my thesis.

I would greatly appreciate any guidance and help you could offer me with my thesis and look forward to speaking to you. Alternatively, you can contact me on the below mentioned contact details. I'm also attaching an authorised letter from my program director at the University of Stirling for your reference. I look forward to hear from you.

Kind Regards, Nida Umerjee Mobile: +91 98********9 Email: nida.umerjee@gmail.com, umerjee_nida@yahoo.com

54

APPENDIX 3
List of Interviewees

Sr. No

Name

Designation

Organisation

Date of Interview 19 July, 2011

Length of Interview

Type of Interview

1. Vishwanath General Manager an (West) Ganapathy 2. Ujjwal .K. Chowdhury Dean

20:20 MSL

Face-to33 Face minutes, 25 seconds 1 hour, 8 Face-tominutes, Face 23 seconds

Whistling 19 July, Woods School 2011 of Media & Communication Turner General Entertainment Networks India Pvt. Ltd. Genesis Burson Marsteller, India 20 July, 2011

3. Zeenat Khan

Director, Corporate Communications Secretary, Managing Committee, (PRCAI) and Managing Partner-West

46 Face-tominutes, Face 42 seconds 1 hour, 17 Face-toFace minutes, 43 seconds

4. Amitesh Banerjee

22 July, 2011

5. Mini Ribeiro

Course Director, Public Relations and Corporate Communications (EMDI Institute of Media and Communication) & Director President

Litmus PR

26 July, 2011

1 hour

Face-toFace

6. Kavita Lakhani

Linopinion PR

26 July, 2011

54 Face-tominutes, Face 35 seconds 51 Telephonic minutes, 52 seconds 46 Face-tominutes, Face 54 seconds

7. Deepshikha Dharamraj

Chief Talent Officer

Genesis Burson Marsteller, India Vitcom Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

27 July, 2011

8. Natasha Pal

Chief Operating Officer

28 July, 2011

55

9. Vinod Nair

Chairman & Managing Director Partner

Clea PR

28 July, 2011

I hour, 4 Face-tominutes, Face 27 seconds 1 hour, 7 Telephonic minutes, 39 seconds 54 Telephonic minutes, 57 seconds 30 minutes Face-toFace

10. Pavan Karimbil

Mutual PR

30 July, 2011

11. Nikhil Dey

President Public Relations

Genesis Burson Marsteller, India

01 August, 2011

12. Rajeev Chawla

Course Head, Public Relations and Corporate Communications (Diploma)

Xavier Institute 01 August, of Communication 2011 Mumbai & Founder (Blue Tree) Madison PR 01 August, 2011 03 August, 2011

13. Veena Gidwani

Chief Executive Officer

Face-to30 Face minutes, 28 seconds Telephonic 29 minutes, 18 seconds

14. Deepa Thomas

Head- Corporate eBay India, Communications, Philippines & Partnerships & Malaysia Pop Culture Vice-President, MemberLeadership Team (Mumbai) Director & CEO Hanmer MSL

15. Schubert Fernandes

03 August, 2011

43 Telephonic minutes, 50 seconds

16. Sharif Rangnekar

Integral PR

04 August, 2011 04 August, 2011 04 August, 2011

57 Telephonic minutes,05 seconds 19 Telephonic minutes, 59 seconds ________ Email

17. Ashwani Singla 18. BK Sarala

MD &CEO, South Asia National President

Penn Schoen Berland Global Forum for Public Relations, an initiative of Brahmakumaris

56

APPENDIX 4
Example of a transcribed interview highlighting the coding process

Interview No. 13 with Veena Gidwani, Chief Executive Officer, Madison PR, 1 August 2011, 30 minutes and 28 seconds.

1. How long have you worked in the Public Relations/Corporate Communications industry and how did you get into it? Please share a brief account of your academic and professional history. Its a long history.I have done my Bachelors in Business Management from Sydenham college in Mumbai and a post graduation in advertising marketing and then started in advertising as a client servicing executive and then moved to the client side handling advertising to clients advertising and sales promotion. Then moved to media then moved to again corporate and there I was involved in first heading marketing and then starting the creative services business at Tata Donnelley and then got into PR. The PR journey has been of 16 years now. I started with Ludgate Pressman, it was a joint venture, and then set up an agency called Prima Communications for Pressmen then moved to Madison. I have been with Madison for 11 years now and I started the PR business in Madison. Madison is a 23 year old agency and I started the PR business for Madison. 2. How has your academic background helped you in your career? I dont think it has a direct bearing to PR but I think having a commercial degree in business management gives you an overall perspective on various aspects of business. It helps you in understanding how businesses work what are the various elements. To that extent I think its useful. 3. Do you think that the PR occupation lacks a professional status in India? If yes, do you think lack of formal PR education is one of the reasons why people dont consider the practice as a legitimate profession? I think so to some extent yes. In India sometimes it does not recognize the kind of value it deserves because in a way its a little complex situation because what happens is ideally we are partners and we work as partners with the media. We help them source good opportunities stories share information help them in providing data and information, identify various things but
57

Academic Background

Academic Background

Education and Professiona lization

sometimes media feels because its a little complex, sometimes PR agencies employ very young people who are not very experienced and they do not talk to the media in a very mature manner or they hound journalists, so what happens thereafter is that senior journalists sometimes feel its better for them to talk to the corporate directly rather than go through a PR agency and that is what sometimes gets a negative feeling. Also sometimes when people push things which are not very news worthy then also the media feels that PR consultancies dont identify what is news worthy and what is not and they just want to get exposure for their client at any cost. So these are some of the things that lend the occupation an image of being not very mature and professional. But I think on the other hand the whole situation has changed, today PR is doing a lot of creative work, very good innovative campaigns and sometimes PR campaigns really overshadow the advertising campaigns and they set the benchmark for the advertising they set the platform for the advertising so that is also happening. I also think there are other factors for the growth of the PR industry in India, like the entry of multinationals and it is also the Indian brands that are going global, Indian companies that are becoming more professional and realize the value of ongoing PR plus the innovative work that is being done in PR and I think also very importantly it is the results that PR is able to demonstrate so its a combined effect. I wouldnt say its because of that, education is one aspect but I also think it is the marketing and advertising professions being older. They are also more organized they have bigger and better industry bodies and associations focusing the work they do which is not the case with PR and I think thats one of the other reasons why PR lags behind than the marketing and advertising disciplines. 4. What is your opinion of the current level of PR education in India? Are you aware of institutes that impart undergraduate/postgraduate PR education? Answer included in next response. 5. If your answer to the second part of the previous question is yes, what do you think of the syllabus and quality of these programs?

Education and Professiona lization

58

I think some of the institutes are doing very good work, not all, I would say some. MICA is good. XIC is good and there are a few others, SIMC is quite good. Considering the one year program that most of these institutes run, I think they try to I mean in fact they take a lot of inputs from us as well and they blend it with agency practitioners coming in and delivering lectures to the students and giving them a hands on view of the actual working of the business rather than only theoretical knowledge. So I think it will evolve more as we go along because right now there are many things which are hazy. Measurement techniques, digital PR, many of these things are a bit hazy right now so I think that they will get defined and refined as we go along and Im sure they will (the curriculums) be more focused and comprehensive. 6. In your opinion, what is the importance of PR education and do you think it is necessary in achieving success in this profession. I would say that it helps you to get off to a new start if you have it. I wouldnt say its mandatory. I dint go through any PR education myself so I wouldnt say its mandatory but I will definitely think that for young people who want to pursue PR as a career its a good thing to have and it puts you onto a sound footing if you have the education rather than just coming in raw. 7. Basically what counts at work, an academic background in PR or on job training and real time learning experiences? I think its both. The point is that you will learn on the job also but it will take you much longer to adapt for example if I have two candidates, one who is fresh without any PR training and one I have who has studied PR in a 1 year program who has done projects, assignments and all of that so definitely the person who has been through such training will pick up much faster than the other because all of this is very familiar what we do and then what it does is all the theoretical knowledge they see it being demonstrated in what they do so the learning is very quick. Also for the employers its easier to work with such people than with absolutely raw people.

Current level of PR education & Curriculu m design and pedagogy

Employabili ty of PR graduates

Employabil ity of PR graduates

8. Most of the faculty teaching in various institutes that offer PR education have never studied PR themselves but have valuable work experience. Do you think even though the
59

faculty lacks an academic background in PR, it is acceptable as long as students are given vital insights into the industry?
No I dont think so. Because what the PR curriculum teaches today for all of us who have not had formal training in PR have definitely learnt and mastered over the years. So I dont think the students are at any disadvantage. I think they get a lot of value because every principle that the lecturers discuss with the students we explain it with several actual examples and case studies which have happened which is a huge learning for them because they see how every concept or every principle is actually put into practice. So they get the benefit of this huge amount of experience very quickly.

Faculty

9. Have you ever delivered a guest lecture at any of the PR institutes in the country? If yes, what has been the topic of the lecture and when/where was it delivered?
Yes I do deliver lectures at many institutes. Xaviers, SIMC, EMDI, N.L. Dalmia etc. I talk only on PR largely. All my sessions are on PR. I have done various subjects. It could be creativity in PR, managing a PR agency, a career in PR, what is a career in PR like?, it could be case studies, it could be lobbying in PR, crisis management so there are several issues that I discuss through my lectures. Todays youngsters who get out of college are very intelligent and creative in their thinking. They are quite technology savvy and they have high ambitions so I think all these elements are extremely positive so that is something which is my experience across the board with all young people and I think they have high energy levels so all those aspects are very good. I think sometimes where they go wrong is that they get swayed by peer pressure so if there are a bunch of 3 people who join an organization and if after 1 year 1 person decides to quit very soon the other 2 will also go. They dont look at it from a long term perspective. That is one thing that I think youngsters today have, they look at everything very short term and that is an area where I think they could possibly lose out.

Student expectation s from PR education and the practice

10. What in your opinion is the reason for most courses or programs that offer PR education to reward a diploma rather than a degree?

60

I think the reasons could be that once people have a graduate degree and some specialization they want to get on the job and start earning quickly thats one aspect. The second thing is that perhaps some of the institutes have not created such detailed modules that they would need 2 years to complete the program. They think they are imparting the adequate training to students in 1 year so that could be another reason. Also there is a huge shortage of people so every batch that gets produced gets absorbed by the industry very quickly so they want more people to get into the business quickly to meet the industry demand. I think for a business like PR the on job training is as important as getting theoretical knowledge so I think 1 year gives you a fair amount of basic knowledge and then once you get on the job and you start working, your learning is faster.

Curriculu m design and pedagogy

11. Can you recommend any changes to the present structure of PR education in the country?
I think my suggestion would be to introduce students to more international and national case studies and when I say case studies I mean really successful campaigns sharing a lot of consumer insight and research that went into them and give them in-depth understanding rather than just superficial knowledge so that is one. The other I would say get more regular faculty who are more senior industry people because I think they are better able to build relationships with students in terms of understanding and making them understand and maybe we could look at midterm getting companies to help them for example a college that teaches students to conduct events so these institutes must request an agency to use their students like every quarter give them a project which they could so they get on the job as well so they interact they learn so I think those kinds of things if they do it will be good.

Recommen dations to improve the current structure of PR education

12. What is your opinion of the functioning and work of the PRSI and PRCAI bodies in India? Do you think these bodies should commission education and training programs for practitioners or design a universal PR syllabus which educational institutes should adapt?
I think both enjoy a limited membership so it needs to be more broad based and the kind of activities that are conducted need to be more wider so we need to do more because I think we are one
61

Role of PR bodies

industry where are professional associations are not strong. So if you look at any other industry whether the advertisers, whether you look at the ISA, you look at advertising agencies, you look at the advertisers club of Mumbai they are all so active and strong. So I think it will happen but I guess it will take time. Its a vicious cycle, the point is the industry practitioners who become members will get more people or organizations to join these bodies if the calendar of activity is active. For example when you look at the advertisers club Mumbai when it started I was involved with that organisation and I remember that for at least some several years the activity calendar was so packed that virtually twice a month you had at least 10 committees on that thing and you had a combination of activities so they had at least twice a month they would have tea meetings when they would get together at 6 pm in the evening and get a speaker to come and talk on a subject which is of interest to everybody and then you have a question answer round and then you have a snack and then you leave by 7.30 pm. So twice a month they would do that then they would have workshops then they would so something separately for copywriters then they would do something for the newer trends that were happening then they would organize professional events and trips for people to go and then they would do an annual review of the business where they got an expert to present a review in a awards function. So all of these activities make people feel that a lot is happening and they make people want to keep abreast with everything but if you do something once in 6 months only then I may not be able to attend if I have some other thing to attend to and so for me then I have nothing else happening the whole year. I dont think at the stage right now that they are they can commission education programs for students or practitioners because I think it needs a stronger base for it to be able to do it at an industry level on a small scale they may be able to pull it off but at a full fledged level say at a national level where u have multi city things to be done I think that might be difficult to do right now as it stands. These bodies are not frequent and the level of activity is very low so because the point is that it is a very chicken and egg kind of situation. Professionals dont have time then obviously there are very few people who can spare time then it falls short and today costs are very high so to do any activity it costs a lot of money so its got multiple reasons why I think it doesnt happen.

Role of PR bodies

Role of PR bodies

62

13. There is a dearth of books written on PR in India and the academic content in most programs is largely influenced from PR industries in western countries like USA and UK. Also there is no research conducted on public relations practice in India to increase the body of knowledge. Comment.
That is true because not many people are willing to share what they are doing so I think thats one of the reasons why nothing has been documented. Its a confidentiality issue, clients dont want to get exposed so thats one of the reason and not to many Indian authors have taken the initiative so may be when I retire I will write a book on my journey in India. We do write articles regularly but thats largely with magazines with websites and all of that but not as a book as such.

Body of knowledge

14. Lastly, would you recommend PR education to existing and future practitioners?
Definitely but thats recommended if you want a career in PR because as I said it does give u a strong footing and I definitely feel that its essential to have it if you want to make a career but I think one of the other things that sometimes concerns me is that students dont know what they are getting into and they just think PR is all glamour and glitz by working with celebrities, Bollywood, fashion and beauty but its not all of that. It is with that to some extent and some amount of the work we do does revolve around that but at the same time I think its a lot of serious work. Its a lot of analysis, ideation, thinking, research and its a business that needs you to be on call 24/7 so its a lot of hardwork as well which then many young people get disillusioned that oh this is not what I wanted so there needs to be clarity thats why. Once a student is aware of what is PR and what is it really going to be that is why in the career classes that I take I always tell students how different is PR from other disciplines ad then what it takes to be a good PR professional what are the prospects for growth, what are the opportunities that you have and what are the pros and cons of this business and if they are fully aware of that then they make the right choice those who want to get into it they go into whole heartedly than those who feel its not for them its better that they go into something else.

Employabil ity of PR graduates

63

15. Does PR sit in the boardroom in India? Has it reached the strategic level or is it still sort of an operational tool? No I think with many of the professionally managed companies its being recognized as an activity or a communications function but it gives a lot of value and it helps substantially to enhance the image of the organisation or the brand and the results are clearly demonstrate able. There are clients that we have worked with who have done no advertising in 8-10 years and today they are the most respected in the business so obviously it is PR that has worked for them. I wont say PR as a strategic tool across the board is thought like that because there are different types of organizations in the country for example while you have the professionally managed companies that are modern in their outlook who understand its value they see it as a board room function or as a strategic function because also the other thing is that I mean PR can play a very critical role in situations like corporate issues like crisis situations etc I mean your advertising doesnt have the credibility in such situations. It is PR which really helps you to build their equity or retain the equity of the organisation so many of them realize it but many of them realize it but I wont say that every organisation realizes it I mean some still do feel that they will measure PR efforts by how much square centimeter you got and whats the value so there are things like that but I think its slowly changing.

Professiona lization of PR practice in India

Professiona lization of PR practice in India

64

APPENDIX 5 List of PR courses offered in different states of India

65

66

67

68

Source: PR-e-Sense (2007a) Prime Point Foundation. Available at: http://www.primepointfoundation.org/presense/presense0307.pdf (Accessed: 15 May 2011

69

APPENDIX 6 IPRA Gold Paper No. 7 (1990) A typical PR curriculum

Source: IPRA Gold Paper No. 7 (1990, p.28)

70

Source: IPRA Gold Paper No. 7 (1990, p.29)

71

Source: IPRA Gold Paper No. 7 (1990, p. 30

72

APPENDIX 7 PR COURSE AT XAVIER INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATIONS (XIC), MUMBAI Name: Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations & Corporate Communications Duration: 9 months, full time Curriculum: A: Core Concepts Management Studies P.R. Concepts, Structures & Practice The Mass Media Industry The P.R. Campaign / Strategic P.R. Effective Business Communication P.R. & Media Relations Integrated Communication Corporate Branding Law & Media Studies B: Core Skills Client servicing P.R. Industry Practice and Application Corporate Communication Concepts Corporate Communication Practice Corporate Strategy Concepts Event Management Event Planning and Execution in P.R. News Reporting Computer Skills for Media and Communication Audio Visual Communication Production New Media Public Speaking & Presentation Skills for P.R. Professionals P.R. Case Studies: Research, Analysis and Solutions Research and Research Writing C: Workshops Relationship Management: Crisis Communication: The Making of a P.R. professional: Measurement of P.R. Objectives/Campaigns: Professional Etiquette & Standards for P.R. Professionals: D: Industry Internship
Total: 390 sessions/78 credits
Source: XIC (2011) Xavier Institute of Communications. Available at: http://www.xaviercomm.org/diploma-courses/courses-pr.htm (Accessed: 10 July 2011)
73

125 sessions 25 sessions 15 sessions 15 sessions 5 sessions 15 sessions 20 sessions 10 sessions 10 sessions 10 sessions 235 sessions 10 sessions 20 sessions 10 sessions 15 sessions 10 sessions 10 sessions 20 sessions 15 sessions 30 sessions 20 sessions 25 sessions 20 sessions 20 sessions 10 sessions 30 sessions 2 days 5 sessions 5 sessions 10 sessions 10 sessions

25 credits 5 credits 3 credits 3 credits 1 credits 3 credits 4 credits 2 credits 2 credits 2 credits 47 credits 2 credits 4 credits 2 credits 3 credits 2 credits 2 credits 4 credits 3 credits 6 credits 4 credits 5 credits 4 credits 4 credits 2 credits 6 credits (Non-credit) 1 credit 1 credit 2 credits 2 credits

APPENDIX 8 PR COURSE AT SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATION (SIMC), PUNE, MAHARASHTRA Name: MBA (Communication Management) Duration: 2 years, full time Curriculum Semester I Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Modules Principles & Practices of Management -I Business Economics Marketing I Introduction to PR Event I Introduction to Media( Communication Theories, Films, Broadcast & Print Journalism) Introduction to Advtg mgnt Ad copy & creative New Media-I Case Studies in General Mgmt Business Communication Computer Applications Semester II Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Modules Principles & Practices of Management -II Stats I Marketing II Consumer Behaviour PR-II & Introduction to Corp Comm Events-II Advertising Management- II Account planning & Media planning Ad Creative-II IMC & New Media-II Research Methodology Business Communication II Global Business Environment Design Technology II Project-I

74

Semester III Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Modules Market Research I Statistics II Brand Management Finance Management IMC II & Services Marketing Rural , Retail & Direct Marketing Culture Studies Business Communication Design Technology III Human Resource management & Organisational behaviour Public Relations III & Corporate Communication II Event Management III PR Client Servicing, Account Planning II Projects II Semester IV Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Modules Market research II Design technology IV Dissertation Projects III Projects IV Specialised Public Relations Exhibitions, Event production & Marketing

Source: SIMC (2011) Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication. Available at: http://www.simc.edu/PublicRelations.aspx (Accessed: 10 July 2011)

75

APPENDIX 9 PR COURSE AT EMDI, MUMBAI Name: Graduate Diploma in Public Relations and Corporate Communication Duration: 1 year, full time Curriculum o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Introduction to Public Relations Marcom : Advertising, Marketing & Branding Understanding Media Better Writing for Effective Communication Communication Soft Skills Creativity & Lateral Thinking Basic Finance Event Planning, Operations & Management Corporate Communication PR Strategy Media Relations & Writing for Media PR in different sectors Measuring & Evaluating PR Crisis Management PR Management & Entrepreneurship PR Dissertation

Source: EMDI (2011) EMDI Institute of Media & Communication, Available at: http://www.emdiworld.com/india/courses/pgdprcc.html (Accessed: 10 July 2011)

76

APPENDIX 10 A print advertisement of EMDI Institute in Mumbai Mirror, 7 August, 2011.

Source: Mumbai Mirror (2011) EMDI Institute of Media & Communication [PRINT ADVERTISEMENT]. 9 August, p. 7.
77