MBA Students Lack Training in Corporate Reputation Management, PRSA Says

By Gadook

NEW YORK — Public Relations Society of America

–As Business Leaders Are Increasingly Being Held Responsible for the Reputation of Their Companies, New Study Finds That Few Leading U.S. Business Schools Have Needed Courses; Public Relations Leaders Offer to Help B-Schools Prepare Students for Real World Challenges.

At a time when corporate reputations are more significant than ever, with scandals and financial downturns sapping shareholder support, undermining consumer confidence and tarnishing some of the most trusted corporate brands, a new study indicates that MBA students are receiving little if any preparation on how to manage corporate reputation issues.

A study to identify currently available coursework in reputation management in the curricula at leading U.S. MBA programs was conducted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), in cooperation with the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Of the top 19 MBA programs ranked by the Wall Street Journal survey of corporate recruiters, only seven offered any coursework in the core tools of reputation management – corporate communications and public relations, the PRSA survey found. Even at the MBA programs that do offer reputation management preparation, there is only one course available at each school. And in several of those courses, corporate communications and PR strategies are covered only partially, as part of courses that focus on broader topics such as corporate governance.

To address the situation, leaders of PRSA have begun contact with the deans of leading MBA programs to explore ways the Society can provide resources and support to help develop appropriate coursework and training.

“Corporate America has come to realize the value and importance of public relations in managing corporate reputation,” said Judith T. Phair, APR, Fellow PRSA, president and CEO of PRSA, the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals with more than 28,000 professional and student members. “We are continuing to expand the pool of professionals with graduate degrees to serve in public relations positions at businesses and corporations. It’s now time for the MBA programs to prepare their graduates to understand the role, value and process of maintaining and sustaining corporate reputation management.”

Gerwyn Besaw

Published by Gadook in Corporate Reputation Management, Reputation Management