Communication for excellence in private universities as hybrid organizations

This work seeks to examine the role of excellence in communication as an essential element of overall organizational excellence. Features of organizational, academic and communication excellence are systematized into a comprehensive framework empirically explored in three private universities of Argentina, Spain and Lithuania. These excellent institutions are considered hybrid organizations having a dual purpose: the inherent mission attributed to a university and the particular corporate purpose of a private enterprise. The empirical work follows a multiple case study design with combined methods for data collection: pilot survey (quantitative analysis), expert interviews and in-depth interviews (thematic content analysis of qualitative data). Survey responses illustrate elements of institutional excellence and communication management endorsed by Alumni from the three universities. Communication experts (17 from the 3 countries) highlight critical factors for strategic status of communication function. Interviewees (56) endorse achieved academic quality and relational capital. Yet, the institutionalization of communication as strategic managerial function remains a challenge, as does the systematic evaluation of consistent communication work which directly and indirectly impacts institutional excellence.