Communication management in the Catalan universities. An analysis from a public relations perspective

This study presents detailed up-to-date information on the practice of the communication departments of the Catalan universities and on how the Catalan university sector proposes the communicative function in its organizational charts. Qualitative research has been carried out on the basis of in-depth interviews with a representative sample (67 %) of the communication directors of the Catalan universities. Results show that only one of the eight universities in the sample is developing strategic communication plans. The prevailing communication techniques are media relations and publicity. The situation of the communication departments in the general organization chart of the Catalan universities, the names of their managers and the training required of them confirm the insufficient importance that the universities attribute to their communication departments. The study concludes that the Catalan universities are not oriented towards the strategic direction specialized in public relations.