Media orientation of German university decision makers and the executive influence of public relations

This study investigated the executive influence of public relations managers in the German higher education system. The study is based on a whole-population survey of German university decision makers (N = 1619). It provides evidence that the mediatization of German higher education offers an important opportunity for the empowerment of university PR departments. They can benefit from the New Public Management reforms in recent years as power shifts to management-oriented administrators and the public image of universities turns into a competitive asset. Nevertheless, an indispensable precondition for PR departments’ organizational advancement resides in professionalization. PR workers need to claim a status of expert boundary spanners between their universities and the public stakeholders.

► We conducted a whole-population survey of German university decision makers (N = 1619).
► The executive influence of public relations managers is markedly low.
► PR influence increases as decision makers attach more importance to the mass media.
► Furthermore, this correlation is mediated by PR managers’ professional expertise.
► PR influence is a function of media orientation of decision makers and PR's expertise.