Abstract
Purpose. Many recent articles discuss the increased marketization of higher education, but few examine whether such practices are executed at their optimum level of efficiency and efficacy. This study addressed the significant lack of research in this area and answers the central question of how optimally public relations and marketing departments are structured and organized in private, nonprofit higher education institutions in the Southern California. Theoretical Foundation. The theoretical foundation for this study stems from two fields of study; communications and business. The public relations discipline is housed within the discipline of communications and the practice of integrated marketing communication is under the umbrella of business. Therefore, the two foundational theories for this study are the public relations excellence theory and the four stages of integrated marketing communication. Methodology. Using four institutions as part of a homogenous sample for the multiple cross-case study, the participants for this study included the top public relations and marketing employees for each of the participating institutions. In-depth interviews were conducted with each individual, as well as an examination of the current organizational charts, public relation materials, and marketing products of each participating institution. Findings and Conclusion. This study identified several themes related to public relations and marketing in private, non-profit higher education institutions in Southern California, including the shift to a freestanding department that reports to the president or executive vice president; the integration and overlap of PR and marketing functions within the teams; the use of both one-way and two-way communications; and empowering team members to increase efficiency. Recommendations. Recommendations for future research include further research into what PR and marketing tactics are successful for various types of higher education institutions based on their marketplaces; research into the approach taken by PR and marketing departments to work with other areas on campus; replicating this study with larger private, non-profit institutions; exploring these same questions at for-profit higher education institutions; using a larger sample size for a similar or replicated study; and considering department budgets when exploring the structure and organization of PR and marketing departments within higher education institutions.