Abstract:

Since public relations is based on communication management, it is a field of social science which must vastly utilize theoretical work and practice. Theories provide with placing public relations on a scientific ground; they also supply the vocabulary that academics and public relations practitioners need in order to work in the field, to develop the field and to make predictions. Utilizing theories in the public relations field helps to determine right targets within the framework of rational paradigms, and to bring about the successful realization of actions by presenting effective strategies and tactics. This study examines the relationship between public relations and the contingency approach. In the era of digital revolution, where technological advances gained momentum, contingency approach emphasizes the understanding that with better analysis and perception of the environment in which the organization located, the senior management make better decisions, and different strategies and tactics should be used in order to be successful under different conditions and that this approach also reveals that there is no organizational structure and form of administration valid everywhere and in all conditions. This study also reveals to what extent the curriculum of Public Relations Departments of Communication Faculties in Turkey includes courses on Public Relations theories. The population of the study is all the universities in Turkey that incorporates Communication Faculties, and the sample is Communication Faculties that incorporates Public Relations Departments. The undergraduate curriculum in the websites of Faculties is analyzed through content analysis method, one of the approaches of qualitative data analyses. As a result, it is found out that there are 200 actively operating universities in Turkey, 60 of these universities at stake have Communication Faculties, 1 of them have Communication Sciences Faculty, 4 out of these 61 faculties (30,5%) continue to build up the necessary academic staff and substructure to start education. It is exposed that there are about 46 (80,7%) active "Public Relations" Departments out of 57 active Communication Faculties. It is revealed that 9 (19,5%) out of 46 Public Relations Departments have courses about the public relations theories in their curriculum.

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