[Featured Image: (L-R) Azel Han, Assoc Prof Yeo Su Lin and Kanan Abdul Kader Mohamed Ali]
Three SMU Master of Science in Communication Management (MCM) students scored a remarkable achievement by clinching one of top three paper awards, competing against PhD submissions at a distinguished conference. Learn more about their feat and their research highlighting the changing significance of PR.
By the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business Social Media Team
When it comes to writing a research paper, many authors choose to build upon existing findings or explore a topic that has yet been researched. Three SMU students took a slightly different approach: replicating a prior study and updating the findings.
While this is uncommon, there is inherent value in this approach, as it enables researchers to track the evolution of trends over time.
The paper, titled “Value of communication in a pandemic: An exploratory study on the changing role of top public relations professionals in Singapore”, was recognised as one of the top three student papers presented at the US National Communication Association’s (NCA’s) 108th Annual Convention: Honoring PLACE: People, Liberation, Advocacy, Community, and Environment.
Held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA from 17 to 20 November 2022, the convention engaged more than 4,200 participants. Notably, the NCA’s Public Relations Division (NCA PRD) highlighted the top student papers in a session on 18 November 2022.
To delve into the process of writing this paper, we spoke to its authors Kanan Abdul Kader Mohamed Ali, Azel Han and Fariza Salleh. All three are alumni of SMU’s Master of Science in Communication Management (MCM) programme.
How PR in Singapore has evolved
Discussing the inspiration behind the paper’s topic, Kader reveals that its concept came about during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the height of the global health crisis, multiple industry reports underscored the dire state of the Public Relations (PR) industry. As PR practitioners, the three members of the team found these reports especially concerning and were determined to look into the cause of the situation.
Amidst this context, the team turned to a 2009 paper, "Adding value to organisations: An examination of the role of senior public relations practitioners in Singapore," by SMU’s Associate Professor of Communication Management Yeo Su Lin. Co-authored with Professor Sriramesh Krishnamurthy, the paper was used as a base for the trio from which to investigate how the role of public relations professionals in Singapore had evolved.
“By tracking the evolution in the industry over time, we could understand if the needle had moved in terms of how strategic or tactical PR practitioners were, compared to over a decade ago, and if their organisations valued them.” Kader explains.
Describing the original study as a seminal piece of research that exposed the industry’s shortcomings at the time, the team emphasises the significance of gauging shifts, especially with the new communication channels that are prevalent in today’s landscape, such as Social Media.
In the course of their research, the team conducted interviews with numerous PR professionals, a task that was made more challenging during the pandemic. The findings of the team’s research showed that the value of PR in Singapore has increased since the 2009 study – and this value was in fact magnified during the Covid-19 crisis. This global upheaval heightened the demand for effective PR strategies, thereby accentuating the role of PR practitioners in navigating organisations through tumultuous times.
Crucial role of PR in navigating uncertainties
With the world grappling with uncertainty, misinformation, and rapidly changing stakeholder expectations, top PR practitioners played pivotal leadership roles in their organisations, helping them navigate the complexities of the Covid-19 crisis, and taking charge of the sum of all perceptions.
From disseminating crucial health guidelines to demonstrating corporate social responsibility, PR practitioners emerged as invaluable assets in companies seeking to maintain trust, empathy, and credibility. This crisis highlighted how crucial PR was in deftly navigating the intricate crossroads of media, public perception, and organisational resilience, highlighting the profession's remarkable adaptability and strategic prowess.
While the majority of PR professionals interviewed for the study underscored the growing value of their field since the 2009 study, instances where entire PR departments were downsized by organisations perceiving PR as a cost centre – rather than recognising its merits – did exist. Fortunately, these cases remained the exception.
While this was positive, the research also found that PR teams were overworked, signalling that more work needed to be done to improve conditions within the industry.
The findings not only established a positive trajectory for practitioners in the field, but also laid the groundwork for broader research into the favourable impacts of PR in Asia, especially as the region navigates the endemic phase of Covid-19.
Kader receiving the student paper award at the US National Communication Association’s (NCA’s) 108th Annual Convention: Honoring PLACE: People, Liberation, Advocacy, Community, and Environment
Affirmation and support for the team
Earning one of the top three student paper awards was no mean feat for the co-authors, particularly as they were up against papers submitted by PhD students.
“Making it as one of the top three papers was a pleasant surprise, and was also affirmation that we were on the right track [with the research], especially while competing with PhD students,” shares Kader.
He attributes this success to the strong foundations laid by the MCM programme. “It sparked an interest in us to continue on this learning journey. I don’t think any of us would have thought of working on an academic paper prior to joining the programme.”
As Azel deftly concludes, “It certainly helped that Prof Yeo, as one of the authors of the original paper, was also our advisor. We’re grateful for her encouraging support and passionate approach to guiding the team, as well as her invaluable advice on our research.”
Learn more about the Communications Specialisation Track offered as part of the globally ranked SMU Master of Business Administration (MBA) here.
