This class exists in these courses :
• ISTC > Master in Economics and Business - Specialisation in International Business and Economics Engineering > Semester 1 > 2,00 ECTS
• ISTC > Master in Economics and Business - Specialisation in International Business and Economics Engineering > Semester 2 > 2,00 ECTS

Learning outcomes

Students will gain a general understanding of Public Relations, a field that plays an increasingly central and pivotal role in an organization’s ability to attain its strategic objectives and fulfill its mission.

Historically, Public Relations has been one of the two branches of an organization’s Communications Strategy, along with Marketing Communications.

However, the field has been undergoing a rapid evolution, as Public Relations is increasingly seen as a tool through which an organization can present a consistent image of itself to the various stakeholders upon which its survival and success depend.

Students are expected to gain an understanding of several components of the Public Relations field and to be able to combine them into an integrated approach. Areas treated include: Corporate Reputation, Stakeholder Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, Media Relations, and Crisis Management.

Students will achieve an integrated view of Public Relations and an understanding of its role as a key component of any organization’s Communications Strategy. The course will enable students to gain a fundamental understanding of:

• The strategic role of PR.
• The relation between PR, Marketing Communications and Corporate Communications.
• Current trends in PR.
• Corporate Reputation.
• Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Stakeholder Relations.
• Media Relations.
• Crisis Management.

The course content will combine theory, case review, workshops and teamwork. Starbucks Coffee Company will be explored and developed as a case study spanning the course.

Course description

- Corporate Reputation.
Introduction.
Presentation of “The Case”.

To prepare, please read the websites of Starbucks and Fairtrade (FLO, Max Havelaar) for a general understanding of organizational missions.

- Stakeholder Relations.
Workshop: Corporate Reputation.

- Corporate Social Responsibility.

To prepare, please read:
• Starbucks’ corporate website for an understanding of its CSR strategy.
• Starbucks Newsroom / 8 November 2010 (http://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks+honored+with+most+ethical+company+in+europe+award+for+second+year.print)

- Media Relations.
Workshop: EU Chocolate Debate.

- Crisis Management / Exam.

To prepare, please read:
• Oxfam International / November, 2007: Ethiopia: Starbucks Campaign (Anatomy of a Win).
http://www.oxfam.org/en/development/ethiopia-starbucks-campaign-anatomy-win
• Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF) / September 15, 2008: Starbucks v. Ethiopia.
http://www.fpif.org/articles/starbucks_v_ethiopia
• Coffee Politics / May 21, 2010: The saga of the Starbucks-Ethiopia affair.
http://poorfarmer.blogspot.com/2010/05/saga-of-starbucks-ethiopia-affair.html

- Workshop: Press Conference.

Class type

Class structure

Teaching methods

• Case study
• Group work
• Seminar

Assessment

Students will be assessed on two components:
Participation and Workshops: 50%.
Exam: 50% .

Participation: this component of your score refers to the QUALITY of your contribution to the classes’ learning, including listening skills.

Workshops: class sessions are divided between lectures, discussion and workshops, which consist of team assignments on practical themes. Workshop assignments will be specified during class sessions.