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Communications Practitioners 167

functions. James Grunig has suggested that it is exactly this feat – that professional
knowledge requirements increase with the development into a profession – that is
lagging behind and hindering us from considering communications management as a
fully-fledged profession.And, he suggests, only a body of knowledge allows practition-
ers to take a mindful and more managerial approach to the practice (rather than a fly-by-
the-seats-of-the-pants approach) 20 and would have the practice subsequently attain
recognition from other professionals. Or as Jacquie L’Etang recently put it:

The development of a body of knowledge not only increases the ability of the [communi-
cations] practice to base decisions on sound knowledge but also provides external vitality
that is essential in the post-industrial world. 21
The development of a body of knowledge is thus the crucial plank in the field’s quest
for professional status. It is the body of knowledge that can provide the cognitive
core to the occupation, bolster practitioners’ expertise and competencies and help
define their field of jurisdiction.

Professional development
The body of knowledge that is required for professional status involves more exten-
sive expertise and knowledge of how communications can be put to use in and for
organizations. Such expertise and knowledge goes considerably further than just a
skills-based understanding of different communications disciplines and techniques,
to a broader understanding of the organizational context and purpose to which
communications is put.Different parties are involved in this professional development
of communications, and each bears responsibility in furthering communications on
the road towards a respected and valued profession.These parties are (1) higher edu-
cation, (2) professional associations, (3) academic researchers, (4) senior managers
within organizations, and (5) communications practitioners themselves.

1. Higher education. The higher education sector (universities and polytechnic
institutions) bears a particular responsibility in instiling in students the view that
communications is a strategic managerial function, rather than a craft or technical sup-
port function for other management functions. For over a decade, academics and
practitioners have been calling for a more management-oriented framework for edu-
cating practitioners.Yet, few university public relations, advertising or business com-
munications courses today require much more than token business-focused course
work or experiential opportunities. In fact, most require no business training what-
soever, as their grounding remains housed in communications or journalism schools.
Further professional development of communications,however,requires commu-
nications students to become business literate and develop an understanding of how
communications can support critical business processes and be used within the strategic
management of the organization. This suggests that higher education programmes
must continue to develop superior communications skills in students, but they must
frame these technical skills in principles of strategic management, research, and ethics
22
and social responsibility. As Cropp and Pincus recently suggested: