Coorientation Theory and Assessment of the RFP Solution to Client/Service Learner Matchmaking

AbstractTensions that result from varying expectations of service learners and clients/ community partners are as common as the pedagogical practice of service learning in public relations courses. The matchmaking process between instructors and clients can influence expectations; however, the literature includes little guidance about the process of client selection. This paper analyzes a request-for-proposal (RFP) client selection process through the lens of coorientation theory to gauge the effectiveness of communication in the service-learning relationship.Keywordsservice learning experiential learning, coorientation theory, assessment, public relations, public relations campaigns, RFPIntroductionFor more than twenty years, scholars have studied the pedagogy, the process, and the benefits of using real clients for public relations courses; however, little attention has been paid to the matchmaking process of client selection.1 In 1999, service learning was declared "widely accepted," as pedagogical practice, and the capstone communi- cation campaigns course was positioned as a model for incorporating service learning into the public relations curriculum.2 The 2006 report of the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE) calls for teaching pedagogies that emphasize teamwork and client service, but it does not reference specifically "service learning" or provide guidance about how to negotiate "client service" in the classroom.3Scholars have examined the public relations course/client service-learning relation- ship from the clients', instructors', and students' points of view, especially in the cap- stone course.4 Studies show that service learning results in greater student understanding of course content, an enhanced sense of citizenship, greater appreciation for diverse cultures, and many benefits for clients such as lightened workloads and new ideas.5 The service-learning relationship that provides so many teaching benefits also is one of the major challenges of the campaigns capstone course.6 Adequate communication, client turnaround time for responses to service learners, client misunderstanding of the definition of public relations, and realistic learning outcomes plague the client-learner relationship.7To ensure that the "learning" part is attended to as carefully as the "service" part, the public relations educator should carefully select clients. If a communication man- ager's job, above all, is to ensure client satisfaction, public relations educators who use real clients as service-learning partners must prioritize a course/client relationship that maximizes learning outcomes. To do so, focus must be placed on the matchmaking process, including managed expectations on the part of the instructor, student, and community partner. One study showed that professors generally engage in "moderate" research of potential clients. In terms of the professors' selection of clients, about 59 percent of those surveyed had a prior affiliation with the client before selection, and 92 percent sought or accepted "referrals" for potential clients from other sources.8Aldoory and Wrigley suggest that instructors of public relations courses integrate clients by "put[ting] out 'requests for proposals' that prospective clients can answer. Clients will be more motivated and serious about working with students, and everyone involved will enter the relationship knowing what to expect."9 As Marken, Aldoory, and Wrigley note, a request-for-proposal (RFP) process is a means to satisfy learning outcomes of public relations courses and satisfy the clients or community partners, and as Worley notes, satisfied clients improve the position of a University public rela- tions program in the community as a good citizen.10 Surprisingly, however, little schol- arly evidence exists about how mass communication professors choose clients or community partners for class projects with service-learning components. …