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Effective Communication among Stakeholders: A Key Component for Successful

Internship Programs

Author(s): Diane Hamilton and Roger Pajari

Source: Journal of Public Administration Education , May, 1997, Vol. 3, No. 2 (May,

1997), pp. 203-

Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

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Journal of Public Administration Education

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Effective Communication Among

Stakeholders: A Key Component for

Successful Internship Programs

Diane Hamilton and Roger Pajari

Georgia Southern University

Effective communication is vital for meeting the many and varied needs

of participants in internship programs. Each participant is a stakeholder

who has something to gain or lose from the development and

operation of an internship program. These programs are interactive

systems involving student interns, future interns, academic institutions,

faculty supervisors, host institution on-site supervisors and employees,

employers, and professional and accrediting associations (Fulmer, 1993).

A challenge exists in meeting the needs of all these diverse

stakeholders. When stakeholders' needs conflict or when their needs

are not satisfied, problems are inevitable. Effective communication

enhances the likelihood that stakeholders will emerge from the

interaction as winners (Rogers, 1993). What type of communication

facilitates a win-win exchange between stakeholders?

The core of communication in an internship process is the participants'

exchange of messages for the purpose of accomplishing goals and

objectives. Effective communication occurs when the message that is

sent is the message that is received (DeVito, 1994). This paper

elaborates on numerous factors that can affect communication between

internship coordinators and the various stakeholders and provides

strategies for enhancing communication.

Internships are off-campus, supervised experiential, educational, and

training opportunities for students that allow them to perform many of

the activities of a regularly employed staff member in a professional

setting (Pitts, 1992). The published literature on internships has focused

on purposes for internships, benefits to students and other stakeholders,

common pitfalls, program development and implementation, problem

solving, supervisory styles, and evaluation (Auburn, Ley, and Arnold,

1993; Barta, 1992; Eyler, 1993; Fulmer, 1993; Hinck and Dailey, 1994;

McCormick, 1993; Pitts, 1992; Rogers, 1993; Schmieder, McGrevin, and

Townley, 1994; Scott, Ray, and Warberg, 1990). Research that focuses

on the importance of developing communication strategies that facilitate

JPAE, 3 (1997):2:203-215 quality experiences for all stakeholders is needed.

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Needs, Wants, and Responsibilit

Faculty coordinators who plan and adm

to communicate with many diverse sta

are impaired by their failure to fully r

expectations held by each party. Each

hope to realize through the internship

1993; NASPAA, 1991). The taxonomies

are not meant to be exhaustive. Instea

overview of commonly identified need

literature, interviews with stakeholders

and the professional experiences of th

not a substitute for each internship coo

and wants of the participants in their

needs of a large university in a metrop

and undergraduate internships may var

in a rural area offering undergraduate

Students

Satisfy a degree requirement.
Acquire practical, work-related skills.
Make a smooth transition from an academic environment to

a work environment.

link course work to practice.
Encourage portfolio development/enhance resume.
Provide greater potential for employment/interviews.
Develop networking skills and valuable employment contacts.
Earn an internship stipend.
Gain access to professional role models.
Design suitable match between intern interests and work

assignments at the placement site.

Strive for emotionally and intellectually safe internship

environment (i, free from excessive stress, sexual

harassment, etc.).

Mandate minimal non-professional work assignments (i.,

answering phones, filing, copying).

Develop a clearer understanding of the role and culture of

the profession/institution.

Clarify direction for future career/educational path.

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Faculty Coordinator

Ensure that the internship includ

that is commensurate with educatio

university standards and goals/objec

Prepare an adequate supply of qua

demands of agencies, organizations,

region.

Develop faculty assistance for supervising and advising

####### interns.

Mandate course load reductions/release time for on-site

visits and supervision.

Promote university recognition of internship supervision as a

scholarly activity.

Obtain financial support for travel-related expenses.
Market the internship program to various agencies,

organizations, and institutions in the region to make them

aware of the university's internship program.

Academic Institution

Define standards of eligibility (e., grade point average,

number of credits completed).

Establish standards for evaluating student performance
Establish standards for evaluating the quality of host

####### institutions.

Successfully compete with other colleges/universities for

quality host institutions.

Provide adequate resources (e., time allocation for

supervision, travel funding).

Enhance reputation and status of the academic institution

through high-quality interns.

Develop and provide pre-professional academic preparation

of student interns.

Formalize working relationships with host institutions (e.,

issues of legal liability, contracts).

Provide adequate faculty support to effectively monitor and

supervise interns.

Journal of Public Administration Education/

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Effective Communication Among Stakeholders

responsibilities means that each stakeholder clearly knows the tasks for

which he or she is accountable. The internship coordinator must ensure

that responsibilities are clearly communicated among participants.

Although clear communication is the goal, in reality there are times

when communication among stakeholders breaks down and boundary

violations are possible. Although not prevalent, there are also times

when boundary violations occur despite attempts to communicate

effectively. For example, the employees of the host institution are

another group of stakeholders who are sometimes left out of the

communication process. When communication about the role of the

intern is ineffective, employees may view the intern as a threat to their

employment, when in reality a threat doesn't exist. These employees

may respond to this perceived threat by undermining the efforts of the

intern and creating the potential for a boundary violation.

Another form of boundary violation may evolve when stakeholders are

immature or have low self-esteem and are unable to communicate

effectively. Most boundary violations occur whenever a stakeholder

takes responsibility for a situation or problem that another stakeholder is

responsible for dealing with himself or herself. They occur whenever an

internship coordinator steps in and assumes a student's responsibility. In

some situations, it is the student's responsibility to provide an evaluation

form to the host institution supervisor with instructions for completion

of the document by a specified due date. When the internship

coordinator fails to receive the document on time, a problem emerges.

Who owns the problem? When an internship coordinator steps in and

contacts the host supervisor directly to secure the evaluation, does a

boundary violation exist? Has the internship coordinator stepped in and

taken on the student's task?

This form of intervention has adverse consequences for both the

internship coordinator and the intern. When an internship coordinator

prematurely or inappropriately steps into a situation to solve a problem

for a student, the intern is denied the opportunity to develop a sense of

competence in having successfully dealt with the problem. Although the

coordinator may appear to be helpful, inappropriately rescuing the

intern actually serves to diminish the self-esteem of the student.

In other cases, the faculty coordinator may fail to adequately meet his or

her responsibilities. For instance, an effective internship program is often

designed around specific criteria for grading/evaluation. This generally

involves a formal evaluation of the intern's performance by the host

institution supervisor. Consider this example: The host supervisor is

dissatisfied with a student's performance and the final written evaluation

reflects this reality. The student, who is aware of this negative feedback,

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Effective Communication Among Stakeholders

subsequently asks other key members of the host institution (who did

not directly supervise the intern) to write positive letters on his/her

behalf. If the internship coordinator accepts these letters as support of

the intern's performance rather than relying on the supervisor's

evaluation, does a boundary violation occur?

Networking, a key ingredient to professional enhancement, can also

lead to boundary violations. In many circumstances, professional life is

enmeshed with personal terrain. Interns who do not avail themselves of

important networking possibilities may miss significant opportunities for

learning. However, when there is a mix of professional and personal

agendas, the potential for boundary violations exists. Internship

coordinators must discuss with students responsibilities that involve both

the formal and informal aspects of the internship experience. It is not

the responsibility of the internship coordinator to control interpersonal

behaviors of stakeholders. However, it is his or her job to discuss with

the student aspects of the professional and interpersonal environment

that may emerge in internship situations.

By providing the student with an opportunity to discuss and explore his

or her concerns and to receive feedback from the coordinator, the

potential for a positive internship experience for all stakeholders

increases. Effective communication founded on healthy boundaries

enables each internship stakeholder to act in his or her best interests, to

express his or her feelings comfortably, and to exercise personal rights

without denying the rights of others. Boundaries that are firm while

maintaining flexibility best facilitate this process. Joseph Wolpe (quoted

in Alberti and Emmons, 1982) described healthy boundaries as the

"golden mean" and asserted that "there are three possible broad

approaches to the conduct of interpersonal relations. The first is to

consider one's self only and ride roughshod over others... The second... is

always to put others before one's self.... The third approach is the golden

mean.. individual places himself first, but takes others into account."

Ineffective communication leading to boundary violations can result in

inappropriate evaluation of student performance and related grade

assignments, failure of the internship experience to provide an

opportunity for the student to learn and mature, and inappropriate

expectations for student performance. But effective communication is

enhanced by an understanding of appropriate boundaries.

Strategies for Enhancing Effective Communication

Internship coordinators cannot assume that the meanings of the

messages that they send to stakeholders are the meanings that are

received. Messages that are received, regardless of whether they are

written, verbal, or electronic, may not be recognized or fully

Journal of Public Administration Education/

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stakeholders are clearly communicated,

be concrete, direct, immediate, and str

important to speak directly to the stak

parties involved in the communication

other students for internship informatio

internship coordinator directly is more

incomplete information. Similarly, an

a message to the on-site supervisor th

the likelihood of a clear communicatio

dangers of using indirect communicati

internship experiences are replete with

communication problems.

Another common communication error

not recognizing that communication m

regard this as repetition. However, rep

increase the probability that the messa

one that is received. When several ave

message, there exists greater potential

mailing address, fax number, voice m

are a few of the technologies available

When conveying these communication

member must instruct the student tha

Internship supervisors frequently repor

internship sites went unaddressed bec

promptly. Thus, delayed communication

resolution of problems. Timely comm

that the concern can be satisfactorily a

experience. For this reason, effective u

communication tools is a key factor in

section addresses the use of printed d

electronic communication (e., e-mail

these channels of communication shou

should support each other.

Communicating with Printed M

Printed materials are the primary mean

about internships among stakeholders

are generally intended to support and

documents. Written records need to b

Thus, it is important that all faculty m

institution who are participants in the

with the development, adoption, and r

important written materials that facilit

Journal of Public Adminis

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manual/syllabus, directory of potential

objectives, a joint agreement (between

agency), internship logs, and evaluation

Internship Manual/Syllabus

An internship manual or syllabus shou

components of the internship program

various stakeholders should follow. It

student eligibility and prerequisites, th

program, information about the timef

internship, potential host agencies, and

communication with them. It should al

component of the internship, such as w

evaluation and grading procedures. Ad

include wages/stipends, responsibilities

and requirements for liability, health,

during the internship. A well-prepared

also provide a summary of the respon

(Scott, Ray, and Warberg, 1990).

Directory of Potential Internshi

A directory of potential internship site

optimum match between the student in

directory should not only include a co

contact person but also provide a summ

that are likely to be provided at each r

Warberg, 1990). Upon completion of th

asked to provide the faculty supervisor

experience. This critique is useful in re

####### directory.

Statement of Objectives

An internship experience becomes meaningful to all stakeholders when

the student's needs and interests dovetail with those of the host

institution, the university, and accrediting agencies (Barta, 1992; Rogers,

1993). Although the goals and objectives are generally written by the

student, they are also a collaborative effort between the student, faculty

supervisor, and host institution supervisor. Objectives should be precise,

measurable statements written by the student and then approved by

both the university and host institution supervisors. It is helpful to

provide a standardized form on which students can detail these

objectives.

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the placement of all pertinent numbers/

and/or joint agreement. Instructional vi

useful for communicating information a

and implementation of the internship pr

strategies serve to reinforce the message

written internship documents.

Communicating via Meetings

Meetings among stakeholders are often u

internship experience. An internship pre

orientation meetings, for example, are im

coordinator is responsible for placing nu

meetings can present a great deal of info

amount of time.

Site visits are useful when students are in

proximity to the university. However, w

distant locations, site visits are generally

advantage of site visits is that relationsh

faculty supervisor, and host supervisor) a

communication (Barta, 1992; Pitts, 1992)

Exit meetings allow for closure to the in

Rogers, 1993). One useful technique is fo

summary presentation of their internshi

university coordinator and future intern

learn about the benefits and pitfalls of v

This information facilitates the appropria

win experiences in the future.

The Internship as aTransition to

Professional Employment

Although not often acknowledged as suc

stakeholders. Employers in today's mark

student who has successfully completed

has not (Anthony, 1993; Fulmer, 1993; R

facilitate the transition to professional le

an opportunity to develop a network of

professional portfolio of work experien

the substance of the intern's resume. Alt

guarantee that interns will be offered a j

should leave the internship empowered

communication tools (e., portfolio, res

that will move them forward in the job

Journal of Public Administr

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####### References

Anthony, M.

####### 1993 "For a PR Job, an

Internship Is a Must."

####### Atlanta Business Chronicle,

####### Feb. 26-Mar. 4.

Auburn,Timothy, Ann Ley, and John Arnold

####### 1993 "Psychology

####### Undergraduates'

####### Experience of Placements:

A Role Transition

####### Perspective." Studies in

####### Higher Education,

####### 18:265-285.

Barta, Kathleen M.

####### 1992 "An Adult Education

####### Internship in a Division of

####### Continuing Education."

####### Journal of Continuing

####### Higher Education,

####### 40:41-47.

DeVito, Joseph A.

####### 1994 Human Communication:

The Basic Course. New

####### York: Harper Collins.

####### Eylerjanet

####### 1993 "Comparing the Impact of

####### Two Internship

####### Experiences on Student

Learning." Journal of

####### Cooperative Education,

####### 28:41-51.

####### Fulmer,HalW.

####### 1993 "Public Relations

####### Internships: Considerations

for a Successful Program." Journal of the Association

####### for Communication

Administration, 3:67-73. Hinck, Shelly Schaffer and

####### William O

####### 1994 "The Impact of Situational

####### Elements Upon an

Internship Director's Supervisory Style: A Model." Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, 1:15-22.

####### McCormick, Donald W.

1993 "Critical Thinking,

####### Experiential Learning, and

Internships." Journal of

####### Management Education,

####### 17:260-262.

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration

####### 1991 "Public Service Internship

####### Guidelines." Washington:

NASPAA. Pitts, James H.

####### 1992 "Organizing a Practicum

and Internship Program in

####### Counselor Education."

####### Counselor Education and

####### Supervision, 31:196-207.

####### Redeker,LL

####### 1992 "Internships Provide

####### Invaluable Job

####### Preparation." Public

Relations Journal, 20.

Rogers mj.

####### 1993 "Surveys to Access Student

####### Learning During

Internship." Journal of

####### Natural Resources and Life

####### Science Education,

####### 22:116-120.

Schmieder, June H., Carol Z. McGrevin, and Arthur J

####### 1994 "Keys to Success:

Critical Skills for Novice

####### Principals." Journal of

School Leadership,

####### 4:272-293.

Scott, Stanley V, Nina M. Ray, and William Warberg

####### 1990 "The Design and

####### Evaluation of Off-Campus

####### Internship and Cooperative

####### Education Programs."

Journal of Marketing for

####### Higher Education,

####### 3:121-139.

Alberti, Robert E. and Michael L. Emmons 1982 Your Perfect Right.

####### San Luis Obispo, CA:

Import Publishers.

Journal of Public Administration Education/

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