Academic capitalization and public relations communication in higher education: A diachronic genre analysis of university annual reports in Hong Kong

Academic capitalization and public relations communication in higher education: A diachronic genre analysis of university annual reports in Hong Kong

• Deng, Yi Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
• Feng, Dezheng The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 43(4), 996-1014, 2023

Taylor & Francis

2023

• R Educational Policy & Administration
  • RD Educational Finance & Resource Allocation
• Q Philosophy of Education, Educational System & School At Different Levels
  • QE Post-Secondary Education

Academic Capitalization University Annual Reports interdiscursivity Genre

• Hong Kong

• 1990-1997.6
• 1997.7 onwards

• Post-Secondary Education

The academic capitalization in higher education has aroused much public attention with its impact on every aspect of universities. To survive in the market, universities in Hong Kong have been striving to build desirable images among stakeholders in public communication. Drawing upon critical genre theory and the notion of interdiscursivity, this study examines the annual reports of six universities in Hong Kong from academic year 1994/95 to 2015/16. Analysis shows that the genre of university annual reports is a hybridity of management discourse, reporting discourse, and public relation discourse. Such hybridity reflects the multi-facet nature of academic capitalization influenced by corporate values of managerialism, public accountability, promotionalization, and stakeholder orientation. The diachronic analysis indicates an increasing awareness of branding and public relations in university public communication. The study contributes to the previously overlooked research on university public relations communication, as well as to the understanding of academic capitalization and its development in Hong Kong. © 2021 National Institute of Education, Singapore.

• English

Journal Articles

• 02188791

• 10.1080/02188791.2021.1960273

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/en/bibs/e4326d29

2024-07-11