The image of an educational institution: West University of Timisoara [articol]

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to analyse the image, a public relation perspective, of an educational institution - West University of Timisoara. The image concept is a key concept in public relations and the sociology of mass communication. The image of an organization is based on creating elements that characterize identity that gives the uniqueness factor. These are the goals, objectives, structure, the staff and organizational culture and their translation into the external environment. The external environment is the general public, clients/customers, suppliers, partners, and not least by the media (Vid 2016, p.29). The image is the representation: “which was formed as a sum of beliefs, attitudes, opinions, prejudices, experiences and expectations to groups of people or within the public opinion on a natural or legal person, institution or organization” (Iorgu 2011). According to Roger Mucchielli picture is “a representation or an idea which is formed by individuals of an environment or of a segment of the public – due to reception of information about a social object. In the image case, it is about an opinion or an attitude whose roots are mostly irrational” (Iorgu 2011). We analyse the current image of West University of Timisoara. The overall objective of the analysis is to identify all the instruments that UVT uses to communicate with its public. The adequate tools for studying such an approach are the following: observation and content analysis.