The thesis investigates PR technologies in forming image of higher educational establishments in cultural sector. The notion of PR technologies in forming the image of educational establishments in cultural sector is defined using a complex methods and techniques of research. PR technologies have been classified, and their special features have been determined; the hierarchy of key concepts of the research have been formed; the usage of management concept as methodological approach in studying public relations, which is treated as a type of activity and a management function in the sphere of higher education, has been justified; main target audiences of higher educational establishments and means of communication with them have been revealed; functions and image structure of higher educational establishment as well as specific character of their formation have been investigated; features of effective image of the educational establishment have been updated; PR programme and methods of evaluation of image effectiveness for a higher educational establishment have been developed.
The first chapter contains the review of scientific resources and basic methodological approaches to study public relations, and a list of key terms of the research with their detailed definitions. According to the analysis of periodization of different researchers, it has been discovered that it does not reflect the real state of development of PR technologies in domestic educational sector, which prompts to formalization of the stages of their development. Analysis of methodological approaches to study public relations as a type of activity and a management function of a higher educational establishment proves the fact that a new period of interpretation of the idea of public relations is likely to come soon. Ontological, gnosiological and socio-cultural characteristics of different stages in history of the science are believed to become the prerequisites of changes and amendments in methodology of PR communication.
The second chapter focuses on essence and meaning of a higher educational establishment competitiveness; basic target audiences have been nominated here, and different ways of establishing public relations in a higher educational establishment have been described. The rise of a higher educational establishment competitiveness suggests applying controlled and uncontrolled PR technologies along with sponsorship of sports events, teaching master-classes, using the Internet to communicate with the target audiences. On the basis of classification of subjects of public relations target audiences of a higher educational establishment fall into external group and internal group. It has also been stated that there exist such ways to organize public relations in a higher educational establishment in cultural sphere as: general communication of an establishment, establishing and supporting stable relations with mass media, persuasion of a target audience in reliability of services, lobbying, consultancy. Maintaining the public relations policy involves conducting information policy, forming a positive public opinion of a higher educational establishment, and organizing public relations with the use of communicative management.
In the third chapter the functions of forming the image of a higher educational establishment, its structure, methods of estimating the effectiveness of the process of forming this image have been outlined. It has also been suggested that the image of the establishment fulfills the function of PR, and economic and social functions. These functions help understand the essence of the image, define its aims, which, in their turn, form a positive perception of a higher educational establishment. It has been claimed that the structure of the image includes a motivational and target component, a content component and a technological component. The set of PR technologies can be divided into the following groups: by way of implementation; by degree of impact; by duration of action; by productivity; by complexity; by cost. It has been found the main stages to develop a PR programme of a higher educational establishment. The research has also revealed methods of evaluation the effectiveness of the image of a higher educational establishment.
Key words: PR technologies, public relations, image of an educational establishment, market of educational services, a higher educational establishment competitiveness.
