Effective Communication Among Stakeholders: A Key Component for Successful Internship Programs

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

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?