An Analysis Of Public Relation As The Backbone Of An Organization

Project and Seminar Material for Mass Communication

Abstract

Most public relations research advocates for stronger organization-public relationships and the implementation of dialogic theory to advance the practice and elevate the status of the public relations practitioner. However, this study reveals that internal relationship dynamics can prevent corporate public relations practitioners from carrying out this function of the public relations role. The study show that internal relationship management is a prerequisite to corporate public relations practitioners’ success in developing mutually beneficial relationships with key publics. These findings have implications for both the theory and practice of public relations especially when considering the discussion of the technician versus strategic manager role of public relations and the advancement of the field to a professional status.

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

While appreciating the significance of public relation in an organization and between the organization and its public one will vividly see that any organization that does not embark on public relations does not exist.

Such organization is not really existing in the sense that, although the organization may not be physical dead, but it does not achieve its aims and objectives, if it does move forward, if there is no innovation is its dealing and so on, can we say such organization is existing.

Bunmi Adeleye (Mrs.) in her write up on business in WIBREWNEWS, second quarter,2005, she let us understand that management relationship between organization and its publics being the work of management will make the organization achieve its aim and objectives, will make such organizations move forward will bring about improvement in areas of skills of the task involved in will improve the relationship between the organization and its publics to cap it all, will keep the organization effectively existing.

Because of the importance of creating and preserving the right corporate image, it is used to give special attention to the roles and functions of public relations. The attention should begin at the top and extend through the whole organization. Examples can be found in every government department, nationalized undertaking and other public body as well as in most areas of industry and commerce. Cutlip, Contur and Broom in their conceptual definition states that public relation is the management function that identifies, establishes and maintain mutually beneficial relationship between a company and the various public on whom its success or failure depends.

Companies achieve this mutually, beneficial relationship by creating awareness, maintaining regular communication network, evaluating public attitude identifying their policies and programme with the public interest and executing a programme f action to earn public understanding and support.

Public relation really involves contracting the relevant targets public and convincing them of the benefits of a particular argument, to support specific issues and causes to accept companies proposal and public orientation, public relation complements marketing balance when introduced early in marketing plan can make a telling difference in product success.

Businesses are open systems, and most of what they do generate direct benefits and costs for their societies. Today society demands that business join in the urgent task of solving societal problems, corporations are more than economic institution and have a responsibility to develop some of their resources problems mainly of which co-operation helped to create

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Many organizations do not recognize public relations as a management function and this has been leading to many bad unforeseen occurrences befalling these organizations. Even so many organizations without official public relations department, section or units. As the case may be stumbled upon, this means they don’t recognize public relations as a management function or simply put, they don’t have the knowledge of what public relations is, let alone its significance in their various organizations

Apart from these organizations that have no official section for public relations, there are some categories that have but do not have the professional knowledge of how to practice it, their problem start from what is known as the concept of image. They do not understand what this means, and this is where the work of the public relations starts.

Therefore, this project looks of public relations as the background of an organization using Nigeria Breweries PLC as a case study.

1.3 Purpose of Study

The main purpose of the study is on analysis of public relation as the backbone of an organization. but to aid the completion of the study, the researcher intends to achieve the following specific objectives:

To know whether the right public relation media were often used.
To determine whether organization’s public relation practice influence the opinion of the public in favor of the firm
To ascertain whether the organizations Public relations department is rated high in terms of its efficiency.
To find out the perception of the public in respect to the organization public relations practices.

1.4 Research Hypotheses

H0: The right public relation media were not often used in the organization
H1: The right public relation media were often used in the organization.
H02: The public relations practice by the organization does not influence the opinion of their public in favor of the company
H2: The public relations practice by the organization does influence the opinion of their public in favor of the company

1.5 Significance of the Study

Coming to the diversification and expansion of its activities, the current crisis and the ever increasing competition among oil marketing companies. African petroleum Plc. As concerned with generating marketing information which all will help them to achieve a favorable market share and maintain its profit marketing ability it really wants to remain in business. The researcher may after some recommendation that will help to ensure an adequate and effective use of public relations as a tool for business promotions. Moreover, this work will also serve as a working tool for chief executive and managers in the oil marketing sector. This piece of work will actually for a basis for further development and is well contribute to the existing knowledge in the area of oil marketing.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of this study covers an analysis of public relation as the backbone of organizations, with emphasis on fort oil Plc. But in the cause of the study, there were some factors which limit the scope of the study

a) Availability of Research Material:

The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study

b) Time:

The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

c) Organizational Privacy:

Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

Public Relations:

Public relations is an art and science of building and sustained a credible reputation for any organization (Nwosu 2000)

Communication:

It means the process through which needs, emotion, desires, ideas, sentiments and goals are expressed among human beings using codes, symbols and language interested by the parties involved in the process.

Company:

This can be defined as a business or an organization created to pursue profit by providing goods and services.

Diversification:

This is the financial strategy of holding different investment to reduce the risk of financial loss

Shareholder:

A person who owns some of the equal parts into which the ownership of a company is divided.

Product:

A product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a need or a want.

Distribution:

It is the flow of title of goods and services as they move along its channel of distribution form the point of production to the point of consumption.

1.8 Organization of the Study

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study.
Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature.
Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study.
Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.
Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Introduction

It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was on analysis of public relation as the backbone of an organization.

In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of public relation in an organization.

5.2 Summary

Specifically, in-house corporate PR participants referenced complicated relationships with their external PR agency; difficulty balancing internal and external stakeholder needs; and a lack of executive support for the PR function as barriers to external relationship building. Participants also described a lack of newsworthy content as one of the biggest challenges in external relationship building, yet this topic can also be linked to internal relationship dynamics. When discussing the struggle to create newsworthy content to secure top-tier media coverage, one participant explained, “This PR team really needs to continue educating executive management on the difference between marketing messaging and news because that’s where the big disconnect is here, and it always has been.” This statement directly correlates with the theoretical discussion of the PR practitioner as a technician versus a strategic manager and the need for managers to be able to alternate between internal and external stakeholder audiences to gain the right to counsel executive management and expand the PR role within the organization.

5.3 Conclusion

Based on the findings mentioned above without mincing words or nursing some sense of doubt, we concluded that the African Petroleum public relations message, media and quality of services are actually satisfactory through more efforts should be put to their employment and mobilization program.At times organization encounters some crisis as a result of the inability to review their public relations practice.

The management of an organization should as a matter of necessity adopt the system of constant or periodic review of their public relations practices and policies to determine strength to capitalize upon, weakness grab and threats to avoid they are all geared towards improving the quality of the organization overall services, enhancement of their image and attraction of public support and good will.

5.4 Recommendations

The African Petroleum Plc should endeavour to always engage on a constant education of their public relations practices to determine its effectiveness and where there is short comings.

The organization should constantly review the media combination with the trends of things to know whether there is short-fall as regards coverage and those familiar to the large audience.

They should use more or rather more open house and staged events because they have the advantage of report between the publics and the company and encouraging public expression of favourable.

The public relations department of an organization should know that a proportion of mass media be used to include public expression of favourable opinions.

More so, the public relations department should indicate more enlightenment and mass mobilization programmes to achieve mutual understanding and public support.

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