THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATION ON THE MANAGEMENT OF CRISIS IN OBI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE

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THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATION ON THE MANAGEMENT OF CRISIS IN OBI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

In many government, parastatals and private organizations whether seeking profit or not in their operations, public relations practitioners and public relations practice play a very important role. As Rensburg and Cant (2003:34) posit, public relations exists in every company and institution, irrespective of whether or not the company or institution wants it. Within an organization, activities such as phone calls, newsletters, public letters including its everyday encounter with its public, to name but a few, form a perception and an image in its public’s minds about the organization. Various images come into the public minds based on how the organisation has identified itself with the public.

Lukusa (2009, P.1) explains that, if an organization’s portrayed identity does not coincide with the image perceived by its public, the organization’s reputation and corporate image might suffer and as a result this might also affect the management of the entire organisation. The roles of public relations practitioners are thus very important and crucial in building the corporate image of their organisations to the public. These roles contribute to the development, the sustainability and a good functioning of the organisations.

The image making functions of public relations are principally counseling based on the understanding of human behavior. By analyzing trends and predicting their consequences, through research of public opinion, attitudes and advising a necessary action, public relations establishes and maintains two-way communication based on truth and full information. This is to say that public relations are concerned with maintaining public image for high profile organizations, programs, or individuals (Seitel, 1998, P.6).

Building the corporate image of an organisation is not an easy task that can be achieved in a day within an organisation by a public relations practitioner. Some industries, financial services, chemicals factories, etc. suffer from a serious (corporate) image problem. In the eyes of many, they are seen as exploiters, inefficient, having fat-cat bosses, etc. (Varey, 2002, P. 193).

Dowling (1994, P. 8) in Varey (2002, P. 195),writes that corporate identity is the symbols (such as logos, colour scheme) that an organisation uses to identify itself to people. Since corporate image is sometimes deemed as the organisation reputation, therefore, reputation is considered by a growing number of management practitioners and scholars to be an intangible asset that enables the enactment of relationships among the corporation and their public.

The importance of the foregoing according to Nwosu (1992, P. 8) is that: The time has come when professional public relations are made to play their proper role towards promoting the type of positive image which the organization needs. This can be achieved, if the public relations professionals are allowed to influence the policies at the stage of initiation, analysis and preparation of programs.

Dozier and Grunig in Grunig et al. (1992, P. 395), posit that “Public relations must be placed high in the organisation hierarchy and must be practiced strategically if it is to make the more effective and, thus, to be excellent”. Meanwhile, in many existing organisations the roles of public relations practitioners in building the corporate image of the organisation to the public are taken for granted, neglected and even attributed to other departments within the organisations. It should also be noted that, public relations’ roles have become the subject of extensive research by public relations scholars.

Roles define everyday activities of the public relations practitioners and practitioners roles are key to understanding the functions of public relations in building the image of an organisation to the public. Practitioners’ roles are at the nexus of a network of concepts affecting professional achievement of practitioners (Dozier and San Diego in Grunig et al, 1992, P. 328).

Kitchen (1997, P. 16), is of the view that public relations practitioners fail to realise their full potential because of how their roles are perceived within organisations. He adds that the question on whether public relations practitioners are allowed by management to fulfill their potential through the various roles played in organisations are considered, along with implications for the profession (Kitchen, 1997, P. 7).

It is in light of the above that the research examines among other things, the extent at which roles played by public relations practitioners in management of communal crisis.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Issues on the role public relations plays in the management of communal crisis have been an area of importance in public relations research. Scholars are of the view that public relation is powerful; it helps to determine how a person will behave towards management of crisis. How that community is perceived weak or strong, open or dubious, warm or cold, rigid or flexible. The role of Public Relation therefore is to assist in building and protecting a community image (Bernestin, 1984, P. 103). This study therefore examines the role played by public relations in the management of communal crisis in Obi LGA of Nasarawa State.

1. Objectives of the Study

The broad objectives of this study is to determine the extent to which public relations has been used in the management of crisis in Obi LGA of Nasarawa State.

Specifically, the study objectives are:

1. To determine whether Obi LGA applies public relations in the management of crisis.
2. To ascertain how Obi LGA is carrying out public relations activities that will enhance and sustain its image.
3. To determine the factors which encourage or hinder the practice of public relations in the management of crisis in Obi LGA.
4. To explain why there have been unsuccessful management of crisis.
5. To offer suggested solutions on how to handle crisis.
   1. Research Questions

The following are the questions which this study shall find answer to:

1. To what extent does Obi LGA utilize public relations in the management of crisis?
2. How does Obi Local Government Area carryout public relations activities?
3. What factors encourage or hinder the effective practice of public relations Obi Local Government Area?
4. What are the causes of unsuccessful management of crisis in Obi LGA?
5. What are the possible solutions to the management of crisis in Obi LGA?
   1. Significance of the Study

This research was conceived in full realization of the various interests it would serve. The corporate institutions and public relations practitioners would likely be activated by the findings to invest their utmost creative abilities in consurate with current management of communal crisis challenges facing their esteemed profession.

To the public relations and mass communication students, the study is intended to motivate further study on other much unattended subject matter on crisis management, and provide them with a storehouse of knowledge as well as provide direction to enable them exercise high prudence in their daily economic decisions.

1.6       Scope of the Study

This study is concerned with the distinctive and effective role that public relations can play in the management of communal crisis. It is limited to Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

1.7       Definition of Terms

Publics: Publics are specific groups of people who are linked by a common interest or problem Heath (2005, P. 718).

Public Relations: Is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics Jefkins (1998, P. 6).

Corporate Image: Is the set of meanings by which a corporation is known that can be used by the observer to describe, remember and relate to it via the interaction of beliefs, feelings, perceptions, and impression Copley (2004, P. 276) in Akin and Dimerel (2011, P. 130).

Crisis: Nwosu (2006) defined crisis as an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty. Any life can take on crisis proportion, if it is experienced as sudden intense unexpected, it is also emotionally.   

Crisis Management: Black (2001), state that crisis management is the process by which organization deals with any major unpredictable event that threatens to harm the organization, it is responding to unforeseen circumstance with no time to plan ahead.

Management: Weihrich (2004), opted management as the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individual working together in groups efficiently accomplish selected aims through planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling.

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