PUBLIC RELATIONS POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Public relations is a management function that helps define organizational objectives and philosophy.  Public relations practitioners communicate with all relevant internal and external publics in the effort to create consistency between organizational goals and societal expectations declared Otis W/Graig E.A (1988)

Public relations practitioners develop, execute, and evaluate organizational programs.  Their goal is to promote the exchange of influence and understanding among an organizations constituent parts and publics.

Attempts to define the public relations is frequently conflicting and generally diversen.  The statement has to do with the various definitions being given by different scholars.  As the day dawns, scholars come up with their own definition of public relations which sometimes contradict what others have written or beef up what others have written.

Some definitions list the kind of organizations that utilize public relations (all kinds), somedwell on the media used for public relation communications (all media ) and still others focus on the publics, or target audiences, with which public relations communicates (all publics) many authorities give exhaustive list of what public relations is not, while a few even claim that public relations as such no longer exists, preferring another name for the process.

Public relations is practice in organizations that range in type from giant, multinational oil companies to small, human service agencies.  A public relations manager or staff of a large corporation may be responsible for the firms relationships with customers, suppliers, investors, employees, and even foreign governments or local government parastatal.

The concern of the researcher is to determine to what extent the much he valid neglect, in efficiency and negative image of the government parastatal could be apportioned to the public relations policy and its implementation.

The current need for public relations to become more thoroughly integrated into the organizational decision –making process cannot be questioned. government agencies at all levels retrench in the face of new fiscal limitations according to James A.F. stoner (1978:103) successful managers in today’s environments are those who maintain a higher batting average in accurately assessing the forces that determine the most appropriate behaviour of any given time and in actually being able to behave accordingly.

Whenever the potential for influencing public opinion exist, the issue of social responsibility becomes significant.  During the past twenty years social responsibility has become a major concern in Nigeria society.  Many thoughtful observers feel that institutions should assume responsibility for the consequences of their actions.  Within the context of public relations, according to Donald Wright 91979:56) implies that public relations people should act at all times with the best interest of society in mind.

Rex Harlow said that a public relation practitioner suggests way the organization can adjust its behaviour to meet social, political and economic responsibilities and the needs created by shifting human standards an attitudes.

Moreover, the practitioner tries to help the organization demonstrate a keen sense of social responsibility along with profit responsibility.  The logical extreme of this position, which suggests that public relations be defined as representing the public and attempting to influence management, has been argued.  It could be asserted that public relations gives the public a voice at policy-making level.

1.2              STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

There is generally dissatisfaction among members of the public with the public relations policy implementation (Ifay) practiced by the government parastatals.  It is a widely held view particularly by those who have one thing or the other to do with the government parastatals that there is no existence or practice of public relations policy.

Since most of the government parastatals negate this aspect of communication which is very vital in public circles, it becomes a burden and the intention of the researcher to find out:-

1.                  To what extent public relations policy and implementation has helped the government parastatals in their relationship with the publics.

2.                  To determine if there exists anything like public relations policy in the parastatals.

3.                  To examine the implementation of public relations policy in the parastatals.

4.                  To find out the perception of the publics as regards parastatals public relations implementation.

1.3              OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The study will aim at investigating public relations policy implementation and audience perception of government parastatals.

This the researcher has set out a number of objectives which will help her to accomplish this task.

1.                  To show the impact of public relations policy in government parastatals.

2.                  To establish that good public relations policy and its implementation can turn a government parastatal around for better.

3.                  To show the influence of public relations in an organizational set up.

Finally, this research study will through thorough analysis of the data gathered proffer some useful suggestions that will improve the implementation of public relations in government parastatals.

1.4              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this study stemmed from the fact that most public relations policies are never implemented in government parastatals and this has contributed to the problems of poor public relations in government circles.

            Although this research is purely an academic exercise, it is envisaged that the outcome of the study will help Nigerian Railway corporation to reappraise her public relations polic and implementation by her public relations polic and implementation by her public relations department so as to be in position to look at its activities the way the public see it and possible readjust the style applied.

            The study also will certainly help the corporation to understand correctly the basic principles of public relations and its place in an organization of its nature.

            If the result, findings, conclusion and recommendations of this study will be taken serious and implemented, it is believed that it will be of immense help to Nigerian Railway corporation, government agencies, users of information public relations practitioners and so on.

1.5              RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions were posed for this study

1.                  Does Nigerian Railway Corporation have a defined public relations policy?

2.                  Is the public relations policy of the corporation fully and efficiently implemented?

3.                  Are the public satisfied with the services of the corporation?

1.6              RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

HO:     Nigeria Railway Corporation does not have a defined public Relations policy

HI:       Nigerian Railway corporation has defined public relations policy

HO:     The public Relations policy of the corporation is not fully and efficiently implemented

HI:       The public Relations policy of the corporation is fully and efficiently implemented

HO:     The publics are not satisfied with the services of the corporation.

HI:       The publics are satisfied with the services of the corporation.

1.7              CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of clarity, the following words are defined as used in this context.

Public Relations:

Work of presenting a good image of an organization, a commercial firm etc to the public, especially by distributing information.

            The public conduct of the affairs of an organization with regards to its reputation and standing in public opinion.

Public:

            The people at large or the community Attribute of concerning people in general.

Policy

            A course or plan of action especially of administrative action.

Written statement of the terms of a contract of insurance.

Perception:

            Any insight or intuitive judgment that implies or involves thrust or the knowledge, thinking, opinion and attitude of the public.

Thus subjecting the students to a very serious time constraint.

Constraint:

            A thing that limits or restricts, consequently all the economic factors within the country have contributed in no small measure to the limitations of this study.

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