Public Relations as a Tool for Industrial Harmony (A Case Study of The Construction Industry)
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
This research work is aimed examining and recommending suggested solutions to the problems encountered by the public relations depart. In the light of this, the objectives of study are:
- To find out the problems encountered by this unit in an industry and proffer solutions to the problems where necessary.
- To sensitize participants on many approaches for effective communication, capable of maintaining hormonal coordination in an industry.
- To educate the chief executive officers on the importance of this department and how to treat the employees in this department to achieve the very best for themselves.
- To ascertain whether public relation practitioners are on the right track towards achieving their set objectives.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction
This chapter is a review of related studies to the topics: Public relations as a tool of industrial harmony:
The Concept of Public Relations
The British Institute of public relations (IPR) opines that, public relations are the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics. The Mexican statement, states that “public relations practice, is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization leaders and implementing planned programs of action which will serve both the organizations and the public‟s interest.” Encyclopedia Americana (1980) defines public relations as a field of activity concerned with building mutual understanding between an organization and its constituent publics.
A public may be defined as a group of people with common interest. An organization seeks to explain to its public the organizations policies, promote its goods or services. All this are done with the objectives of bringing to an organization the support and cooperation it requires in order to accomplish its mission.
Having looked at the definitions of public relations, the key phrases and words recurring in the acclaimed definitions are now to be discussed and detailed:
- PR is deliberate: A PR activity or event is always intentional or purposeful. It is usually designed to gain understanding, provide information and obtain feedback or reaction from those affected by the public relations activity.
- PR is planned: Public relations events are usually organized in a systematic sequence which must be analyzed on social scientific research.
- PR is a process: To be effective, a PR activity must be conceived as a continuous campaign, or a series of actions, event functions or changes that could produced a successful result. Good PR is not a onetime affair, undertaken only occasionally or during emergencies as a “fire-brigade” or remedial action. Preventive public relations is an on-going process of discovery problems and solving them; or “nipping them in the bud, before they loom large”
- PR involves the mutual interest of an organization and its publics: Ideally, public relations both the organization and the public. But the primary rationale for any PR activity must be to serve the publics, rather than just to gain benefits for the organization and the public. But to gain benefits for the organization. Good PR is the alignment of the organization‟s interest with public concerns.
- PR is a management function: PR is most effective if it is represented in the boardroom, at the highest management level where corporate decisions are made. PR is not just releasing information after important corporate decisions have been made; it is part and parcel of the management decision making process.
- PR is a two way communication: unfortunately many definitions of public relations give the impression that it only consists of the dissemination of information to the public. It is equally essential however, to obtain reactions from the audience. The communication process is incomplete without the feedback. There would be no mutual understanding if the communication is only a “one-way street.”
Public Relations Activities
Those engaged in public relations work generally perform several functions. They monitor public opinion and analyze an organization‟s relationships with its publics such as employees, relationships shareholders, students, government or news media. They implement a program of action and communication to advance the mission of the organization.
A well planned public relations program normally includes these five steps:
- Evaluation of public attitudes and opinions
- Formulation and implementation of an organizations procedures and implementation of an organizations procedures and policy regarding communication with its publics.
- Coordination of communication programs.
- Developing rapport and good-will through a two way communication process
- Fostering a positive relationship between an organization and its public constituents.
A public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the spread of information between the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. Such information includes writing and distributing news releases, photographs and feature articles to the press, compiling press list. Public relations may include maintaining a media information service such as arranging press, radio and television interviews, for management. In addition, editing and producing staff magazines or newspapers and organizing other forms of internal communication such as video-tapes, slide presentations, wall newspaper are part of PR authority. All these, the public relations make sure it gets media coverage for the publics.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we would describe how the study was carried out.
Research design
Research design is a detailed outline of how an investigation took place. It entails how data is collected, the data collection tools used and the mode of analyzing data collected (Cooper & Schindler (2006). This study used a descriptive research design. Gill and Johnson (2002) state that a descriptive design looks at particular characteristics of a specific population of subjects, at a particular point in time or at different times for comparative purposes. The choice of a survey design for this study was deemed appropriate as Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) attest that it enables the researcher to determine the nature of prevailing conditions without manipulating the subjects.
Further, the survey method was useful in describing the characteristics of a large population and no other method of observation can provide this general capability. On the other hand, since the time duration to complete the research project was limited, the survey method was a cost effective way to gather information from a large group of people within a short time. The survey design made feasible very large samples and thus making the results statistically significant even when analyzing multiple variables. It allowed for many questions to be asked about a given topic giving considerable flexibility to the analysis. Usually, high reliability is easy to obtain by presenting all subjects with a standardized stimulus; observer subjectivity is greatly eliminated. Cooper and Schindler (2006) assert that the results of a survey can be easily generalized to the entire population..
Sources of Data
The data for this study were generated from two main sources; Primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources include questionnaire, interviews and observation. The secondary sources include journals, bulletins, textbooks and the internet.
Population of the study
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Udoyen, 2019). The population of the study were all the staff in Estac Construction Company in Enugu metropolis.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which 100 were returned. The analysis of this study is based on the number returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
In this study, our focus was to carryout a critical analysis on public relations as a tool for industrial harmony. The study specifically was aimed at ascertaining if public relations as a tool for industrial harmony. This study reviewed and anchored its framework on conversational theory.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 120 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are active workers in a construction company in Enugu State.
The findings revealed that public relations is a tool for industrial harmony. The findings also revealed that public relations has positive effect on the overall performance of an industry.
Recommendations
The following are made commendations in the light of the finds that:
- The staff should stop extortion, bribery, fortune, brutality, aiding and abating crimes because of their position in the society.
- officers should endeavor to be handy in times of crisis or distress call.
- Police should intimate the press often about cases of public interest for public awareness and sensitization.
- The federal government should take serious maintenance of the police and whatever money budgeted for them should be released by the police service commission and ministry of police affairs so that part of the money does not go into the hands of the men at the echelon.
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