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PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A MANAGEMENT FUNCTION PROBLEMS AND IMPACT

ABSTRACT

Public Relations through sometimes over looked is a concept that is almost as old as mankind, the early man in all his naivety built public relations principles in his action he went in search of food. While the woman held forts in the home he led his life alongside animals in the force that is to say that he maintained cordial relationship between his self and the animals in the forest that I think is public relations at its incipient stage. The beginning in spite of this early Development is Publics Relations the concept seems to have down malpractice especially commission a body charged with the management of a three hundred secondary school in the state in the state with its man power and other implications. The Commission and at time the Directors see themselves and the supreme authority accountable only to them selves with power to make law for the daily administration of the resource at its commend. To some of these administrations there is little need for public relations input in management decisions since some extent in the art of communication. The research questions decide from the objective of the study the proposed hypothesis tested.  The findings recommendations and conclusion will be seemed in the last part of this work.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Every a public relations officer must or will was faced the problem of lack of confidence. Not so much in himself as in the value of the job he has to do. In some causes, this is because of a failure by those in the management to appreciate fully the purpose and objectives of public relations in others, it is because of the appointment of the incompetent wrong officer who does not understand the subject or lacks the personality to convince those around him of its importance. Yet in others there is a misguided sense of economy, which postulates that public relations is an expensive luxury. This line of thought often leads to the appointment or the transfer of a man or woman to the post on the ground that he or she likes meeting the public or some other poor reasons. Modern public relations practice is an indispensable instrument of any management public relations principles into management decisions.

The public relations department in any organization should serve as the fight hand of management advising it in much the same way as a lawyer counsels his clients on legal matters. Since there appears to be people dependent on it for existence, such organization should always strive to take the interest of this public into consideration in all its decision this is necessary because all organization decisions have public relations implication. The decision to increase the prices of goods to change the trademark or even to change the school calendar or increase the school fees could lead to dissonant behavior from the public. Public relation’s input therefore becomes a very significant factor in the decision making process.

There is something to be said about making the public relations unit in the ANSEC a separate entity able to advice and guide without fear or favour. In Anambra State Education Commissioner is important to enable the public relations officer to be able to persuade others in the management while arguing on equal level. Ideally the public relations officer (P.R.O) in the ANSEC should attend all the management meeting. All (Commissions Meeting) these have a bearing on the commission policy and as head of his own department he is then in a position of being able to give advice free of restraint this is against the present position where the commissioner’s principal public relations officer (who is the highest in the hierarchy of the commission’s P.R.O.S) is ill informed on commission’s decisions and at times is merely briefed.

All new educational policies need public relations consideration. How will the public react to them? How can they be explained how easily will they be understood the earlier the advice the greater the chances of success. It is even possible that with a better orientation, the ANSEC management might abandon some of its objective if public relations advice indicated a positive chance of public rejection.

Each objective, each decision, poses the question, how do we tell the public and what will public’s reaction be public relations in the Anambra State Education Commission involves a great deal more than the more giving of information which is a passive role. It is almost useless appointing a public relations man or woman and then ignoring the advice given. There is a seemingly tendency to regard the commission public relations department as a “Post Office” an agency for the distribution of pamphlets or News releaser. This is how not to appreciate the in the period before Christ King used to ask for the advice of aides on how best to deal with their subject. This is it self show that the concept of public relations is as old as human history and has continued to exist among people. Present day from of public relations practice however data back to 1923. However in 1948 following the public relations in Britain alongside the public relations Society of American the Management concept of Public Relation was introduce concept ideal behind the introduced was to enable organization consider the interest of their public in decision making process through the building public relations principles in all decision that are likely to have implication for the long and short term goals of the organization this feeling to have public relations department serve as the right hand of management was encapsulated in the definition of public relation by some mass communication scholars one of such definitions. Sees public relations as a philosophy and function of management which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization leaders and implementing planned programme of action which will serve both the organization and the public interest from the above definition. It can be seen that the concept of public relations as a management function was built into the definition of public relations and is therefore an indispensable instrument of any management.

In Nigeria however public relations practice is yet to be perceived as a management function this is due to the failure of some organization chief executives to establish, public relations as an organized part of their activities due mainly to their considering. It is to the their own personal responsibility to project the personality of the concern to the outside world. Many of these chief executives regard them selves as their organization’s chief public relations officers and react instinctively against any suggestion that this important function should be delegated to any one how ever in the art of communication who could be better than the chief executive to explain the complex policy to the press radio and television or to Ifitedunu located within the Anambra State capital territory the highest in the hierarchy of the public relations officers in the commission in the principal public relations officer whose office is at senior information officer who co-ordinate the activities of the others office hand at the headquarters. These is also a place in the other commission zone officer, public relations officer who on day to day basic teal with the number commission is public both internal and external for example. The zonal public relations officer at Ifitedunu all issues that are likely to have public relations implication, like complaints against transfer by teachers threats a place in mind what should be done to boost their I made this practically to all other public relations officers representing the commission in the others zones.

These problem highlighted by the zonal P.R.O are now table before the management officers the management would then deliberate o the issues and come out at times with far reaching solutions depending on the principal public relations unit would them service means of reaching out to the effected public on the issues e.g. through press release handouts public announcements and visits to affected areas etc.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

One of the aims of the researcher is that this work will help public relations practitioners build on their knowledge and role and role as the right hand of management. To this extent, this study will serve as a reference documents for other organization and public relations officers. In knowing how to apply the management concept of public relations in their organizations. It is the aim of this study to find out the role expectation of the public relations department in a government parasite the State Education Commission to the growth and continued existence of the organization the study would also find out whether the management of the commission, otherwise called the board is interested in the ideal role definition of the public relations department and the extent of its interest with regard to encouragement and integration in the management through the decision making process for the smooth running and ultimate building of goodwill between the organization and its publics. Stock holders and others likely to be interested chief executives thought this attitude reflects the appreciation of the importance of public relations by organization leaders the chief executive should set the obviously he cannot spare the time to control the whole of the organization to passes the necessary ability and experience. He there fore needs to rely on export advance, by public relations practitioner.

In Anambra State Education Commission, a body charged with the management of secondary school in the state (focus of my research) the practice of public relations as a management function has not been done appreciated, since its establishment in 1980, not much has been done in area of recognized the role definition of the public relations department. This has been to its imperil –since the organization has a vast public which includes, the parents, teachers, association, the Board of Governors, Banks, Higher Institutions, Students, etc. The diverse nature of its publics make it very necessary that public relations input should be continually built into its policies and programmes.

The result of its failure to utilize the services of public relations in the management is the spate of thane cruelty and other negative manifestations in the secondary education sector in the state.
This state of affairs presupposes that the board of the state education commission should make the public relations department an organized part of all its policies and programmes if the education in the sate is to be up graded.

ARRANGEMENT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE ANAMBRA STATE EDUCATION COMMISSION

An appraisal of public relations in the Anambra State Education commission showed the bureaucratic structure of the public relations unit of the commission is located at the Ifitedunu headquarters in the final analysis this study will highlight area of further study on this case study or similar aspects of the ideas and would make recommendations where necessary.

STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Just like in most similar inquiries a number of problems were encountered while working on this study. They include paucity of materials on the theme and the uncooperative attitude of some respondents among others. For case of the assignments, I used State Education Commission Headquarters Ifitedunu and its internal and external public participated.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What position does the public relations officers occupy in the Management in the Commission?

2. How do some public of the Commission perceive the role of public relations in the Organization?

3. To what extents are public relations impute utilized in Management decision in the Commission?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

1. The public relations officers of ANSEC should be part of the management to be able to improve the image of the organization and build good will and understanding with its publics.

2. Unless the public relations officer of ANSEC are integrated into management and their advice taken into consideration, the image of the organization will basic before its public.

3. Ho -------- unless the before public relations officers are at the right hand of management its policies and programmes may be disagreeable to its public.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Public this is any group of people with whom an organization deals with e.g. the parents the teacher’s students and employees of the commission (IMAGE Reputations of the organization P. R. Public Relations P.R.O Public Relations Officer.

MANAGEMENT: The body that organization the effort of the commission in order to achieve its aims and objective (ANSEC Anambra State Education Commission.

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