PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A TOOL FOR ENHANCING INDUSTRIAL HARMONY: (A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION SERVICE ENUGU STATE COMMAND)
ABSTRACT
There have been meaningful contributions by researchers on the subject, Public Relations.
This project developed after a series of consultants and research, it seeks to put to rest the thought of the minds of many people as to whether Public Relations is necessary in an industrial Organization.
It is our belief that despite being the means through which public relations is mostly propagated the industry, as an organization also has an image to protect the need for an effective public relations unit in an industry.
We have Nigerian Immigration Service Command Enugu as our case study as regards this project writing.
The structure of the material is fairly simple. There are five chapters altogether; chapter one deals with introduction of the research work, chapter two deals with the literature review, which explores the functions and importance of Public Relations Unites in an industrial organization.
In chapter three the researcher discussed the methodology of this work while chapter four is the data analysis. The last chapter, which is five deals with the conclusion and recommendations for further study.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Public Relations Department in Nigeria Immigration Service Enugu Command, started operation as far back as 1991, they started being functional from August 1991 and that was with a defined framework or guidelines, these framework includes employees relations, community relations, press relations. These are the major frameworks in which the unit was made up of.
However, since the inception of this public relations section in the service. It has never revealed its services or responsibilities to officers and men of the service, Nigerian Citizens and foreigners in general.
The public relations section of Nigerian immigration services in Enugu state command have been doing its best in the settlement of conflict and dispute between officers and men of the command.
Besides, for example when two or more officers of the command involve in official misunderstanding, the O.C. that is officer in Command of Public Relations Units intervenes, that is the internal publics having settlement at the back of his mind which is also the watch word of a public relations practitioners in an establishment. And in this case there must be a fair hearing given to both parties.
On the other hand, if the conflict or misunderstanding involves people outside (the external publics) of the command, the complain goes to the disciplinary committee command that deals with service issues and other social issues that is our of control.
In a situation whereby the disciplinary command committee cannot solve a particular problem, then the matter will be referred to the zonal office and if the zonal office cannot be resolved the problem it will be referred to the headquarters that is situated at Abuja.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The aims f this project work is to determine how public relations can be used to enhance the industrial harmony in Enugu State to be precise the Nigerian Immigration Service in Enugu State.
The sacred duty which management in every industry owe to their public is to provide information on all that they do and make their policies in order to win their understanding and writing support should not only be recognized as an imperative of public relations in an industry, but should also demonstrate in the industry, harmonious co-existence among the workers and the management. This is a nutshell, as public relations effort in an industry r organization.
The reorganization of industries which has taken place in the country, Enugu State to be precise, provide the opportunity to make public relations principles and procedures a major components in industries especially in time of crisis, when both the management and its publics could not understand themselves, due to one misunderstanding or the other.
The importance of public relations to any organization of industry can clearly be seen in American association of public relations, as “Doing the right thing and letting people know about it, applying the golden rule in everyday activities while not letting one’s light shine unnoticed under the basket. “This definition simply points out that it is necessary for an organization to have a public relations department through which it can tell the publics about its good deeds, but the talking must come after the doing.
Furthermore, the British Institute of Public Relations see public relations ad “A deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.
This entails that as a corporate body, there is every need for every industry in Enugu state to have a public relations department, which should endeavour to establish and maintain mutual understanding and sustain such understanding with its publics and as a result to maintain industrial harmony in the industry.
In spite of the sea of definitions of the meaning of public relations remains the same. Philip Lesly Company Chicago, puts the definition of Public Relations as a “helping an organization and its public accommodation of each other”. It is pertinent at this point to state that the importance of public relations, cannot be overemphasized. Thus, there is need for public and private owned industries in Enugu state t have a public relations department which will always act as a link between it and their audiences monitors the feedback process and apply the necessary tools and technique towards achieving mutual understanding that has to be maintained and sustained through constant communication.
This research as earlier mentioned, will look into the importance of public relations department in an industry, the practice, activities and objectives of public relations in an effort to maintain and enhance industrial harmony among the management of public and private industries in Enugu state specifically the Nigerian Immigration Service Command in Enugu State and their various publics, the problem of such public relations and the solutions to such problems.
In the third world countries, Nigeria being an example, one of the major problems in both government and private owned organization is that public relations has often been confused with marketing, advertising, publicity, product promotion and propaganda. Though it is clear that public relations can involve any of these but it is usually a combination of all of them and more.
Finally, many people think that public relations practice is a parade of pretty, elegant and sophisticated ladies with either diploma or University degree in any discipline so as to earn attention. But instead, this amount to white – wash, because public relations messages are based on truth and research. Therefore, it is only a graduate in the field of mass communication that can perform effectively in public relations practice.
It is expected that this work will serve as a reference material for schools, researchers, public relations practitioners, media executives, people interested in the subject as well as policy makers will find the research work, relevant.
The broad objectives of this study are also as follows:
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