THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN BUILDING CORPORATE IMAGE (A CASE STUDY OF SOSOLISO AIRLINE)
ABSTRACT
The major thrust of this work is to arise the role of public relations in hitching corporate image. It is obvious that going by the “Reform Agenda” embraced upon by the present administration lead by Oluseagun Obasanjo, so many groups and organisations are experiencing problems. To be able to survive, corporate organisations are doing a lot of re-organisation. This entails pruning their size so as to reduce their usually heavey expenditures. To some extent, these organization’s corporate images are affected. To survive this, the need for effective public relations practice becomes pertinent.
In doing this, relevant literatures were reviewed. It is obvious from the review that public relation remains as important tool available to any organisation that desires to survive.
For the purpose of this study, survey method of social science research was employed. The questionnaire approach was also employed to ensure that varying and venous shades of opinion about the subject of the research were obtained.
Four hypothetical questions were formulated and tested using chi-square technique at 0.05% probability level for appropriate inferences. The hypotheses received statistical support.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Approval page ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of contents vi
CHPTERE ONE
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Statement of research problems 7
1.2 Objectives of the study 8
1.3 Significance of the study 9
1.4 Research questions 11
1.5 Research hypotheses 12
1.6 Assumption 13
1.7 Scope/delimitation of the study 14
1.8 Theoretical frame work 14
19 Definition of terms 15
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Research method 32
3.2 Research design 33
3.3 Population of study 34
3.4 Sample population 34
3.5 Determination of sample size 36
3.6 Measuring instrument 37
3.7 Data collection 37
3.8 Method of analysis 38
3.9 Expected result 39
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction 40
4.2 Mortality rate 41
4.3 Presentation of findings (personality data) 41
4.4 Presentation and testing of hypotheses 42
4.5 Discussion and interpretation of findings 51
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary 54
5.2 Conclusion 55
5.3 Recommendation 55
5.4 Appendix 57
5.5 Bibliography 60
CHAPTER ONE
Abraham Lincoln made a profound statement many years ago. Then the president of the United States of America, Lincoln said. “With public sentiment, nothing can fail without it, nothing can succeed”. Even as he was particular about the place of people’s approval and support in the ruining of government, today that statement remains as relevant as it is instructive. It is no less important in maters of governing a people than it is in running a business organization. Which is saying that, business can thrive only by virtue of public approval and support, and that no intelligent business man to day can disregard the opinions and attitudes of the people with whom his company does business if he hopes to keep on doing business.
It is widely accepted that the aim of any business organization is to achieve growth, increase in turn over, assets and profit. But all of this is dependent on the goodwill of the organization’s various publics. Goodwill ac cording to malogo (1996) is secured not so much as a result of the organization’s mere existence but as the sustained strategic planning, execution and evaluation of the perception of their publics in relation to the organization.
It is important to mote that, this is a times when the tried and tested public relations theory that the “road to the boardroom is through public relations not only becomes a reality but also when it gives birth to another theory, the road to economic survival is through effective relation” PR).
In this presentation, the researchable therefore look at the role of public relations in Building corporate image, using soloist Airline as a case study. The research mill examine the effects of crisis and depressed economy on its corporate existence, what it is compelled to do when it finds itself in that situation and how nest to use PR to achieve stated objectives. In the course of this, the researcher will examine some case studies where effective PR was used to revitalize some corporate organizations hitherto on the brink of collapse in and outside the country.
We all know what happens to corporate organizations when it is faced with crisis or when the economy in which they operate begins to over- heat and, as the nation economic operators, they begin to show signs of depression; the result is that business becomes slow, because patronage dwindles. This means low retimes, shrilling profits and huge overhead, which combine to force corporate organization to re-order their prentices to survive.
To be able to survive such climate, corporate organization need to cut their coat according to their cloth, as the saying goes and not according to their size. This is may in turn mean pruning their size so as to prime their usually heavy expenditures. At the end of the day, such corporate organization will have to seriously consider restructuring, and when you restructure certain fundamental and, often painful changes have to be made which, if not affected cautiously, can easily affect the organization corporate image and subsequently its foretimes. Needless to say when this happens, survival becomes difficult, if not impossible. This is where public relations take over.
For any meaningful and workable restructuring to be put in place in any corporate organisation that relives on public confidence for its survival, the input of public relations cannot be ignored. Any corporate organization that finds itself in this situation and decides to ignore PR certainly does so at, it’s our peril. For its action can easily send the wrong signals to the business community.
Fundamentally, PR is expected to be adequately involved in such an exercise that makes the survival of the organization its main objective. When PR is involved, a lot of unnecessary repercussions can be avoided because it will ensure that the social aspects of whatever changes affected to salvage the situation are very well taken care of. In fact, it is the responsibility of PR to ensure that such changes have a human face and prepare the ground for the public to revive them positively. When this is done, it becomes a step towards the success of the survival efforts.
Public relations can further ensure the cushioning of whatever drastic effects the structural changes may have created. In this process the objective and positive result of the survival effort can be explained to the public in a systematic and organized way that can easily be assimilated and understood. Essentially, Dangogo (1998) believes that public relations are effective management of communicative between an organization and its public. To him, the public relations practioner employs effective communication to build, sustain and defend his organization’s reputation among both its internal and external public.
He has the responsibility to recommend new communication strategies towards improving organizational efficiency. Improving efficiency remains the key to successful public relations practice in any environment. By the time considerable credibility has been built for an organization, that organization would have been presented to the public as a responsible corporate citizen, a profitable business concern, an efficient and credible player in the industry, as well as a caring employer. These are some of the major public relations concerns for any company. But unknown to many big corporate players, the public rates individual companies on each of these attributes. Often, they do this rather unconsciously, but the image stick. And should there be any serious crisis to put a question mark on the corporate image of a company with a poor public image, the consequences can be enormous.
On the other hand, when a company’s public image receives a high rating based on the foregoing attributes, it trans lates into, increased public confidence, patronage, good mill, higher profit, growth, peaceful and stable environment. Charles T. Fonbrun, in his book, Reputation- Realizing value from corporate image, puts it succinctly this; “A reputation is invaluable because it informs us about what products to buy, what companies to work for, what stock to invest in” A reputation is also of considerable strategic value because it calls attention to companps attractive features and widens the options available to its managers, for instance whether to change higher or lower prices for products and services, or to implement innovative programme. But to achieve these, both the public and the public relations fractioned must have the cornet perception of what public relations is and ought to be.
To this end, this study set out to examine the “Role of public Relations in building corporate image” a case study of sosoliso Airline Nigeria.
1.1 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS
The need for the assement of the role of public relation in building corporate image is expedients. There is even more opportunity now that the counties political and economic environment is witnessing drastic changes. The civilian government is attempting to effect rachical changes in the nation’s general attitudes and value system, work ethics, patriotism, self discipline, self reliance, public account tability and all.
These changes no doubt have aroused a lot of problems for corporate organizations. They have equally created a lot of public relations problems. Problems of complex and diverse nature. The instability in our political and economic environment creates problems of insecurity and uncertainty. With such degree of uncertainty coupled with its attendant problems, public relations managers are handicapped a great deal as it affects public relations planning and corporate management of their organization image.
The aim and objective of this study is primarily to do the following.
A study on the role of public relations in building corporate image is frimely and relevant considering the on-going “Reform Agenda” embarked upon by the federal government. As acknowledged earlier, change is the only constant thing and when it occurs, it brings about unanticipated problems which must be managed properly.
To this end, this study will be of great benefit to the following bodies namely, researchers, corporate image makers government, scholars and students of mass communication and marketing in the following ways.
The following hypothesis shall be tested in this study.
Hi: Public relation’s has a role to play in the management of an organization’s
Corporate image.
Hoi: Public relations have no role to play in management of an organization corporate image.
H2i: The image of sosoliso Airtime is affected especially with the tats air crash in port-Harcourt International Airport in which the company was involved.
Ho: The image of sosoliso Airtime is not affected in any form even with the last air crash in which the company was involved.
H3i: Sosolios Airtime can rely on the use of public relations to maintain and ensure manual harmony and understanding with its various public.
Ho: Sosoliso Airtime cannot rely on the use of public relations to maintain and ensure mutual harmony and understanding with its various public.
H4i: Business organizations’ in Nigeria have to a very large extent succeeded using public relations practice and strategy in managing its affairs.
Ho: Business organizations in Nigeria have not to a very large extent succeeded using public relations practice and strategy in managing its affairs.
The basic assumption of this study is that the role of public relations in the management or in building corporate image should not be treated with levity.
In as much as what the organization does affect the people and the activities of the people equally affects the organization, proper management of public relations remains an important factor in maintaining manual understanding and acceptance between the organization and its various public.
Ideally, the study should take the entwine Nigeria populace into consideration especially those who make use of the services offered by sosoliso Airtime. All the same, for want of time and resources, the study is limited to Enugu Zonal office.
The researcher is essentially interested in finding out the role which public relations has played is building the company’s corporate image.
For suitable theoretical framework for the study, the researcher applied the “Two-way- symmetrical model” This was propounded in 1984 by Gruing and Hunt in their Book “managing public Relations”.
According to Nervous (1996) this theory stresses--- on using public relation touring an organization and its primary, secondary and tertiary groups together, (either in overall public relations programme or specific public relation projects) through mutually two-way beneficial communication that ensures manual uncherstantion and respect.
The concept envisages the existence of two way communication with in-built feedback between an organization and its publics, with communication coming from both parties, attainment of purely and arrived at achieving change of attitude through persuasion. It is a new and most suitable approach to public relation practice and development as a management function. It is an appropriate model for this study.
No organization operates in isolation and by so doing is affected by what others do. Through the process of two-way communication, organizations can properly manage their relationships with their various publics.
Terms in this study will be defined conceptually and operationally for better understanding.
CONCEPTUAL DEFINITION OF TERMS PUBLIC RELATION
This is defined as persuasive communication through the mass media or by face to face to win and retain public understanding and support.
BUILDING
This involves developing and establishing confidence or trust in something.
CORPORATE IMAGE
Corporate image refers to the overall reputation of an organization as determined by the various pictures, impression, knowledge, information and perceptions that the publics of that organizations have about it.
OPERATION DEFINTION PUBLIC RELATION
This is defined as the overall efforts put in place by the sosoliso Airtime to ensure manual understanding and acceptance between the company and its barrios
Public.
BUILDING
This involves using public relations strangers to ensure public confidence and trust.
CORPORATE IMAGE
This involves the overall metal im
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