THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN SERVICE
INDUSTRIES
(A
CASE STUDY OF ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ESUT), ENUGU)
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Public
relations has become a potent marketing tool in modern business management in
recent times. Its influence is being felt on both big and small firms with the
influence of even greater expansion. It is important for management
organization including tertiary institutions to understand its potential and
limitations.
Nwokoye
(1984:212) defined public relations as the activities of co – operations,
union, government or other organisations in building and marketing sound and
productive relations with special public such as customers, relations employees
or stock holders and with public at large so as to adopt itself to its
environment and interpret itself to the society.
Bush
and Houston (1995:200) noted that public relations is management functions
which evaluate public attitude, identifies policies and procedures of an
individuals or an organisations with the public interest and execute a
programme of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.
Chukwu
(2000:3 – 4) stated that public relations practice is a management philosophy
aimed at doing everything possible to create good relationship between one
organization and its publics.
Public
Relations is aimed at making friends for the organization and building internal
and external good will on the reasonable assumption that these are strongly
needed for an organization to remain in business and make profit with the
increase in the activities of an organization. The need for an adequate
communication between the organization and those who in one way or the other
are affected by these activities of the organization becomes more imperative.
An organization while wanting to remain liable, need to have good relations
with its employees, consumers of its products and services, future investors,
stock – holders and infact that is the general public. As an organization
specialized in manufacturing to potential customers that is up to date, forward
looking concerned to produce and offer the best goods and services for the rice
it charges and make sure that its customers are really satisfied.
Edoga
and Ani (2001:287) noted that a company should deliberately plan and execute a
continuous public relations programme to develop a good relation between it and
that various publics, amongst sought with public relations.
Stressing
the position of public relations in the country, Olakunori (1999:194) noted
that most officials occupying the public relations of various organizations in
the country today are not professionals; they generally have a fair knowledge
of what they are supposed to do.
Enugu
State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) as an institution or organization
has the students, members of its staff, parents- teachers association, the
management, the host society, the state and the federal government, Nigerian
Universities commission (NUC) etc. as its relevant publics. This implies that
the activities performed by ESUT in one way or the other affect those
aforementioned various public. Therefore, in order to maintain its public
relations with those bodies, ESUT must at all time try to create a rapport and
understanding or goodwill with all those bodies. This it will do through proper
information circulation between itself and those various relevant publics to
it. This can be done by allowing the free flows of information, paying of
salaries as and when due to its staff, engaging in proper and standard academic
work, abiding by the rules and regulations of NUC in the performance of its
activities.
Manufacturers
and producers of goods and service are now aware that public relations does not
only ensure good relations with the public but can strive towards profit making
through increased customers patronage. It is in the light of the importance
attached to public relations that the researcher seeks to appraise the
effectiveness of public relations in service industries in Enugu State
University of Science and Technology (ESUT) as a case study.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
A good
corporate image is usually regarded to be essentials for the existence of an
organization. The success or failure of a corporation depends on its
relationship with its publics, consumers, employees, stock-holders, government,
community, distributions, supplies and others. A favourable corporate image
create confidence in an organisations or institution.
There
has been occupational troubles in tertiary institutions as become the order of the
day. But ESUT as always remained in sector despite the occasional occurrence of
these ugly incidents. The questions that called for answer are:-
Why has this problem of internal wrangle in our
tertiary institutions?
Why has
ESUT not witness the major break down of law and order despite the increase in
school fees?
Why has
ESUT been able to maintained peace despites the facts that there are some
polities that do not go down well with the staff, lecturers and the students of
the institute?
To what extent has public relations contributed in
maintenance of peace and harmony in the institutions these and many more are
the central task of this research work.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To give focus to the study the following objectives
are formulated:-
1. To find out the level of attention given
to the publics in Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).
2. To find out whether the institution have
good relationship with the press.
3. To examine the level of students,
lecturers, staff and management relations in ESUT.
4. To know how public relations help in
improving communication between people and the organization.
5. To recommend solution to problems on
public relations identified.
6. To determined the impact of public
relations on consumers (students) patronage
7.
To appraise the public relations
activities of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
Public
Relations activities of ESUT
Ho: Public Relations activities of ESUT does not
lead to increase the awareness of their services
Hi: These
lead to increase the awareness of their services.
Ho: Public
Relations activities of ESUT does not give
attention
to the student of the institution
H2: Public Relations activities of ESUT gives
attention to the student of the institution.
Ho: Public Relation activities of ESUT does not
lead to increase (students) patronage.
H3: Public Relation activities of ESUT lead to
increase (students) (students) patronage.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
most outstanding hope of this study is that, its finding will be of immense
benefit to students, lecturers and staff of management of tertiary
institutions. These will help to minimize conflicts in this institutions.
The
study also gives an insight into the problem and practice of public relations
in Nigeria Institutions of higher learning. This study by its objectives will
not only assess the effectiveness of classified public relations, but all its
application and uses generally. Therefore, when successfully carried out and
documented, this study will serve as a source of relevant information to many
institutions and organisations on ways of using public relations.
Finally,
public relations practioners have been deprived of excellent performance in the
operations because of scanty and insufficient data and adequate literature
availability in this area.
This
study when successfully completed and adequately supervised will be an addition
to the essentials literature needed in public relations. Practitioners and
consultants will therefore use it extensively for reference.
Based on
forgoing, it becomes indisputable that the need for this study is worthwhile.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study covers public Relations
activities in service industries and it will equally cover an over view of public
relations in service industries. The
role of public relations activities in improving the image of service
industries especially tertiary institutions. Due to limited time and other
constraints, emphases was placed on Enugu State University of Science and
Technology (ESUT). Despite the fact that
Enugu State University is the only institution use as a case study, but the
researcher believes that whatever happens to Enugu State University of Science
and Technology (ESUT) will equally apply to other institutions in the state.