ABSTRACT

PR is an integral part of an organisation and its effective practice is bound to the health of the organisation. Public relations is integral to the efficient performance of many organizations today It is the means through which an organisation can effectively monitor, interact with other key groups within the organisational environment.

Over the years PR has moved from being all about disseminating information (press agentry and publicity) to relationship management. Modern researchers have proven that for PR to play its role effectively and make a significant contribution it should be part of management and be practised strategically.

Using a modern telecommunications organization as a case study the purpose of this research was to assess the role of public relations in whose strategic organization. Excellence theory and document analysis were employed as the major theoretical and methodological tools. This study therefore sought to assess how PR contributes to the growth and success of Rlg, a modern communications company; postulating that being a modern company PR would be practiced strategically and as recommended by the excellence theory. Through a qualitative research methodology, the study discovered that the PR department of Rlg plays predominantly a strategic managerial role which has an impact on the overall strategy of the organisation. The department therefore contributed to the organisational effectiveness and excellence. The study recommended that the organisation employ practitioners who have formal        education                        in                        public                        relations.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the study

William Craig’s The Fall of Japan provides an anecdotal illustration of the value of effective communication (and for that matter professional public relations practice) to social and organisational cohesion and success. According to William Craig, it was a case of miscommunication that led to the bombing of Hiroshima. In July of 1945, allied leaders,( US President, Harry Truman; British prime minister, Winston Churchill; Russian President, Joseph Stalin and President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai- Shek) sent a declaration of surrender terms to the Japanese with an added clause stating that any negative answer would invite “prompt and utter destruction.” Yet they hoped Japan would agree to surrender.  Among the Japanese leaders, there was a joyful reaction because the terms were more benign than they had expected. Since no formal decision had been reached at the time, when Japanese Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki was questioned in Tokyo about the stance his government had taken in response to the declaration, Suzuki replied that he was withholding comments. He used the Japanese word ‘mokusatsu’ derived from the word ‘silence’. The word however has many other meanings other than what was intended by the Prime Minister. The word could mean: to take no notice of; to treat with silent contempt; to ignore; to remain in a wise and masterly inactivity. International news agencies broadcast to the world that the Japanese government thought the ultimatum was “not worthy of comment.” Angered by the purported tone of Suzuki’s statement, U.S officials decided on stern measures. Within ten days the bomb was dropped, and Hiroshima was levelled.

A message of peace if miscommunicated can start a conflict or in the case of Japan, continue it. Communication of a message or an idea is as important as the message or idea in itself.

In our day-to-day relations with people, communication forms an integral part. Friendships are made or broken through communication or the lack of it. Communication is the tool for human interactions. An organisation’s communication plays an even more vital role in achieving its goals.

In spite of this, public relations practitioners for many years have been struggling to define the role and place of PR in an organisation and the contribution of public relations to the performance of an organisation. This, in part, is also due to a lack of appreciation- or even understanding- by organisations of the role that public relations is expected to play in the strategic planning and management of an organisation.

In the contemporary competitive world of business/brand competition the ability to create maintain a positive corporate reputation has become an invaluable asset. It is this truism which inspired Macnamara (1999) to assert that the days of public relations practitioners performing solely press agentry roles are over. An organisation thrives on the goodwill of its multiple stakeholders to remain competitive (Blair, Blair, Fottler, Nix, Payne, Savage, 2002). This makes the management of stakeholder relationships an essential factor in organisational success; this management is done by PR (Ni, 2006).