The Role of Effective Communication as a Crisis Management Strategy in an Organization (Ministry of Health)
Chapter One
Objective of the Study
The study had the following objectives
- To determine the role effective communication play in crises management at Ministry of Health
- To determine what communication tools were used to resolve the crises at Ministry of Health.
- To ascertain how effective the communication tools were used in resolving the crises.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Sources of Literature:
In writing this project, the researcher used both primary and secondary sources of information because of the nature of the study.
The researcher primary sources of information instrument are in two: they are INTERVIEW and filling of the questionnaire. And this source enables the researcher carryout necessary data for the analysis in chapter four.
But the main source of information for the researcher constitutes the secondary which is actually the meat for materials-books, journals, magazine, Newspaper, Seminar papers plus Internet-consulted and reviewed in the course of this literature review.
In the researcher’s secondary sources of literatures, the researcher did not restrict herself to materials published in Nigeria, by Nigerians alone, the researcher sort for materials from outside Nigeria, writers by non-Nigerians but related to her topic.
Review of Concepts
The following concepts were reviewed.
Concepts of Communication.
ii Concepts of communication management.
iii. Concepts of Crisis
iv Concepts of Crisis management.
The Concept of Communication
communication is defined as a unique management function that uses communication to help manage relationships with key publics. Charles Okigbo sees effective communication as instrument of management and therefore it should be taken into account, when formulating policies. The fact remains that effective communication has witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly in the interpretation and definitions.
Nwosu (1996) defines effective communication as that management function that identifies the interest, needs, want and expectations of the internal and external publics of the organization, on the other hand and then works out a planned and systematic programme of ACTION and COMMUNICATIONS, aimed at building mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual recognition, peace and harmony between the organization and its publics to ensure mutual satisfaction, greater productivity and improve work ethics.
The International Communication Association (IPRA) perceives effective communication as “Function of a continuing and planned character through which private organization and institutions seek to win support of those whom they may be concerned by evaluating public opinion about themselves.
History of effective communication in the world
Most textbooks consider the establishment of the publicity Bureau in 1900 to be the founding of the effective communication profession. However academics have found early forms of public influence and communications management in ancient civilizations, during the setting of the new world and during the movement to abolish slavery in England. Basil Clark is considered the founder of effective communication in the United Kingdom for his establishment of Editorial services in 1924, though academic Noel Turn ball believes effective communication was founded in Britain first by evangelicals and Victorian reformers.
Propaganda was used by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and others to rally for domestic support and demonize enemies during the world wars, which led to more sophisticated commercial publicity efforts as effective communication talent entered the private sector.
Most historians believe effective communication became established first in US by Ivy Lee or Edward Bernays, then spread internationally. Many American companies with communication departments spread the practice to Europe when they created European subsidiaries as a result of the Marshall plan.
According to Edward Bernays, one of the pioneers of communication, “The three main elements of effective communication are practically as old as society: informing people, persuading people”. A clay tablet found in ancient Iraq that promoted more advanced agricultural techniques is sometimes considered the first known example of effective communication. Babylonian, Egyptian and Persian leaders created pyramids, obelisks and statues to promote their divine right to lead.
According to Noel Turnball, a professor from RMIT University, more systematic forms of effective communication began as the public started organizing for social and political movements. The society for effecting the Abolition of the slave Trade was established in England in 1787. It published books, posters and hosted public lectures in England advocating against slavery. Industries that relied on slavery attempted to persuade the middle-class that it was necessary and that slaves had humane living conditions. The slave trade was abolished in 1807. In the US, the movement to abolish slavery began in 1833 with the establishment of the American Anti- slavery society, using tactics adopted from the British abolitionist movement. According to Edward Bernays, the US abolitionist movement used “every available device of communication, appeal and action”. Such as petitions, pamphlets, political lobbying local societies, and boycotts.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Method:
In this study, the survey research method was adopted as the scientific approach in the study. Survey research was found to be most appropriate for this particular study. Survey research as a research technique used to obtain data, requires either interviewing the respondents or providing them with self administered questionnaire.
This technique of data collection involves careful questionnaire construction and simple selection.
Research Design:
According to Campbel et al (1982:17) see research design as “the process of narrowing or focusing your perspective for the purpose of a particular study; Research design is also an outline or scheme that serve as a useful guide to the researcher in his efforts to generate data for his study.
Research designs are used in research proposals to show how the variables of the proposed research will be observed, controlled or manipulated to generate necessary data for this study.
The research design adopted for this study was the survey research method. As the name implies survey is a research method, which focuses on a representative sample driven from the entire population of the study. It specifies how such data will be collected and analyzed. This method was chosen for data collection, because it enables the researcher to solicit for information that might not be available on the pages of the text book and also to bring successful completion of the study.
Population of Study:
This is generally taken to be the totality of all elements or subjects or number which posses common and specific characteristic within a given geographical location. In this research work, the population of study was made up of all members of Ministry of Health, Akwa Ibom state which is a total of 52 members of staff.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter of the study is aimed at analyzing in a tabular form data collected using simple percentage and frequency tabular presentation for clarify and easy understanding.
Therefore, the total number of questionnaire presented and analyzed is 52.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
This project examines Role of effective communication in crisis management, a study of Ministry of Health, Akwa Ibom state. In this study role of effective communication in crisis management is an empirical research conducted from Jan to June 2014. The researcher carried three research questions that raised three hypotheses and all received empirical and statistical support.
The researcher reviewed four concepts, concept of effective communication, concept of communication management, concepts of crisis, concept of crisis management. The researcher applied social responsibility theory in this work. The theory is one of four normative theories of the press. It was propounded by Wilbur Schramm, Siebert and Peterson in 1956. The social responsibility theory posits that it is an ethical theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. It is also a duty every management has to perform so as to maintain peace and harmony in the organization. To ensure an effective crisis management through the use of effective communication, the management should show its responsibilities to the workers or employees by giving their workers free launch, ensuring that there is good communication among the staff, giving them good package like gift, provide them with wardrobe allowance etc. In other words, the employees are expected to report the areas that will improve the image of the organization and as long as the management agrees to carry on their responsibilities and make the workers united, there is no type of crisis they cannot handle.
The researcher uses chi-square to test research hypothesis and the entire hypothesis received empirical and statistical support. The researcher noted that the response rate from the respondents was encouraging. This means that the information gathered has a higher degree of accuracy. Findings from the study shows that effective communication play a vital role in crisis management at Ministry of Health. Then conclusion was drawn from the data obtained from the respondents.
Conclusion
The result of this study “role of effective communication in crisis management at Ministry of Health Uyo” has played a vital role in crisis management and it has changed the perception of workers about effective communication department.
It is of note that effective communication has positively imparted on the workers at Ministry of Health Uyo. The researcher was able to deduce from the results of the hypothesis that there is significant increase in the role effective communication play in crisis management at Ministry of Health. From the hypothesis 3, the researcher revealed that a good effective communication unit can maintain peace at Ministry of Health. Uyo. The researcher also submits that effective communication has greatly changed and impacted positively on resolving crisis at Ministry of Health. Uyo. communication has played a tremendous influence in ensuring that favorable cooperation and conducive business transactions between the ministry and its customers. The researcher further deduced that crisis not well managed can adversely affect the operation of the ministry if not properly and effectively handle. The researcher was able to conclude that effective communication that was effectively utilized remains a vital tool for forestalling crisis to Ministry of Health. Finally the researcher then concluded that effective communication is and will continue to play a very significant role in the management of any kind of crisis in Ministry of Health Uyo, Akwa Ibom and beyond.
Recommendations
Based on the Summary and Conclusion of this study, the researcher recommended the following :
- No organization can survive without effective communication unit especially when they have The researcher recommended that every good organization must have effective communication department.
- Ministry of Health. Akwa Ibom state should encourage the effective communication department and staff to be up and doing in ensuring harmony and to have daily records of the organizations performance that can lead to
- They should employ qualified staff and give them basic facilities to work like security camera
- The researcher recommended that effective communication policy and planning should be handled at the top management level of Ministry of Health.
- Ministry of Health. Should imbibe effective communication as a philosophy of management and that the organization should be made to appreciate the place of effective communication in the
- communication concept should permeate the entire organization with effective communication taking its place in the organizational structure.
References
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