The Role of Public Relations in the Survival and Maintenance of Industrial Harmony: A Case Study of Nestle Nigeria Plc
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The nucleus objective of this research is to investigate how to manage and possibly reduce the frequency and channel crisis to a more productive activity, to promote development in the society.
Specifically, the research objectives include:
- To trace the causes of the crisis
- To examine the previous methods that will be employed in crisis in society.
- To explain why there has been unsuccessful management of the crisis.
- To offer suggested solutions on how to bring about harmony.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
SOURCES OF LITERATURE
The sources of literature review are basically the primary and the secondary data. They include materials gathered from libraries, textbook, published and unpublished but printed materials from places like the school libraries, state libraries, and lecture notes were also consulted in some area, especially areas related to the study. All these helped in no small measure to buttress and give credence to what the researcher is analyzing in this work.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Crisis is one major force that can cause change in any organization, crisis is an enviable page in any organization history. This means there is no clear departure of the concept of crisis in an organization. It is proper to document and underline, the fact that crisis in most cases does not connote negativism. Crisis could contain dysfunctional properties that could damage the corporate image and reputation of an organization. But these dysfunctional syndrome could be changed to useful function if properly managed. On the other hand crisis would have functional properties that would propel the organization image to remarkable light success, and would enhanced the organization goodwill.
Thus, crisis management is relevant to public relations experts or the authority concerned not only to put in place crisis detection strategies but equally devise possible mechanism for prevention, effective and efficient management as well as better ways of transforming and channeling then in a manner that will be beneficial to the organization, from this take off point we shall now offer the operational definition of what crisis is.
Definition of Crisis
According to Nkwocha (1999), crisis is any event, issue, occurrence or situation that will be described as a turning point for better or for worse. Crisis is also a period of heightened uncertainty that increase the demand to plan at the time in which both external and internal pressure change the goals and operational practices of an organization.
Crisis is a departure or expected and usual. In other words it is dysfunctional and is a disturbance in the normal functioning of the organization. It is wise to comment that crisis and conflict occur because it is functional and strengthening for solid change as well as organizational change at specific time.
This is so because crisis can strengthen organization internally, that relations, among department and units could reinforced and grow for instance, challenge and competition with other organization with in the industry. This may bring about unprecedented co-operation and unity that further strengthened the internal unity of the organization.
It is interesting to know that crisis can empower organization. For example, a group of organization with in an industry that many have been discriminated against, and could have been left out in taking part in coming together which will be healthy to these minority group by strengthening their unity bond.
In this direction, Salu (1994), view crisis as one of the agents and path of effective change unimaginable in organization. A crisis in some way causes something never to be the same again in a way.
We move further to define management as the process of planning, controlling, co-ordinating, directing and supervising to achieve the desired goal (Ewurum, 2000).
But before we delve into defining the concept of crisis management let us look at the various types of crisis to give us a clear understanding of the concept.
Types of Crisis
Newsam (1995) classify crisis into two broad categories namely –violent crisis and Non violent crisis.
Violent crisis this is a class of crisis which is usually immediate involving loss of lives and property and is exemplified by ethnic roits, earthquakes, storm, fire accidents among many others.
Non violent crisis this second class of crisis as the name imply is less catastrophic and immediate but nevertheless potentially by dangerous and can be less destructive and is exemplified by disinformation misinformation, scandal, destructive, propaganda epidemics, drought and flood to mention but few. (Salu, 1994, Nwosu 1996).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter focused on the methodology used in this research work/project.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The design of the study is the survey method, survey design is one in which a group of people or items is studied by collecting and analyzing data from only a few people or items considered to be representative of the entire group. 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.
AREA OF STUDY
The area of study of this research work was a case study of Eliti-Ihitte-Uboma L.G.A. in Imo State.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
Population of the study is the total number of people used in the research. This population of the study was 9,010 people.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
In this section of the research a close study was made from the returned questionnaires and the data collected were presented in simple percentage of tables.
Analysis and interpretation were equally carried out. The questionnaires were administered to different people in various community.
However, this chapter deliberated and analysis the series of information gathered from our respondent and judiciously checks the strength of our hypothesis. The researcher deemed it fit to employ simple percentage method in analyzing the collected data and chi-square were used in testing the hypotheses.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUTION AND RECONIMENDATIONS
This chapter deals with the summary of the research, recommendations and conclusion also, with the suggestion for further studies.
The chapters tried among others to review discussions and interpret the roles of public relations in crisis management with special attention to the Etiti-lhite Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State.
SUMMARY
The researcher after a careful analysis, interpretations and hypothesis testing came up with this summary. It seems necessary now to sum the difference segment of the work. In the general sense therefore, the researcher learnt that the crisis is the most accessible and credible source of enlightening, educating and forming the people of Etiti-lhite- Uboma of Imo State. Though this is not limited to Imo State alone but indeed, the whole Nigeria. This is because the crisis, through its basic importance of development, thereby improving the people and government on their socio-political environment.
From the analysis gathered in this project, there is no doubt that the public relations is strong and play vital roles on crisis management in Imo State. Also the two hypothesis tested gave statistical support that the public relation is very relevant and plays important role in crisis even they are limited by many hindrances.
Despite the odds, the researchers were able to arrive at specific and reliable solution to the research problems.
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
From the start of this study, the researcher stated that public relations have eluded the country at many times. Government and multinational companies’ inability to create employment opportunities cases crisis in an area. Crisis in any environment discourages investment in such country. Land dispute is a major cause of crisis among ethnic nationalities. Intolerance among ethnic groups also is one of the major causes of crisis in any ethnic group in organization and society.
Public relations strategies are very useful in the settlement of crisis but public relations practitioners are not often used in the settlement of crisis
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the finding made by the researchers, the followings are the recommendations:
Boundary adjustment cuts should be established to specifically handle boundary disputes matters. This will remove the overdue delay of delivering judgment in our courts about land issues.
To avoid land disputes and hostilities from ethnic groups boundaries in dispute should be clearly demarcated with concrete pillars by boundary adjustment commission after proper examination.
Regular surveillance reported by security personnel on prominent ethnic leaders, politicians, ethnic association, youth bodies and the like and promptly actions on such reports through constitutional means will not only reduce but will eliminate crisis in Imo state.
The state, local government and management of multinational companies should embark on revolutionary development program which among other will create employment opportunities and empower the people, to meet the demands of the people for a minimum of biological and social reasonable standards of nutrition, drinking water, assess to education and health services and effective participation at all level of national activities to which the people are entitled as a matter of social policy.
The government should as a matter of priority make use of public relations strategies like public enlightenment campaigns, awareness programme among others to emphasis the need for tolerance and discipline among ethnic nationalities.
The government should through the mass media, traditional media and other social institutional media inform and remind the public that manufacturing, sales, distribution, hoarding and importation of fire arms in strictly illegal and the weight of the law is still in place to fall on any victim.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion therefore, the government and the multinational companies have major roles to play in achievement of peace in the crisis area of the local government area. Hence, the role of public relations cannot be left aside, when it come to the management of crisis, as such public relations personnel should not try to spin the truth, those in authority should be made to understand the feelings of the people.
FOR FURTHER STUDIES
The researcher due to the scope and delimitations restricted the project on the role of public relations in crisis management, but she suggested the following for further studies.
- The role of public relations in mass media management.
- The role of public relations in power of communication revolution and its potency in achieving development in democracy.
- The role of public relations in rural mobilizations and socio-political awareness.
Finally the government, professional bodies and the philanthropists amongst other should assist in the sponsorship of these programmes and projects as this will help this generation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
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