COMMUNICATION AS A STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATION
Need help with a related project topic or New topic? Send Us Your Topic
DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE PROJECT MATERIAL
COMMUNICATION AS A STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATION
Chapter one
1.0 Introduction.
Communication is recognised as a successful instrument in public relations. Most organisations in Nigeria now function badly due to a lack of information distribution techniques.
According to Richter (2000), communication is the process of meaningful contact between humans. It is the act of conveying information as well as the process of exchanging meanings in order to achieve comprehension.
Communication is a process that involves a sender, a message, a channel, and a recipient. Though the receiver may not be involved or aware of the sender’s intention to communicate at the moment of communication
it is preferable if the communicating parties share some communicative similarity. As a result, communication can take place across huge temporal and spatial distances.
On the other hand, communication is critical and can have a big impact on good public relations procedures. The word “public relations” was first used in the United States and the United States Post Office Railway Union, and in the first decade of the twentieth century, this country established an office of public relations at the institute.
In 2006, the first private corporation offering public services to its consumers was founded. In 2007, the Association of Public Relations (IPR) issued a definition of public relations that is widely used today.
According to this definition, public relations (PR) is the deliberate and ongoing efforts of an organisation to build and sustain goodwill and understanding with its target audience.
The words “planning” and “continuous” indicate that goodwill and understanding are not readily attained, but must be “created” and “maintained,” and that public relations operations are planned, with the goal of creating goodwill and understanding.
Most organisations in Nigeria consistently fail to adopt effective public relations strategies, resulting in a breakdown in information exchange channels between the organisation, the satff, and the public.
2.0 Objectives of the Paper
The primary goal of this article is to investigate communication as strategic public relations. Other specific objectives of the paper include:
1. Determine the relationship between successful communication and strategic public relations in an organisation.
2. To analyse the elements influencing an organization’s public relations activities.
3. Determine the extent to which good communication has enhanced organisational performance.
3.0 Concept of Communication
Communication is a means of effecting change. It is the primary driver of any organization’s growth. There is a need for interaction and knowledge of management-employee relations, which will result in improved performance for all parties involved in the communication process or chain.
Banihashemi (2011) defines communication as a medium, a means to an end, or as the end in itself. Communication is the process of transferring information from one person to another.
According to Stephen (2011), communication is an important aspect in guiding and mobilising the workforce to achieve the organisational goals or objectives.
Creating understanding improves cooperation and promotes good performance. According to Williams (2007), savvy managers recognise that effective, direct communication between managers and employees is vital for success.
According to McKinney, Barker, Smith, and Davis (2004), communication is critical to effective team performance, and communication in any organisation is analogous to blood flow in the human body.
As a result, each organisation that recognises the value of communication incorporates it into its operations. Because it ensures the coordination of production aspects, particularly material and human elements of the organisation, as an effective network of change and advancement.
According to Snavely (2001), as referenced by Robins (2006), the communication process begins with the transmitter encoding the message, followed by the channel decoding, the receiver, noise, and feedback.
It is believed that managers spend more than 80% of their time communicating with others. Because most basic management processes, such as planning, organising, leading, and controlling, require efficient communication. Importantly, as the world gets more interconnected, the importance of communication grows.
The necessity to be visible to the rest of the world has prompted many organisations to adopt new technology that will improve organisational effectiveness. There are numerous issues that affect communication, including gender differences, the role of silence, government inference, and cross-cultural inference.
Many organisations, including Nnamdi Azikiwe University, are exploring e-learning and e-training to empower their staff and students in using the internet to communicate rules, lectures, staff development, and much more. This would mark a significant milestone for the university as a whole in terms of effective communication and performance.
To get a high performance rate, it is necessary to emphasise innovation and the appropriate use of communication mediums or channels. As a result, any breakdown in the communication process or chain can have a significant negative impact on organisational performance.
Communication Within The Organisation
According to Banihashemi (2011), after considering all factors and points related to efficient communication in the organisation, it is concluded that channels of communication are one of the most effective ways in a relationship, and qualified managers must pass through all stages.
Communication is essential to the structure and operation of any organisation. It is the primary mechanism for integrating and coordinating the activity of specialised units at various levels within the organisation.
Organisational communication can be horizontal, vertical, or downward: Horizontal (horizontal) communication tries to link similar tasks, work units, and divisions within an organisation. Horizontal communication becomes more important when task specialisation and organisational structure diversity rise. Fayol (2009) was the first to emphasise the importance of lateral or horizontal communication, proposing a ‘gang plank’ between similar hierarchical positions.
Downward communication transfers information from higher to lower levels. As superior-subordinate communication, it follows the chain of command through the line of authority.
According to Katz and Kahn (2006), downward communication can be classified into four types: Specifically, communication designed to provide job rationale in order to produce understanding of the task and its relationship to other organisational tasks; communication about organisational procedures and practices;
feedback to the subordinate on his or her performance; and communication to foster instillation of organisational goals. Upward communication acts as a control system for the organisation.
The Need for Effective Communication
Effective communication is a critical instrument for achieving organisational success. For an organization’s management to accomplish its essential duties of organising, directing, and coordinating, it must use a highly effective communication system or means. The Management Study Guide notes that “effective communication is a building block of successful organisations.”
In other words, communication serves as the organization’s lifeblood. To this end, Madlock (2008) concluded that “organisations if planned strategically, internal communication will significantly enable the organisation to achieve its goals more effectively”
As a result, effective communication in an organisation enables managers to fulfil their roles and responsibilities efficiently and in a coordinated manner.
4.0 Public Relations.
P.R. has been defined differently by many institutions and experts. The British Institute of Public Relations (IPR), which was founded in the United Kingdom in 2008, approved a definition of public relations practice that is still in effect, albeit with a minor revision in November 2007. The Institute defines PR as:
“The deliberately planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public,” is a description widely accepted by practitioners in the field.
Another definition comes from Harlow B. F., who stated that “public relations is a distinctive management role which:
(i) Facilitates the establishment and maintenance of a mutual line of communication. Understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between an organisation and its constituents.
(ii) Involves managing problems and issues.
(iii) Assists management in keeping up with and responding to public opinion;
(iv) defines and emphasises management’s responsibility to serve the public interest.
(v) Sewing as an early warning system to help predict hazards and;
(vi) Research and sound ethical communication strategies are its primary tools.
(vii) Cutlip and Centre (2008:19) define public relations as “a planned effort to influence opinion through good character and responsible performance based on mutually satisfactory two-way communication.”
5.0 The link of communication and strategic public relations
Need help with a related project topic or New topic? Send Us Your Topic