ABSTRACT

The project considered the effectiveness of the public relation in tertiary institution with a focus in the institute of management and technology, Enugu.

The study is divided into five chapters which consists of the introduction while chapter two contains literature review and was carried out in relation to the definition of public relation.

Chapter three provided the explanatory analysis of research methodology.

Chapter four present the analysis and interpretation for data, including resulting and discussion where an the conclusion and recommendation were treated in chapter five is the study suggests some was through which better relationship be established in order sustain the public relations department tertiary institution it land to rest the place of communication process in actualizing this ultimate good in crisis management of tertiary institution.

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCATION

1.1            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The polytechnic and other higher institution of learning need all types of management inputs in order to survive, grow and also achieve their set objectives.

But unfortunately some others institution do not make use of the public elation. The few institution that make use of the public relation are not given free hard to run the intuitions the reason for this are many, but the most important reason is the misconception and consequent misplacement of public relation in the organizational hierarchy by various administration of these institution.

          There should be a charge in this misperception. In order to effect these changes. There is need to properly educate the administrative leaders in both the colleges of education, polytechnics and the universities on the benefits and nature of public relation, what public relation is not and also how public relation fits into the institution management and administration. Public raltion is old as man. This is based on the facts that relationship have always existed between people. What is new is the modern public relations practice, which dated only from 1923 in some western countries notably the United States of American and Britain.

          The public relation practice started in Nigeria in January 1994 the public relation office was situated in Lagos by then colonial government.

Some year later in 1945, public relation office expanded to Ibadan Kaduna and Enugu. There are different definition of public relation made by deferent authors and practitioners of public relation. However, all the definition do emphasize that the basic philosophy underlying public relation practice is that people matter and the support of public is of prime in all sphere of action has public relation has been largely misconceived . among the misperception about public relation is that public relation is not a chance affair as people take it to be. It is planned, it is systematic. Public relation uses publicity. It is not turning errands for the boss and his or her family or even carrying brief cases. It is not protocol function performance eve through this what public relation department do.

          It is not propaganda because while the public relation is based on truth and full information, propaganda in modern time is based mainly on lies and half truth public relation is not marketing even though it serves as a marketing support system or a promotional tool. It is wider in scope than marketing.

          The question one may ask now is what is public relation? Public relation can be described in many ways depending on the way one sees it to be. Generally the public relation involve doing into others as you have them to do unto you. It involves making and keeping friends for you organization. It involves about 90% performance and 10% talking or communication it is management function techniques and other strategies to ensure mutual understanding between organization and its various internal and externals public.

          There are so many definition of public relation by very many experts. According t a successful United State based public relation practitioner Carl Byoir, he defines public relation as “whatever the individual practitioner think it is”.

          This definition implies that there is no stereotype definition of the public relations. It is whatever the individual practitioners thinks whatever the individual practitioners view and not the assessment of a charlatan or uninitiated public relations as defined by Osuji (1990:15) a public relations guru and also a council member of the Nigeria institute of public relation sags!

“public relation is a process of greatly organization institution, individuals, commodities or for tangible things such as names so that relevant members of the public who have something to do with these tangible thing may perceive them in good way”.

The most celebrated definition of the public relation has been that of a British institute of public relation (BIPR) which state that:

“public relation practice is the deliberate effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between organization and its publics”.

The practice of the public relation is based upon simple proposition that is essential for many government and institution of higher learning to win public acceptance. In order to inform its public of its policies and program and also to have effective communication flow from the organization.

          Almost all institution of higher learning have established of higher learning have established a public elations department in Nigeria, the public relation unit of this institution of management and is technology, Enugu is expected to perform certain function. According to Burson (1973) he believes that the function of public relation practitioners is that of a mediator between the organization and the society. In a lecture he presented at the Columbia graduate school of business, he underlines four major responsibilities.

These are.

vThe early warrior

vThe corporate communicator

vThe corporate monitor

Public relation professional are believed to perform different roles in an organization the work. The roles expected of a public relations practitioner according to Igben (1997:36).

vAn advisor or counselors

vA two – way scientific communication.

vAnalysis future trends and predicting their consequences.

vResearching public opinion attitude and expecting and advising on any necessary actions.

vAnticipating and preventing conflict and misunderstanding.

vPromoting good will with staff, supplier and customer.

vAttracting personnel and reducing labour turnover

vPromoting products and services

vPromoting corporate image

vThe eye, the ears and the mouth of the institution.

vA good will maintenance engineer.

vAn organization image doctor who examining diagnoses, prescribe treatment when this reputation of the organization is effect

In a nutshell, the public relations event revolving task is that of recounting the institution concept of itself (what he feels it is how it will like to be though  with the institution real self performance on one hand and their reconciling both with the organization perceived performance the rating of those effected b its activities.

          In an ideal situation there should be little no different between what institution their it is (the reason for its action) as well as what people think it is (what they see or know or its actions but in fact experience has shown that they may be unbridgeable gaps between the three view about he same corporate being.

          The duty of the public relation is to ensure (through internal persuasion) that organization performance match up to its self imposed ideal as proclaimed in its polices as will as to ensure through communication that the fact about organization and the reason for its action are correctly perceived by those whose opinions that effected its fortunes.

          The public relation section in every other higher institution in the country is also expected in the institute of management and technology, Enugu to ensure free flow of information between the management and the internal public of the institution. It is also the responsibility of the department to help the public understand, appreciate tolerate to learn and for scholars to teach without restriction. The public relation belongs to top management or top administration it is to perform well in our institution of higher learning. Public relations department must not only be crated as autonomous units or section but must be made to report directly to their chief executives, which is provost (college of education) rector polytechnic) and vice – chancellor (university).

1.2            STATEMENT OF PUBLIC

It is obvious that there is general discrimination between the universities, polytechnic graduates and that of college of education.

          Besides some polices of the management of either the state owned polytechnic or the federal polytechnic to its internal public is always by grave vine or rumor.

This study is therefore informed by the poor performance of the public relations in our higher institution, its image and adequate flow of information between the management and the internal public of the institution.