CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          This research project on the role of public relation in crisis management in Nigeria considered the evaluation of individuals or workers with respect to their job performance.

          The role public relation is like the work of the personnel manager in an organization in relation with the workers. Hence it is a task requiring managerial judgment which places a considerable responsibility on the managers or the people involved.

          According to Kevin (1974) defined public relations as interaction between human elements in an organization in their day-to-day work process.

          The interaction goes beyond the institution of job rules and regulations and encompasses the existing social relation power position of the actions in the public relation system.

          According to Akpala (1993). The role of public relation officer in crisis management involves in every situation a process of defining power and authority relations amongst people, management labour organization and government for job, roles and job values.

1.2    STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

          Owing to the reoccurrence of crisis in our institutions, organization which in no small measure has reduced. The productive capacity of those institutions we identify the research problems as: (1) To investigate the causes of organization crisis both remote and immediate causes, thus preferring solution to those crisis.   (2) To counteract the motion at crisis are innate in human and suggest measure to improve human and organizational performance with special emphasis on Owerri west.

1.3    OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

          The following objective of the study are as follows:

1.    To determine maximum training levels and provide basis for sound management development programmes.

2.    To help to ensure optimum use of human resources currently employed.

3.    To provide for the future manpower needs of the organization in terms of skills numbers and ages.

4.    To put to an end inordinate cause of crisis in our organization.

1.4    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

          The study is mainly on the effect of public relation in managing crisis in Owerri west Local Government Area. With the view that it will provide a snapshot to correcting the abnormality in other institution and Nigeria at large. This study is further limited to the importance of human interaction and job performance in Owerri west.

1.5    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

          This work is of immersed important to Owerri West Local Government Area in that, it shall provide possible remedies to the problem of manpower development and need, vise versa via job performance, it shall also put to a stop the possible causes or organization crisis and usher-in good working environment.

          Academically, the work is of importance because it shall act as basis by which other students will lay hand and for further research on similar topics.

1.6    THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

          The theoretical framework of the study is based on the behavioural approach and the major concern in this theory is the relationship that exist between organizational achievement and the individual social interactions in the organization.

1.7    STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

HO: A good public relation practices leads to an effective crisis management in our institutions.

HI: Good public relation does not have any relation with effective crisis management but dependention on other variable.

1.8    DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.    Management: This means a kind of work that involves organization goals or objectives.

2.    Organization: It is a set of interrelated compound working together to accomplish some goals

3.    Public: It means the citizens of a given area, the people of town, region, state or country.

4.    Public relation: This means the interaction between human elements in an organization their day-to-day work process.

5.    Questionnaire: It is an instrument of data collection used for the research work.

6.    Managers: Is defined as a person employed to carry out some managerial functions.

1.9    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.    Does good public relation practice lead to effective crisis management in Owerri West.

2.    Is it proper to invite a third party in setting crisis in Owerri West.

3.    What are the roles of staff motivation towards crisis management