A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FUNCTIONS IN THE NIGERIAN BANKING SYSTEM AND GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

According to Webster is new international dictionary third edition, public relations is “ the promotion of rapport and goodwill between a person, firm or institutions and other persons, special publics or community at large through the distributions of interpretative materials, the development of neighbourly interchange and assessment of public reactions” (Ezigbo 2001).

The international public relations association defines public relations as management functions of a contuining and planned character, through which public and private organizations and institution seek to win and retain the understanding, sympathy and support of those with whom they are or may be concerned.

According to Mbachu (2000) refers public relations as any activity concerned with creating and maintaining favorable relations between an organization and its publics, such as the customers, employees, shareholders, and the community at large. This implies that public relations (PR) is any deliberate, planned and sustained efforts aimed at establishing mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.

From the above explanation, it is cleared that public relations is about “ an organization blowing its trumpet” ( Anyakora, 1999). Thus, there is no0 gainsaying that many firms are facing growing image and credibility crisis caused partly by growing public awareness of the social responsibility of business, consumerism, environmentalism and increase government legislation are all part of this growing awareness. It is also true that business are being judged on their conduct and responsibility as members of the society and not first on their product quality and prices. Public criticism has been aroused by numerous instances of defective product, outright deception, and other forms of irresponsibility. The critics are seeking corporate openness, as opposed to secrecy, cooperation in industry rather than harsh competition and increased satisfaction rather than industrial exploitation. These and other factors are causing many companies to think strongly about PR campaign. Public relations is thus used to support all the organization’s communication efforts ( Ndianagwa, 2001).

Ekwudu (2000) identified the five major functions performed by the PR oractitioners. These includes the following:

i.          Press relations

ii.        Corporate communication

iii.      Product publicity

iv.      Lobbying

v.        Councelling

Press relations refer to the placement of news story in the media to attract attention to a person, products and services (Eze, 1999). Many large corporations in Nigeria usually undertake this PR. Notable among them is the following.

1)               Banking institutions e.g. –

·         First Bank of   Nigeria Plc.

·         Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.

·         UBA Plc.,

·         Standard trust Bank Nig. Plc.

·          Access Bank of Nigeria Plc.

2)               Breweries e.g. –

·         Nigeria breweries plc.

·         International breweries plc.

·         Jos international breweries plc.

·         Guiness breweries plc.

3)               Food and beverages manufacturers e.g. –

·         Nestle Nigeria plc.

·         Cadbury Nigeria plc.

·         Flour mills Nigeria plc.

·         Union dicon salt plc

4)               Pharmaceutical companies e.g. –

·         Glaxo – smithkline plc.

·          May and baker nig. Plc.

5)               Conglomerates e.g. –

·         Scoa Nigeria plc.

·         PZ industries plc.

·         Unilever Nigeria plc.

·         John Holt Nigeria plc.

·         A.G Leventis Nigeria Plc.

Product publicity on the other hand, refers to the use of news media and other means to publicize specified products and events related to the products. Ideas such as “ bicycling”, “wall to wall”, carpeting are examples of the product publicity (Ukaegbu, 2000).

Corporate communication involves internal and external communication designed to give attention and understanding to the organization. Its purpose is to build awareness and favorable attitudes towards the whole organization (Ndiato, 2001).

Lobbying refers to any attempt to defeat unwanted government legislation and regulation or to promote wanted legislation and regulation (Okafor,1999). According to Ndukwe (2000), lobbying involves the following activities:

Digging out information from officials in government

Persuading government officials

Promoting legislative action for government

Obtaining government cooperation or sponsorship.

Counseling involves the provision of useful advice to the company on what is happening in the society and what the company might do in the way of changing its ways or improving its communincations. (Obika, 1999). It is important to note here that counseling is a very relevant aspect of PR activity and is being adopted many corporation world – wide.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Public relations (PR) has been identified as being indispensable for the effective operation of any organization. Many organization in Nigeria engage in PR activities on a regular basis to maintain mutual understanding between the organization and its publics. The PR activity adopted by any organization varies depending on the type of organization involved as well as on the corporate targets or objectives of the organization (Ezigbo 2001). The question then are: what are the features of the PR activities practiced by the bank and government parastatals in Nigeria? Are there any difference in the PR activities as is being practiced by the Nigerian banks and government parastatals? What are the strategies for harmonizing the PR practice in Nigerian banks and parastatals so as to enhance the operational efficiency of these organizations? These questions present the problems that necessitated this research.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this research is to make a comparative assessment of public relations functions in the nigerian banking system and government parastatals. Specifically, other objecives of this study are:

1)    To examine the features of public relations(PR) activities as is being practiced by the Nigeria banks and government parastatals.

2)    To ascertain the differences in the approach to PR activities/ programmes by the Nigerian banks and government parastatals.

3)    To ascertain how the different approach to PR activities affect the corporate images of the Nigerian banks and government parastatals.

4)    To suggest strategies for harmonizing the PR practice in Nigerian banks and government parastatals so as to enhance the operational efficiency of these organizations.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study is guided by the following research questions

1)    What are the features of PR activities practical by the banks and government parastatals in Nigeria?

2)    Are there differences in the PR activities as is being practiced by the Nigerian banks and government parastatals?

3)    How does these differences in PR affect the corporate images of the Nigerian banks and government parastatals?

4)    What are the strategies for harmonizing the PR practice in Nigeria so as to enhance the operational efficiency of these organizations?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Both the Nigerian banks and the government parastatals as well as the Nigerian citizens, will benefit from this study. Public relations activities involves the sponsorship of community development projects (eg rural electrification, pipe – borne water, scholarship programmes, etc) geared towards the improvement of the image of organizations. Hence, while sponsoring these projects, the organization involved will gain good public image and credibility, while the Nigerian citizens will gain by the improvement of their living standards by the PR activities of the organizations. All the above would be the case of findings and recommendations to be made in this study.

This research will also expose the areas of differences in the approach to PR activities by the Nigeria banks and government parastatals. The good part of these differences, when modified and harmonized will further improve the image of these organizations. (ALL STATE TRUST BANK and ANAMMCO NIGERIA LIMITED).

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on carrying out a comparative assessment of public relations functions in the nigerian banking system and government parastatals. Specifically, it will be focused on examining the features of public relations(PR) activities as is being practiced by the Nigeria banks and government parastatals, ascertaining the differences in the approach to PR activities/ programmes by the Nigerian banks and government parastatals, ascertaining how the different approach to PR activities affect the corporate images of the Nigerian banks and government parastatals and suggesting strategies for harmonizing the PR practice in Nigerian banks and government parastatals so as to enhance the operational efficiency of these organizations.

Selected staff of Anammco LTD and All States Trust Bank will serve as respondents for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

This study will be limited to carrying out a comparative assessment of public relations functions in the nigerian banking system and government parastatals. Specifically, it will be limited to examining the features of public relations(PR) activities as is being practiced by the Nigeria banks and government parastatals, ascertaining the differences in the approach to PR activities/ programmes by the Nigerian banks and government parastatals, ascertaining how the different approach to PR activities affect the corporate images of the Nigerian banks and government parastatals and suggesting strategies for harmonizing the PR practice in Nigerian banks and government parastatals so as to enhance the operational efficiency of these organizations.

Selected staff of Anammco LTD and All States Trust Bank will serve as respondents for the survey of this study. This serves as a delimitation to this study as further research is needed if the findings of this study are to be used any where else.