CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Public Relation is the art and social science of analysing trends predicting their consequences, counselling organization’s leaders and implementing planned programmes of actions, which will serve the interest of both the organization and its publics. It is also a deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintaining mutual understanding between organization and its publics.

In all those, public relations covers wide range of activities. It is first and foremost action before statement, the specific process employed for these activities involved research, action, communication, evaluation and efficiency because none of public relations programme is done haphazardly.

This will critically examine and been a search high on the impact of public relations in achieving organization’s objective in commercial organization with respect to Skye Bank Plc.

A research was carried out on the sample size of the management staffs of Skye Bank plc and questions were administered on the topic in question. All the data analysis and research recommendation also accessible in this report.

1.2     STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

Public relations are as old as humanity. It has been a part of every existence. Every normal person wants to appear to his fellow human being as a decent and honest person. This is sometimes done consciously or unconsciously, for any individual or entity to survive, there must be good will, understanding, cooperation and acceptance. Public Relations thinking has helped to deepen the sense of social responsibility in our public welfare.

          However, there are certain misconception which some people have of the nature and function of public relations, this people often regard public relation as mere publicity dinning and winning to gain support, a sample means of gaining media coverage, covering up for mistakes, also the word “dishonesty” tends to spring up in some people’s mind. To some, public relations play a vital role while to others it does not, in solving the assumptions or problems is what this study is all about.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of the study is to examine the role of public relations in achieving organizational objectives.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

To establish if public relations practice is relevant to achieving the goals of an organization.

To identify specific functions that can be performed by public relations practitioners to achieve the goals of an organization.

To examine how public relations can be strengthened to achieve organizational objective.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

Is public relations practice being relevant to achieving the goals of an organization?

What are the functions performed by public relations practitioners to achieve the goals of an organization?

Are there misconceptions hindering the effectiveness of public relations practitioners in performing organizational objectives?

In what ways can public relations can be strengthened to achieve organizational objective?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Public relations are a complex profession, an emerging industry that is at the heart of all communication. Finding from the study will be relevant to organizations, managers and academia. This study is important as it addresses the importance of public relations within an organization. The study provides a framework as it outlined public relations as an integral subsystem within an organization. Organizations can use this study as a guideline in assessing their in-house public relations departments or any other department under which public relations falls, for the overall interest and success of the organization. The study will also contribute to the general body of knowledge and serve as a reference material to both scholars and students who wishes to conduct further studies in related field.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study borders on the role of public relations in achieving organizational objectives. The study will discuss the misconceptions hindering public relations practitioners for functioning effectively and thus further proffer ways they can be strengthened. The study is however delimited to Skye Bank Plc, FCT Abuja.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial Constraint

Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in souring for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time Constraint

The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.