pro251x public relations ii chapters 12, 13 & 14

PRO251XPublic Relations II

Chapters 12, 13 & 14

Mrs Swart

• Chapter 12: Public Relations in the public sector

• Chapter 13: Dealing with crisis situations and Labour unrest

• Chapter 14: Multinational Organisations

TOPICS

Also referred to as …

Public Affairs … Public Information … Public Communication … Government Communication … Government Public

Relations

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Democracy = “government of the people, by the people, for the people” and therefore …

•public relations techniques is PEOPLE-ORIENTED•communication aims to achieve mutual understanding•all PR practitioners should understand the workings of the public service•in a true democracy the government serves the community (citizens/public/society)•government is answerable to the community – in other words it must account for its activities


Responsibilities of a democratic government that will determine how PR is planned and executed:

•government must keep track of the needs and interests of its citizens and grow and adapt accordingly

•must maintain the involvement of citizens


Broad requirements for successful government public relations

Promoteeffective

participation and support by the

citizens

Report all government

activities to the citizens

• Public Apathy - lack of interest in government activities OR lack of knowledge of government

Caused by:

citizen frustration difficulty to access complicated government systems

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Legislative Hostility to the PR function – suspicion of governments activitiesCaused by:

struggle between the ‘people’s right to know and the view by government who calls for discretion in certain areas

struggle within government between the legislative (‘law makers’) and executive functions of government

struggle between political parties protests by industries/institutions when faced with new

regulations and laws

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS

National Government (Parliament)

Provincial Government (nine provinces)

Local Government (283 municipalities)

LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT

National Government

Functions of PR practitioners: Implement public policy Support and assist the media Report back to the public Promote internal cooperation Promote relationship between government and the public Promote support by the private sector


Provincial Government

Functions of PR practitioners: Liaison between national and provincial level Provide information on policy level Deals with the immediate needs and demands of citizens


Local Government

Functions of PR practitioners: Report to residents about policy Provide relevant and adequate information to ensure

informed decisions are made Make sure residents have the channels to communicate their

needs to the councillors Provide information on local authority services Explain the need for regulations Informing residents about their rights and obligations Promote community pride


Aims to provide communication services and support to government, the media, the public and international

community Objectives:

Ensure the voice of government is heardPromote a positive communication environmentEnsure an understanding of the public’s needs and government’s communication needsSet standards for government communication

Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)

A crisis can be categorised into eight types:

… natural, technological, confrontation, skewed management values, deception, management misconduct, business and economic.

It requires … proactive planning• A pre-plan such as a crisis communication plan• Coordination – who does what, when and how?• Communication – beware of communication gaps• Mediation – act as mediator between management and the

media• Evaluation – evaluate plans and correct if necessary

CRISIS SITUATIONS AND LABOUR UNREST

The PR practitioner has the following responsibilities:

• Ensure management, employees and media are informed• Needs to be prepared • Ensure employees stay at work or return to work as soon as

possible• Ensure initiatives to handle labour unrest rests with management• Prevent injuries and damage to property• Establish the cause of the problem and get a complete view• Assist with reaching an acceptable agreement

LABOUR UNREST

The PR practitioner has the following responsibilities:

• Tell the story in honest and strong terms• Inform employees immediately before it is known • Keep employees and the public informed• Assist the media to cover the story quickly, accurately and

impartially• Keep management informed• Be well-organised and ensure adequate assistance

DEALING WITH STRIKES

Also referred to as …

International public relations

Objectives:

• Assist local companies to reach international markets or audiences

• Assist foreign clients to communicate with local audiences

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN MULTINATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

The importance of Public Relations in multinational organisations:

• To bring understanding between an organisation and its publics

• Create sensitivity for the dynamics of a specific country and the fact that what applies in one country may not necessarily apply in others – each is unique

• Ensuring there is no conflict between the organisation’s unique properties and the socio-political environment of the ‘host’ country

• To know the specific objectives of the country to introduce relevant methods to achieve the organisation’s objectives


Factors that could cause conflict in implementing a PR awareness campaign:

• Some activities that impact on the country’s socially and economically may cause conflict e.g. such as mining when miners are retrenched due to poor economic times

• The Presence of an organisation can be a factor – e.g. larger organisations are more visible and in the public eye specifically ‘new’ organisations may experience initial resistance


Factors that could cause conflict in implementing a PR awareness campaign:

• Objectives of management affect the planning and the execution the PR function (aggressive management style = regular news coverage vs a ‘relaxed’ style = more time for proactive action)

• Product or services marketed can be so ‘sensitive’ that the host country could opt to manage the PR themselves

• Link with marketing will affect the awareness programmes – some practices may be illegal in some countries


Public relations divisions are either centralised or decentralised and it is determined by the organisation

Centralised Structure

The PR structures in Multinational Organisations

Advantages Disadvantages

•The same policy is followed•Public relations actions are standardised

•It takes a great deal of time to get clearance

•Important opportunities can be lost.•Action can be taken too late•Poor coordination can lead to problems

•It is possible that culture, language and policy of the host country are not considered

•In some instances it will not be possible to immediately take temporary measures

Decentralised Structure

The PR structures in Multinational Organisations

Advantages Disadvantages

•Public relations can be executed effectively

•It leads to effective communication to prevent damage to the image of the organisation

•Immediate decisions can be taken•The country/region itself is responsible for the PR and culture, language, policy of the host country can be considered

•It allows the PR practitioner to sensitise and inform managers and identify opportunities that can be addressed by public relations actions

•Action can be taken contrary to the policy of the organisation.

•The situation does not receive the necessary attention

Contact any of the responsible lecturers if you experience difficulties during your preparation and need clarification of specific issues:

Gibson Chauke Christelle SwartTel: 012 429 6843 Tel: 012 429 2633E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Louise van Dyk Vuyolwethu SetiTel: 012 429 2148 Tel: 012 429 6216E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Examination Preparation

mailto:[email protected]




To prepare and plan for all the examinations, you have to work through all three assignments (and the relevant chapters in your study guides).

It is important that you have an understanding of the basic principles of public relations and its various activities. Make sure that you know the different ways in which public relations is practised by the different organisations/departments, for example the role of public relations in non-profit and welfare organisations, multinational organisations nd government departments.

Examination Preparation:

Make sure that you study the chapters in your study guide that are relevant to your assignments and all the topics addressed in your study guide. For students who fail the Oct/Nov examination and qualify for a supplementary examination, you will be required to write the supplementary examination during Jan/Feb in 2013.The supplementary examination is based on the same syllabus and module content which you studied during the semester. If you qualify for a supplementary examination please contact your lecturers for more information or guidance on the supplementary examination.


The following aspects are important guidelines for examination purposes; however you could be examined on any of the chapters in the study guide:•Familiarise yourself with the steps of the research process – make sure you can identify and discuss it. •Familiarise yourself with research terms and know the various reasons why research is important in public relations. •You should be able to explain questions that guide the evaluation research.•Know the PR budget.•You should know the differences between a public relations budget and an advertising budget.

Examination Preparation 30 OCTOBER 2012: to be confirmed by examination

department

• Make sure you are familiar with functions of a public relations practitioner in financial programmes.

• Study the steps of a fund-raising campaign and make sure you can apply it practically.

• Know the systems approach to public relations.• You should be able to identify the steps in a public relations

programme for a non-profit organisation and how these steps can be applied by a non-profit organisation.

• Know the features that distinguish non-profit organisations. Make sure you can explain the features in meaningful sentences.


• Sound relationships and mutual understanding between the government and the organisation/citizens of a country are important. You should know the barriers that hamper the building of successful relationships.

• Familiarise yourself with the different levels of government in South Africa and the role of public relations in each.

• Study public relations in multinational (international) organisations – the structures and the conflict factors.


The following aspects are important guidelines for examination purposes; however you could be examined on any of the chapters in the study guide:•Make sure you understand the difference between attitudes and opinions.•Make sure you can give a detailed discussion of public opinion.•Familiarise yourself with integrated communication and the prerequisites for an Integrated Marketing Model.•Know the systems approach to public relations. •Make sure you know the meaning of financial public relations.

Examination Preparation: Sub-exam JANUARY/FEB 2013:to be confirmed by examination

Department

The following aspects are important guidelines for examination purposes; however you could be examined on any of the chapters in the study guide:•Study the importance of public relations in crisis and disaster situations. Make sure you can discuss the role of the practitioner and the importance of media relations. •You should know how to plan a public relations campaign and how to apply the ‘RAISE’ formula. •Employee (internal) communication is very important – make sure you know the accomplishments for using internal communication.

Examination Preparation: JANUARY/FEB 2013:to be confirmed by examination

Department

• The paper consists of five questions, of which you will be required to answer any four.

• It is a two-hour examination paper. It is not necessary for you to give a table of contents or a list of references in the examination.

• The examination paper counts 100 marks in total.• Answer only what is asked, since you have limited time to

spend on each question.• Make sure that you answer all the questions and complete all

the subsections.

Examination Format

• Some questions are longer and require an answer in an essay style (introduction, body with relevant headings, and conclusion). Use full sentences and paragraphs if a discussion is required in the examination.

• Approach your examination questions in the same way as you did your assignments – use the theory as background and provide practical examples where required.

Examination Format

GOOD LUCK!

pro251x public relations ii chapters 12, 13 & 14

Documents

government activities

provinceslocal government

voice of government

democratic government

public servicein

public sectorchapter

public relations techniques

public policysupport