The Roles Of Public Relations In Enhancing Customers Satisfaction (A Case Study Of PZ Nigeria Plc)

This Research Work is on

The Roles Of Public Relations In Enhancing Customers Satisfaction (A Case Study Of PZ Nigeria Plc)

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Many scholars have contributed to the success of defining what public relations is, Some scholars believed and wrote on it as act (deed) representative (representing) a group or organization.
Public relations is deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public. British Institute of Public Relations (IBPR).
According to Roger Hayward as quoted by Adegoke (2001:1)says that public relations is the propagation of the personality of the organization. This states the importance of communication between the organization and its public” Roger Hayward’s definition has something to do with the British Institute of Public Relations (IBPR) definition because both state the duty of public relations officers in promoting, projecting and representing the organization and at the same time relating with the publics of the organization both the internal and external public. Public relations project the management personality of which the public relations department represents, through their activities with the use of their perspective tools (i.e. Print and electronic media).
The aim is to create favorable atmosphere between an organization and its public. Sam Black (1962: 62) asserts that public relations involve anything that is focused, improving and enhancing the flow of communication between institution and its public.
The main words that can be draw out from Sam Black definition in the crucial role- played by any (if any)public relations department through the means of using mass media.
However, in this research work, impartial assessment will be done, on the role of public relations in enhancing customers’ satisfaction as the main crucial and prominent tool in business success.
While customer satisfaction, a term frequently used in marketing, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as “the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 71 percent responded that they found a customer satisfaction metric very useful in managing and monitoring their businesses.
It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and is often part of a Balanced Scorecard. In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of business strategy.
“Within organizations, customer satisfaction ratings can have powerful effects. They focus employees on the importance of fulfilling customers’ expectations. Furthermore, when these ratings dip, they warn of problems that can affect sales and profitability. These metrics quantify an important dynamic. When a brand has loyal customers, it gains positive word-of-mouth marketing, which is both free and highly effective.
Therefore, it is essential for businesses to effectively manage customer satisfaction. To be able do this, firms need reliable and representative measures of satisfaction.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This research has observed that in so many organizations, especially profit oriented firm, management do focus on how to maximize their profit at the expense of their customers. The management does not as we realize the potential of public relations activities in building and enhancing a good image for the success of the organization. While customer remain a power, bedrock of every successful organization which a serious firm will never toy with. This research focuses on how public relations can enhance customers satisfaction in this competitive world.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
i. To examine the role of public relations in an organization.
ii. To highlight ways by which an organization can use PRs in satisfying customers.
iii. To study the techniques PR can adopt in enhancing customer satisfaction.
iv. To study the public relations media that can facilitate customers’ satisfaction.
v. To x-ray the quality expected of PRs in a profit making firms.
vi. To let the public relations office aware of intermediary role in an organization.
vii. To examine some of the challenges facing public relations.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
i. To what extent can public relations be used in enhancing customers satisfaction?
ii. Does management sees public relations as a veritable tool of satisfying customers.
iii. To what extent has public relations given free hand to operate in an organization towards the goodwill of the organisation?
iv. Do customers trust public relations information / message emanating from the organisation?
v. To what extent does PRs bridge the communication gap between management and customers.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
With the selection of PZ Nigeria Plc as a case study, this project work has been limited because visiting all company in Nigeria cannot be possible. However, the demography of the workers and management of PZ Nigeria PLC such as: age, sex, working experience, academic qualification will be considered before the distribution of questionnaires.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Work like this will benefit a lot of people, few among the beneficiaries include but not limited to undergraduates and graduates of mass communication, marketing, advertisers and public relations.
It will as well benefit the public relations practitioners on what is expected of them in a company. It will serve as eyes opener to the management of higher institution of learning the need to have a functioning public relations department or unit in their campus.
In addition, this research work tries to provide satisfactory answers to some questions that are disturbing the mind of policy formulators, students and researcher.
Moreover, policy formulators will benefit from this research work because they will be able to identify the usefulness of public relations to them on policy formulations and corporate management.

1.7 LIMITATIONS TO THE STUDY
There is no gain saying in the fact that research work like this cannot be written without some hindrances that include but not limited to this following:
Time is another hindrance as there is just limited time to complete the research work.
There is also a financial constrain in carrying out this research work.
There is little literature available under the topic to consult.

1.8 DEFINITION OF THE TERMS
Public Relations: Public relations is deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics. British Institute of Public Relations (IBPR).
Customer: A person buying goods or service from organization.
Satisfaction: Fulfill the needs or meet a demand or desire need.
Enhancing: Improving or increasing the quality, value of something.
Role: It is the responsibilities or functions or impact.
Publics: These are the different publics an organization deals with.

 

 

 

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