ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to know the effectiveness of public

relations in service industries. A case study of the Enugu State
University of Sciences and Technology (ESUT), Enugu. To guide this
study, three hypotheses were formulated. A review of related
literature was done to expose the research, to which has already
been done to ensure solid conclusion for the study.
A structural questionnaires was developed and administered by the
researcher to respondents comprising of the students and
staff/management of the institution, the data collected were from
both primary and secondary sources and were duly analyzed and
presented in a manner in which they could be easily be understood
and applied y who so ever may be interested in the work and its
finding.
From the analysis the following findings were made:
a) Public relations activities of ESUT had led to industrial
harmony; the fact is that they lied not to have major strike
that lasted for a long time.
b) Public relations activities of ESUT also to impact positively or
students patronage of the institution based on the following
recommendation on that.
c) Public relation activities of ESUT also led to impact positively
on students patronage of the institution based on the above
findings the researcher made the following recommendation on
that.
d) ESUT public relations department should be well fenced to
enable them acquire more sophisticated equipment to improve
public relations activities.
e) ESUT should upgrade the quality of their services they provide
by creating awareness so that people will no about them.
Public relations functions should be clearly defined to avoid
confusion in the institution from this researcher its concluded that
public relation is a potent tool for marking of goods and services. So
ESUT must embrace it for the satisfaction of its numerous public.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY.
Public relations have become a potent marketing tool in
modern business management in recent times. Its influence is
being felt on both big and small firm with the influence of even
greater expansion. It is important for the management of an
organization including tertiary Institutions to understand its
potentials and limitations.
Nwokoye N.G. (1984: 212) defined public relations as the
activities of
-operations, unions government or other as an organization in
building and marketing sound and productive relations with special
public such as customer relations, employees of stock holders and
with public at large so as to adopt itself to its environment and
interpret itself to the society.
According to Benson-Eluwa, Virginia (1999:3) public relations
is defined as a programmes and activities were by considered as a
powerful tools for coordinated human and business image.

Bush Houston (1995:200) noted that public relations is

management function which evaluated public attitude identifies
policies and procedures of an individuals or an organizations with
the public interest and execute a programme of action to earn
public understanding and acceptance.
Chukwu (200:3-4) stated that public relations practice is a
management philosophy aimed at doing everything possible to
create good relationship between an organization and its publics.
Public

relations

is

aimed

at

making

friends

for

the

organization and building internal and external goodwill on the

reasonable assumption that will be strongly needed for an
organization, to remain in business and make profit with interest in
the activities of an organization profit with the increase in the
activities of an organization while wanting to remain liable needs to
here good relations with its employees, consumers of its products
and services future inventors, stock holder and the general public.
As an organization specialized in manufacturing or offering services
its needs to show itself existing to potential customer that is up to
date forward looking concerned to product and offer the best goods

and services for the price it charges and make sure that its
customers are really satisfied.
Edoaga and Ani (2001:287) noted that a company should
deliberately plan and execute a contentious public relations
programme to develop a good relation between it and various
publics.
Complaining about the position of public relations in the
country, Olakunori (1999:194) noted that most official occupying
the public relations of various organization in the country today are
not professional they generally have a fair knowledge of what that
are supposed to as Enugu State University of Sciences and
Technology (ESUT) as an institution or organization has the student
members

of

its

staff,

management,

the

lost

parents,
society,

teachers

the

state,

association,
and

the

the

federal

government, Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) etc, as its

relevant publics. This implies that the activities performed by ESUT
in one way or the other affect those aforementioned various public.
Therefore in order to maintain its public relations with those bodies,
ESUT must at all times try to create a rapport and understanding
or goodwill with information circulation between itself and those

various bodies the free flow of information paying of salaries as and

when due to its staff, engaging in proper and standard academic
work abiding by the rules and regulations of NUC in the
performance of its activities. One all the activities involved in
maintaining good Public Relations practice among its various
public.
Manufacturers and producers of goods and services are now
aware that public relations do not only ensure good relations with
the public but, it can strive towards profit making through
increased customers patronage. It is in the light of the importance
attached to public relations that the researcher seeks to appraise
the effectiveness of public relations in services industries in Enugu
State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) as a case study.
1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM.
A good corporate image is usually regarded to be essential for
the existence of an organization, the services or failure of a
corporation depends on its relationship with its public consumer,
employees, stock holders, government, communities, distributions,
supplies etc.

favoured

corporate

image

creates

confidence

in

an

organizations or institutions.
There has been occupational troubles in tertiary institutions
has become the order of the day. But ESUT always remain in sector
despites the occasional occurrence of this ugly incident.
Why has ESUT not witness the major breakdown if law and
order despite the increase in school fees?
Why has ESUT been able to maintained peace despite the facts
that there are some polities that do not go down well with the staff,
lecturers and the students of the institute?
To what extent has public relations contributed in maintaining
peace and harmony in the institution, these and many more are the
central tasks of this research work.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
To give focus to the study, the following objectives are
formulated.
1.

To find out the level of attention given to the publics of Enugu

State University of sciences and Technology (ESUT)

2.

To find out whether the institution have good relationship with

the press.

3.

To examine the level of students, lecturers, staff and

management relations in ESUT.

4.

To

know

how

public

relations

help

in

improving

communication between people and the organization.

5.

To recommend solution to problems on public relations

identified.
6.

To determine the impact of public relations identified.

7.

To appraise the public relations activities of Enugu State

University of Sciences and Technology (ESUT).

8.

To stimulate the students imagination.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. Do public relations activities in ESUT make you to be aware
of the services provided by the school?
2. Can public relations activities lead to an increase in
performance?
3. What are responsible for poor corporate governance in the
institution?
4. Can you relate the poor relationship existing between the
staff and student to the inefficient public relations activities
in the school?

5. Can public relations activities be used to clear misconcept in

the institution?
6. Do you feel that sustained negative public opinion can
adversely affect the growth of the institution?
7. Can public relations activities be used to bridge the gap
between the staff and students?
8. Do you feel that public relations are image maker activities?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY.
The most outstanding hope of this study is that, its finding
will be of immense benefit to students, lecturers and staff of
management of tertiary institutions.
The study also gives an insight into the problem and practice
of public relation in Nigerian Institutions of higher learning. This
study by its objectives, will not only asses the effectiveness of
classified public relations but all its application and uses generally.
Therefore when successfully carried out and documental, this study
will serve as a sources of relevant information to many Institution
and organization on ways of using public relations.

Finally, public relations practitioners have been deprived of

excellent performance in their operations because of scanty and
insufficient data and inadequate literature available in their area.
This study when successfully completed and adequately
supervised will be an addition to the essential literature needed in
public relation. Practitioners will therefore use it extensively for
reference based on forgoing it become indisputable that the need for
this study is worth while.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study cover public relations activities in service industries
and it will equally cover an over view of public relations in services
industries. The role of public relations activities is in improving the
image of service industries especially tertiary institutions. Due to
limited time and other constraints emphases was placed on Enugu
State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) as a case study.