PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A TOOL FOR ENHANCING INDUSTRIAL HARMONY:
(A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION SERVICE ENUGU STATE COMMAND)
ABSTRACT
There have been meaningful contributions by researchers on the subject, Public Relations.
This project developed after a series of consultants and research, it seeks to put to rest the thought of the minds of many people as to whether Public Relations is necessary in an industrial Organization.
It is our belief that despite being the means through which public relations is mostly propagated the industry, as an organization also has an image to protect the need for an effective public relations unit in an industry.
We have Nigerian Immigration Service Command Enugu as our case study as regards this project writing.
The structure of the material is fairly simple.  There are five chapters altogether; chapter one deals with introduction of the research work, chapter two deals with the literature review, which explores the functions and importance of Public Relations Unites in an industrial organization.
In chapter three the researcher discussed the methodology of this work while chapter four is the data analysis.  The last chapter, which is five deals with the conclusion and recommendations for further study.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE                                           
Introduction                                             
1.1      Background of the study                        
1.2      Statement of the research problem
1.3      Objectives of the study                 
1.4      Significance of the study                       
1.5      Research questions                               
1.6      Research hypotheses                            
1.7      Conceptual & operational definitions       
1.8      Assumptions                                       
1.9      Limitations of the study                        
CHAPTER TWO                                  
Review of Literature                         
2.1      Sources of literature                             
2.2      The Review                                 
2.3      Summary of literature review         
CHAPTER THREE                                       
Methodology                                             
3.1      Research method                                 
3.2      Research design                           
3.3      Research sample                          
3.4      Measuring instrument                   
3.5      Data collection                                    
3.6      Data analysis                                      
3.7      Expected result                                    
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Analysis and Results                 
4.1      Data analysis                                      
4.2      Results                                               
4.3      Discussions                                 
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary and recommendation for further study       
5.1      Summary                                                    
5.2      Recommendations for further study         
Bibliography                                             
Appendix                                                  
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0         SYNOPSES OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT IN NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION ON Enugu COMMAND.
Public Relations Department in Nigeria Immigration Service Enugu Command, started operation as far back as 1991, they started being functional from August 1991 and that was with a defined framework or guidelines, these framework includes employees relations, community relations, press relations.  These are the major frameworks in which the unit was made up of.
However, since the inception of this public relations section in the service.  It has never revealed its services or responsibilities to officers and men of the service, Nigerian Citizens and foreigners in general.
The public relations section of Nigerian immigration services in Enugu state command have been doing its best in the settlement of conflict and dispute between officers and men of the command.
Besides, for example when two or more officers of the command involve in official misunderstanding, the O.C. that is officer in Command of Public Relations Units intervenes, that is the internal publics having settlement at the back of his mind which is also the watch word of a public relations practitioners in an establishment.  And in this case there must be a fair hearing given to both parties.
On the other hand, if the conflict or misunderstanding involves people outside (the external publics) of the command, the complain goes to the disciplinary committee command that deals with service issues and other social issues that is our of control.
In a situation whereby the disciplinary command committee cannot solve a particular problem, then the matter will be referred to the zonal office and if the zonal office cannot be resolved the problem it will be referred to the headquarters that is situated at Abuja.
1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The aims f this project work is to determine how public relations can be used to enhance the industrial harmony in Enugu State to be precise the Nigerian Immigration Service in Enugu State.
The sacred duty which management in every industry owe to their public is to provide information on all that they do and make their policies in order to win their understanding and writing support should not only be recognized as an imperative of public relations in an industry, but should also demonstrate in the industry, harmonious co-existence among the workers and the management.  This is a nutshell, as public relations effort in an industry r organization.
The reorganization of industries which has taken place in the country, Enugu State to be precise, provide the opportunity to make public relations principles and procedures a major components in industries especially in time of crisis, when both the management and its publics could not understand themselves, due to one misunderstanding or the other.
The importance of public relations to any organization of industry can clearly be seen in American association of public relations, as “Doing the right thing and letting people know about it, applying the golden rule in everyday activities while not letting one’s light shine unnoticed under the basket.  “This definition simply points out that it is necessary for an organization to have a public relations department through which it can tell the publics about its good deeds, but the talking must come after the doing.
Furthermore, the British Institute of Public Relations see public relations ad “A deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.
This entails that as a corporate body, there is every need for every industry in Enugu state to have a public relations department, which should endeavour to establish and maintain mutual understanding and sustain such understanding with its publics and as a result to maintain industrial harmony in the industry.
In spite of the sea of definitions of the meaning of public relations remains the same.  Philip Lesly Company Chicago, puts the definition of Public Relations as a “helping an organization and its public accommodation of each other”.  It is pertinent at this point to state that the importance of public relations, cannot be overemphasized.  Thus, there is need for public and private owned industries in Enugu state t have a public relations department which will always act as a link between it and their audiences monitors the feedback process and apply the necessary tools and technique towards achieving mutual understanding that has to be maintained and sustained through constant communication.
This research as earlier mentioned, will look into the importance of public relations department in an industry, the practice, activities and objectives of public relations in an effort to maintain and enhance industrial harmony among the management of public and private industries in Enugu state specifically the Nigerian Immigration Service Command in Enugu State and their various publics, the problem of such public relations and the solutions to such problems.
1.2         STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
In the third world countries, Nigeria being an example, one of the major problems in both government and private owned organization is that public relations has often been confused with marketing, advertising, publicity, product promotion and propaganda.  Though it is clear that public relations can involve any of these but it is usually a combination of all of them and more.
Finally, many people think that public relations practice is a parade of pretty, elegant and sophisticated ladies with either diploma or University degree in any discipline so as to earn attention.  But instead, this amount to white – wash, because public relations messages are based on truth and research.  Therefore, it is only a graduate in the field of mass communication that can perform effectively in public relations practice.
1.3         OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
It is expected that this work will serve as a reference material for schools, researchers, public relations practitioners, media executives, people interested in the subject as well as policy makers will find the research work, relevant.
The broad objectives of this study are also as follows:
1.     To ascertain if there is public relations unit in Nigerian Immigration Service Command Enugu and in most of the industries in Enugu state and the structure of such units if it exists.
2.     To find out the objectives of the public relations’ unit in Enugu State Nigerian Immigration Service and other industries and to find the programmes they use in achieving them.
3.     To proffer solutions to such problems if any.
4.     To develop, among the key functionaries of industries and appreciation of public relations work.
5.     To find out the problems of these units
6.     To sensitize participants on may approaches for effective communication, capable of maintaining industrial harmony in an industry or an organization.
7.     To help the chief executives and other key management personnel of these industries already employing public relations officer to appreciate more readily what these officers are trying to do.
1.4         SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Public relations, whether for public or private owned industries can broadly be viewed from the perspective described by leading expert in the field as the deliberate, planned and sustained efforts to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics on some concrete objectives of common orientation.
Example of some of such common objectives of orientation between members of Immigration Service Enugu State, usually organized by the public relations officers, could be conceived in the following terms.
(i)                    The advancement at the grassroots of the aims to change a particular product if in a productive industry.
(ii)                   In Nigerian Immigration Service Enugu, the public relations officer could be equally recognized in the rendition of service for solving social cum recreational problem of providing staff canteen in the command.
(iii)                 Ensuring that sports and athletic is schedule by public relations section.
(iv)                 Employee relations is part of the problem and these facilities that should be enjoyed by the officers of the command while working moreover, arranging the sports activities, sports venue, arranging inter-command sporting interaction.
(v)                   Organizing staff meetings, public relations officers organize and ensure effective ad functional health case section.
(vi)                 The advance of the idea of dispute settlement through non-violence means.
(vii)                Education facilities are ensured, provision of schools for the children and officers and men of the command to get in a better school from school of sister command.
(viii)              The problem of press release: it is the duty of the public relations officers to communicate effectively with men of the press to ensure that better article as it relates to the service is published, without biased but based on fact.
(ix)                 The foals of the general welfare of the industry on the service and its population entirely.  Public relations work in these contents is  the totality of concerted efforts by the industry t establish appropriate and effective communications system that will enable its various public to develop a common definition of the meaning and goal of these programmes, the expectation of each function in the successful execution of the programmes, and most importantly the acceptance of these programmes by the public which are ultimate beneficiaries of the programmes.
1.5         RESEARCH QUESTION
(i)                   Is public relations really an important tool for industrial harmony?
(ii)                 Would the establishment of a public relations unit in an industrial organization help achieve the set goals of the organization or industry?
(iii)               Is efficiency of an industry or efficiency of Immigration Service Command Enugu dependent on mutual understanding, existing between it and its publics?
(iv)                Does existence of a public relations unit in your organization help create a favrourable relationship between the organization and its public?
(v)                 Can public relations department affect the over all performance of the service in any way?
1.6         RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
For the purpose of this study, the following hypotheses are put forward for testing:
H1:    Public Relations is really an important tool for enhancing industrial harmony.
H0:    Public Relations is not really an important tool for enhancing industrial harmony
H2:    The establishment of a public relations Unit in an industrial organization would help achieve the set goals of the industry.
H0:    The establishment of a Public Relations Unite on industrial organization would not help achieve the set goals of the industry.
H3:    Efficiency of any industry depends much on mutual understanding existing between its publics.
H0:    Efficiency of any industry does not depends much on mutual understanding between its publics.
H4:    The existence of a Public Relations Unit in the industry will help create a favourable relationship between the industry and its publics.
H0:    The existence of Public Relations Unit in the industry will not help create a favourable relationship between the industry and its publics.
H5:    Public Relations Department affects the overall performance of the industry or organization.
H0:    Public Relations Department does not affect the overall performance of the industry or organization.
1.7         CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
(i)                   Public Relations:       
This is a communication function that evaluates public attitude, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or action to earn public understanding and acceptance.
(ii)                 Public Relations Tool:         
Public Relations Tool are those strategies and programmes used by the public relations practitioners in carrying out their duties in order to meet the aims and objective of their existence.
(iii)               Industrial Harmony:
This is having mutual co-existence, co-operation and good understanding between an industry and its various public, for easy, compromising of each other.
(iv)                Enugu State:
This is one of the smaller, partly, self-governing and political entity, in the eastern part the country – Nigeria.
(v)                 Immigration Service:
This is an organization whereby passport and other documents of the people wanting to come into a country are checked and processed.  It is also a security council.
(vi)                Enhancing:
This means to increase or improve further the good quality value or status of an organization or industry or a person.
1.8         ASSUMPTIONS
We assume that this research work will open the eyes of those who think that every person can be public relations practitioner.
While it is true that everybody is expected to be well behaved, it is instructive that not everybody actually behaves better place to live in.