The Strategic Role of Public Relations in Corporate Reputation Building: The Case of Tourism Ethiopia
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The principal aim of this study was assessing the strategic role of public relations in corporate reputation building of Tourism Ethiopia. The study was undertaken in the form of a case study combining both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The research data was collected by means of three methods data gathering such as survey questionnaire, in-depth-interview and document analysis. Sample survey was conducted with 195respondents applying purposive sampling methods for internal employees 44 respondents and 151 external stakeholders. The sample size was determined using the Alsalloum (2014) formula. The survey was also accompanied by in-depth interview and document analysis. Finally, the data gathered through questionnaire from the survey were analyzed using tables and percentages descriptively by using SPSS software version 20.For the document review and the qualitative data were analyzed thematically and SWOT analysis method.
The study found that the overall organizational public relations is weak among its publics or stakeholders.
According to the result of the study from all dimensions of public relations and corporate reputation, the finding showed that Stakeholders of Tourism Ethiopia were isolated and the communication was not effective. The organization did not properly use public relations; they provide incomplete information for public or stakeholders and loss their name, reliability and reputation. The findings of the study revealed that the organization did not implement strategic public relations for both affecting organizational and stakeholders work to protect its reputation. Not effective or poor strategic communication led to autocratic or one way communication style in the organization. In addition to these, the correlation result between reputation positive with low mean response shows that the organization did not build corporate reputation of tourism Ethiopia. The public relations also did not play a key role in ensuring a positive corporate reputation of Tourism Ethiopia.
Therefore, the researcher suggests organizations need to know the importance of strategic PR roles in their organizational reputation.
Key words: Strategic PR, corporate reputation, public and stakeholders.
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Keywords
Strategic PR, corporate reputation, public and stakeholders