Abstract:
This study is an attempt to apprise public relations programmes as index for effective management tools in organization. The Major objectives of the study are as follows: To attempt to highlight the various public relations programmes and activities used by organizations in solving management activities as index for effective management tools in organizations; to attempt to find out whether the organizations studied have working public relations budgets and the procedure for establishing such budgets. To accomplish these objectives, a survey research was initiated with respondents drawn from banking, manufacturing organizations and government parastatals. Survey research implies the use of questionnaires to elicit information from respondents. Thus two sets of questionnaires were used, one for the management of organsations and the second for the professionals or public relations practitioners. The following findings were made: there is a correlation between good public relations practice and company image development. There is a relationship between public relations and the effective management of organizations; and that the effectiveness of public relations programmes depends on the budget and the situation in which the practitioner finds himself. The study also shows that public relations practitioners attend management meetings in various capacities from scribe to observer to active participants thus confirming that the situation facing the practitioners determines their success. The following recommendations were made: that public relation practitioners should exhibit confidence in their professional practices. Accordingly professional development, seminars should be organized intermittently by the regulating body to appraise the programmes/activities of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). It is also recommended that clear policies should be established for various public relations issues. Public relations practitioners should interpret with honesty the policies, and principle of business opportunities and determinisms in terms of benefits to the public.
