Abstract
Public relation could be defined a deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public. The purpose of this study is to find out a how public relation is practiced at the Nnebuife community Bank Nigeria Limited, Enugu. The questionnaires administered to the customer, staff and shareholders of the Bank were used in obtaining data for the study. It was found that Nnebuife community Bank regards public relation as a management function, and as such is given extreme attention by the Bank. Further study revealed that Nnebuife community Bank treated its customers very well as well as its shareholders, and the employees hence they were all happy to form the publics of the Bank. The Bank also provided the best financial service possible and values; that is treating their customers with the best services, quality, merit and so on. And this has gone a long way in helping the Bank to survive despite the numerous competitions ensuring in commercial banks and the banking industry in general.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
The banking industry is a service oriented one. For any service to be desired, there must be a conscious need for it, such a need must be generated by the knowledge of its ability to satisfy customers, requirement (Okigbo 1990:237).Generally, community Banks are run on the basis of profits motive, and they all know the importance of public consent to their continued existence and survival. People are generally influenced by their belief and impression of certain banks and how they perceive these banks determines the way they will patronize them. A Community Bank should strive to make plans on how they expect to be perceived by the members of the public, and this image can be communicated through the services offered by the bank; the attitude of the bank’s employees as well as the activities came out by the bank. Since “reputation” is very important in a bank’s growth, the role of public relations cannot be under-estimated. At best its practice and importance are recognized more as a useful effective tool of corporate image promotion.The attitude of the Public towards an organization will determine its credibility. These attitudes could be positive or negative depending on how the organization earns the reputation or image it deserves. Public relations, which is a two-way communication process involves working with public opinion. Public relations experts or bridge builders attempt to influence public opinion in a way that is positive to the Bank they are working for. It is the responsibility of the public relations expert to disseminate information on what the Bank does and how it does it. The basic tool for public relations is “communication”. Sequel to this, a public relation personnel must endeavor first to know what the public opinion is through research, how to uphold, correct or change such opinion (planning); after the communication an evaluation of the campaign is necessary for feedback. Nowadays community Banks generally strive to be seen as efficient and effective”. Based on this fact, they either set up their own in-house public relations department or employ the services of successful Public Relations Consultancy Firms to polish their image. On the other hand, some community bank seem to ignore the importance of public relation practice, a specially when such community bank enjoy the patriotism of the community where it serves.With the Nnebuife community bank Nigeria limited (NCB), still waxing stronger after over seven years of existence, this study will to a great extent show how the bank has been able to build it customers’ confidence through public relation.The project work is also to fund out how public relation is practiced at the Nnebuife Community Bank Nigeria Limited, and the means the Bank employ to0 achieve an efficient communication with it relevant public . The history of Nnebuife community Bank Nigeria Limited, Enugu could be traced back to 31st may, 1995 when it was issued a provisional License by the corporate Affairs commission Abuja to undertake banking service for the members of the public. The Bank commerce full business transaction and operations in August, 1997 with a handful of customer patromsing the Bank, and the number of shareholders is quite encouraging. It started with an authorized capital of five million Naira (5,000,000.00). As at the time of this research, the share capital has been increased to Ten Million Naira (N 10,000,000.00) by the corporate Affair Commission in collaboration with the National Board for Community Banks (NBCB). Nnebuife Community Bank has Men and Women of good reputation and unquestionable character of the helm of its affair and at the top management levels, hence it continuous survival in the midst of the economic devitalisation engrossing the nation and it populace.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Like any other business enterprise, Nnebuife Community Bank concern is profit maximization. Pursuit of this objective, it is very essential that the Bank put motion some public relation strategy in achieving mutual understanding and good relationship between the Bank and its customer.
Since profit maximization, and good relationship with the Bank’s public are desirable, the public relation practitioner or whosoever is responsible must work hand in hand in achieving the primary objectives of the Bank. And to achieve the primary objectives of the Bank, it is necessary to investigate the following:
(a) How is public relations practiced at the Nnebuife Community Bank (Nig) Ltd?
(b) Does the Bank have good and functional public relation s policy?
(c) How is the public relations policy implemented?
(d) How does the public relation officer relate to the public / customers of the Bank?
(e) What does the public perception of the Bank look like?
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives the study is to find out:
1 How Public relation is practiced at the Nnebuife Community Bank
2 The Procedure the Bank employs to achieve efficient and effective communication with its Public.
3 To justify the need for effective Public relation as a mean for goodwill and Customers satisfaction.
4 The effect of the Bank Public relation strategy on its customers.
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;
H0: There is no effect of the Bank Public relation strategy on its customers.
H1: There is effect of the Bank Public relation strategy on its customers
H02: There is no Procedure the Bank employs to achieve efficient and effective communication with its Public
H2: There is Procedure the Bank employs to achieve efficient and effective communication with its Public
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this study is to show how Nnebuife Community Bank Nigeria Limited has been able to use public relation to win its cuotomers confidence. The study will further help to educate other Community Bank on the essence of embarking on public relation practice, using Nnebuife Community Bank as a yardstick because of the achievement the Bank has gained through public relation effort.
1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study will cover the activities of the Public relation or of the general service unit of the Nnebuife Community Bank Nigeria limited. The study centers on Nnebuife Community Bank in order to carry out research finding on the staff and customers of the bank or customers of the bank perceive the image of the Bank. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;
- a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
- b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
- c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
ROLE
This is a function or part in life or in any event. In order words, it is a function or part assumed by any person or thing
PUBLIC
Cutlip, Broom and Center (1985) states that Public is the group of the people bound together by some common interest that is specific to them.
Chambers concise 20th Century Dictionary defined public as a group of people bound together by a common interest that is specific to them and their situation
RELATION
This is a contract, communication etc, which exist between people, countries, industries, and organization etc
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The British Institute of Public Relation defined Public relation “ as a deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public.
World Book 2001 Dictionary defined Public relation as the activities of the organization, institution, or individual that are designed to win the favour of the general Public and purpose.
PRACTICE
The action or the process of doing something. In this context, Public relation Practice means the actual duties toward achieving goodwill and to safeguard the reputation of an organization
BANK
It is a financial institution that accepts and keeps money for the member of the public. It is also store other valuable items such as gold, jewel lies and other important document for a certain of money.
COMMUNITY BANK
A Community Bank is a financial institution which is normally owned by the member of Community or by a group of people. They carry out all financial service rendered by community Bank, like accepting deposits, (current, Saving or deposits accounts). They equally grant loans to members of the community and their other customers and transfer demand deposit among customers and bank when ordered or instructed to do so by their customers through the use of Bank cheque. Since they have other commercial bank as correspondent Banks, they can invest in interest earning financial assets.
IMAGE
This is the character or attribute of a person or institution as perceived by the general public. It is the totality of the perception, views, expectation that a given public has on the services or products of an organization or institution.
OPINION
This is the feelings or estimation toward another person or organization.
ATTITUDE
This could be defined as a method disposition to respond positively or negatively to a given situation, object, person or product. It is a manner of feeling and behaving.
1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows
Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
A1Project Hub Support Team Are Always (24/7) Online To Help You With Your Project
Chat Us on WhatsApp » 09063590000
DO YOU NEED CLARIFICATION? CALL OUR HELP DESK:
09063590000 (Country Code: +234)
YOU CAN REACH OUR SUPPORT TEAM VIA MAIL: [email protected]
09063590000 (Country Code: +234)