Public Relations practitioners’ Roles in Crisis Management: the Case of Assosa university

Abstract

Knowing its great important and the role it can play in preventing the institution or the organization from the damage ,restoring image , helping organization maintain its existence and contributes in protecting security of individual , their well-beings and Assosa university the main aim of the study were to investigate the public relations practitioners’ roles in crisis management; Assosa University focuses. And the study specific objectives are analyze the roles played by public relations practitioners in managing crisis. Analyzing the tools used by Assosa university public relations practitioners in crisis management and to identifying the challenges that affect or hinder the implementation of Public relation practitioners role in crisis management. The study were employed qualitative research methods and descriptive design. The sampling techniques were purposive sampling techniques and data collection tools were in-depth interview, Focus Group Discussion and open-ended question Also the study was employed primary sources of data that are necessary inputs for analysis For the purpose of this study the sample size of 30 respondents were taken by the researcher. However, public relation practitioners’ roles in crisis management in these offices today are poorly managed and public relation expert and crisis management administrators do not give proper management and to crisis at all. This has greatly hampered and reduced role of public relation practitioners in the university. The data that was collected through in- depth interview, focus group discussion, and open ended question were analyzed qualitatively. The study found that public relation practitioners’ roles in crisis management was very weak and insignificant in managing crisis due to lack of trained man power, consideration in budget, resource/ facilities allocation to manage and carrying out the crisis. The study recommended that public relation practitioners’ roles should be carried out only through trained manpower to handle the challenges that hinder their role in managing crisis. Further Assosa University should help public relations practitioners through adequate, training, budget and facilities.