Abstract:
This study investigated how public organizations in Ghana communicate with their
publics VRA / NEDCO in Techiman as a case study. The study examines the kind of
communication that takes place between VRA / NEDCO, PURC and the consumers in
the Twimia / Koase and Tuobodom / Adantasi communities in Techiman. The study
sought to identify the communication channels used by VRA/NEDCO in
communicating with their publics. The study also examined how Grunig and Hunt’s
models of public relations are applied in the communication between VRA / NEDCO
and its publics. The study further examined the perspectives of consumers on how
communication between VRA / NEDCO and its publics can be improved to enhance
quality service delivery. This study was underpinned by the dialogic communication
and the relevance theories of public relations and was anchored on single case study
using in-depth interview and focus group discussions as the data collection methods.
The study was to find out from the customer service officer of VRA / NEDCO and the
consumers in the two understudy communities, how they managed communication with
each other, the kind of communicator roles the customer service officer of VRA /
NEDCO performed and which of the Grunig and Hunt’s models of public relations are
applied in his communication with the publics. The findings showed the customer
service officer of VRA / NEDCO mostly applied one-way public information model in
their communication process to the detriment of the more acceptable two-way
symmetrical model. The study recommends that VRA/ NEDCO should constantly
organize community engagement to enable the company have face- to - face interaction
with its publics to facilitate a two-way communication with its publics. Management of
VRA / NEDCO should consider establishing community information centres in the
communities, to serve as the first point of call to community members and help to
collate consumers concerns for the company and the vice versa.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Strategic Communication,
School of Communication and Media Studies, submitted to the
School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the award of degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Strategic Communication)
in the University of Education, Winneba