Public Relations (PR) Practices and the Managing of Crisis and Reputation Phenomena in Private Universities in Ghana: Assessment of the Effectiveness of Public Relations Management Tools for Managing Crisis and Reputation in Methodist University College Ghana and Central University in the 2016-2017 Academic Year.

Abstract

This study focused on Crisis Management and Reputation Management by Public Relations (PR) outfit in Private Universities in Ghana and it case studied the Public Relation outfits of the Methodist University College and Central University, all in Accra, a suburb of the Greater Accra Region. This study interrogated four research questions in attempt to achieve four research objectives which included, to identify success stories of reputation management and crisis management for private universities and to examine public relations tools utilized by public relations in private universities in handling reputation management and crisis management. Also, to ascertain whether or not public relations in private universities have succeeded in building good corporate image and handling crisis; and to investigate the challenges faced by public relations unit of private universities in managing the reputation and handling crisis of their universities. This research employed the Excellent Theory in Public Relations practices to elucidate the comprehensibility of crisis and reputation management in private tertiary institutions in Ghana. It also, reviewed concepts and literature on the crisis and reputation management and its implication for building corporate image in organizations .. This study adopted a case study strategy or this study. Particularly, it deployed quantitative research design with a sample size of one hundred (100) respondents made up of management members, private universities, the PR practitioners selected from the private universities and students of the two private universities. Convenient and purposive sampling techniques were used in selecting the respondents. Secondary data was derived from articles, journals, magazines, websites and other literature on the subject matter. Primary data was collected from the field using survey questionnaire. Findings of this study revealed that PR outfit of the private universities are poorly resourced though; they have chalked some remarkable success with regard to branding of the corporate image. It concluded that the PR success story is a function of the effectiveness of the PR tools used. It therefore recommends that the PR outfit should be well-resourced to enable the outfit sustain the success story.