ABSTRACT
African
Petroleum Plc, a market of petroleum product and chemicals, know that public
support and goodwill as well is good corporate image are very important for
business success. Tends to be influence by their publics which include, its
staff, shareholders, customers and of course members of the press. The company
is usually very much interesting to know its public problem areas and
opportunities with the aim of improving the organization overall performance to
enable them know what the public thinks about African Petroleum public
relations programme and quality of services of the organization to its public.
. The objectives of the study are: i) To determine the extent of AP’s public
relations message accessibility to their public ii) find out whether AP’s public
relations practices influenced the opinion of their publics. Research questions
i) does public relation message of African Petroleum accessible to her publics?
The research is a descriptive design to examine the effect of public relation
practice in African Petroleum Plc. The population of the study comprises of the
members of African Petroleum Plc (2000) and the sample size is 200. Relevant data based on the scope of the study
were collected through primary and secondary data with structural questionnaire
is the main instrument administration to two hundred (200) respondents
comprising Forty African Petroleum staffs, One hundred and Ten shareholders,
Fifteen customers and Thirty Five members of the press. The questionnaire was
highly structural and opened where necessary,150 questions were distributed but
only 130 were returned the questions and the responses were very standard to
facilitate comparison of responses and to secure good control of the questions,
chi-square (x2)was used to analyze the hypothesis formulate. Among
the findings were that the 1) African Petroleum public relations practices
influences their public to fauvor her products through persuassive and
convincing communication. The following
recommendation were made, 1] African petroleum should always engage in a
constant evaluation of their public relation practices and its effectiveness to
identify any short coming
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
page- - - - - - - - - - - -i
Approval
page- - - - - - - - - - -ii
Dedications- - - - - - - - - - -iii
Acknowledgement- - - - - - - - - -iv
Table
of content - - - - - - - - -v
Abstract
- - - - - - - - - - - -viii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTON
1.1
Background of study- - - - - - - -1
1.2
Statement of problem- - - - - - - -5
1.3
Purpose
of the study - - - - - - -7
1.4
Significance of the study- - - - - - - -7
1.5
Research of questions- - - - - - - -8
1.6
Hypothesis- - - - - - - - - -9
1.7
Scope of study- - - - - - - - - -10
1.8
Definition of terms- - - - - - - - -10
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
What is public relation- - - - - - - -15
2.2
Role of public relation executive in commercial outfits - -28
2.3
Strategy and scope of public relation programme.- - -29
2.4
Corporate identify implementation- - - - - -32
2.5
Summary of Literature- - - - - - - -38
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1
Design of the study- - - - - - - - -39
3.2
Area of the study- - - - - - - - -39
3.3
Population of the study- - - - - - - -40
3.4
Sample of the study - - - - - - -40
3.5
Instrument for data collection- - - - - - -41
3.6
Validation of the study- - - - - - - -42
3.7
Distribution and retrieval of the
instrument - - - -42
3.8
Method of data analysis- - - - - - - -43
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1
Discussion of findings- - - - - - - -61
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDING, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Summary of findings- - - - - - - - -64
5.2
Conclusion- - - - - - - - - -65
5.3
Recommendations- - - - - - - - -66
5.4
Limitation of the study- - - - - - - -67
5.5
Suggestion for further research- - - - - - -67
Reference- - - - - - - - - - - -69
Appendix
A- - - - - - - - - - -70
Appendix B- - - - - - - - - - -71
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUNDOF THE STUDY
This
present dispension, a lot of companies for production and distribution of a
particular type of product or services and its consequent week to week
competition among companies, it has become necessary for such organization to
establish at least good will and mutual
understanding with their various public if actually they tend to succeed.
Though the success of Such companies does
not depend on product or service quality neither does it hing on advertising
done, nor on good salesmanship, responsible allocation of fund, but the success
of any company depends most often on how well the company has created mutual
understanding among her publics.
Cutlip,
Contur and Broom in their conceptual definition states that public relation is
the management function that identifies, establishes and maintain mutually
beneficial relationship between a company and the various public on whom its success
or failure depends.
Companies
achieve this mutually, beneficial relationship by creating awareness,
maintaining regular communication network, evaluating public attitude
identifying their policies and programme with the public interest and executing
a programme f action to earn public understanding and support.
Public
relation really involves contracting the relevant targets public and convincing
them of the benefits of a particular argument, to support specific issues and
causes to accept companies proposal and public orientation, public relation
complements marketing balance when introduced early in marketing plan can make
a telling difference in product success.
Businesses
are open systems, and most of what they do generate direct benefits and costs
for their societies. Today society demands that business join in the urgent
task of solving societal problems, corporations are more than economic
institution and have a responsibility to develop some of their resources
problems mainly of which co-operation helped to create.
History of force oil
(African Petroleum)
Forte
oil plc (formerly African Petroleum) was
incorporated on December 11, 1964, after 14 years in operation, the
company changed its status from a private limited liability company to a public
liability company.
In
compliance with the provisions of the Nigeria enterprise promotion decree of
1977, 40% of the company share were sold
to Nigerian and a year later, 60% was acquired by the federal government of
Nigeria in favour of the Nigerian National Petroleum co-operation (NNPC) from
British Petroleum Plc. NNPC’s stake in African petroleum was reduced by 20% in march 1989 after the
Federal Government sold the above percentage to Nigerians citizens, increasing
their stake from 40% to 60%.in the year 2000,the Federal Government under its
privatization programme diverse its remaining 4% to core investors and
interested Nigerians. In may 2007, the shareholding structure took another
dimension as incorporated trustees of NNPC’s pension fund divested its state to
Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, owned by Femi Otedola making it the majority
shareholder in the company.
As
a result, Mr. Otedola and his afflicted entities became the core investors in
the company. Under the management, African Petroleum embarked on a rebranding
and restructuring programme which led to a name change to Forte oil plc in
December 2010 and a rebranding of the retail outlets spread across its country.
In
2013, the company purchased a controlling stake in the 414 MW Power plant under
a government level privatization programme in the power industry under the
leadership of Goodluck Jonathan.
In
2015, they signed an $83 million contract with siemens upgrade the 414 MW
Plant, the work is due to be completed 2016.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROLEM
African
Petroleum in existence since 1954 is now one of the major markets of petroleum
products in Nigeria. African petroleum plc operates few major marketing areas
in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt. It has depots at (Apapa) Lagos, Jos
and Kano but its main source of Petroleum Company (NNPC).
Presently
the company entered into the marketing of chemical, real estate developments
and maintaining of insecticides.
Coming
to the ever-increasing number of competitive and continue fuel scarcity in the
country the company does not folds its
arms watching rather she continues to diversity and expand on its
activities.
The
reason being that the company tends to satisfy her numerous publics by constant
supply of product, as at when needed and of course quality product, the public
negative reaction would affect the nature economy. In the effort of improving
the quality of its product and services as regards achieving public
commendation goodwill and support, cannot in the actual sense understand how
actually the publics feel about their company’s quality of services and their
public relation programmes.
The
research work shall do justice to adjust certain problems like:
1. How
far is the problem relation message of Ap Plc accessible to her publics.
2. Where
the right public relations media often used.
3. Is
the public relation department of Ap rated high by her publics in terms of its
efficiency.
4. Does
the public relations practices of African Petroleum Plc. Influence the opinion
of their public in favour of Ap.
5. Do
the public relation consider African Petroleum Plc’s public relations as
practice as adequate.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of the study are as follows:
1
To ascertain the extent of African
Petroleum Public message accessibility to their public.
2
To know whether the right public
relation media news were often used.
3
To determine whether AP’s public
relation practice influence the opinion of the public in favour of African
Petroleum.
4
To ascertain whether African Petroleum
Public relations department is rated high in terms of its efficiency.
5
To find out if the public of AP consider
their public relations practices as adequate.
1.4 SIGNIICANCE OF THE STUDY
Coming
to the diversification and expansion of its activities, the current crisis and
the ever increasing competition among oil marketing companies.
African
petroleum Plc. As concerned with generating marketing information which all
will help them to achieve a favorable market share and maintain its profit
marketing ability it really wants to remain in business.
The
researcher may after some recommendation that will help to ensure an adequate
and effective use of public relations as a tool for business promotions.
Moreover, this work will also serve as a working tool for chief executive and
managers in the oil marketing sector.
This
piece of work will actually for a basis for further development and is well
contribute to the existing knowledge in the area of oil marketing.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1
Does public relations messages of AP Plc. Accessible to her publics?
2
Does public relation media often use?
3
Does public relation department of AP
rated high by her public in terms of its effectiveness?
4
Does the public relations practices of
African Petroleum Plc influence the opinion of their publics in favour of AP?
5
Does the public relations consider
African Petroleum Plc public relations practice as adequate?
1.6 HYPOTHESIS
1
Ho: The degree of African Petroleum Public relation message accessibility to
her public is unsatisfactory
Hi:
The degree of African Petroleum public relations message accessibility to her
public is satisfactory
2
Ho: The right public relation media were
not often used
Hi:
the right public relation media were often used.
3
Ho: The public relations practice of
African Petroleum does not influence the opinion of their public in favour of
African Petroleum
Hi:
The public relations of African Petroleum influence the opinion of their public
in favour of African Petroleum.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is focused on
public relations practices in African Petroleum, Plc. And other intended extend
public in Port Harcourt metropolis were studied as for the topics covered all
the items is contained in the objectives of the study and hypothesis were
treated.
The view of the office holders and
opinion leader were brought since they constitute decision makers.
1.8 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
1.
Public relations: public relations
is an art and science of building and sustained a credible reputation for any
organization (Nwosu 2000)
2.
Communication: it means the process
through which needs, emotion, desires, ideas, sentiments and goals are
expressed among human beings using codes, symbols and language interested by
the parties involved in the process.
3.
Company: This can be defined as a
business or an organization created to pursue profit by providing goods and
services.
4. Diversification: This is the financial
strategy of holding different investment to reduce the risk of financial loss
5.
Shareholder: A person who owns some
of the equal parts into which the ownership of a company is divided.
6.
Product: A product is anything that
can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that
might satisfy a need or a want.
7.
Distribution: It is the flow of
title of goods and services as they move along its channel of distribution form
the point of production to the point of consumption.
8.
Promotion: It can be seen as all the
techniques sellers use to motivate people to buy a product or a service.
9.
Privatization: It enables the
withdrawal of part or all the equity and other interest Nigeria government or
her agencies has in enterprise thereby allowing
private individual or corporate bodies to run such businesses.
10.
Competition: A company that is
competing against others.
11.
Satisfaction: A Pleasant feeling
which you get when you receive something you wanted.
12.
Supply: To provide something that is
needed or wanted, offer in large quantities and over a long period of time.
13.
Manufacture: To make it in a factory
usually in large quantities.
14. Effective: Something that is effective
works well and produce the result that are intended.
15.
Innovation: anything be it product,
services that is new by someone.
16.
Corporation: A large business or
company.
17. Custom: Is someone who buys goods and
services especially from a shop.
18.
Quality: A product that is of high
standard.
19.
Market Share: A company’s market in
a product is the proportion of the total sales of that product that is produced
by the company.
20.
Services: A place that sell things
such as petrol, oil and spare parts.
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