Odiboh, Oscar and Nwosu, Ernest and Ekanem, Thelma and Oyedepo, T. (2022) Public Acuity, Home-made Vehicles and Public Relations in Nigeria. Journal of South African Business Research, 2022. ISSN 2169-0367
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Abstract
Product quality and industry-public relationships enhance organisations' reputations worldwide. In Nigeria, both are critical to the automobile industry already bugged by public distrust and low confidence. Thus, the study examined the public relations (PR) actions of indigenous automobile companies amid these challenges. It looked at public relations as a strategic organisational function that could aid acceptance and stimulate a positive public attitude towards domestic automobile products. James Grunig’s Two-Way Symmetrical model of public relations provided the theoretical framework for the study to investigate the shared values, support and partnership between automobile companies and their stakeholders. A stratified sampling technique was used to retrieve data via the survey research design. A structured questionnaire was administered to elicit the opinions of residents of Lagos metropolis which is a major hub of Nigeria’s automotive activities. Findings showed that stakeholders' awareness level of public relations actions in the indigenous auto industry was low, with a significant percentage of respondents expressing a negative perception of the industry. The study concluded that despite the government's imposition of restraining tariffs on imported vehicles, docile public relations of local manufacturers had not helped the public to accept indigenous automobiles patriotically. The study recommended that Nigerian automobile manufacturers should outsource their PR programmes and undertake engaging productions of motoring documentaries. Moreover, the organisations should create public acceptance advocacy for locally-assembled vehicles.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Automobiles, Indigenous, Made-In-Nigeria, Public Relations |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | nwokealisi |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Feb 2023 12:57 |
| Last Modified: | 22 Feb 2023 12:57 |
| URI: | http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/16636 |
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