Evaluating the practice of the public relations department of the tourism and culture bureau in the case of the national regional state agency of tourism and culture of Amhara
Abstract
This study investigates the operational dynamics of the Public Relations Department within the Tourism and Culture Bureau of the National and Regional State of Amhara. Using a qualitative research methodology, the researcher adopted a case study approach. Data collection was based on interviews and observations. A three-hour interview session with the department's coordinator was complemented by observational data gathered from the bureau's surroundings. This study employed two- symmetrical communication and relational management theories as theoretical framework. Through the analysis of interview responses and scholarly insights, the study underscores the pivotal role of public relations in organizational effectiveness, particularly with regard to tourism promotion and stakeholder relations. The observed practices within the Culture and Tourism Bureau of the Amhara National Regional State reveal a robust and strategic approach to public relations management, aligned with established academic perspectives. The analysis highlights the comprehensive strategy of the bureau, focusing on stakeholder engagement, strategic communication, evidence-based decision-making, and commitment to continuous improvement. These public relations department practices position the bureau favorably to achieve its objectives and drive tourism growth within the National Regional State of Amhara.
References
Ajayi,V. (2023). A Review on Primary Sources of Data and Secondary Sources of Data. http://dx.doi.org/19810.21091/ejedu.2023
Bezabih Tesafye. (2018). The Practice and Challenges of Public Relations in Ethiopia: The Case of Government Universities. Journal of Advertising and Public Relations. 1. (27). 10.22259/2639-1953.0102005.
Bhat, A. (2019). Qualitative Data Collection: What it is + Methods to do it. QuestionPro. https://www.questionpro.com/
Bowen, G. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/qrj0902027
Britten, N. (1999). Qualitative Interviews in Healthcare. In C. Pope & N. Mays (Eds.), BMJ Books (pp. 11–19).
Canfield, B. R. (1957). Book Review: Public Relations Ideas in Action. Journal of Marketing, 22(2), 238-239. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224295702200225
Carl, H., & Botan, V. (2010). Relationship management: A general theory of public relations. Routledge.
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428108324514
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative
and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Cutlip, S. M., Allen H. Center, & Broom, G. M. (1994). Effective public relations. Prentice Hall.
Dziewornu-Norvor, W. K. (2022). Analytic study of social media use and influence on public relations in Ghana. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20983.50081
Edwards, L. (2018). Understanding public relations. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473983571
Gilaninia, S., Taleghani, M., & Mohammadi, M. E. (2013). The role of public relations in organization. Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 1(10), 47–51. https://doi.org/10.12816/0003699
Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E., & Chadwick, B. (2008). Methods of data collection in qualitative research: interviews and focus groups. British Dental Journal, 204(6), 291–295. https://doi.org/10.1038/bdj.2008.192
Grunig, J. E., & Grunig, L. A. (1992). Models of public relations and communication. In E. James & N. J. L. E. Hillsdale (Eds.), Excellence in public relations and communication management.
Guest, G., Namey, E. E., & Mitchell, M. L. (2013). Collecting qualitative data: A field manual for applied research. SAGE Publications, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506374680
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Grunig, J. (2001). Two-Way Symmetrical Public Relations Past, Present and Future. 10.4135/9781452220727.n1.
Johnson, L. A. B., & Christensen, M. B. (2017). Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches. SAGE Publications.
Ki, E.-J., Kim, J.-N., & Ledingham, J. A. (2015). Public Relations as Relationship Management: A relational approach to the study and practice of public relations (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Nurhussein, M. (2022). A study on the practices and challenges of using social media as A public relation tool: The case of Amhara National Regional State Culture and Tourism Bureau.
Rapley, T. (2007). Doing conversation, discourse and document analysis. Sage.
Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. SAGE Publications.
Schwandt, T. A. (2007). The SAGE dictionary of qualitative inquiry. 1. SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412986281
Silverman, D. (2000). Doing qualitative research. Sage Publications.
Solomon Ali. (2000). Public Relations in Ethiopia: Problems and Tendencies. Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. SAGE Publications.
Yin,R.(2018). Case study research and applications: design and methods (6th Ed.).Sage.
Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
