issue management

International Public Relations

Is the deliberately planned, systematics and researched based on activities of an individuals or marketing organization or nation which are aimed at maintaining sound productive and international relations with international publics such as customers, agents, government, business organizations and others. According to Pro.Ikechukwu Nwosu ( 2011)

Issue management

Is the process of anticipating or monitoring different situations in order to identify problems, and to analyze them and taking proper steps in order to resolve the identified problems before they become crisis or is a process that helps an organization detect and respond to emerging trends or changes in an organization.

Issues management is “the strategic use of issues analysis and strategic responses to help organizations make adaptations needed to achieve harmony and foster mutual interests within the communities in which they operate” (Heath, 1997, p. 3). It seeks to build, maintain and repair relationships with an organization’s stakeholders by keeping surveillance for threats and opportunities in the environment that can affect success in achieving organizational mission and goals (Heath, 2002).

 For issues management to be successful, “a shared understanding must be created between all stakeholders” (Henderson, 2005). That is internal and external stakeholders.

The following are the importance of issue management in the practice of International Public Relations;

Scanning and identification of problems

Issue management help International Public Relations practitioners to scan and identify the problems within and outside the organization so as to solve them immediately before they become crisis to the organization. During issue management scanning and identification of the problem is very crucial hence it helps an International Public Relations practitioner to think about while going global.

Monitoring and analysis

During monitoring and analysis issue management helps are International Public Relations practitioner to focus on the magnitude of an issue and the impact of that particular problem to the organization, also it helps to analyze stakeholders as to who are the main target of that particular problem in an organization

Communication

This is the giving out of information to the stake holders on the action and decision making which will be used to solve the particular problem in an organization, hence issue management helps the International Public Relations Practitioners to communicate with the public in solving the problem.

Research

Is the controlled and systematic gathering of information for the purpose of describing and understanding according to Broom and Dozier (1990).

Research is the systematic process of data collection, data analysis, and data presentation.

The following are the importance of research towards International Public Relations practice;

Problem Identification

Research helps International Public Relations practitioners to identify the problems facing their organization in a particular period of time. Research helps to identify the problems which are needed to be solved in order to help the organization sustain its stakeholders and still increase sales or services of their product

Solving problems

Research helps International Public Relations practitioners to solve the identified problems before they become real threats to the organization, research helps to solve the immediate problems through the information collected in the field about the identified problems and hence helps the practice of International Public Relations in an organization.

Monitoring programs and evaluates results

In monitoring programs research helps an International Public Relations practitioner to monitor programs in an organization and make all the activities to run smoothly, also in the evaluation research helps to collect, analyze, and interpret information in determining the worth of the programs and what are the results and these also helps an International Public Relations practitioner.

By Mkula Dennis