COULD THE PERCEPTIONS SURROUNDING THE EMERGENCE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS GLOBALLY HAVE HAD AN EFFECT ON THE EXISTING MISTRUST AND MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE PROFESSION IN KENYA?

Abstract

Purpose: To establish whether the perceptions surrounding the emergence of public relations globally have had an effect on the existing mistrust and misconception about the profession in Kenya.

Methodology:  The study employed descriptive survey approach. A Survey was carried out in Kenya between November 2016 and April 2017. A semi-structured questionnaire was used from to collect primary data from 198 members of the general public on their perception towards PR practice. Secondary data was collected through review of published literature such as journals articles, published theses and textbooks, magazine, newspapers among others.  The study adopted purposive random sampling.  Information was sorted, coded and input into the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS)   for production of graphs, tables, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.

Findings: The study found that indeed the perceptions surrounding the emergence of public relations globally such as lack of unclear history, lack a clear reporting structure, lack documented literature among others highly contributed to the existing mistrust and misconception of public relations profession in Kenya hence a lot needs to be done if the profession was to assume its rightful place in society.

Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study findings will help in the joint formulation of a PR curriculum by the professional body in consultation with the country's education ministry to train practitioners. This would give the practice the desired recognition as a profession that is controlled, and therefore, with some standards and not as it stands today where various institutions formulate their own syllabuses as they deem fit.

Keywords: Public relations, origin, misconception, perception, reporting structure