HOW MANAGEMENT COULD ADOPT ADVERTISEMENT AND ADVOCACY IN HANDLING CRISIS WITH REGARDS TO ORGANISATION PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

The question above is broad with different dynamics and scope but in a bid to break it down to its understandable point with minimum write ups I’m going to define the following terms:

Ø Management

Ø Advertisement

Ø Advocacy

Ø Crisis with regards to organisation products or services

This would give us a clearer picture in understanding the proposed question above.

Management: according to Jaja and Obipi (2005:3), “management can be defined as either used to stand for or refer to people.

Advertisement: A respected advertisement scholar views advertisement as “a dynamic forum in which business interests, creativity, consumer needs, and government regulations meet.”(Wells, et al (1989:31), Advertisement can also be defined as a generally accepted paid form of publicity by an identifiable sponsor whose aims are to inform and or persuade prospect. Advertisement has a greater ability to reach a large number of people simultaneously than advocacy but it has less ability to prompt an immediate change in behaviour.

Advocacy: can also be called marketing as it’s the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchange that satisfy the perceived needs, wants and objectives of the consumers and the organisation. Advocacy isn’t paid for by the identified sponsor but is also aim to inform and persuade the consumers. In cases of immediate change in behaviour of consumers advocacy can adjust to change immediately.

Crisis with regards to org. Products and services: there is no greater test for organisation than how it deals with a crisis. The key is to be prepared by anticipating the possibility of crisis and establishing a mechanism for dealing with the bad news. Crisis in relation to its products can either be propaganda or real. It’s the duty of the organisation’s management team to seek and address these issues in time in order to restore confidence back to his consumers.

Furthermore, with the definitions above the subject matter as become clearer as I beginning to illustrate steps in which an organisation can use advertisement to solve its product and service crisis.

1.   Planning on possible scenarios.

2.   Training of his staff to be able to handle crisis.

3.   Situation control.

For effective crisis management, organisations must have a plan based on thoughtful analysis of all possible scenarios in which a crisis might occur. A plan outlines who does what: who contacts the various stakeholder, who might be affected, who speaks to the press, and who sets up and runs an on-site disaster management centre. Companies also should conduct unannounced crisis training during which staff are forced to drop everything and deal with a stimulated crisis as it unfolds. Therefore, in crisis corporate advertising which is designed to promote a corporate image or viewpoint should be done. There should be no attempt to sell any particular product rather this type of advertisement should take the form of public statements directed at the public to correct the wrong impression or perception the products and services. Also, point of view messages also known as advocacy should be delivered at numerous events, gathering and institutions. This act will give the public a chance to ask questions and when the proper answers are given it will help correct and eradicate the crisis. Advertisement can also be done through in house publications, speakers, photographs and films, displays, exhibits and staged events, the news release, press conference, online communication etc.

Before management makes effort to promote the image of the organisation outside, it is expected to strength the internal environment of the organisation.

      Before I begin to draw my discussion logically in order to embrace the question above I will like to define management as this would dissect the managerial role in the organisation and show us the pivotal responsibility of management both internal and external of the organisation. According to Koontz and O’Donnell (1978:321) argued that “managing is an operational process initially best dissected by analyzing the managerial functions and these essential managerial functions are: planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. The importance of management to the successful running of man’s affairs dates back to the primitive and medieval periods, and today the place of management, as an essential ingredient to the success of an enterprise are even more evident.

        While, Etuk (1985:1), views business environment as “both the internal and external factors that surround and potentially affect the activities and behaviour of a particular business organisation”. Although these factors or forces necessarily control the actions of businesses they are more or less accepted as givens by organisations in the sense that they are beyond the immediate and direct control of these organisations through the action of their managers. Therefore, the internal environment which is making up of the employees, policies, machines and memorandum can be x-ray daily by the management in order to sanitise its internal values.

Bacal (2010), identified strategic communication as an effective tool used by organisations in strengthening its internal environment. Management primary task is planning. Many organizations understand the importance of developing strategic plans to guide both their short/longer term decision-making. The thinking is that without knowing where we want to be and how we are going to get there, we can't coordinate organizational resources so that we get to where we want to go. Frequently, communication methodologies for communicating with customers and the public are included in strategic planning. 

However, few organizations address INTERNAL communication in the same way. Determining what should be communicated to staff, when it should be communicated, and how it should be communicated is often left up to the decisions of individuals made when there seems to be a need. In other words internal communication strategies are developed, reactively, when there is a crisis or major event that clearly requires addressing communication issues. Where communication is planned out, it is often around upheavals like major corporate or organization change, layoffs and downsizing, and technological change. However, once the initiating focus has been eliminated communication tends to go back to an unorganized incoherent process. 

It's a bit of a mystery why this occurs, but there is no question that strategic internal communication planning can be a proactive approach to building a better, more directed and efficient workforce.

But Dr. Kenneth D. Mackenzie in his article titled “The Practitioner's Guide to Organizing Organizations” argued that organisational problem solving goes beyond merely making a decision. It also includes finding and formulating the problem, implementing the decision, and an audit and review of the results produced. Deciding what to do when improving an organization is like the offense players reaching the line of scrimmage in football. To make any progress and to score one must go farther.

The process of organizational problem solving can take a long time. Given that each stage depends upon the prior stages, it should be obvious that by spending relatively more effort on the earlier stages, time and money should be saved on the later stages. Unfortunately, busy executives often spend too little effort on the problem finding and formulation stages in their generally commendable but often misguided belief in the benefits of acting quickly and decisively. For example, the response to a drop in sales might yield the decision to develop an elaborate incentive system for the sales force. The real problem might be caused by the poor pricing strategy or by administrative problems which create excessive delays in fulfilling an order.

Therefore, organisation must ensure that they constantly run it’s internal environment through these five main stages in the organizational problem solving process:

1.   Finding the Problem

2.   Formulating the Problem

3.   Making the Choice of the Solution

4.   Implementation of the Solution

5.   Audit & Review of Results of the Implementation.

Conclusively, one of the primary functions of management and leadership is to solve organizational problems. An organizational problem occurs whenever the work practices and processes of those tasked with producing specific results do not actually produce those results. How can a management solve such problems in an efficient and effective manner so that your organization remains on track for profitability and success?

1.   Identify the core source of internal conflict and constantly address them through effective communication.

2.   Formal organisational chart must be drawn to show level and privileges of every employee in the organisation’s organogram.

3.   Motivation and training of employees constantly is advised on a regular basis as this helps the organization move toward the most appropriate solution in the least amount of time.

4.   One of the proper sources for optimal organizational growth is continual management/ownership encouragement of collective problem sharing and solving behaviours throughout the workforce. This is an essential ingredient for success. If you're having difficulties dealing with problems in your business, ask yourself: "Am I regularly encouraging my employees to play in problem solving?

With the harnessing of integrated collective environment of both employer and employees decision/problem solving mechanism, management can now reach out and take the outside environment.

REFERENCES

Ø Etuk, E.J (1985). The Nigerian Business Environment. London: Macmillan.

Ø Jaja, S.A and Obipi, I (2005), “Management: Elements and Theories”. Port-Harcourt: Pearl publishers.

Ø Koontz and O’Donnell, C. (1978), Essential of Management. Second edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.

Ø Mackenzie, K.D. in his article titled “The Practitioner's Guide to Organizing Organizations”. (2010). Organisational Management Journal, Vol. 1, no.3 (2010). Pp. 33-34.

Ø Robert B. In article titled “Internal Communication Strategies”. www.robertbacal.org

Ø Wells William et al (1989) “Advertising: principles and practice.” fifth edition. New Jersey: Prentice hall.

FELLOWERSHIP IS A TOOL OF NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION.

Abraham Lincoln defined Democracy as government of the people by the people and for the people. This is in recognition of the role and power of the people in nation building.

Follower-ship can be defined as a company of people that shares the same interest or aim.

Leadership position in Nigeria is every weak because it’s either wrong person in the right position or right person in the wrong position.For example; a medical doctor is made the minister of works when he doesn’t have any background knowledge on building or construction work therefore, making himself a liability in such office instead of an asset. Or we have people who won election by snatching ballot boxes in the case of Ondo, Ekiti state and the rest of them. This are clear woes on the leadership of our country. While, the big question always is if the root is rotten what will happen to its branches?

  Or the fact that we are in Nov. 2010 and they are still discussing the budget of 2010. Under the leadership of finance minister Olusegun Aganga. Where only 40% of the capital budget has been implemented that is a budget that is made to bring dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people and elevate them of poverty, diseases and lack of infrastructure.

       But let me quickly bring you up to speed with national transformation as a result of follower-ship. Our constitution is just 10years but it is been amended because the Nigerian people feels that some section of that constitution as hindered our democratic process.This act is the first of his kind in the world amending a constitution that is just 10years old. What a huge impact of followers on National Transformation.

In America the democrat as lost over 60% of his congress sit to the republicans. This shows that the power of national transformation lays in the hands of the followers not the leaders on account of Distrust, and discontent with the Obama Administration.

June 12 1993 will always remain fresh in her memory as a day in the Nigerian history where election was conducted free and fair and M.K.O Abiola won fair and square but our then military head of state annulled that election and the people stood up forcing him to step down, this also showed no one is bigger than the people

lastly, There is no doubt that almost all Nigerians want change, and the mood for change is evident from small villages to big cities where poverty, disease, lack of social infrastructure and most significantly lack of hope is an everyday reality for millions of Nigerians. 2011 we will register, vote and guard our vote because the suffering of the people from unemployment, lack of basic amenities, insecurity and low GDP must all become a thing of the past.

But the question I have for my everyone reading this article and our Nigerian leaders today is; how can Nigerian people in which they claim to serve be struggling to earn 18,000naira while, our leadership in government earns over a million times that amount?

Thank you.

JEROME ETIM.

NIGERIA'S ECONOMY CHALLENGES

NBS in there just released statistic on global Economy survey ranking Nigeria’s economy 127, out of 130. Citing the following facts as the bases for the rating.
ð  The strength of our balance sheet which isn’t that strong.
ð  Our external and internal debt ratio whereby 85% of these is loan is external & concessionary.
ð  We are just in the process of citing a sovereign world fund
ð  Depletion in our excess crude oil account
ð  The external resources as fallen.
ð  Capital budget implementation problem.
ð  High unemployment rate in the country where over 60% of the eligible workers are unemployed.
But SMP also released there rating which shows that Nigeria is a stable outlook citing the following facts which if clinically analysis its positive for our nations development.
ð  In the last ten (10) years Nigeria has made the highest growth rating among developing countries.
ð  We have a good dealing on infrastructure which our government have taken it upon itself to develops our economy e.g. Transport, Power, Health & Primary Care, Education etc.
ð  The fact that we are willing to make changes is a stamp & credibility of the government to get it right and empower the Nigerian people e.g. electoral reform, judicial independence and war on corruption etc.
ð  Nigeria as a strong economic growth which is job creation driven.
ð  Removing barriers to credit which is to enable lending, investment and small/medium scale enterprise.
I believe in the current presidency of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that after a successful eight(8) years in office Nigeria’s economy will & its overall External Index will rise by over 50%.

The Manager

The manager is a workaholic, efficient employee of a company or organization whose major goal is to strive for the profitability of the organization. working day and night, endless appoints, conferences, schedules and meeting because for a manager everyone is a market, a potential buyer of his services.
His topmost satisfaction is the return of earning and declare of defidence for shareholder.
A manager is a team player, dedicated staff and a goal driven individual...
Managers work with people, either small, medium or large, or specialist, adviser or technocrats, its the utmost duty of the manager to work effectively by unifying these different human resources for the optimal goal of the organization.
Be goal driven, Be dedicated, Be inspired, Be a purposeful Manager.

NSE weekly report for week ended 22nd Oct. 2010

Courtesy of FSDH, Lead Capital, and Afrinvest, here are the NSE statistics for the week ended Friday, October 22nd:

- The market caved into bearish sentiments mid-week however a spike on Friday curbed the downward trend, as the NSE All-Share Index subsequently lost 39bps closing at 24,978.70.
- Profit taking in the banking sector sent most mid-tier banks tumbling this week, Access Bank, FCMB, Stanbic IBTC and Skye Bank all shed points ranging from 0.2% to 8.0%, top-tier banks were not spared either, however, bullish sentiments on Friday had most of the top-tier banks recording varied gains; First Bank and GTBank inched up with gains of 2.9% and 3.4%respectively, while UBA and Zenith Bank both gained marginal points. The rally on Oceanic Bank remained strong all week resulting in a 25.5% gain. Sentiments in the market indicate that the rally could continue into mid-next week before profit taking starts.
- The food and beverages sector went to the bears this week. Profit taking trimmed off less than 1.0% from Dangote Flour while Dangote Sugar shed 1.2%, Cadbury also lost 12.1%. On the flip side Honeywell Flour and 7up bagged gains of 7.5% and 5.0% respectively.
- In the same vein bearish sentiments trimmed off 1.4% an 2.8% from International Breweries and Guinness this week, while NB lost marginal points.

Nigerian Financial market graphical chart 2009 between NSE and the Banking sector

Nigerian Stock Market Your Investment Destination.

Daily Price List as at Friday, October 29, 2010
Security	Price	Price Change	High	Low	Trades	Volume
AGRICULTURE
FTNCOCOA	0.63	0.03	0.63	0.57	33	4,263,181
LIVESTOCK	0.59	0.02	0.59	0.59	9	265,703
OKOMUOIL	15.00	0	15.00	15.00	2	4,000
PRESCO	5.99	0	5.99	5.99	3	6,065
AIRLINE SERVICES
NAHCO	9.51	0.01	9.56	9.51	57	481,447
AUTOMOBILE AND TYRE
DUNLOP	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	2	31,693
RTBRISCOE	3.50	0	3.50	3.50	11	53,512
BANKING
ACCESS	8.38	-0.41	8.80	8.38	211	24,701,250
AFRIBANK	2.17	0.1	2.17	2.16	50	1,551,141
DIAMONDBNK	7.90	-0.13	8.05	7.86	213	42,908,000
ECOBANK	3.70	0	3.70	3.70	36	410,358
FCMB	6.95	0.33	6.95	6.64	75	13,519,600
FIDELITYBK	2.40	-0.05	2.49	2.37	75	2,222,664
FIRSTBANK	12.90	0.22	13.20	12.80	788	51,605,030
FIRSTINLND	0.66	0.03	0.66	0.66	36	6,481,593
GUARANTY	17.00	-0.14	17.16	16.99	497	21,686,350
IBTC	9.00	-0.3	9.31	9.00	51	7,008,700
INTERCONT	1.98	0.09	1.98	1.98	36	2,205,038
OCEANIC	2.31	0.11	2.31	2.31	103	7,354,656
PLATINUM	1.40	0.06	1.40	1.36	81	16,494,100
SKYEBANK	7.30	0.2	7.30	7.10	119	5,793,745
SPRINGBANK	0.75	0.03	0.75	0.75	13	639,303
STERLNBANK	1.87	0.08	1.87	1.85	57	3,898,839
UBA	9.00	-0.05	9.11	9.00	258	17,298,700
UBN	4.09	0.16	4.12	3.74	211	22,765,060
UNITYBNK	1.09	-0.02	1.16	1.07	99	9,247,476
WEMABANK	1.17	0.05	1.17	1.15	57	2,944,337
ZENITHBANK	13.17	-0.43	13.80	13.15	397	18,252,550
BREWERIES
GUINNESS	180.00	0	180.00	180.00	51	5,414,995
INTBREW	6.78	0	6.78	6.78	4	24,690
NB	76.08	-0.43	76.08	76.00	133	1,901,991
BUILDING MATERIALS
ASHAKACEM	24.59	1.09	24.60	22.80	130	4,640,016
CCNN	14.51	0.01	14.51	14.51	20	160,134
DANGCEM	135.00	0	135.00	135.00	75	185,767
WAPCO	40.00	0	40.00	39.30	31	415,180
CHEMICAL AND PAINTS
BERGER	8.20	0.1	8.20	8.09	24	750,072
CAP	31.90	0.14	31.90	31.90	13	137,516
COMMERCIAL SERVICES
COURTVILLE	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	2	300,000
REDSTAREX	3.36	0.16	3.36	3.36	20	477,473
COMPUTER AND OFFICE EQUIP
NCR	7.30	0	7.30	7.30	2	2,282
OMATEK	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	7	1,036,000
THOMASWY	1.38	0	1.38	1.38	1	2,059
TRIPPLEG	3.59	-0.18	3.59	3.59	10	89,500
CONGLOMERATES
AGLEVENT	2.95	0	2.95	2.95	3	40,000
JOHNHOLT	9.28	0	9.28	9.28	4	2,170
PZ	34.00	1	34.64	34.00	50	842,003
SCOA	8.71	0	8.71	8.71	2	868
TRANSCORP	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	18	537,500
UACN	40.00	0	40.00	40.00	40	192,747
UNILEVER	28.00	-0.75	28.20	28.00	54	1,176,012
CONSTRUCTION
COSTAIN	8.10	0.35	8.13	8.05	53	2,554,854
JBERGER	50.00	0	50.00	50.00	16	114,271
ROADS	3.01	0	3.01	3.01	1	666
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
CHAMS	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	14	3,130,000
CUTIX	2.50	0	2.50	2.50	4	37,755
FOODS BEVERAGES AND TOBACCO
7UP	38.48	0	38.48	38.48	12	12,917
BIGTREAT	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	2	103,000
CADBURY	29.56	-0.94	30.40	29.55	53	1,591,831
DANGFLOUR	15.76	0.1	15.90	15.76	107	457,379
DANGSUGAR	16.71	-0.49	16.78	16.71	68	662,433
FLOURMILL	71.90	1.87	71.90	70.60	96	2,029,352
HONYFLOUR	5.10	0	5.10	5.10	21	130,832
NASCON	6.00	0	6.00	5.90	37	874,262
NBC	32.55	1.55	32.55	31.50	32	572,605
NESTLE	400.00	0	400.00	400.00	66	156,174
TANTALIZER	0.55	0.01	0.55	0.55	3	156,500
UTC	0.86	0	0.86	0.86	1	1,928
FOREIGN LISTING
ETI	16.00	0	16.00	16.00	7	22,247
HEALTHCARE
EVANSMED	1.47	0	1.47	1.47	2	9,800
FIDSON	2.81	-0.04	2.99	2.81	16	732,041
GLAXOSMITH	28.70	0	28.70	28.70	14	72,597
MAYBAKER	4.85	-0.21	4.85	4.85	19	177,947
NEIMETH	2.08	0	2.08	2.08	2	18,667
UNIONDAC	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	1	112,000
HOTEL AND TOURISM
CAPHOTEL	2.71	0	2.71	2.71	5	132,000
IKEJAHOTEL	1.55	0.04	1.55	1.47	18	1,564,719
INDUSTRIAL AND DOMESTIC PRODUCTS
ENAMELWA	43.06	0	43.06	43.06	1	1,000
FIRSTALUM	0.87	-0.04	0.87	0.87	1	100,000
VITAFOAM	6.00	0	6.00	6.00	15	176,557
INFO. COMMUNICATION & TELECOMMUNICA
ETRANZACT	4.97	0	4.97	4.97	1	300
IHS	2.60	0.08	2.60	2.40	13	2,696,279
STARCOMMS	2.00	0	2.00	1.94	30	8,451,626
INSURANCE
AFRINSURE	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	1	1,000
AIICO	0.89	-0.02	0.95	0.88	65	2,249,201
CONTINSURE	1.20	0	1.20	1.20	5	21,000
CORNERST	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	11	844,273
CUSTODYINS	2.68	-0.12	2.80	2.68	9	745,200
EQUITYASUR	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	2	6,950
GOLDINSURE	0.52	0.02	0.52	0.50	10	1,441,350
GTASSURE	1.94	0.09	1.94	1.85	20	2,536,915
INTENEGINS	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	6	411,022
LASACO	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	7	107,200
LINKASSURE	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	2	36,000
MBENEFIT	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	6	177,841
NEM	0.50	0	0.51	0.50	20	3,485,516
NIGERINS	0.64	0.03	0.64	0.64	18	988,651
PRESTIGE	2.20	0	2.20	2.20	5	282,270
SOVRENINS	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	1	500
STACO	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	6	405,000
UNIC	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	3	22,000
UNIVINSURE	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	3	99,050
WAPIC	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	4	81,960
LEASING
CILEASING	2.00	-0.04	2.00	2.00	8	111,310
MARITIME
JAPAULOIL	1.20	0.05	1.20	1.19	47	1,856,760
MEDIA
DAARCOMM	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	3	3,400
MORTGAGE
ASOSAVINGS	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	1	29,000
RESORTSAL	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	6	1,200,000
UNHOMES	0.85	0	0.85	0.81	25	1,540,214
OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
CRUSADER	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	5	108,000
DEAPCAP	2.02	0	2.02	2.02	2	19,000
ROYALEX	0.50	0	0.50	0.50	2	83,000
PACKAGING
BAGCO	2.27	0.03	2.27	2.27	45	176,711
BETAGLAS	15.58	0	15.58	15.58	1	1,100
NAMPAK	4.22	0	4.22	4.22	4	6,702
PETROLEUM(MARKETING)
AP	26.25	0	26.25	26.25	30	55,075
BECOPETRO	0.70	0	0.70	0.70	9	162,000
CHEVRON	81.70	0	81.70	81.70	13	13,000
CONOIL	40.98	0	40.98	40.98	8	3,398
ETERNAOIL	5.15	0	5.15	5.15	21	222,759
MOBIL	134.00	0	134.00	134.00	22	20,748
OANDO	64.20	1.19	64.20	63.00	135	858,084
TOTAL	214.62	0	214.62	214.62	10	18,554
PRINTING AND PUBLISHING
LONGMAN	8.25	0	8.25	8.25	6	52,100
UPL	6.30	0.18	6.30	6.30	13	139,014
REAL ESTATE
UAC-PROP	18.00	0	18.00	18.00	13	18,337
ROAD TRANSPORTATION
ABCTRANS	0.51	-0.02	0.51	0.51	9	360,100
SECOND-TIER SECURITIES
ADSWITCH	1.88	-0.02	1.88	1.88	1	14,000
TEXTILES
UNTL	0.70	0	0.70	0.70	2	9,982