The Role Of Public Relations In Crisis Management The Case Of Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority

Air transportation is the safest and the most efficient means of public transport. Over longrndistances and across geographical barriers, no alternative means of transport exist. However,rnwhen a crisis happens, the image of the organization may be seriously affected, and the trust ofrnthe public is diminished considerably according to the duration and severity of the crisis.rnHowever, as a planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutualrnunderstanding between an organization and its publics, public relations is supposed to have arnvital role in rebuilding the relationships between an organization and its publics in order tornrecreate and restore positive image of its organization after crisis. This study was, therefore,rnconducted to find out the role of Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority‟s public relations inrnmanaging crisis. It investigated whether the public relations of ECAA plays its roles effectivelyrnin crisis situations or not. The study adopted the survey research design. It employedrnqualitative purposive sampling research method. Five research questions were also prepared inrnguiding the study. The primary data was collected from one-on-on in-depth interview, focusrngroup discussion and past experience personal observation. And the secondary data wasrncollected from document analysis. Finally, by analyzing and interpreting the data, the paperrnhas drawn findings and conclusion. The findings of the research reveal that despite itsrnparamount importance, the roles of public relations were found insignificant in managing crisisrndue to various challenges. Based on the findings, the study recommended public relations tornhave crisis communication plan as part of its strategic communication. It also recommendedrnthat public relations need to exert its effort to win the existing challenges hampered to performrnin its all endeavors. It further recommended that Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority shouldrnsupport the public relations in adequate trained staffs, budges, trainings and facilities.

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