Saturday, 14 May 2016

In the practice of International public relations research is very important activity especially in issue management of which Issue management refers to as a strategic proactive means to counter activist’s groups and influence public policy (Gaunt &Ollenbourger, 1995)
Research refers to; In general, scientific research is systematic process of data collection, data analysis and data presentation
In the practice of international public relations research can be done for two mainly purposes; 
ü          Contributing knowledge in the field of Public Relations.
This kind of research is referred to as the Basic Research and is mostly academic and does not deal with practical problems. Hence, it is important that Public Relations practitioners and scholars keep doing academic researches for the purposes of expanding our understanding on these fields that we have chosen to dwell in. Additionally, being new in our environment; organizations and academic institutions, there is much to explore, learn and thus associate them with our global environment.
ü  Solving a real practical problem.
Unlike the basic/academic research, this category of research is called Applied Research for its findings are useful in designing programs to be implemented for responding to a particular problem or opportunity. In that case, when it comes to practices International public relations practitioners are subjected into conducting applied researches for being able to design effective communication programs.
According to Gaunt &Ollenburger issue management refers to as a strategic, proactive means to counter activist’s groups and influence public policy.
An issue is generally looked at as a disagreement, unsettled matter, a conflict or a difference over a matter of importance among people or between an organization and some of its internal and external stakeholders (Cornellisen, 2010; Botha, et al., 2007).
It is the gap between stakeholders’ expectations and corporate operations (Steyn &Puth, 2005).  It is a pressure or a remaining question over matters that are part of organizational decision (ibid). Issues can be based on any social, economic, cultural, political and economic spheres. For example, consumers may not be satisfied with Internet services, employee’s concerns over the low salaries or poor sanitary system at the university.
Issues can become threats to the operations of the organizations but may also be the opportunity for the organization to improve its operations especially in offering more quality goods and services globally. However, when not managed or worked on for a long period of time, issues may evolve and become crises especially to the practice of public relations .
               Types of issues
  Current issues, these are concerns that groups of stakeholders are debating at the moment. They are the presently prevailing problems.
 Emerging issues, emerging issues are those situations which may take time before they mature into full issues. Problems that have not been realized yet as problems until a particular period of time passes.

 Managing issues, Issues management is that process of anticipating/monitoring situations to identify issues, analyzing such identified issues, taking steps to resolve the issues and then communicating about the steps taken to the target stakeholders (Botha et al., 2007; Tench&Yeomans, 2006). In other words, in issues management, international public relations practitioner conduct researches for the purposes of identifying potential problems and taking actions to solve such identified problems before they evolve and become crises.
SIRIKWA YASINTA THADEY

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