DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSISON PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIZATION’S COPORATE IMAGE AN APPRAISAL OF ORLEAN INVESTMENT WEST AFRICA ”

                   PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction
This chapter features data presentation and analysis. The data has been presented systematically with a view of ensuring coherence and completeness geared towards answering the research questions that guide the study of the 400 copies of the questionnaire administered, 160 were returned giving an 80% response rate. Out of the 160 respondents, 100 representing 62.5% were male, 60 or 37.5% were female. Furthermore, amongst these respondents, 50 (31.3%) were between 20 and 35 years old, 80 respondents (50%) were between the ages of 35 and 50, and 30 (18.7%) were between 50 and 75 years of age.
In response to the question on the relationship between the communities and the company, 120 respondents representing 75% described it as very unfriendly, 20 (12.5%) described it as friendly, 10(6.3%) said it was very friendly while 10 respondents representing 6.3% were not sure of the relationship existing  between the host communities and the company. Communication was given as the reason behind the friendliness while communication gap and selfish representatives of the communities are the reasons behind the unfriendliness nature of their relationship.
4.1 Table 1: How the activities of the company affects     communal life
Respondents
Number of respondents
Percentage

Negatively
100
62.5

Positively
40
25

Not sure
20
    12.5

Total
160
100

In reacting to the above data, on how the activities of the company affects communal life, 100 respondents representing 62.5% said that the company’s activities has affected communal life negatively. 40 respondents representing (25%) said the company’s presence has had a positive influence on them. 20 respondents  representing (12.5%) were not sure of the effect caused by the company’s activities in their communities. In essence , the company was deemed to carryout both constructive and destructive work on the communities.
4.2 Table 2: Social amenities received by host communities from Orlean invest
Electricity
40
25
120
75
160
100

Roads
60
37.5
130
81.3
160
100

Scholarships
50
31.7
110
68.7
160
100

Drainage
30
18.7
130

81.3
160

100

In responding to the type of amenities, Forty respondents (25%) said that Orlean Invest provided electricity to their communities. One hundred and twenty respondents representing 75% said no to the provision of electricity supply. Sixty (31.3%) out of the 160 respondents confirmed that the company provided roads for the host communities while 100 (50%) said that the company did not provide roads for them. Only 50 respondents representing (31.7%) confirmed the provision of scholarships to the host communities while one hundred and ten respondents representing (68.7%) said that the host communities were neglected in that regard.
Finally, thirty respondents representing 18.7% said yes to the provision of drainages while 130 (18.3%) respondents disagreed. From this analysis, it is evident that many communities have not benefitted from Orlean Investment West Africa. The data above shows that the communities are satisfied with benefits derived from the company. In response, the Orlean Invest public relations manager Mr. David Alagoa insisted that Orlean Invest as a company tries in its capacity despite its limitations to provide assistance to the host communities. However, the company cannot meet all demands from these communities which range from providing electricity, transformers, bridges, building chief’s palaces, providing telephone links to chief’s palaces, ensuring that the chief elders get regular salaries and giving the youth full employment. Those demands stem from the communities transferred aggression from the government to the company. Similarly, the public relations executive highlights the following points as reasons behind the incessant demands.
The image of logistics companies as exploiters
The impact of the company’s operations on the environment.
The harsh economic situation in the country.
High level of unemployment making lots of youths redundant.
Lack of basic social amenities in the communities
He said that the company is even ready to dialogue with community members in order to iron out crucial issues affecting the communities and the company.

4.3 Table 3: What is the level of acceptance of Orlean Invest’s Corporate identity
Respondents
Number of respondents
Percentage

Highly acceptable
50
31.2

Moderately acceptable
50
31.2

Not acceptable
60
37.2

Total
160
100

In view of such over whelming dissatisfaction, table 3 sought to find out the acceptance of the company’s image by members of its host community. Fifty (31.3%) respondents said that the company’s image is highly accepted, another 50 respondents said OrleanInvest’s image is moderately accepted, while 60 (37.5%) said its corporate identity is not in anyway accepted.

4.4 Table 4. Does Orlean Invest Communicate Its Development Programme(s) to Members Of Its Host Communities.
Respondents
Number of respondents
Percentage

Yes
120
75

No
30
18.7

No answer
10
6.3

Total
160
100

In response to the table above, 120 respondents (75%) said Orlean Invest communicates its development programme(s) to members of it’s host communities. 30 respondents (18.7%) disagreed with this, while 10 respondents (6.3%) declined to answer. The majority opinion according to the foregoing is that the people are effectively carried along with respect to the development programs undertaken by Orlean Invest.

4.5 Table 5: Media through which Orlean Invest communicates its development programmes
Respondents
Number of Respondents
Percentage

Television
10
6.3              

Radio
10
6.3        

Opinion leaders
140
87.5

Total
160
100

    In response to the foregoing, 140 respondents representing 87.5% said that Opinion leaders served as the primary channel through which they became aware of community development programs, while 10 respondents respectively for both Television and Radio, representing 6.3% each said that these media were the channels through which community development programs were communicated across to them. Seeing the above analysis, Opinion leaders should not be the major carrier of the company’s development programs, more channels should be adequately explored.
4.6 Table 6. Perceived effectiveness
Channels
Respondents
Number of respondents
Percentage

Radio and television 
Yes
40
25              

Opinion leaders
No
120
75  

Total

160
100            

Majority of the respondents chose NO as an answer because not everybody is present when the Opinion leaders make their call for a meeting in order to dish out community development updates carried out by the company, speaking on the strategies, the public relations manager: Mr. David Alagoa said that in the past, Orlean Invest’s programmes were far from effective. However, with new initiatives and incentives, a new public relations department has been put in place. This program entails having Orlean Invest’s liaison officers know as community relations officers at various communities in which the company operates. That is, the officers operate from the main communities, thereby providing the company first hand information and better grounds of information between the company and communities representatives. These officers are drawn from all departments of the company but they are trained by the public affairs division. They carry out their activities through constant proactive visits to the communities, dialogue with them on community assistance projects, organize community parliaments. As this is a sure way of engaging the people at the grassroots level in the community development programmes, thereby giving them a chance to decide what development is for them, and also be a part of the development process. This way the corporate image of the company is highly boosted, because the people feel needed thereby causing them to see the company as a friend of theirs. There is also an open forum which focuses on a group of host communities. The forum is designed to tell the communities about the company’s activities, streamline any problem emanating from its operations and explain areas of misunderstanding. The people’s parliament or community parliament is another strategy. This is where communal matters of mutual concern are discussed to ascertain solutions to OrleanInvest’s operational problems to the communities. Special seminars are also put in place by Orlean Invest to explain important issues and give more information on the company’s activities to state executives, media practitioners, local government functionaries and community representatives. Visits aimed at soliciting support and co-operations are made to traditional rulers of the host communities. Similarly, end of year seasonal gifts are made available to the traditional rulers and contractors. This act on its own has a subtle way of maintaining the corporate image of the company. It is pertinent to note that the company’s community assistance projects forms a major part of the public relations program to reduce the problems existing in the communities. Between 1995 and 1998, over N200 million was spent on community assistance programs. Among the projects undertaken by Orlean Invest are : health centers, water schemes, scholarships, construction of roads, electricity and drainages. These projects are geared towards presenting Orlean Invest as a corporate citizen. However, Orlean Invest’s public relations manager stated that the company strove to maintain goodwill and understanding among the people of the host communities through people’s or community parliaments and community assisting projects. In response to the questionnaire copies distributed, some respondents said that a number of projects were provided by Orlean Invest to their communities which included electrification, scholarships, drainages and roads. Since GPA public affairs division is a broad division comprising about 5 sub- departments, the finding revealed that there is a sub-department that is directly responsible for relationship with host communities. This is known as the community relations department. The department uses memorandum of understanding (MOU) to inform host communities on the projects to be executed and provided for them by the company. On the other hand,  the public relations manager Mr. David Alagoa enumerated the departments and their functions which include: public relations  department which looks into the affairs of the entire public, legal department which takes care of all legal matters emanating from the land acquired by the company, lands department that takes charge of the acquisition of land., others include the community relations department which is responsible for the relationship between the host communities and the company. Although the public relations manager Mr. David Alagoa stated that the company’s present relations with its communities of operations as well as its corporate image  has greatly improved from what it was in the past. Mr. David Alagoa  further stated that Orlean Invest’s programmes are effective but their overall effectiveness is cooled by the belief held by the communities that oil and Logistics companies are exploitative in nature.
Finally, he attributed the host communities non-appreciative attitude to the company’s effort to improve the harsh economic situation and high level of unemployment in the country.