Human and Public Relations KNEC Past Papers – Questions and Answers, July 2016

1) State four financial publics of a company listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange

Financial publics are entities that affect the funding of a company listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). Listed companies have several financial publics that provide them with the funding they need to operate. The following are the four major financial publics of a listed company:

  • Banks: These are institutions that provide funding to listed companies through loans
  • Investors: These are the people and companies that buy shares from a listed company. The company receives equity funding from shareholders/investors.
  • Brokerage firms: these are firms that buy shares and bonds on behalf of stock holders in the stock exchange.
  • Stockholders: Stockholders are another financial public which raises funds for a company by buying stock.

2) The Table below shows the public relations transfer process. Fill in the missing information to complete the process

  • Hostility – Sympathy
  • Prejudice – Acceptance
  • Apathy – Interest
  • Ignorance – Knowledge

The public relations transfer process involves converting negative attitudes to positive achievements through proper communication. This process aims to promote mutual understanding between an organization and its publics. For instance, the company may face hostilities from certain publics. In such situation, public relations should be used to arouse sympathy towards the organization. Furthermore, an organization that faces prejudice should use public relations to turn such prejudices into acceptance.

3) List three limitations of using the bureaucratic style of management in a public relations department

  • Rigidity: the organizational structure, rules and regulations are rigid or inflexible. So the company may not be able to adapt to the needs of publics.
  • Lack of creativity: bureaucracies hinder creativity and creative thinking, leading to poor decisions in public relations.
  • Impersonality: this approach fails to consider personal factors and human aspects which are important in human relations.

4) State three personal factors that may influence the formation of an individual’s attitude

The three personal factors that may influence the formation of an individual’s attitude are:

  1. Beliefs: one’s beliefs can have a huge impact on their attitude.
  2. Feelings: a person’s emotions and feelings affect their attitudes. Negative emotions may lead to negative emotions.
  3. Knowledge: one’s knowledge about a particular issue affects their attitude towards that issue or item.
  4. Experiences: what someone has experienced in their life can affect their attitude. For instance, a negative experience with a teacher can cause negative attitude towards that teacher.

5) List three advantages of exhibitions as a media for public relations activities in an organization

Exhibition is a media tool that involves displaying a selection of products in an organized manner for the public to see. Companies use exhibitions as a public relations tool. Exhibitions provide numerous advantages as a media for carrying out public relations activities in a company. Some of the advantages include:

  1. Build the image of the organization through positive media coverage
  2. Generating brand awareness because exhibitions provide information about the brand as well as creating advertising opportunities.
  3. Building strong relationships with customers by meeting face-to-face with them and,
  4. Providing information about the product to the customer
  5. It is also important for networking and by meeting with customers, suppliers, and competitors.

6) List three negative types of defence mechanism that may be exhibited by a frustrated employee

Human beings tend to defend themselves from a negative experience. A defence mechanism is a method that one uses to defend themselves when they face danger. Employees can exhibit defence mechanisms when they face danger in the workplace. Some of the negative experiences that force an employee to display defence mechanism are: conflicts, possible loss of their jobs, and health or safety risks. The following are some of the negative defence mechanisms that employees face in the workplace:

  1. Denial: this refers to the situation in which a person refuses to accept reality
  2. Repression: Having thoughts that are disturbing and preventing one from being conscious.
  3. Projection: projecting one’s thoughts or beliefs to another person – shifting the blame.
  4. Displacement: redirecting an impulse to a helpless alternative target.
  5. Regression: going back to an earlier stage of development.

Other types of positive defense mechanism include reaction formation, rationalization, introjection, and identification with the aggressor.

7) Give three reasons that make it necessary for the public relations professional body to enforce the code of conduct on its members

Organizations often enforce professional codes of conduct which contain the rules of behavior and ethical standards that employees should follow at work. A public relations professional code of conduct consists of guidelines, rules and policies that define acceptable and unacceptable behaviours of public relations employees. Some of the reasons why a public relations professional body should enforce the code of conduct on its members include:

  1. To set a good example of acceptable behavior in the workplace
  2. To ensure that members uphold professional standards at all times in their business operations
  3. Setting out the rules for acceptable behavior and ensuring that employees follow those rules
  4. To reinforce ethical norms and ethical practices in the workplace as well as building an ethical culture across the organization.
  5. To foster a safe and respectful work environment for all employees
  6. To show that there are consequences for breaking the rules of conduct within the organization.

8) Outline three responsibilities of the public relations department to the company’s distributors

The public relations department has numerous responsibilities to the company’s stakeholders. Some of the responsibilities that the public relations department has to the company’s distributors include:

  1. Improving channels of communication with distributors
  2. Maintaining positive relationship with distributors
  3. Providing reliable information required by distributors to do their work effectively.
  4. Create a positive image for distributors by releasing positive messages to the public about them.
  5. Developing media programs to create awareness about the products sold by distributors.

9) List three challenges that may be faced by modern public relations practitioners

Modern public relations practitioners face numerous challenges such as:

  • Crisis management: PR practitioners experience crises situations in the workplace every day, and they have to address them.
  • Work overload: Public relations practitioners face numerous situations that require their attention every day. With the availability of social media, public relations departments face the challenge of addressing every single situation that arises.
  • Fake news and misinformation: social media has now made it possible for people to spread rumours, propaganda and fake news about companies. PR practitioners face the challenge of dispelling such misinformation.
  • Media craze: digital media are becoming the norm in media communication, but PR practitioners face the risk of sending wrong messages in a crazy media.
  • Data breaches and cyber security: as PR practitioners engage audience in online media, they face the challenge of data breach and cyber security problems.

10) State the three components of personality as expounded by Sigmund Freud

According to Sigmund Freud, the three components of personality are:

  • Id: basic instinct of a person; the source of all psychic energy which is the core component of personality and is present since birth. E.g. a child crying for ice cream uses the id to get immediate satisfaction. It functions in the unconscious mind.
  • Ego: develops from the id. It ensures that the Id is checked to reduce impulses of the id. It functions in the conscious and unconscious mind.
  • Superego: Starts from 5 years. It holds moral standards and ideals that are acquired from the external environment. It provides guidelines for making judgments.

Section B

11a) Explain six ways in which the public relations department of an organization can facilitate the media to report accurately during a crisis

  1. Provide information promptly to the media
  2. Cooperate
  3. Appoint a response team
  4. Speaking consistently and with one voice
  5. Establish a protocol to manage the crisis effectively. .
  6. Create a press release statement or message for the media.

11b) Highlight four techniques that may be used by public relations practitioners to change the attitude of a target audience.

  • Storytelling
  • Media relations
  • Social media interactions
  • Community engagement
  • Partnership with influencers
  • Crisis management
  • Employee advocacy
  • Branding

12a) Explain six benefits of engaging a consultancy firm to undertake public relations activities for an organization

  • Experience and expertise
  • Objective perspectives
  • Industry insights
  • Efficiency
  • Network and Relationships
  • Risk minimization

12b) Outline four personality traits that an effective public relations manager should possess

  • Communication skills
  • Creativity
  • Adaptability
  • Empathy
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Attention to details
  • Integrity
  • Relationship building

13a) Give four reasons that may make it necessary for managers to vary the techniques for enhancing human relations in an organization.

  1. Workforce Diversity
  2. Changing needs and expectations
  3. Individual differences
  4. Organizational culture
  5. Work environment
  6. Employee feedback and engagement
  7. External factors

13b) Outline six characteristics that an informal organization may display

  1. Personal relationships based on trust and reciprocity: individuals interact freely within friendly social networks. Team members form relationships based on trust, mutual respect and collective responsibility.
  2. Informal communication channels: individuals operating within an informal organizational structure communicate in a relaxed, spontaneous and unofficial manner. They can use gossip, social media chats, and casual conversations to discuss business issues. Communication in an informal organization flows quickly through social networks rather than following rigid formal channel.
  3. Leadership emerges naturally: leaders of informal organizations are not chosen through formal mechanisms. They emerge naturally, even though they have authority as leaders. Informal leaders also gain trust and respect through personal expertise, social connections, and individual qualities.
  4. Flexibility: informal organizations are highly flexible and adaptive to change. They can quickly respond to changes in the external environment, take advantage of new opportunities, and address challenges as they emerge.
  5. Creativity and innovation: informal organizational structures encourage creativity and organization as a result of the autonomy and freedom offered by the informal social structure.
  6. Informal and fluid roles: the roles and responsibilities of individuals within an informal organization may not align with the formal job descriptions. Role fluidity is also high since individuals can shift from one position to another depending on the situation.
  7. Motivation and engagement within an informal organizational structure is high since individuals are motivated by intrinsic factors such as personal satisfaction, sense of belonging, and sense of achievement.
  8. Informal conflict resolutions

14a) Highlight six objectives of public relations that an organization may seek to attain

  1. Building reputation and image
  2. Creating awareness
  3. Building trust and credibility
  4. Building relationships
  5. Influencing public opinion
  6. Crises management
  7. Marketing products and services
  8. Attracting and retaining talented employees

14b) Give four reasons that make the government an important public for all business organizations

  • Regulation and compliance
  • Economic policies
  • Public infrastructure
  • Market access and trade
  • Taxation
  • Employment and labor

15a) Explain 4 uses of a photo library in a public relations department of an organization

  • For media relations
  • Branding and reputation
  • Content creation for social media marketing
  • Product and brand promotion
  • Documentation purposes
  • External communication

15b) Explain six factors that may influence the choice of media for public relations activities

  1. Target audience’s demographics
  2. Message
  3. Goals and objectives
  4. Cost
  5. Reach and accessibility
  6. Credibility and trust
  7. Urgency

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