MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ORGANİZATİON-PUBLIC RELATIONS: A RESEARCH ON NGO’S VOLUNTEERS

Abstract

Public relations strategies provide a theoretical framework for organizations to improve the quality of their relationships with key target groups. The aim of the study is to determine the effective strategies necessary for NGOs to increase the number of volunteers. The research was conducted on people who volunteered for at least 3 months to NGOs serving the public interest and who continued their volunteering activities. As a result of the research conducted on 228 NGOs volunteers, it has been revealed that the relationship development strategies in public relations are the determining factors for the intention to continue volunteering. In addition, public relations perceptions have been identified as a determining factor for supportive behaviors towards NGOs. According to another research finding, there was a significant correlation between communication (control mutuality) and relational results (trust, commitment, satisfaction). Volunteers define their relationship with NGOs as a relationship based on unilateral relationships rather than a relationship based on mutual benefits. Research results is helping to explain the cause of the decrease in the number of volunteers of NGOs in Turkey.

Keywords

• Public Relations,Relationship Management,NGOs,Non-profit Organizations,Volunteerism

KURUMSAL HALKLA İLİŞKİLERİN ETKİNLİĞİNİ ÖLÇME: STK GÖNÜLLÜLERİ ÜZERİNE BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Abstract

Halkla ilişkiler stratejileri kuruluşların önemli hedef kitleleriyle olan ilişkilerinin kalitesini geliştirebilmeleri için teoriksel bir çerçeve sunmaktadır.  Araştırma kapsamında STK’ların gönüllü sayılarını arttırabilmeleri için gerekli olan etkili stratejilerin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda kamu yararına hizmet eden STK’lara en az 3 ay gönüllü olan ve gönüllülük faaliyetlerine devam eden kişiler üzerinde bir araştırma yapılmıştır.  228 STK gönüllüsü üzerine yapılan araştırma sonucunda halkla ilişkilerde ilişki geliştirme stratejilerinin gönüllü kazanımı ve gönüllülüğe devam etme niyetlerinin belirleyici faktörü olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca halkla ilişkiler algılamalarının STK’lara yönelik destekleyici davranışların belirleyici bir unsuru olduğu ortaya çıkartılmıştır. Diğer bir araştırma bulgusuna göre iletişimsel süreç (karşılıklı kontrol) ile ilişkisel sonuçlar (güven, bağlılık, memnuniyet) arasında anlamlı bir korelasyon bulunmuştur. Gönüllüler STK’lar ile olan ilişkilerini ise karşılıklı menfaate dayanan bir değişim ilişkisinden ziyade tek taraflı hizmete dayanan bir ilişki olarak tanımlamaktadır. Araştırma sonuçları Türkiye’de STK’ların sahip oldukları gönüllü üye sayılarındaki düşüklüğün nedenini açıklamaya yardımcı olmaktadır.

Keywords

• Halkla İlişkiler,İlişki Yönetimi,Sivil Toplum Kuruluşları,Kar Amacı Taşımayan Kuruluşlar,Gönüllülük

References

1. Bortree D and Waters R (2008) Admiring the Organization: A Study of the Relational Quality Outcomes of the Nonprofit Organization-Volunteer Relationship, Public Relations Journal, Vol. 2 No. 3, pp. 1-17
2. Çelebi E (2010) Türkiye’de Çevre İle İlgili Sivil Toplum Kuruluşlarının Halkla İlişkiler Çalışmalarının Çevre Sorunları Üzerindeki Etkileri, Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi, İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
3. Çelebi E (2019) Halkla İlişkiler Uygulamaları Nasıl Olmalı?, Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık, Ankara
4. Çelebi E ve Sezer N (2017) İlişkisel Memnuniyetin Kriz İletişim Stratejileri Üzerine Etkisi, Erciyes İletişim Dergisi Akademia, Cilt 5, Sayı 2, s. 348-364
5. Fiske S T (2009) Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology, Second Edition, Willey.
6. Harrison V S , Xiao A, Ott H K and Bortree D (2017) Calling all volunteers: The role of stewardship and involvement in volunteer-organization relationships, Public Relations Review 43, pp. 872–881
7. Hon L C and Grunig J E (1999) Guidelines for Measuring Relationships in Public Relations, Institute for Public Relations, pp.1-40.
8. Hon L and Brunner B (2001) Measuring public relationships among students and administrators at the University of Florida, Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 6, No.3, 227-238

9. Kelly K S (1998) Effective fund-raising management, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, London.
10. Kelly K S (2001) Stewardship: The fifth step in the public relations process, In R. L. Heath (Ed.), Handbook of public relations (pp. 279–289). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
11. Ki E and Brown K A (2013) The Effects of Crisis Response Strategies on Relationship Quality Outcomes, Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 403-420.
12. Ledingham J A and Brunning S D (1998) Relationship Management in Public Relations: Dimensions of an Organization Public Relationship, Public Relations Review, Vol. 24, No. 1, 55-65
13. Liu B F (2012) Toward a better understanding of nonprofit communication management, Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 16 Issue: 4, pp.388-404.
14. McDougle L (2014) Understanding public awareness of nonprofit organizations: exploring the awareness– confidence relationship, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 19, pp. 187–199.
15. Mengü S Ç (2012) Halkla İlişkiler : Bir Kültür Politikası, (Vol. 1.bs), Eğitim Yayınevi, Konya.
16. Ni L (2008) Strategic Role of Relationship Building: Perceived Links Between Employee–Organization Relationships and Globalization Strategies, Journal of Public Relations Research, 21:1, pp. 100-120.
17. O’Neil J (2007) The link between strong public relationships and donor support, Public Relations Review 33, pp. 99–102.
18. O'Neil J (2009) Linking Public Relations Tactics to Long-Term Success: An Investigation of How Communications Contribute to Trust, Satisfaction, and Commitment in a Nonprofit Organization, Journal of Promotion Management, 14:3-4, pp. 263-274.
19. Pressgrove G N (2013) Making Stewardship Meaningful For Nonprofits: Stakeholder Motivations, Attitudes, Loyalty and Behaviors, (Doctoral dissertation).
20. Rogers C and Andrews W (2016) Nonprofits’ Expectations in PR Service–Learning Partnerships, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator Vol. 71(1), pp. 95–106.
21. Sargeant A (2001) Relationship fund-raising: How to keep donors loyal, Non Profit Management and Leadership, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 177–192.
22. Sargeant A and Lee S (2002) Individual and Contextual Antecedents of Donor Trust in the Voluntary Sector, Journal of Marketing Management, 18:7-8, pp. 779-802.
23. Sha B-L (2009) Exploring the Connection Between Organizational Identity and Public Relations Behaviors: How Symmetry Trumps Conservation in Engendering Organizational Identification, Journal of Public Relations Research, 21:3,pp. 295-317.
24. Sisson D C (2015) Authentic Relationship Management to Heighten Control Mutuality in Social Media, Doctoral dissertation, Retrieved from http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3608.
25. Studer S (2016) Volunteer Management: Responding to the Uniqueness of Volunteers, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 45(4), pp. 688–714.
26. Waters R D (2008) Applying relationship management theory to the fundraising process for individual donors, Journal of Communication Management Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 73-87.
27. Waters R D and Bortree D S (2007) Measuring the volunteer-nonprofit organization relationship: An application of public relations theory, The International Journal of Volunteer Administration 14(6), pp. 57–67.
28. Waters R D and Bortree D S (2010) Building a Better Workplace for Teen Volunteers Through Inclusive Behaviors, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 337-355.
29. Waters R D, Bortree D S and Tindall N (2013) Can public relations improve the workplace? Measuring the impact of stewardship on the employer-employee relationship, Employee Relations, Vol 35, No. 6, pp. 613–629.
30. Wiggill, M.N. (2014) “Donor relationship management practices in theSouth African non-profit sector”, Public Relations Review 40, pp. 278–285.
31. Wilcox D L and Cameron G T (2006) Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics, 8th ed., Pearson Education, Boston, MA.
32. William M and Buttle F (2013) Managing Word-of-Mouth: A Nonprofit Case Study, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 25, pp. 284–308.
33. Zhu W J and Cheung M (2014) Multiple Relationship-Management Roles Among Communicators in Not-For-Profit Organizations, Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 38:5, pp. 423-434.
34. T.C. İç İşleri Bakanlığı Sivil Toplumla İlişkiler Genel Müdürlüğü (E.T.20.06.2019) https://www.dernekler.gov.tr/tr/anasayfalinkler/yillara-gore-faal-dernek.aspx https://www.dernekler.gov.tr/tr/Anasayfalinkler/kamu-yararina-calisan-dernekler.aspx
35. T.C. Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü (E.T.20.06.2019) https://www.vgm.gov.tr/Documents/YEN%C4%B0%20VAKIFLAR2018/VAKIFLARIN%20T%C3%9CRLER%C4%B0NE%20G%C3%96RE%20DA%C4%9EILIMI_17.07.2018.pdf