An assessment of the role of the Public Relations strategist in Lesotho

Abstract

Public Relations (PR) strategists contribute to the achievement of the organisational goals by addressing the societal needs of stakeholders through grafted communication strategies that enhance the stakeholder trust, and good relations with the organisation and in turn influence perception and create a good reputation and image for the organisation. This paper explores the conceptualisation of the PR strategies in Lesotho with multifaceted functions of PR that include stakeholder engagement, brand and reputation management, media relations, crisis management, environmental scanning, development of communication strategy, corporate social responsibility, and budget development. It provides insight into whether the practice of PR role adds value to organisations by contributing to the dominant coalition, corporate strategy development, crisis management, and at the macro-level. Drawing from the reflective paradigm of public relations, the research used a semi-structured interview guide and conducted in-depth interviews with PR practitioners and CEOs in Lesotho from different sectors to understand the conceptualisation of the role of the PR strategist in Lesotho. The findings of the study show that the role of the PR strategist in Lesotho is largely conceptualised at the managerial, or meso level of the organisation. The majority of PR strategists do not participate in the dominant coalition where decisions are made. PR strategists in Lesotho do not contribute strategically to the attainment of the organisational goals including non financial goals which contribute to the development of the enterprise strategy. It is recommended that the role of the PR strategist in Lesotho be expanded to the macro level if organisations are to derive maximum value from PR.