POSITION, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AMONG SELECTED PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CLUBS IN GHANA

ABSTRACT The study investigated the functions, position and structure of Public Relations in professional Ghanaian Football clubs. It essentially looked at how the football clubs defined the function and roles of Public Relations. The study was qualitative and a multiple case study design was employed for the data collection. Five clubs namely, Accra Hearts of Oak, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Aduana Stars, Liberty Professionals and West African Football Academy (WAFA) from the Ghana Premier League were purposively sampled for the study. Data were thematically analysed from the perspective of the Excellence Theory and Relationship Management model. These theories specify how Public Relations makes organisations more effective in the organisation and management of their publics. The study found among others that Public Relations was used by management of the clubs as a tool for maintaining relationship with their publics through media relations and also their understanding of PR was limited to some few roles and functions. The study also show that the Public Relations Officers of the clubs mainly played the technician role and sometimes communication facilitator’s role based on the clubs’ understanding of PR. The study also established that the clubs used channels such as telephone calls, memos, meetings and emails for their internal communication and mass media (radio, television and newspaper) and social media as channels for external communications. The study found that the clubs managed issues and their image mostly through the mass media in order to either attract sponsors or establish and maintain good relationship with their sponsors. However, it was established that non-performance and lack of success on the pitch were hindrances to attracting sponsorship.