Public relations : the perception and reality in the ministry of finance, economy and investment

Abstract

In this dissertation an overview of what Public Relations is about along with its application in the political sphere is presented at the initial stages of the document. Followed by a brief analysis of how The Great Recession came about and its effects on the Maltese islands in order to get the reader in the necessary perspective for this research. A qualitative and quantitative research was carried out with the attempt to analyze the situation from both internally (through qualitative research in the form of interviews with members of the ministry) and externally (through quantitative research aimed at the general public). This analysis gauges the perceptions and attitudes of the public towards the Ministry's overall PR strategy employed in order to contain the effects of The Great Recession in Malta. The results reveal several interesting findings such as the fact that the Ministry, through the Minister basis its decisions on what experts say rather than what the general public thinks. Furthermore, the public showed signs of co-operation in its actions regarding spending and consumption, however, the general perception was low on aspects of the economy that directly influenced the public such as salary level, cost of living and unemployment. This might have been brought about because the main focus of the PR strategy, the main source from which policies are derived, was not the general public, but the Ministry's experts. Perhaps the main goal was to achieve a stable economic situation that indirectly benefits the general public. This is perhaps a close example of what is called a Product Orientation in Marketing