Kommunikatsioonijuhtimine kohalikus omavalitsuses
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
The present Master’s thesis views the role of communication management in the
administration of local governments, based on the examples of Vaasa, Pärnu and
Jurmala town governments. In spring 2003 the author of the thesis defended a
Bachelor’s thesis on public relations as an administrative function, based on the
example of Pärnu Town Government, in the University of Tartu. A local government is
a public institution which, in order to meet its aims, relies on legislation and the
attitudes-expectations of target groups towards primary power. The author claims that
the more a local government communicates with its target groups and takes into account
their expectations at the decision-making level, the more successful it is. Therefore
skilled communication management always forms a part of administration.
While Finnish local governments have used PR for years, Estonian and Latvian local
governments have functioned according to the European model for only 15 years. As to
professional public relations, the local governments in the Baltic States have even less
experience. The author of this Master’s thesis has analysed the administrative practices
of two local governments in the Baltic States and one in Finland and conducted surveys
for the assessment of the efficiency of communication management in those institutions.
Relying on the practices of the local governments in question, the author tries to find the
best administrative solution and construct the best PR model for the local governments.
The thesis is also of practical value, and the author believes that all of the three local
governments have something to learn from this thesis to improve their practices;
especially given the fact that the three countries are member states of the European
Union and their local government administration follows the European model.
The thesis consists of four parts. The first part views the theoretical aspects of public
relations and communication management, introduces the comparison objects of the
survey and describes their administrative processes, communication management
principles and organisation. On issues of management and communication management,
based on the works of J. E. Grunig, N. A. Hart, S. Black, R. Alas and others.
As an expert, the author uses a considerable amount of information collected by himself
or drawn from his own experience. The author has worked as a PR expert in the public
service for more than 10 years. For the last four and a half years he has been the PR
manager of Pärnu Town Government. He has also been introduced to the PR work of
the other two countries.
In the second part, the author introduces the subject and task of the thesis, research
methods and practices. The most important questions of the thesis are: which
communication management practices are effective in local governments against the
background of the development of different countries and what is the role of
communication management in the successful administration of a local government?
In the third part, the author presents the outcome of the conducted surveys and analyses
the results of questionnaires.
The fourth part contains a summary on the topic and highlights answers to the questions
raised in the thesis. The author also gives his recommendations to local governments for
better organisation of communication management, i.e. for the use of the best possible
model for local government administration. Important materials forming the basis for
the treatment of the topics presented in the thesis and providing the research with
necessary details have also been annexed to the thesis.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), magistritööd, suhtekorraldus, kommunikatsioonijuhtimine, haldusjuhtimine, kohalikud omavalitsused, efektiivsus, eurointegratsioon, standardimine, Pärnu, Vaasa, Jurmala