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Communicating for organisational legitimacy : the case of the Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association

Wiggill, MN LU (2014) In Public Relations Review 40(2). p.315-327
Abstract
The Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association (FPA) has an important role in preventing and managing veld fires in the Tlokwe Local Municipality’s rural environment. The FPA works closely with several governmental stakeholders, but these stakeholders do not view the FPA as having high levels of organisational legitimacy. A lack of organisational legitimacy hinders the FPA in obtaining its organisational goals. Theoretically, a NPO’s role is dependent on its values, as embodied in its vision, mission and goals statement. Managing communication strategically to build strong relation-ships with key governmental stakeholders should assist NPOs to obtain and maintain organisational legitimacy. The purpose of the research was to determine by... (More)
The Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association (FPA) has an important role in preventing and managing veld fires in the Tlokwe Local Municipality’s rural environment. The FPA works closely with several governmental stakeholders, but these stakeholders do not view the FPA as having high levels of organisational legitimacy. A lack of organisational legitimacy hinders the FPA in obtaining its organisational goals. Theoretically, a NPO’s role is dependent on its values, as embodied in its vision, mission and goals statement. Managing communication strategically to build strong relation-ships with key governmental stakeholders should assist NPOs to obtain and maintain organisational legitimacy. The purpose of the research was to determine by means of semi-structured interviews the perceptions of the FPA and its key governmental stakeholders on the role of the FPA as well as the quality of its stakeholder relationships, and the effect of these perceptions on the FPA’s perceived organisational legitimacy. The study confirmed the theoretical relationship between organisational legitimacy, strategic communication and relationship management and a clear, value-based role. It was recommended that NPOs should strive to establish two-way communication with key governmental stakeholders to enhance mutual understanding of as well as mutual control during veld fires. (Less)
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author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
non-profit organisations, Non-profit organizations, Strategic Communication, Legitimacy, Relationship management, role theory
in
Public Relations Review
volume
40
issue
2
pages
13 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84899969877
ISSN
0363-8111
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
58172019-583f-496f-b859-a18f924bdb1b
date added to LUP
2019-07-03 09:08:43
date last changed
2022-01-31 23:11:32
@article{58172019-583f-496f-b859-a18f924bdb1b,
  abstract     = {{The Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association (FPA) has an important role in preventing and managing veld fires in the Tlokwe Local Municipality’s rural environment. The FPA works closely with several governmental stakeholders, but these stakeholders do not view the FPA as having high levels of organisational legitimacy. A lack of organisational legitimacy hinders the FPA in obtaining its organisational goals. Theoretically, a NPO’s role is dependent on its values, as embodied in its vision, mission and goals statement. Managing communication strategically to build strong relation-ships with key governmental stakeholders should assist NPOs to obtain and maintain organisational legitimacy. The purpose of the research was to determine by means of semi-structured interviews the perceptions of the FPA and its key governmental stakeholders on the role of the FPA as well as the quality of its stakeholder relationships, and the effect of these perceptions on the FPA’s perceived organisational legitimacy. The study confirmed the theoretical relationship between organisational legitimacy, strategic communication and relationship management and a clear, value-based role. It was recommended that NPOs should strive to establish two-way communication with key governmental stakeholders to enhance mutual understanding of as well as mutual control during veld fires.}},
  author       = {{Wiggill, MN}},
  issn         = {{0363-8111}},
  keywords     = {{non-profit organisations; Non-profit organizations; Strategic Communication; Legitimacy; Relationship management; role theory}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{315--327}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Public Relations Review}},
  title        = {{Communicating for organisational legitimacy : the case of the Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/67104238/LegitimacyPRReview.pdf}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}