الملخص الإنجليزي
This study aims at describing the establishment of Public Relations in the Sultanate and its relevant changes as well as describing the Organizational, functional and communicational features of the Public Relations departments in the Sultanate. In addition, it aims at identifying the challenges facing these departments. The study is based on a survey method. A questioner is used as a tool for collecting data and information. It has been distributed for the Public Relations managers in 30 institutions of the civil service institutions. The study came up with the following results:
1. There are special department mainly serves as Public Relations in almost (93.3%) out of the civil services establishments in the Sultanate of Oman. While the remaining establishments which don't have a dedicated department for the PR, it assigns its tasks to other departments such as Media Department, Administration Affairs, Human Resources, protocol Affairs, and Coordination Department. 2. Most of Public Relation top management (56.7%) have experience in their work field for more than 10 years. 3. Activities related to the passports, immigration, Hotel Reservations, ceremony arrangements and receiving delegations came at the top of the daily activities accomplished by the Public Relations Departments in the Sultanate of Oman. This in turns has reflected negatively to the main role of Public Relation which it should be dedicated to accomplishing tasks related to the media such as publishing books, communication campaign.
4. Press activities has scored the top of the list among other activities which are normally used by the Public Relation departments (57.1%) and this is related to the simplicity and flexibility of communication with this type of media . In addition to that the Radio and TV has scored less about (25%) and this is related to the shortage of technical support as this is costly. The study has concluded the following recommendations; 1. The public relations should be free from any irrelevant activities to its specializations and its practice should be amended according to its real
functions and duties. 2. It is important to establish departments for the Public Relations in all civil service institutions in the Sultanate where the department size should match the institution's size and activities. 3. A public relations association should be established in order to protect
the public relations staff from ignorance. 4. Public relations researcher and students should be encouraged to present studies in various aspects of the public relation in the Sultanate.
