The Use of Corporate Websites as Dialogic Public Relations Tools by Ghana's Public and Private Institutions

Abstract

Motivated by the non-visibility of literature about African countries, this work examines corporate websites as dialogic online public relations tools in Ghana. The explorative study used six case studies, three apiece from private and public organizations. Thirty respondents from these organizations debated the subject in focus group discussions and interviews. The transcripts show that, while public institutions use their websites to inform, educate, train, and develop positive relationships with their publics, profit-oriented organizations extend the usage to running advertisements to gain more profits. The findings also show that an organization's ethical systems can determine a website’s content in dialogic communication. Besides ensuring regular updates and efficient feedback systems, we recommend that organizations have proactive public relations work ethics that make website content address visitors' issues without delay. Organizations can also incorporate video-on-demand and conferencing solutions to improve their dialogue and grow their relationship with the audience.