دور العلاقات العامة في التواصل خلال الأزمات : جامعة بيرزيت نموذجا

Abstract EN

This study aimed to find out the role of the Public Relations department at Birzeit University in communicating during crises, and to identify the most prominent communication strategies used during crises, in addition to the impact of senior management decisions on these strategies.

So it dealt with the crisis of tuition fees at Birzeit University, which lasted about four weeks, starting from 16/12/2019 to 09/01/2020.The researchers used the descriptive analytical method, the in-depth interview and questionnaire tools.

The Study found that Public Relations department has made good communication efforts, and an effective role in communicating during crises, it also showed partially employment of Situational Crises Communication Theory during the tuition fees crisis, and its failure to employ the right communication strategies, The results also showed the clear and direct impact of the communication strategies used by Public Relations during the crisis by senior management decisions, whereby the communication strategy is adjusted according to its decisions.

Accordingly, the researchers recommends the necessity of developing the communication role of Public Relations during crises, by adopting a new mechanism in dealing with the crisis and conducting accurate surveys to measure student’s attitudes during and after the crisis stopped, and to increase the actual and real participation of the Public Relations Department in the decision-making process with the university management, especially during the crisis