The Impact of Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity on Public Relations Officers in Ghana Education Service: A study of selected Metropolitan/Municipal/District Education Directorates in the Greater Accra Region.

Abstract

There are several factors that affect employee performance in a working environment. These factors can have a positive or negative impact on the overall performance of an organisation. The factors may include remuneration, flexible or rigid work arrangement, organisational structure, working conditions and assignment of roles or duties to employees. This study sought to investigate the impact of role conflict and role ambiguity on Public Relations Officers in the Ghana Education Service. It was guided by three objectives first of which was to identify and examine the roles and functions of Public Relations Officers in the Ghana Education Service. Secondly, to determine whether Public Relations Officers are faced with issues of role conflict and role ambiguity in Ghana Education Service and finally to examine how role conflict and ambiguity affect the work of Public Relations Officers in the Ghana Education Service. The study was a quantitative research and as such, a survey was conducted. Data was collected from Public Relations Officers of the Ghana Education Service in the Greater Accra Region using a simple random sampling method. The data was treated and analyzed in line with the objectives of the study. The findings of the study revealed that role conflicts were more prevalent in the PR practice of the Ghana Education Service than role ambiguity. For instance, majority of the PROs indicated that though they have specified roles, these roles are performed in different ways and that there are some rules and policies that have conflicted with the roles they are supposed to perform. The study recommends that the Ghana Education Service should take necessary steps to ensure uniformity and consistency in the performance of roles of the Public Relations Officers to avert increased incidents of role conflicts.