An essential component of any Public Relations campaign is a high-level strategy involving an organisation 's publics. Grunig (2013) defines Public Relations and Communication management as fundamental to achievement of organisational goals. Communication is used within strategy in the Waterview Connection Development (WCD) to show where the organisation wants to be in the court of public opinion prior to and during the major road project.
Underway in west Auckland, the WCD project is creating a motorway link between Highways 16 and 20, which in part, runs underground in tunnels. The construction of the tunnels is aided by a piece of machinery named 'Alice '. The tunnels will provide a direct link connecting Auckland 's business …show more content…
The Communication Theory (Shannon & Weaver, 1949), which focused on one-way persuastive communication caused the publics, mainly business and homeowners in the area to hinder the project going ahead.
As the project was due to begin NZTA and the WCD realised there was an issue needing to be addressed. By applying the Situational Theory (Grunig and Hunt 1984) it became clear that those publics who were more active and involved in the project, were the local community. This sparked the need for the communication activity of community …show more content…
Two way symmetric communication was initated during the commencement of construction through open days and information evenings to provide an opportunity for people to speak directly with the NZTA’s Waterview Connection project team. The meetings allowed for a context where the local communities and organisations can jointly discuss and plan projects where they have common interests and interdependent objectives. These evenings occur as part of an information sharing technique.
Before the two-way asymmetric model could be fully implemented. The community 's relationship towards the WCD needed to be repaired. A step towards building a better relationship, to engage the local community publics was done through Grunig and Hunt (1984) The public information model, a truthoriented approach to public relations. (http://www.nzta.govt.nz/about/media/releases/4042/news.html) lists that about ten thousand project brochures and feedback forms have been distributed to residents and are available at libraries and community centres in the project