Abstract

Effective public relations (PR) is crucial to the survival of any organization. It helps to establish trust and credibility, promote transparent communication and advice management, and build a positive organizational reputation. Despite its importance, there has been limited research on the role of PR in an organization’s survival. This study examined the contributions of PR to the survival of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a non-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations in Africa. Despite facing difficult times, IITA recovered and established more positive relationships with stakeholders. Therefore, this study explored the PR strategies employed by IITA and their effectiveness in ensuring the organization’s survival. It also examined the extent to which planning and implementation of PR programs contributed to the organization’s long-term success. Edward Freeman’s stakeholder theory was used, while the descriptive design was adopted. Purposive and available sampling was used to select twenty members of the Communications Unit as in-depth interview participants, while purposive sampling was also used to select ten key-informant interview participants who are heads of units at the IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria. Thematic analysis was conducted on the data gathered. The findings of the study revealed six major PR strategies employed by IITA. These strategies were instrumental in ensuring the organization’s survival. By building and maintaining solid relationships with stakeholders and managing the organization’s reputation, PR can be an impetus for an organization’s survival.