masukucaven

EDUcare Appraisal for using new technology: A Mini-Research on Corporate Communication Managemant

2011-12-15T02:59:00.000-08:00

This mini-research was conducted by caven masuku about EDUcare College in July 2009. The research seek to inquire about the use of new technology by a local professional training college based in Gweru, Zimbabwe

Chapter 1

Introduction

EDUcare College is one of the organisation in which the researcher is going to conduct a situational appraisal. However, in this situational appraisal the researcher will look at the EDUcare current relationship management strategies with its key stakeholders. Furthermore, a stakeholder map which will be in the form of the organisation structure will be presented and the EDUcare communication priorities with each department presented in the internal outlook will be explored. Recommendations on the appropriate new media tools that can improve the effective communication processes will be given. However, in an attempt to elicit information from EDUcare College, the researcher had to design the questionnaires which were then administered through the interviews. Again observation was made as the researcher was taken through the entire college offices to view the local area network (LAN) on computers that are used by the staff to communicate with each other.

For the seek of clarity key terms such as communication, management, new media and the background of EDUcare College will be fore fronted. Communication is one of the contested terrains that can be defined in a multiplicity of ways. However, Cumming et al (1964) defines the term “communication” as a process of exchanging information between or among people, organizations in order to reach mutual understanding. Fiske (1980) asserts that communication is the giving and taking of information by individual or organizations to influence the behavior and to create a deep understanding. General it can be suggested that communication is a transaction that involves the dissemination of information using either old media or new media. Old media can be defined as the mass media which among includes newspapers, magazine, radios and television. The weakness of the old media is that it is linear instead of being ritual. It regards the audience who are the recipient as passive. New media refers to the new technology tools for communication such as the mobile phones, internet, teleconferencing, websites, weblogs, electronic mails (E-Mails) and so forth.

Communication is salient in corporate organization and new media technology has improved the circulation of information from one place to another. For the clarity of this situational appraisal, Harold Lasswell 1950’s model of communication will be used to explains everything especially with regard to corporate communication in which EDUcare College is a good example. Communication here looks at who say WHAT, to WHOM, HOW, WITH WHAT EFFECTS. EDUcare College as a corporate organization has stakeholders some who are internal and external. In an interview conducted with the EDUcare College Director Mr Joseph Sungayi, it emerged that their key external stakeholder are as follows ; the government departments such as the ministry of higher education and ZIMSEC, suppliers from various companies, media houses, Gweru City Council, parents and banks such as Zimbank and FBC. In addition, internal stakeholders were identified as students, teaching staff, administration, board members and ancillary staff.

New media another important term in this appraisal could be defined as what is clear not old. This term “New Media” is used to describe all forms of emerging communication media, which combines text, graphics, sound and video, using computer technology to create a product that is similar to but clearly different from traditional media (Cutlip et al 1994). Due to technological advancement as pointed out by McLuhan in his theory of “technological advancement “,EDUcare College is one of the best college in Gweru that uses new technology such as the internet to communicate with its key stake holders. The new media used by EDUcare College adopt the Osgood and Schramme model of communication, which is ritual and tallies well with systems approach and symmetrical model of public relations recommended by Grunig. New media has numerous implications to the day to day practice of corporate communication management whose main duties among includes planning, controlling, budgeting, initiating policies and fostering effective communication within the organization.

However, theoretical framework such as systems approach, press gentry, public information model, two way asymmetric and two way symmetric will be discussed in relation to the new technological influence in the daily mundane of EDUcare College communications strategy with its key stakeholders. For the clarity seek key terms and new media technology such as electronic mails, (E-mails), chat rooms, cell phones, Usenet Newsgroups (Forum), website, videotext, teleconferencing, weblogs and so forth will be explored at length. Clear examples to support and evaluate new media use by EDUcare College will be dealt with through out in this presentation.

The term “new media” assumes that they is old media which Biagi (1999:24) perceived as mass media which among includes newspapers, books, magazines, radio and television. Old media is linear that is, it is one as to many. Here the public only consume information disseminated to them without giving feedback to the source. It views the public as passive and respond to the deciphered information positively.

Another salient term that needs to be defined contextual is “Management”. The term Management in corporate organization such as EDUcare College can be define as the top level of management that does planning, initiating policies, delegating duties and controlling the entire organization. EDUcare College has six Board of Directors which includes Elias Gomo, Fidget Muregi, Peter Dzimba, Morrison Mwamba Ngwenya, Emmanuel Purazi and Edison Mupasi. Again among the top management there is managing director Mr Joseph Sungai and the administration. At EDUcare College the top management assumes various types of management duties which inter alia includes the Executive Management (six Directors) , Expert Management ( Directors, managing director, head of marketing department and administration), and Decision support management (head of departments from the school of academics and schools of IT and education training). Final the Operational management which among includes the staff development manager, boarding masters and ancillary staff. Furthermore, management according to Clear and Weidman (1997) is the managerial process of forming a strategic vision, setting objectives, crafting a strategy and implementing it to create the corporate image. Lubbe and Puth (1994) say that a good corporate image sells a company to potential employees, opinion leaders, workers and the community.

Historical background of EDUcare College

EDUcare college is a private and independent institute established in 1994. The college provides a caring environment in which students of all nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds are encouraged to develop those personal qualities which will enable them to lead a fulfilling an rewarding life. The college is proud of its reputation for high moral values which are upheld through discipline. The college is run by a Board of Directors, through a substantive managing Director. The Structureof the college is as follows

Location and facilities

The College is located at Number 2&4, Main Street, in the warm and friendly city of Gweru 275KM South west of Harare. It occupies the Ground and 1st Floors of Acrum Building, a complex that one cannot miss at the main street roundabout en-rout to and from Mvuma town. College facilities are being continuously updated. Alongside the well furnished teaching classrooms, there are two well-equipped and networked computer laboratories, internet, a large multipurpose hall and well maintained environs. EDUcare College also operates from Bulawayo and Botswana and links its internal and external public through new technology such as the internet, website, mobile phone, telefax and intercom phones. However, apart from the internet, they have a local area network (LAN) which is used by the staff members for communication purposes.

Mission Statement

EDUcare College as a corporate organization wish to be and to be acknowledged as the most professional and dynamic educational and vocational training institution in Southern Africa. They strive to provide excellence of services in selected markets to the benefit of their customers, staff and shareholders.

EDUcare aim is to achieve this through a team of enthusiastic and well trained members of staff and through using most advanced new technology. We will always strive to maintain high ethical standards and a commitment to social responsibility.

Vision

To be regional leader in providing quality training and educational services.

Core Values

Total Customer satisfaction: We focus on our customer to understand and exceed their expectation. The Director of EDUcare College Mr Joseph Sungayi in an interview stated that this core value is achieved by effective communication with the key stake holders both internal and external. This is achieved by using both the new and old communication technology. For instance, the internet is used for communicating with the parents of students who are in diaspora about the adjustment of the fees, policies and the long term plan of the college. Websites are used to post the statistics about the recruitment and students turnover using Microsoft application software, which enables the college to construct graphs, histograms, pie chart and so forth. Microsoft application software is also use for financial statements, deficits and for the budget.

In addition, the college uses the Power Point for the presentations in meetings with parents, students, teaching staff, administration, marketing department and the ancillary staff. Mr Sungayi said that picture are more powerful in communication and using new technology to present important information in meetings makes them unique as compared to other colleges in Gweru. New media application software for designing advertisement to be posted to the local papers such as “The Herald”, Chronicle, Gweru Time and Power FM, is the best communication tool that makes things easier to be done with high standards and quality, which the college always strive for.

Excellence Service: “We will at all times continually strive to provide an excellent service in order to give our customers value for their money. Again on that statement Mr Sungayi said their relationship with key stakeholders such as parents are assured that their children get high quality education by not only teaching them academically, but also by introducing them to the new world of technology. Sungayi disclosed that they communicate effectively with parents through electronic mails (E-Mail), especially to the parents in diaspora. For the local parents with no access to the internet other communication tools such as texting messages through the mobile phones, faxing the documents about the meeting which always keep their rapport strong. Again when dealing with internal public like teaching staff and ancillary staff, EDUcare college uses old communication tools such as memorandums, meetings, notice boards, internet, and intercom telephones. All these facilities improves and fosters health communication with all key stake holders

EDUcare management have built a strong rapport with its key stake holders which among includes banks, policeman, Gweru city council health department, ZIMSEC, HEXCO, ICDL Cambridge University Parents, Media institutions such as newspapers and electronic media such Power FM and Midlands State University. EDUcare management communicate effectively with various government department which among include the ZIMRA, NASSA, ZIMSEC, Police and Gweru hospital. Communication with all the key stake holders is through mobile phone, fax, telephone, internet, interviews and so forth. Their communication strategy is tailor made to achieve a ritual format. The Director of EDUcare College in an interview defined the important terms to his organization such as “communication” , “business”, Organization” and “management” in relation to his communication priorities as follows; “ Communication’ especially with the mission and core values of EDUcare means the creation and exchange of meaning between or among individuals and organization, which is based on shared meanings. “Business” is trade that is the buying and selling of goods and services to generate profit in order to sustain the productivity and prosperity of an organization. As such communication is the life blood of the business prosperity.

The management department at EDUcare College, one of the best college so far in Gweru and in Zimbabwe uses the new technology which fulfils the two way symmetrical model such as the mobile phones, internet, intercom, tele-fax and so forth. Here the management. Old media which regard the masses as passive is used but at a minimal level. For instance, advertisement and Press statement about EDUcare through local media such as Power FM, Chronicle, Herald and The Gweru Times is use by EDUcare to communicate with the external public. Mass communication in corporate communication fulfils the Agentry press model which is one to many. Here the external public for EDUcare as much as they get information, can not give the feedback. The EDUcare college resort to this tool of communication to reach people of diverse taste and readership.

Mr Sungayi said that EDUcare is a private organization and the term organization means “a structured group of people who work together to reach a specific goal. An organization consist of people with different responsibility who work as a unit to promote production, therefore EDUcare college have several departments which among includes management, college staff, administrative staff, marketing staff and teaching staff. All the mentioned college staff communicates effectively not only among themselves, but also with the management. Again the group has to be formal and legal. Hence EDUcare College is formal and legal and its management together with staff members are professionals who follow the system approach model of communication when dealing with other key stake holders using new and old technology.

People: “We value our people and are committed to develop and training them to their fullest potential. This statement assist in explaining the relationship between the management of the college and the people who are also the key stake holders. EDUcare management value people and as such they communicate with them constantly about the policies, new plans and the latest developments in term of courses and fees.

Professionalism:”We are committed to the highest standards of ethics and integrity”. Again this above statement reflects how strong and respectful the management of EDUcare has towards its publics who are internal and external. Maintaining ethic and not breaching them assist this college to remain in good relationship with its key stake holders. Effective communication, using new technology and improving the well being of the stakeholders enables the management and staff members of EDUcare College to be respected. Again a strong relation ship need trust, honest and openness which the EDUcare college fulfills to its key stake holders. As such the relationship remains solid and health with stake holders.

Social responsibility: “We value and involve ourself in the community we serve” Social responsibility is a generic concept referring to business organizations such as EDUcare College concern and active in two way involvement with social, economic and political forces which influences the environment with which it exist. EDUcare College fulfills Lubbe and Puth (1994) assertion that states that in social responsibility an organization should be involved in charity or altruism. As such corporate donations to charities or more active involvement in social issues such as education, research grants, slum clearance and so forth. EDUcare management has participated in such events more often than note. For instance, they have been donating to the mayor cheers fund since 1994 up to date and last year they donated cloths to the disabled and had to invite the ZIMcare director to come and collect the donated material for disbursement.

Again the management team at EDUcare has maintained its relationship with its stake holders by offering higher quality education that meet the industry requirement at reasonable charges. Internet facilities can be accessed by the Gweru community at less cost and taking part in national events is one way the college has managed to keep their relationship intact with all key stakeholders.

Purpose of the study

The study seek to inquire the acquisition and use of new technology to improve effective communication and also to boost the image of an organisation. The study also seek to find out the importance of the new technology in corporate communication. As a result the research in the study selected EDUcare College as one of the local instituion that uses new technology for various purposes

Statement of the problem

"Use of new technology for corporate communication management"

Definition of key term

Communication: It is a process in which two or more people, groups or organisation creates and exchange information using agreed symbols in order to reach a mutual binding understanding. It is a two way process “reciprocal” and enables organisation to maintain a health relationship with their key stake holders

Management: Management in corporate organisation focuses on the entire organisation from

both a short and long term perspective. Again we have various types of management in corporate

organisation such as Executive, Expert, and Decision Support, Operational and so forth.

Furthermore, management according to Clear and Weidman (1997) is the managerial process of

forming a strategic vision, setting objectives, crafting a strategy and implementing it to create the

corporate image.

New media: The term “new media” assumes that they is old media which Biagi (1999:24) perceived as mass media which among includes newspapers, books, magazines, radio and television. New media could be described as what is clearly not old. This term “New Media” is used to describe all forms of emerging communication media, which combines text, graphics, sound and video, using computer technology to create a product that is similar to but clearly different from traditional media (Cutlip et al 1994). New media technology consist of electronic-mails, (E-mails), chat rooms, cell phones, Usenet Newsgroups (Forum), website, videotext,satellite,teleconferencing, weblogs and many more.

Organisation: It is a structured group of people who work together to reach a specific goal. It is formal and legal for example, EDUcare College. It consist of people with different responsibility who work as a unit to promote production.

Delimitation of the study
The case study for situational appraisal is confined to EDUcare College which is situated in Gweru Urban. EDUcare College as a private independent institute established in 1994. Here the researcher will look at how top management of this college communicates with its key stakeholders. This was done within the space limit of thirty days. Only EDUcare College and its internal and external public will be looked at to find how new media is used to foster health communication.

Limitation of the study

Limited time frame work which is only thirty days could create bias towards the outcome of this situational appraisal.

Due to limited number of questionnaires, this case study heavily encounters insufficient responses since the Key stake holders where not interviewed. This is a threat to validity and reality

Limiting the case study to EDUcare College instead of including all the private Colleges in Gweru makes it prone to lack of generalization. Information can not be generalized, since the interviews where conducted with EDUcare management only.

Scarcity of time is another severe constraint facing this case study. Observations could have been systematical carried over a lengthy period of time to see how communication is maintained.

Again interviewing the College management alone without including students, parents and several stake holders give the college much room to exaggerate.

Chapter 2

The research Methodology

Introduction

The concern of this section is the methodology that was used to carry out the study. The research methodology is a description of all activities or procedures the researcher undertook to conduct this situational appraisal of EDUcare College. The following subheadings are aspects of the chapter that were discussed sequential; the research design, the data collection procedures, instrument for data collection and data analysis. A summary of the chapter which surmise out the whole chapter of research methodology.

The Research Design

Borg and Gaul (1989:20) define research design as; “The procedure used to explore the relationship between variables to form subject in group administer measure, apply treatment conditions and analyze data. The definition is supported by McMillan and Schumacher (1989:20) who defines research design as; “The procedure used to explore the relationship between variables to form subjects in group administer measures, apply treatment condition and analyze data”. This definition is supported by McMillan and Schumacher (1989:158) who asserted that; “A research design is a plan for selecting subjects, research sites, data collection procedures and data collection analysis to answer the research question”.

A descriptive research design used here makes it possible for EDUcare College situational appraisal to carefully choose the top management and the director as the targeted audiences in eliciting data. Leedy (1980:76) argues that:” The descriptive survey research design makes it possible for the targeted population, to be careful chosen, clearly defined and specifically delimitated to set precise parameters in order to ensure its discreteness.

Research Instrument

To gather data for the study the researcher used basically two instruments, the questionnaires techniques administered through interviews and observation.

Questionnaires techniques

The questionnaire technique was the major instrument that was used to gather data for this situational appraisal. It contained structured questions which were all open ended. Questionnaires administered through interviews enabled the researcher to collect large amount of data from EDUcare College director. Interviews were conducted with the EDUcare College director on behalf of the executive management as well as the marketing department. In addition, the use of the questionnaires made it possible for information gathered to be converted into be analyzed and generalized. The problem of inadequate response was not experienced in this situational appraisal. EDUcare College management together with marketing department which execute the public relations duties responded well all the questionnaires which was asked by the researcher. In short respondents were quite elaborate about their open-ended responses. It could therefore be safely concluded that the questionnaires as an instrument of collecting data in this study had a fairly high degree of reliability and validity.

Observation technique

Observation technique was used as an instrument to gather data for this research together with interviews. All the new media technology used to communicate with all key stake holders at EDUcare College, such as the internet, EDUcare website, mobile phones, intercom phones, telefax, memorandums hard copies, minutes of the previous held meetings with various stake holders were analyzed by the researcher. EDUCare College Computer lab with 35 computers all networked online was toured by the researcher and used to see its reliability and validity in sending and receiving messages online.

Pilot Study

Haralambos and Holborn (1995) say that, piloting study is “a small scale preliminary study conducted before the main research in order to check the feasibility or to improve the design research”. When questionnaires were designed they had to speculate among the colleagues and the senior staff members to search for the bias. The pre-testing of the questionnaires was done internal among the Midlands State University fellow staff members. This was done to test the validity and reliability of the questionnaires.

Data Collection Procedures

After carrying out the pilot study as well as analyzing the result the researcher was now ready to collect the data for the situational appraisal. The questionnaires together with letter from Media and Society Studies at Midlands State University emphasizing the aim of the research and potential value of the study, was then taken to the EDUcare College top management offices. This took two days as the researcher wanted to have interviews with the relevant department such as the marketing department and the director of the college. When all the data had been collected the next phase was to analyze all the stake holders of EDUcare College and how they are communicated with them.

Data analysis

Leedy (1996) notes that analysis involves the ways and means of measuring and applying mathematical process. This implies that after the data has been collected, it is organized and summarised.

This situational appraisal was analyzed in three categories;

Current relationship management strategies with key stake holders.

Stakeholder map for the organization and communication priorities with each stake holder and justification such as conclusion and recommendation.

Suggestions of appropriate new media tools that can be developed and deployed in response to the challenges identified in this situational appraisal.

Summary

This chapter has discussed the research design that was used in this situational appraisal. The descriptive case study research design was found to be the most appropriate for this study for reasons that have already been discussed. Strength and weaknesses in passing of the two instruments used were explored. The chapter also described and justified the data collection procedures and indeed the data analysis techniques.

Chapter 3

Parents:

EDucare College management communicates with the parents as one of their key stakeholders through the internet. Internet is a communication tool that networks the entire world and enables individuals and organisations to communicate global. This new media technology enable the College to send electronic mails to the parents of students who are in diasporas like in United States of America, Britain, Canada, South Africa, Canada and so forth. Internet, unlike the old media is symmetrical. Internet has several advantages as compared to other new media in that it is cheaper to use. In addition, the messages sent through E-Mails can be of various outlooks like images, database, messages and so forth. Internet cuts across the geographical boundaries. Parents who are overseas are usually informed by the college about the new fees structure online

Again parents are communicated with by the college through meetings, consultation and telephone. Mobile phones are a good example of the new media technology that improves the communication competence of corporate organisations. EDUcare College uses this technology to decipher information to the parents about the meeting that the college will be planning to have. Mobile phones are also use for the case on emergence when a student feels sick and the college feels that the parents have to be informed even after taking the student to the clinic or hospital. Messages crafted as text can be forwarded using the vernacular languages like Shona or IsiNdebele without difficulties.

The priority of EDUcare College to communicate with parents using new media technology is to improve a health communication with them as key stakeholders. Little (1965) says that “communication is a sine que none, that which an organisation can not do without. Communicating frequently with parents creates a health relationship between the parents and the institution. A strong rapport based on trust, honest and credibility is created, maintained and reinforced through effective communication with the parents who happen simultaneously to be part of the community.

Communication here with parents is used as the best method of solving problems that faces the college, students and parents. For instance if they is adjustment on the fees structures, parents can be informed through convening a meeting, texting messages using mobile phones, E-mailing on line and even phoning using telephone. This promotes goodwill, image of the college, reputation and above all cultivates the spirit of solidarity and health relationship. Parents needs to be informed with changes taking place especially the fees, budget and the college future plans

EDucare College should perhaps improve their communication aspect with parents by communicationg with parents through the use of weblogs/blogs. Weblogs/Blogs: is one good example of new media that is used by corporate communication management to communicate with the internal and external public. A weblog/blog is a journal which consists of ‘articles’ or ‘postings’ in chronological sorted order. The posting can be easily viewed by any web browser and the content of many blogs can be read by RSS readers which the parents can be among. In addition, weblogs/blogs as new media technology reaches wider publics. Blogs are also used by these corporate organisations to inform the general public about the organisation structures, goods and service delivery, growth, policies as well as searching the markets. For instance EDUcare College can use weblogs/blogs to inform parents about the orgnogram of the college. Minutes of the previous meetings and currently held meetings can be posted on weblogs for parents to know what was agreed upon in their absence, especially those parents oversees.

Laudon and Laudon (2005:283) assert that corporate organization such as EDUcare can use blogs for sharing information with the parents or engaging in dialogue with company stakeholders. Weblogs as new media is symmetrical. Instead of giving power to media alone as a source of information, blogs allows general publics to contribute about the goods and service delivery. There is reciprocity in that all the readers or parents can pass a comment which can be negatively or positively and such feedback can assist in the formulation of policies. Reciprocal communication between the parents and the college fosters health communication which hints the organisation on what the parents as part of the community wishes to see the college doing for the improvement of their service

Furthermore, blogs due to its informal and information sharing characters, it can capture hidden knowledge about the parents feeling which the college management and staff members could have otherwise not know. Linda Hewitt (2008), one of the global corporate communication strategy consultants in America notes that through weblogs research can be conducted on-line; various sources can be consulted to elicit information. Information can be presented electronically using relational database, tables, pie charts, histograms or power point. Such information can be accumulated, searched and easily retrieved. Again information can be pushed to readers/parents and can appear instantly on their desktop.

It can therefore be recommended that EDUcare College should use the new media technology such as weblogs, websites, and teleconferencing to discuss important issues with the parents as key stake holders. However, despite the fact the not all parents have access to the internet most of the parents who sends children at EDUcare are well up to do people who stay in urban areas and have access at home to the internet and some even at work. Weblog saves time and cost since information can be sent to be viewed by all parents at one goal.

EDUcare College Staff
EDUcare College as a corporate institution communicates with it’s internally staff which among includes students, teaching staff, administrator and ancillary staff through a variety of ways. Memorandums; is one method used by EDUcare College to communicate with “heads of departments” (HOD’s) and teaching staff. A memorandum is used to remind staff members about previously discussed issues. It can also be used as a means of conveying an instruction to the staff members about the working hours, objectives of the college, recruitment of the new staff members and so forth. Memos in any corporate organisation can be used as protective measures. It assist in drawing attention of staff members to some issues or situations that are possible to happen such as visitors from ministry of higher education, health officers from Gweru City Council or the changes of the college set up.

Again the priority of using this method of communication with internal public is that it is less time consuming and upholds professionalism in dealing with employees. It enhances health communication and reminds the workers about the relevance of their contribution towards the colleges’ goals. Memos in corporate organisation are one best way of disseminating information among the staff members. Memorandums help in giving instructions that is standard procedures to be followed when routine tasks are undertaken. Again memos promote the growth and success of the management, students and their tutors towards achieving their major goals.

Meeting is another method used by EDUcare College to communicate with the internal public. Meetings are important to settle important matters that need urgent solution. Meetings make workers to social mix with each other and discuss their challenges at work. It fosters word to word communication which is very important in social life of human beings. People can reach a consensus there which is legal binding to everyone. A meeting enables the chairperson and the whole floor to tell the tension that staff members have and avoids dispute which can hamper the college image such as strike. A meeting allows other issues out of the agenda to be discussed and is one of the best ways of creating and exchanging ideas with work mate and management. Students can express their dissatisfaction to the college management about their welfare and get the message across without omission and commission. Getting closer to students and hearing their plight make them feel good and recognized by the institution management. This can enhance a strong relation and fosters trust and goodwill between the management and the staff and between the staff and the students.

Meetings are health in dealing with internal publics in that it helps staff to generate new ideas and adapt to changes. It is ensures that products and services are of the best. It also gives workers a sense of belonging and lack or absence of communication creates an impersonal situation. Meetings prevents conflict like strikes, which can be intrinsically ban and unhealthy to the social and financial welfare of an organisation. Hence goals, vision and images of an organisation can be easily tarnished. Meetings can assist in decision making and in controlling of the entire organisation activities such as the number of workers, working hours, role allocation and salary welfare. Meetings keep both staff members and students informed. Again as a form of communication notices fosters good climate that is opinions, attitudes and feelings in an organisation

Furthermore, meetings improve efficiency with an organisation which boasts the production and services. For instance, constant effective communication allows important messages between and among various departments to circulate, which at times may encourage competition among workers. Departmental meeting held by management at EDUcare college with departments of administration, marketing, school of information technology, evening school and schools of further education boost the moral and competition which is positive to the wellbeing of the college. This is the priority of the management department of EDUcare College which has seen them growing strong each and every moment.

Noticeboards: EDUcare College management communicates with both students and staff members through placing important notices on the notice boards. EDUcare College has two notice boards, one for the students and the other for the staff members. Important aspects such as the in-house issues and immediate changes about certain activities within the college can be placed in the notice board for the internal public consumption Notice boards are very important to keep the internal public abreast about what they are required of doing. They also act as a reminder to both the staff members and their students. The major reasons of using notice boards by EDUcare management to communicate with their internal staff are meant to maintain a strong health relationship with internal public.

In addition, notice boards are the best method of solving confusion and problems. It ensures that staff workers work together, understands the organisation’s objectives and work to achieve them. Notice boards assist in controlling of the entire organisation activities such as the number of workers, working hours, role allocation and salary welfare. Notices keep both staff members and students informed. Again as a form of communication notices fosters good climate that is opinions, attitudes and feelings in an organisation.

I therefore recommend EDUcare College to use new media technology such as weblogs, chat room for their communication since they have access to the internet. EDUcare College have both the Internet and Intranet. Intranet is a local networking that links all the local terminals and allows them to share information. The “Forum” can be created and staff members can use it as a notice board to inform the staff members especially the teaching staff. Weblogs can be used for meetings and to post and update the staff members about the previous minutes for the previous meetings held. A computer, internet and intranet allow the organisation to circulate and store their information simultaneously. This will improve the image, reputation and good will of the internal publics with the college.

Nevertheless I recommend EDUcare College to install the application software that can enable them to be engaged in teleconferencing online without moving an inch from their offices. Teleconferencing is a two way process and allows new ideas from the internal and external public to be voiced. Again communication in revolutionized and a market place of ideas can be generated. Instead of sticking papers on the notice board messages and instruction can be posted on the weblogs or be emailed to the staff members.

Banks: EDUcare deals with Zimbank and FBC and communicate with them through phone calls or mobile calls. At time the EDUcare administration used the fax machine or letters in communicating with these two banks. The priorities that EDUcare has towards communicating with Zimbabnk and FBC are to maintain a strong relationship and professionalism. EDUcare management communicates frequently when they need special service for their banking facilities, withdrawals and for salary payment to their workers. Over the years EDUcare have been doing business with the two banks Zimbank and FBC and their communication has been hailed as health and one of the best ever to be seen.

I recommend EDUcare College as a corporate organisation to resort to e-commerce in dealing with their two banks. E-commerce will enable them to complete bank transaction while seated at their offices. This is easy to achieve since they are online. Again parents in Oversees with their children at EDUcare College can pay the fees of their children while abroad. Again offering such an online service can open more opportunity for them even to source donations across the globe. More advanced banks and information technology organisation all over the world can wish to do business with them and indirectly this can make them to be one of the best institutions which politicians and affluent people may want their children to learn. To be in the lead in technology can make the college to earn goodwill, trust and reputation from the community and across the globe. Again this will make EDUcare College to become one of the great corporate organisations which can even be given a chance in contributing towards policy making about telecommunication systems in Zimbabwe.

Media: EDUcare College deals with “The Herald”, “Chronicle”, “The Gweru Time” and Power Fm in disseminating information to the external public about the college courses and programs on offer. Again print media is sometimes used for advertisement and public relations about the image of the college. Here the college uses the electronic mails, mobile phone to chat with media house and practitioners to enquire about the cost of placing an advertisement. At time the college faxes the designed advertisement to the media house for publication. Communication of EDUcare College with media houses is vibrant and effective. The relationship with media is strengthened by social event that EDUcare does to plough back to the community that they serve.

All the methods and new media techniques used by EDucare College are health for the well being and status of EDUcare College. New media such as the internet, mobile phones and intercom phones are a form of new media that fosters reciprocity. New media of such are reciprocal and enhances symmetrical communications which is a two way process. EDUcare College can supply and expand information to local media at reasonable cost without going there physical.

Advertisement by the marketing department can be designed using adobe Photoshop and text and graphics can be attached and emailed to “The Herald”, Chronicle and The Gweru Times without difficulty. This also led to the expansion of the media economy and image captured through digital camera can be forwarded together with text, especially when EDUcare have a supplement for the Midlands Show. Media have contributed positively to EDUcare College prosperity. At times mobile phone are used to ask for the cost of the advertisement and for other important message that the media can need from EDUcare College.

It can be recommended that EDUcare College should use blogs to post important information to the media houses for advertorial messages. Instead of attaching so mails with detailed information about the advertisement the College should just ask any media house to open their weblog site and get the content they need. Weblogs are good in that they can also function as storage devices and can allow images, videos, sounds and text to be captured at the same time. Colours can also be enhanced and colours communicate effective to different individuals and organizations who happens to be the college key stakeholders.

Tertiary Institution

EDUcare College as a higher learning institution deals with other colleges around such as ZEDCO, Herential and Midlands State University. EDUcare College uses internet, meetings, phone calls and mobile phones when communicating with these other colleges. For instance, EDUcare College is intending to be an affiliate of Midlands State University, and more often communicate with them through the internet. Here mails are crafted and sent to the intended recipient using this new media. Meetings which are one old form of communication is still used by EDUcare College when dealing with other colleges. Convening a meeting can be done electronically through teleconferencing.

Here technology advances in satellite communication have expanded the range of possibility for meetings and speech to be held online (Davis and Olson 1984). For instance, if EDUcare College was subscribed online to a satellite station they could have been able to hold meetings online without travelling to participate in person. Here the college management can be beamed to the meeting via satellite teleconferencing. In addition, Cutlip (1994:27} notes that simultaneous session in several cites can be linked electronically with speakers shown on large screen television equipment. Cutlip (1994) argued that teleconferencing saves travel time and costs, meeting facilities, and boarding of participants can more that off-set the cost of using this new technology. Unfortunately EDUcare College do not have this facility and should in future subscribe for them to have this facility for the meetings

Bawden and Blackman (1990) states that, teleconferencing in corporate communication management enables to reach people at many locations all at the same time with the same message. For instance EDUcare College could be able to reach all their key stake holders such as banks, ZIMSEC, Cambridge University, government officials, Gweru city council as well as parents in diasporas with access to satellite teleconferencing at once. Teleconferencing has been criticized for grooming employees and management who are too lazy and rely much on technology in addressing the problems at hand. While efficiency and effectiveness can be recommended, incompetent can act as a drawback among the employees who can be grappling in catching up with new technology. However such technology can improve production, but hinders professionalism especially if taken and used to the extremes. New technology can impress the potential employees, investors and opinion leaders to do business with well established companies that are in the lead in acquiring and using new technology. Issues that affect the globe can be quickly outlined and policies that address such problems can be initiated. EDUcare College did not acquire this new media since they prefer to solve problems and communicate with their key stake holders through face to face meetings.

Gweru City Council

EDUcare College deals with Gweru City Council for health issues and water supplies. The City of Gweru as one of the College stake holders is communicated with through memorandums, electronic mails, letters, phone call and meetings. The nature of business that they do with the City of Gweru requires the college to communicate with council health department with the word of mouth which enables then to repair their relationship more than with new technology. The director of the College Mr Sungai said that phone calls encodes the message fast, but do not allow them to communicate effectively with the health department. Meetings to him is the best way as it enables both of them to social mix, express their concern, create and repair their rapport. Meetings are like group discussions and are indeed a two way form of communication.

However, fax is sometimes used to forwarded important document to the city of Gweru and again is a new form of communications. Fax allows images and text to be forwarded to the end receiver. Again it is reciprocal and can allow the recipient to encode and at the same time decode the message sent to them. Again messages can be instant, unless if the fax on the other hand is not functioning. A fax machine does two functions simultaneously of sending and recording information to permanent characters which can be ready and stored. It can as well scan pictures, graphs, colours, text and tables without hesitation. A fax machine can be used together with a computer and allows documents to be sent online. Unfortunately EDUcare rely much on meetings and phone calls when dealing with City of Gweru than e-mails and fax.

Policeman

Last but not list EDUcare College have the police as one of their key stakeholders and communicate with them effectively. Communication is an important tool which keeps relationship glued together. EDUcare College uses mobile phone call when dealing with policeman to report certain cases such as theft, abuse of students and serious important issues which has to do with finances. Cell phone just like a telephone is a two way form of communication which is modern and gives instant feedback to recipient.

Sietal (1995) say that cellular phone is modern tool of technology that has improved the communication service of corporate organisation. EDUcare College as a corporate organisation enables employees to link with each other internal and with the police as an external key stake holder. Police can be contacted any time even when the director of EDUcare College is out of the country. Hence mobile phone enables the College top management to communicate with the police station about students’ cases anytime and anywhere. At times mobile phones can be connected to the internet for chatting.

EDUcare College does not have the facility that connects the mobile phone to the computer for chatting. Despite them having internet facility that mobile chat is not available. The priority of EDUcare is to have a vibrant and health relationship with the policemen. That makes them to have a good identity as well as reputation. I therefore recommend EDUcare College to adopt that facility of connect mobile phones on-line for easy communication with the policemen. Since this is a two way process of communication the College can get the feed back instantly and can get the message fast to the policemen without hesitation. Mobile on-line communication is flexible, reliable and cut across the geographical boundaries.

New media as all forms of emerging communication which combines text, graphics, sound and video, using computer technology are very important in communication, especially by corporate organisation such as EDUcare College. Perhaps EDUcare College can be hailed for being the first and only private College so far in Gweru that have the internet service that fosters internet and intranet services. I suggest that the College should there for increase the services that can me merged with the use of the internet such as teleconferencing, satellite dish, weblogs and video tapes and closed circuit television.

Weblogs/Blogs: as one good example of new media that is used by corporate communication management to communicate with the internal and external public can be used at EDUcare College to foster health communication. A weblog/blog is a journal which consists of ‘articles’ or ‘postings’ in chronological sorted order. The posting can be easily viewed by any web browser and the content of many blogs can be read by RSS readers. Through weblogs EDUcare key stake holders such as the EDUcare staff, banks, students, parents, media organizations, Gweru City Council, other tertiary institutions and several government departments can communicate with the college through the weblog.

Chapter 4

RECOMMENDATIONS

Just like other corporate organizations such as Disney, News Corporation and DeBeers, EDUcare College can use weblogs to reach wider publics. Blogs are also used by these corporate organizations to inform the general public about the organisation structures, goods and service delivery, growth, policies as well as searching the markets. As stipulated by Laudon and Laudon (2005:283) who asserts that corporate organisation uses blogs internal for sharing information across teams, and external for providing timely products support information or engaging in dialogue with company stakeholders, EDUcare College can do exactly the same.

Weblogs as new media is symmetrical. Instead of giving power to media alone as a source of information, blogs allows general publics to contribute about the goods and service delivery. There is reciprocity in that all the readers can pass a comment which can be negatively or positively and such feedback can assist in the formulation of policies. Reciprocal communication fosters health communication which hints the organisation on what the community wishes to see the organisation doing to them. Again two way communication through blogs assist in the formulation of policies. EDUcare College can communicate with various stake holders using this new technological tool for the good image and reputation of the College.

In addition EDUcare College can use blogs for internal communication with staff members and the students. Furthermore, blogs due to its informal and information sharing characters, it can capture hidden knowledge which would have otherwise been not said. Linda Hewitt (2008), one of the global corporate communication strategy consultants in America notes that through weblogs research can be conducted on-line; various sources can be consulted to elicit information. Information can be presented electronically using relational database, tables, pie charts, histograms or power point. Such information can be accumulated, searched and easily retrieved. Again information can be pushed to readers and can appear instantly on their desktop.

On the other hand, such new technology like weblogs needs to be updated timely. Again installation of equipment that enables internet service is expensive. Buying a terminal, installing basic software that enables certain operations to be executed, a line, modem and installation of the application software such as power point, database, adobe Photoshop and subscribing to the website designers can be expensive and unaffordable. Despite the fact that it is a two ways process new media have its shortfalls. Sending employees to training courses for them to be competent and to install several application software is cumbersome and prolongs over a period especially where there is scarce resources.

Members of staff and Students at EDUcare College must be created the e-mail portals and e-learning accounts for easy and health communication. A forum for discussion on-line should be created so that students can communicate about issues that matters most on their lives in the college. Such forum can act as a public forum for public sphere. Some of the grape vine that can be easily deduced through such discussions and assist the College in formulating policies.

All members of the staff should be bought a mobile phone for easy and flexible communication with the management and the director of the college. A mobile phone is flexible and affordable and workers can communicate with each other anytime and anywhere. Updates up the new departmental developments, changes and challenges faced by the departments can be easily communicated to the top management and the director of the college. A mobile phone is durable and portable, that is they last and can be carried around by employees. A mobile phone is reliable as employees can communicate delays, student’s problems with relevant authorities within the College premises

EDUcare College must update their website

EDUcare website must be constantly updated and more online facilities such as video conferencing, voice conferencing, data conferencing, Forums, Voice mail and so forth must be installed. Internet facility at EDUcare College should allow the access to chat rooms, weblogs, electronic mail, News net groups and many more to be mentioned. This will enable the College to communicate effectively and efficiently with both the internal and external public. A good reputation, image and identity can be maintained. New media such as the one mentioned here will integrate old modes of communication with new media of communication which can help the college to meet its objectives and to be recognized international. The out side world contact the college and make some donation and research can be conducted.

EDUcare as an aspiring college to grow big and to be an affiliate of Midlands State University, the use of new media can make them to communicate well with well wishers, government and all the stake holders across the globe.

Video tapes and closed circuit Television

I recommend that EDUcare College should acquire the closed circuit television, which has become an every day feature in many people’s lives is a new technological world for personalized messages either on prepared tapes or live. This modern medium gains the face-to-to face communication which assist to bring closer understanding between management and staff. Here the college management and members of staff can communicate with the outside world using compact disk, MP3, DVD videos, I-Pod and in the computer hard drive. For instance, Meikles Africa which spreads its tentacles across the globe have videos that indicates some of their department stores groups which among includes TM Supermarkets, Meikles, clicks, Cape Grace, Barbour, Greatmans and have some shares to Kingdom. Video that displays the products sold in these shops; the structure of each store, prices of goods, working hours and Meikles hotel building speaks volume about the image of Meikles shops.

EDUcare College apart from using video tapes as secondary storage devices can also be used to entertain the public and to tell them who EDUcare is in terms of professional training. Images and colours while there are appealing to the public, can communicate immensely to different organizations and individuals. Unlike the public information public relation (PR) models , people can get information and communicate back to the source.

EDUcare College can use video tapes for research which is an important tool in corporate communication. Again through video tape events and activities at EDUcare like the donations made to the disabled and Mayor Christmas Cheers fund can be captured, accessed as they are required by the internal and external public for the good image, reputation and recognition by the society at large. This media is close to reality and limits distortion in various ways. Video tapes can be used in gathering, such as the Trade Faire, Midlands Gweru show and so forth to show the participation of the college in national events for the positive image of the college. Images are the best form of communication and allow the less educated to get the message clear about the size of an organization, its commitment to the community and its goods and service delivery.

However, this new media have been criticized for marginalizing the rural population. There are few individuals in rural area who can afford to purchase television sets. Again the lack of electricity makes it difficult for rural population to access the new media. However, video tapes in circuit television can be used both for mass communication hence they are flexible. For instance, such videos for the EDUcare college can be played at Zimbabwe television (ZTV) for an advertisement and the general public can view it on their homes together with their families. This new media is less consuming as it can allow more work to be executed and stored safely. Messages flexibility through video tapes and TV Circuit allows information to be tailored automatically to different levels of employees (Cutlip 1994)

Teleconferencing

In addition, i suggest that teleconferencing as an important form of new media technology that has the impact to corporate organisation communications such as EDUcare College, the college must acquire teleconferencing and use it to improve the communication competence of the college with key stake holders. EDUcare College should acquire a satellite dish and integrate it with other computer facilities for good communication. Just like weblogs teleconferencing will enable the college to reach people all over the world and at the same time get the feed back about their performance and recognition. Satellite facilities will enable the college to learn on economic, social and political global aspects that can affect and improve the college wellbeing in delivering the services to the community both local and global.

Chapter 5

Conclusion

It can be concluded that they are many various forms on new media technology that can be used for communication by EDUcare College to meet the needs of both the internal and external public. Some of the new media technology that was not mentioned in this presentation because of lack of space and time includes the use of satellite dish, tele-fax, smart phones and so forth. However, it can be observed that new media technology have lead to the revolution of the free dissemination of information which leads to the “Super highway” flow of information talked about at Algiers by Japan. All new forms of technology are symmetrical as opposed to the old media which is linear. Clear examples which support the assessment and evaluation of new media for corporate communications management theory and practices were explored. Management deals with planning, initiating policies, controlling and managing the entire system of the organization and as such they need the best technology that can disseminate information accurately, reliable, effective and efficiently. Therefore the use of internet, weblogs, websites, mobile phones, satellite television and teleconferencing is important in sending information to both the internal and external public. The corporate communication theory which among include the agentry press model, public information model, two-way asymmetrical, two way symmetrical and systems approach theory were explored in this presentation. One salient issue is that in management “expert information system” an important type of information for professionals and expert in certain field like computer engineering, marketing, economics and politics can be designed and stored in new media technology. Again images can be captured through digital cameras, down loaded and forwarded via the internet. All the functions offered by new technology new media assist in the storage facility, processing, production and dissemination of information around the world and corporate organization is important especially to issues that has to do with planning, initiating of policies, communication , storage and revolutionizing the communication process. The public sphere of information which offers free market flow of ideas can be achieved and both the internal and external public can learn much faster about issues that can improve their professions and life style. Key terms were also defined in passing for clarity seek. It can be concluded therefore that they are other new technology that are not mentioned here because they are beyond the knowledge of the presenter.

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management. London. Butter Worth’s.

Clear and Weidenman (1997) Dynamics of Public Relation and Journalism. Capetown. Juta.

Cutlip SM et al (1994) Effective Public Relation, New Jersey. Prentice Hall.

Davis, M. GM and Olson, N.H (1984) Management Information system. New Jersey: McGraw-

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EDUcare College Prospectures: http://www.educare.co.zw

Haralambos and Holborn (1995) Sociology Themes and Perspective. Fourth Edition. Harper Collins Publishers. Britain.

Laudon KC and Laudon JP (2005) Management Information system. Eighth Edition. India.

Prentice hall.

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http://www.indianchild.com/management/what-is-management.htm

http://ihg-talking point.com: Linda Hewitt Corporate Communication Strategy. September 29,

2008

UBUNTUISM AND THE MEDIA

2011-10-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

Taking ubuntuism’s emphasis on the community as point of departure, Blankenberg (1999), Christians (2004), Okigbo (1996), Shutt (2001) and Wasserman and De Beer (2004) show how an ubuntu normative framework may emphasis a media and journalism whose primary role may be to provide a space for the concerns, ideas and opinions of the community. The overall purpose of the media may be to play a developmental role in the sense of stimulating citizens and community participation, and obtaining consensus based on widespread consultation with the community. Fourie (2008:13) argued that in the contexts of the needs of developing countries, it may encourage action towards civic transformation and community renewal. In the process, the media may need to ensure the well-being of the collective, rather than the protection of individual rights. In the study the researcher will examine the extent in which ubuntuism influences the manner in which journalist report children based stories. What is interesting is to assess whether journalist from mainstream media collectively protects the rights of children without breaching the media ethical norms that coincide with the African culture.

Freedom of expression may be interpreted firstly in terms of the freedom of the community to articulate, its opinions, questions, concerns and needs. In addition, freedom of expression may thus be measured and valued in terms of its relevancy only to the well-being of the community. Wasserman and De Beer (2004) suggest that to put differently, media freedom may be seen as a positive freedom that should contribute to the well-being of community and not only to the largest number of individuals. Ubuntu morality does not construct an apparatus of professional ethics. Rather, it works and provides an ethic of generally morality. It does not develop rules of professionals, but urges a sensitivity and preoccupation with the moral dimension of everyday life. Professionals occupy the same social and moral space as the citizens they report on. The ultimate standard for media professionals is not role specific ethical principles, but a general morality. This presupposes media workers knowledge and sharing of the community’s general morality. In the study it is important to establish hoe journalist from the mainstream media like the Sunday Mail, Sunday News, The Herald and The Chronicle occupies the same social and moral space as the citizens about the children’s rights they report on.

Nevertheless, in ubuntu journalism objectivity may neither be necessary nor desirable (Okigbo 1996). The journalist is seen to be involved member of the community and cannot remain a spectator. Through the journalist’s work, a voice must be given to the community. Active involvement and dialogue with the community rather than detachment in the name of objectivity and neutrality may be required (Blankenberg 1999). A journalist must enable people to come to terms with their everyday experiences. Acknowledge the historical and biographic complexity of a matter or an issue. In addition, Blankenberg (1999) suggest that a journalist must stimulate interaction amongst citizens, between citizens and reporters and between citizens and politicians. The study assesses whether the mainstream print media in Zimbabwe stimulate interaction among citizens about the children’s rights. Also to be examined in the study are the efforts made by the mainstream print media and civil society organization to engage citizens and politicians about the rights of the children. A journalist must enable people to come to terms with their everyday experiences. Acknowledge the historical and biographic complexity of a matter or an issue. Penetrate the moral dynamics underlying the issue and interpreting against the background of the community contexts, beliefs, values and needs.

On the other hand, the question crisis whether and how the above differ from what is perceived to be the functions and social responsibility of the media in Western normative theory. It appears that whereas western epistemological thinking about the media proceeds from a focus on the media primarily in terms of (i) information, surveillance, entertainment and educational role, (ii) the media’s freedom and right to protection in order to be able to fulfill its social responsibility, and (iii) the individual’s rights to information, surveillance, entertainment and education, the emphasis in ubuntuism may first and foremost be on the media’s role in community bonding and in dialogue towards reaching consensus based on the social values and morals of a community (Fourie 2008:15)

Kasoma (1993) argues that the world, and in particular the African Press, seem to be abandoning the noble objective of serving the people for selfish cause of serving self. He further postulate that the journalism of the North, which Africans have been imitating, can therefore, today be said to be characterized by an individualized and agitational approach to reportage. Traber (1989) suggest that, a person who has spent the greater part of his life working as a journalist in Africa or in activities connected with Africa-based media analysts who have made the same submission as Merrill which have largely been ignored by African journalists, has bemoaned the lack of Africanness in African journalism. Honesty and truthfulness are highly valued African virtues, and telling lies is utterly despicable. Now consider the half truths, misinformation, disinformation and lies contained in our press. That is not only wrong in itself, but in Africa it is culturally alienated (Traber 1989:93). It is however, important to examine how the element of half truth, misinformation, disinformation and lies by mainstream print media is exacerbated when reporting about the abuse of children.

The distinctiveness of ubuntuism as an African approach to normative theory
Fourie (2008:66) say that; how distinctive or uniquely African is ubuntuism as a paradigm for normative theory? Christians (2004) for example shows how ubuntuism can be described as a combination and extension of European and North American Communitarian philosophy. Christian (2004) further argued that it embraces the characteristics of political, feminist and dialogic communitarianism. Like western political communitarianism it emphasizes the politics of the common good, social fairness and participation guided not by social contracts but by social obligations. Ubuntuism’s moral rules are grounded in community care group understanding and group experiences (Fourie (2008:67). Like western communitarianism, as understood by Paolo Freire, Martin Buber and Levinas, ubuntuism emphasizes that only dialogue about what constitutes the common good do we become fully human; that restoring dialogue should be the primary aim of humanity; that interaction between self and the other should be the guiding principle in public life and of social ethics. It is pertinent in the study to examine how journalist from mainstream print media in Zimbabwe interacts with the community in their day to day children’s rights news coverage.
However, the journalism described above closely resembles North_American civic journalism, founded on the philosophy of communitarianism. Like ubuntuism, civic journalism seeks to emphasize a close relationship between the media and the community. Its purpose is to strengthen civil culture, to rejuvenate public life, to reach consensus rather than provoke conflict, to involve citizens, not as consumers (Dahlgren 1998, Schaffer and Miller 1995). The study seek to find out hoe The Sunday mail, Sunday News, The Herald and The Chronicle strengthens civil culture in the coverage about children’s rights. Again it is worth noting how the four print media rejuvenate public life to reach consensus with civil society organizations that deals with children’s rights. The study inquires the manner journalists in the mentioned above print media houses engage the citizens in an ongoing debate about the rights of children in Zimbabwe.

Moreover, even more so the question as to how do all of the above ideas about the relationship between a community and its public communication differ from the classic Greek ideas that the purpose of all public communication should be the promotion of knowledge about identity, belonging, sharing, ability and the survival of the community in terms of the community’s shared religious, political and civil values and responsibilities (Rosenfield and Mader 1984). Thus it can be argued that those considering ubuntuism as a distinctive African way of thinking about the role and social responsibility of the media should note that they may find well-established similar examples of such thinking and even journalistic genres subscribing to the ideas of communitarianism in both the west and the East.

NO AGREEMENT ON THE DEFINITION OF A CHILD

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According to African Charter and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a child is anyone aged under eighteen. However, there is still no region-wide agreement on the definition of a child. There are also significant inconsistencies in setting various minimum ages such as for criminal responsibility, sexual consent and marriage.(African Child Policy Forum).Furthermore, nine of eighteen survey countries including Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe have no official definition of a child in their legislation or constitution. The African Child Policy (2007:4) argued that children are still not a top priority in Eastern and Southern Africa, despite the number of countries that have become party to the CRC and the African Charter. Again in Zimbabwe discrimination against children frequently still exists under the law on grounds of sex, ethnicity, disability and parentage. For example, the minimum ages of marriage and or sexual consent for boys and girls is a contested issue. In Zimbabwe it is sixteen years for girls with no minimum set for boy. In the study the role of the Children Civic Society Organisation and the media in educating the masses about such rights about age limit is assessed. The study seeks to ascertain the representation of children through the media and how journalist fully protect and provide a debate forum about the rights of children in their newspapers

Who is a child?
The term “child” is contested and age alone cannot be a sufficient yardstick to measure childhood. Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), defines a ‘child” as a person below 18 years, unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier (Ncube 1998:100) The UNICEF fact sheet gives a summary of the rights and quoted Convention on The Right of the Child {Article 1} as follows;
The Convention defines a “child” as a person below the age of 18, unless
the laws of a particular country set the legal age for adulthood younger.
The committee on the rights of the child, the minority body for the
convention, has encouraged states to review the age of majority if it is set
below 18 and to increase the level of protection for all children under 18

From the above quotation it can be argued that the CRC gives option to the state to decide the age limit for children. One salient issue about this convention is that 18 is the maximum age for childhood and anything below that qualifies to be within the bracket of childhood stage. Ncube (1998) claimed that this age limit allows for exceptions in countries where the age of majority is set lower. It can be argued that in customary law, age has no relevance in determining childhood or adulthood. Adulthood is marked by factors that have more to do with biology or physical development, ability, the purpose for which a definition of childhood or adulthood is sought and status, that with the number of years a person has lived. In addition, Ncube (1998) says that;

Physical development entails the attainment of puberty and the undergoing,
for girls, of initiation ceremonies associated with it-Kuvundikwa (Tonga,
Chisung (Bemba) Mwalanjo (Lozi) and so on…The relevant criteria for boys
are also the undergoing and successful accomplishment of initiation task ( for
example the Lozi Milaka)

It can be argued from the above quotation it makes it difficult to have a universal definition of the term child. Various nations or ethnic groups may have different yard sticks to measure the age that constitute childhood. In this study any minor within the range of 8-18 is used as the targeted population for the study. The reason for such age limit is that these are children who can express some of their feelings clearly and can speak for themselves as well as in the press if given the permission by the society and the media.

Achebe (1958:3) in one of his novel; “Things Fall Apart” discusses children at various levels and even how they were abused. Okonkwo a man who was 18 years old and had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the cat was regard as a child. Again twins in an African context were put in earthen-ware pots and thrown away in the forest. Such a practice is tantamount to murder and is violation of the children’s rights and this is supported by the following quotation; “ Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son had heard that twins were put in earth-ware pots and thrown away in the forest…” (Achebe1958:43). The abuse of children’s rights in Achebe’s novel assisted the researcher to identify the ways through which children in Africa need to be protected. Children can be used for reparations to avoid an avenging spirit and sometimes can be killed for ritual ceremonies. The good example is through Ikemefuna a doomed lad who was sacrificed to the village of Umofia by their neighbours to avoid war and bloodshed. Achebe (1958:8) describes an ultimatum that was immediately dispatched by Umofia to their neighbours demanding the offer of a young man and a virgin as compensation. Nagging and beating of children by their parents is violation of their rights. In the book Okonkwo beats his son for his ‘incipient laziness”. Again it is an African custom to deter children from eating certain food such as eggs.

In one of the Zimbabwean short stories anthologies entitled “No More Plastic Balls and other Stories” by Chihota and Muponde (2000), Mhiripiri contributed a story about a girl child called Nesta who dropped out of school because there was no money for fees. Elista a girl child aged sixteen had to have a love relationship with Joel. Joel was above 18 and use to abuse Elista by exposing her to vulgar language such as “fucking, beast” and so forth. This story assists the study to describe the abuses of children’s rights in Zimbabwe, especially a girl child. Morrison (1999:83) says that;
Children should also be protected against customs and practices that prejudice
their health and discriminate against them. Special attention needs to be given
to a girl child as they are often physically more vulnerable to abuse than boys
are

Adulthood can be further marked by the ability to procreate and a person who has a child at whatever young age is considered an adult. Ncube (1998) states that the purpose for which adulthood is being considered may also be a factor in defining whether a person is or is not a child. It can be argued that in both sex, adulthood can be confirmed by marriage. Thus, a person under the age of 18 years, for example, a 12 year old married girl or boy, may not claim rights, including participatory rights, as a child under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Armstrong (1995:340) argued that;
However, it might also be a matter of considerable concern to many people
that a 12 year old person, for example, should be considered to be an
adult by the customary law regime of a country and, therefore, not entitled
to claim the protection and benefits of the convention
Ncube (1991) argued that the above issue cannot be resolved by attempts to impose the international (Convention) definition of childhood over the local, customary standard when they conflict, because there is, technically, no conflict involved.

MEDIA CIVIC ORGANISATIONS, CIVIC SOCIETY AND CRITICAL POLITICAL ECONOMY.

2011-06-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

Civil society is defined here as including community based organization, traditional leaders, implementing NGO’s, Unions, business associations, religious organizations, independent media, student groups, cooperatives and other associational groupings. Civil society’s role in decentralized and democratic governance may be viewed to have four major functions as follows,
i) As an advocacy for representing interests of their constituencies.
ii) In service delivery in education, health and other sectors.
iii) As a partner with government in development planning, in promoting understanding of the decentralization system and in other areas.
iv) As watchdog over government.
However, these roles are not played by all civil societies’ actors or at all times-nor are these civil society functions always clean or rigid. Civil societies are often populated by organizations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organization, community groups, women’s organizations, faith based organization, professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associates, coalitions and advocacy groups and so forth.

Civil society as advocacy
Advocacy is generally viewed as a primary role of civil society. Often time, civil society groups building coalitions amongst themselves to advocate for policies. For instance, in Zimbabwe MISA Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Lawyers for human Rights challenged the application of POSA and AIPPA. These two among to be mentioned civil society advocated for the liberalization of the Zimbabwean media from heavy government controlling rules and laws. This is both a means for weak organizations together sufficient strength to address state authorities as well as a bottom up consensus building effort (Charlick 2003)

Civil society groups do confront authorities for specific policy change, but sometimes these are not always well received or have positive outcome. In Zimbabwe media organization such as MISA Zimbabwe, MMPZ, WOZA and so forth confronted the government of Zimbabwe to repeal POSA, AIPPA and so on. Therefore, in general civil society groups have had success in influencing the central government to improve the environment and conditions in which they operate.

Furthermore, civil society plays a major role in the social relation of the media and the audiences. In Latin America in 1983, social movements of different kinds were involved in bringing down the authoritarian regimes. Community based protest contributed to discrediting and delegitimizing the Pinochet regime of Chile. In Zimbabwe, Non-governmental organization has collaborated with members of the publics to fight against the hostile ZANU PF government. The social relation of the ordinary citizens has been greatly influenced by the NGO’s and private media which play a watchdog role such as Financial Gazette and The Independent.

In addition,, civil society in its service delivery role works together with the government of the day to improve the living conditions of the public. Privatization of certain government service has led to opportunities for both private businesses and civil society organization to increase their service delivery role at all levels of government. In Pelengana, for example, the commune has worked with women’s groups on sanitation service delivery and has established a system to provide financial resources. In Zimbabwe Musasa project works to assist women to be represented in the community. The doctors with borders have worked hard to improve the community’s health. Other NGO’s such as CARO International, ORAP, OCRAST, OXFARM, CONCERN and so forth have assisted immensely to provide food to the starving communities around the country in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, many international NGO have eschewed advocacy activities but have helped strengthen local partners in service delivery from identifying needs to professional standards of service. Many civil society/NGO have now become adept in service delivery and cover many domains. For instance, community mobilization, enterprise development, health education, micro-finance and so forth.

Civil society plays the watchdog role and contributes immensely to the political economy of the mass media. In a democratic system, civil society plays key role as a watchdog over the workings and effectiveness of the state and elected officials. This starts with election monitoring but is far more extensive and includes regular control of policies, priority setting, implementation, equity, budget allocations and service delivery effectiveness. For example, in Zimbabwe ZESN played a crucial role in educating journalist on how to report and to interview political members representing their parties in March 2008 harmonized elections. However, it should be noted that, “the civil society watchdog role in a decentralized system is not only critical at the central government level, but also for the regional and local level”.

Ideally, decentralization as a system of government confers on civil society the important role of controlling/monitoring critiquing government initiative to all strata of society. For example, in Zimbabwe MISA Zimbabwe have criticized the government for brutalizing and arresting journalist from independent papers for exposing the hostility caused by the ruling party supporters. In addition, MISA as a civil society have pressured the government to do away with ruthless media laws such as POSA, AIPPA, OSA and so forth. A call for licensing of independent foreign media and Independent media regulating board to replace MIC is the critique and pressure the Zimbabwean government has been facing. On the other hand, MMPZ as civil society have documented and criticized the government for using hate speech to fail an “All Inclusive government”. Hence basing from the above contribution in critical political economy civil society plays a watchdog role to expose, defend and safeguard the rights of the local citizens.

Many civil society groups are potentially constrained in their watchdog role by lack of independence or a partisan political outlook. With civil society getting much of their funding from external donors, this may very likely influence the issues they stress and the issues they avoid very frequently. The press is also be made through provision of transport and per diem or pay of production costs. For example, during March 2006 workshop held in Bamako on International foreign aid effectiveness organized by the Africa development Bank (ADB) journalist made it clear to the organizers that without payment for transport costs, they would not attend the event. After ADB agreed to make one transport payment for each press group attending the event, one group did their best to collect for more than one person attending.

Curran (2000) defines civic media as a media sector consisting of channels of communication linked to organized groups and social networks intended to facilitate the expression of dissenting and minority views. It supports organizations that are the life force of democracy. The organizations include political parties, new social movements, interest groups and sub-cultural networks that relay the concerns of society and propose policy initiatives for consideration by the political system. Civic organization are important in parliamentary democracies in need of democratic rejuvenation and where political parties have a pivotal position as organizations that aggregate interests, distribute costs, define electronic choices and offer channels of general (rather than single issue) influence.

On the other hand, civil society consists of the interested parties and organizations calling for democratic rule through the use of media’s creation of a public sphere as well as adherence to the principal democratic role of the media acting as a check on the state, as the Fourth Estate. Curran (2000) argues that the media should monitor the full range of state activities and fearlessly expose abuses of official authority. Dahlgren (1991) asserts that the public sphere is a concept, which in today’s society points to the issues of how and to what extent the mass media especially in their journalistic role can help citizens learn about the world, debate their responses to it, and reach informed decisions about what courses of action to adopt.

Civic society calls for a more liberal atmosphere which the media must operate. Dahlgren (1991) argues that according to classical liberal theory, the public sphere (or in more traditional terminology, public forum) is the space between government and society in which private individuals exercise formal and informal control over the state through the election of governments and the pressure of public opinion. The media are central to this process as they distribute the information necessary for citizens to make an informed choice at election time. They also facilitate the formation of public opinion by providing an independent forum of debate enabling people to shape the conduct of government by articulating their views. In this regard civic society views as an aggregation of individuals and government as the seat of power, with the nexus between the state and individuals as the key social relationship that need to be policed by an ever vigilant media which is on permanent guard duty, patrolling against the abuse of executive power and safeguarding individual liberty.
Civic society’s argument is that the media should brief the electorate and assist voters to make an informed choice at election time. They argue the media to provide a channel of communication between governments and governed, which helps society to clarify its objectives, formulate policy, co-ordinate activity and manage itself. In the liberal view, through the free market, it secures the media’s independence as an inclusive debate. The freedom of the market, it secures the media’s independence as an intermediary, generating wide ranging and inclusive debate. The freedom of the market allows anyone to publish an opinion and this ensures that all significant points of views are aired and also that information is made available from varied sources, extending participation in public debate. Good governance is also fostered, because decision-making processes are exposed to the interplay of apposed opinion. Barron 91995:3200 quotes the American jurist Oliver Holmes who declared in a much quoted statement, that “the best test of the truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market..

Gramsci (1971) sees what he calls civil society as having the responsibility for the production, reproduction, and transformation of hegemony, while the state is responsible for the use of coercion. This is a fairly simple and direct equation whereby the state exercises repression and civil society exercise hegemony. In addition, hegemony operates culturally and ideologically through the institutions of civil society which characterize mature liberal-democratic capitalist societies. These institutions include education, the family, church, the mass media, popular culture and so forth. Civil society in critical political economy is the way Gramsci (1971) locates the place of culture and ideology within societies, and hegemony is the way he tries to understand how they work.

In critical political economy Gramsci 91971) states that the liberal-democratic societies of western capitalism are different in that they have relatively weaker states and much more extensive and complicated civil societies which strengthen the hegemony of the dominant groups. In this situation, a war of position rather than a war of position rather than war of movement becomes the strategy to be adopted by revolutionary socialist forces. This involves a long, protracted and uneven struggle over the hegemonic hold of the dominant group, and is eventual replacement by the hegemony of the subordinate groups aspiring to power and the radical transformation of society. According to Gramsci (1971) he says that, in critical political economy the revolutionary forces have to take civil society before they take the state, and therefore have to build a coalition of oppositional groups united under a hegemonic banner which usurps the dominant or prevailing hegemony.

Gramsci (1971) write that the nature of civil society make sure of this;

“Civil society has become a very complex structure and one which is resistant to the catastrophic incursion of the immediate economic element (crises, depression and so forth). The superstructures of civil society are like the trench systems of modern warfare. In war it would sometimes happen that a fierce artillery attack seemed to have destroyed the enemy’s entire defensive system, whereas in fact it had only destroyed the outer perimeter…”. The same thing happens in politics, during the great economic crises” (Gramsci 1971:235)

Keane (1988a:33-6) suggests that the political dichotomy of left and right is not very helpful in sorting out this history and developing a modern and progressive understanding of civil society. In critical political economy, while we may find in Gramsci something of a useable tripartite model of state, civil society and economy, most of the Marxian tradition has tended to collapse civil society into bourgeois society, thereby dismissing it as the domain of ideology. And as the blueprint for the organization of society, the meshing of social life with the political life has not met with much historical success. Dahlgren (1995:126) states that in critical political economy of mass communication, the right today tries to equate civil society with the space where the private citizen can pursue his or her individualism, free from the interventionism of the state, thereby turning the concept into an argument for neo-liberal tradition, starting with Mill and de Tocqueville, have put politics before economic and appropriately warned that the state can abuse its power, engulf and smoother civil society, and undo the fragile progress towards democratizations.

In critical political economy of mass media Dahlgren (1995:128) states that civil society is thus created through various forms of self-constitution and self-mobilization. For Cohen and Aarato, civil society stands in a dialectical relationship to the political; the political role of civil society is seen not as aiming for the direct control of political power,… but to the generation of influence through the life of democratic associations and unconstrained discussion in the cultural public sphere. Ideally, civil society would function in a similar mediating way vis-à-vis economic society but, under capitalist relations, this vector is obviously less pronounced.

In critical political economy, civil society functions along side with the Neo-Marxist. Hence Dahlgren (1995:127) states that “the domain of civil society is characterized by legal frameworks to guarantee basic rights and to secure pluralism, publicity and privacy from the state, and, at least partially, from the economy. In this regard, they follow Gramsci’s three part model. Cohen and Arato’s orientation is towards the institutional aspects of civil society. In their views, civil society is institutionally composed chiefly of:
(i) The intimate sphere especially the family)
(ii) The sphere of associations (in particular, voluntary associations)
(iii) The many forms of public communication.

Strinati (1995) states that hegemony operates culturally and ideologically through the institutions of civil society which characterize mature liberal-democratic, capitalist societies. These institutions include education, the family, the church, the mass media, popular culture and so forth. Furthermore, civil society is the way Gramsci locates the place culture and ideology within societies, and hegemony is the way he tries to understand how they work.

Curran (1997) further argues that the watchdog perspective is commended for assuming that democracies need informed and participant citizens to manage their common affairs and believes that public debate is more likely to produce rational and just outcomes if it takes account of different views and interest, in some form of active self determination, reasoned debate and social inclusion.

Conclusively, it can be argued that civil society’s plays a salient role in critical political economy of media as public sphere through which the masses can discuss the issues that can influence the way they are govern by the elite. Again Gramsci (1971) ,views civil societies as having the responsibility for production, reproduction, and transformation of hegemony, while the state in responsible for the use of coercion. In Zimbabwe clear example for civil society groups such as MISA, MMPZ, WOZA, Doctors without Boarders, Zimbabwe Crisis and Coalition, Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions ZFTU and so forth, fight along side with the masses for social change. While some civil society’s are media oriented others are for human rights and democracy and they play a pivotal role in critical political economy of mass communication. The civil society fight for democracy and to reinforce strong social relations in the society. According to Gramsci (1971) civil society locates the place of culture and ideology within societies

References
Dahlgren P (1995) Television and the Public Sphere. British. Sage
Char lick R (2003) “Institutional Dynamics in Contemporary Mali- A study of the context for the impact of citizen advocacy world Education report, January 2003.
Norberto B (1988) Gramsci and the concept of civil society in Keane (ed) Democracy and civil society, Verso. London.
Downing J.D.H et al (2004) the Sage handbook of media studies. Sage. London
Hill.D; Class, the crisis of neo-liberal Global Capital, and the role of education and knowledge Workers. Saturday 28 march 2009 PDF

Strinati D (1995) An Introduction to theories of popular culture. Rout ledge. London

What is political marketing? Outline and critical discuss, birth, growth and current status of political marketing.

2011-06-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

In this paper definition of political marketing will be explored. The term “political marketing”, is a compounding term that consist of two words bound together. The two words can be defined separately. Thus the term “marketing” and “politics” will be defined separately and then eventually the two terms will be compound together to give a concrete definition that is functional. However, the birth when this concept actually started, its growth that is the expansion of the concept up to the current moment and its current status across the globe will be outline and critical debated upon using various schools of thoughts. Clear local examples will be given for and against in order to explore the whole concept of political marketing.

The American Marketing Association (AMA): defines the term “marketing” as the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals." In addition, the World Marketing Association (WMA): defines “marketing as the core business philosophy which directs the processes of identifying and fulfilling the needs of individuals and organizations through exchanges which create superior value for all parties.” Chapman (2003) defines “marketing” as the management process for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.” Basing from the above definitions “marketing” can be general defined as the means of solving customer’s problems profitable. Marketing in political marketing has borrowed the marketing techniques for spreading the ideologies of political actors, individuals and parties. For instance, in Zimbabwe during the March 2008 harmonized election political parties such as ZANU PF, MDC T, MDC and The Mavambo/Sekusile employed several marketing techniques to wean people to vote for them. The good examples were the political advertisement like hundred percent empowerment by ZANU PF. Again the portrayal of political figures such as Prime Minister Morgan Richard Tsvangirai in public media and President Robert Mugabe in privately owned papers like The Standard and Financial Gazette.

Another important term “politics” can be defined as the study and conduct of decision-making power (who's got it, and who hasn't) at the inter-social and societal levels. Some even use the term politology. At whatever scale, politics is the rather imperfect way that we actually do coordinate individual actions for mutual (or strictly personal) gain. Furthermore, to win a political conflict always implies that one has taken power away from one group or faction to give it to another. Most would also acknowledge that political conflict can easily degrade to zero-sum games, with little learned or settled by conflict other than "who won and who lost": Another scholar Lenin said that politics was about "who could do what to whom" (Russian "Kto-Kogo" for "Who-Whom"). As political scientist Harold Lasswell said, politics is "who gets what, when and how." It also concerns how we resolve moral conflicts that are sufficiently serious that they constitute a risk of social disruption - in which case commitment to a common process of arbitration or diplomacy tends to reduce violence - usually viewed as a key goal of civilization. Bernard Crick is a major theorist of this view and also of the idea that politics is itself simply "ethics done in public", where public institutions can agree, disagree, or intervene to achieve a desirable culmination or comprehensive (process) result. For example, in Zimbabwe there are several political parties that use marketing techniques to gain the support of the public. ZANU PF, MDC T and MDC, currently are the two vibrant political parties that use various tactics to gunner support from the masses in Zimbabwe
Commercial marketing is “an organizational function and a set of processes for creating,
Communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders” (AMA 2004). Marketing has the
Two fold factors of organizational function and organizational processes, whereas it was
previously perceived predominantly as a process. This represents the growth of dedicated
marketing functions within organizations, and also demonstrates the broader acceptance of
marketing as an equal to accounting or research and development.

The compounding of two terms “political marketing”, which is effectively the application of commercial marketing to the political process has been defined in numerous ways by a range of authors over the past two decades, including the works of Gronroos (1990 in O’Shaughnessy, 2001), Harrop (1990),Clemente (1992 in Butler and Collins, 1994), O’Cass (1996a, 1996b), Lock and Harris (1996) and so forth. Political marketing comes from the works of Gronroos (1990 in O’Shaughnessy, 2001) who defines it as “seeking to establish, maintain and enhance long term voter relationships at a profit for society and political parties so that the objectives of the individual political actors and organisations involved are met”. Clemente (1992 in Butler and Collins, 1994), defines political marketing as “the marketing of ideas and opinions which relate to public or political issues or to specific candidates. In general, political marketing is designed to influence people’s votes in elections”.
In addition, O’Cass (1996a, 1996b) sought to portray political marketing as “the analysis, planning, implementation and control of political and electoral
programs designed to create, build and maintain beneficial exchange relationships between a
party and voters for the purpose of achieving the political marketers objectives”. Furthermore, Lock and Harris (1996) went for a dichotomous version of academic political marketing
discourse as being “the study of the processes of exchanges between political entities and their
environment and among themselves with particular reference to the position of those entities
and their communications”, and a slightly more workable practical definition of political
marketing as an activity, where “it is concerned with strategies for positioning and
communications, and the methods through which these strategies may be realised, including
the search for information into attitudes, awareness and response of the target audience.”

Newman (1999 in Newman 2002) brings political marketing back to the basics as “the
application of marketing principles and procedures in political campaigns by various
individuals and organizations”. Interestingly, the definition expands the procedural element of political marketing as “…the analysis, development, execution and management of strategic campaigns by candidates, political parties, governments, lobbyists and interest groups that seek to drive public opinion, advance their own ideologies, win elections and pass legislation and referenda in response to the needs and wants of selected people and groups in society” (Newman 1999). Lees-Marshment (2001) again brings the concept forward as an adaptation of commercial marketing, arguing that “political marketing is about political organizations adapting business marketing concepts and techniques to help achieve their goals…[to] conduct market intelligence to identify the concerns of those they serve change their behavior to meet those demands and communicate their 'product offering' more effectively. O’Shaughnessy (2001) brings three definitions to the debate, their own definition of political marketing as “a structure of business derived labels to explain, map, nuance and condense the exchange dynamics of an election campaign; offering the possibility for new perspectives for interpreting elections”. They also raise the Gronroos (1990) definition cited above, along with

Harrop’s (1990) conceptualization where political marketing was “essentially a form of services
marketing: marketing a party consists in projecting a belief in its ability to govern”. Finally,
Henneberg (2004) refines and re-emphasizes the exchange protocol with the short working
definition of political marketing as “facilitating the societal process of political exchange”.

In order to compare the existing definitions of political marketing against the commercial
marketing definition, the AMA (2004) definition has been divided into six components
categories. “organizational function”, “set of processes”, “set of processes for creating,
communicating and delivering value to customers”, “set of processes for managing customer
relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders” and a brief overview of
“organisation and stakeholders”. However, whilst the components of a definition can be
isolated and analyzed independently, the definition still remains a sum of the component parts,
and will be subjected to a final holistic interpretation to examine its applicability to the political
marketing process.

Kelley (1956) is generally credited for being the first person to use the term political marketing. The US literature identifies John Beckley, a member of the campaign team around Thomas Jefferson as one of the first political consultants, though similar roles can no doubt be identified much earlier in other societies. The rise of political marketing in the recent past has been attributed to the development of an investigative press, declining party loyalty, and changes in the political and electoral systems. In particular, scholars have identified the expansion of the media, particularly television as having had a significant impact. There is evidence to suggest that political marketing has contributed to improved communication between the politicians and voters. Especially apparent in the popular and academic literature on both political marketing and political communication is the occupation with image and how much or little it affects the voter. Often the phenomenon of image in politics is said to have risen because of television. However, image has almost as many meanings as the number of people who use it combined concepts from consumer behavior and political science to create a model of voting
behavior in political marketing terms. So far it has only been tested in a primary election in the USA, so its applicability outside such settings has yet to be shown. Most of the literature is concerned with what marketers would view as tactical issues, though Butler and Collins (1996) show the impact of strategy and its importance in governing the direction of the campaign. Most of the electoral markets of the West are mature, the players are established and the positions are set ( Harris:2006).

Birth of Political Marketing
The emergence of political marketing analysis has its roots in a debate initiated by a pair of leading management theorist over twenty five years ago (Wring 1996). Wring (1996) asserts that, with the publication of their ground breaking analysis of non-profit organization, Kotler and Levy (1969) found themselves in the vanguard of a group of marketing scholars committed to challenge their subjects traditionally narrow preoccupation with commercial activity. Lazer and Levy (1969) in their seminal piece the two authors argued that, “… the crux of marketing lies in a general idea of exchange rather than the narrower idea of market transaction. In Britain mass electioneering developed during the course of the nineteenth century following three major extension of the franchise in 1832, 1867 and 1884. Modern political campaigning dates from 1918 and the advent of near universal suffrage. By 1928 every adult over 21 was assured of at least one vote, regardless of gender or property qualification (Wring 1996). Since then the nature and media of political communication have changed. Terms such as “image marker” and “spin” doctor are now part of the popular electoral lexicon and the phrase “political marketing” has become recognized part of academic discourse. Wring (1996) suggest that a cursory glance at material on the subject in Britain and abroad indicates a steady growth in publication since 1980, and a more marked increase during the 1990’s

Kelley (1956) is generally credited with the first use of the term political marketing. The US
literature identifies John Beckley, a member of the campaign team around Thomas Jefferson as
one of the first political consultants, though similar roles can no doubt be identified much
earlier in other societies.The rise of political marketing in the recent past has been attributed
to the development of an investigative press, declining party loyalty, and changes in the
political and electoral systems. In particular, scholars have identified the expansion of the
media, particularly television as having had a significant impact. There is evidence to suggest
that political marketing has contributed to improved communication between the politicians
and voters. Especially apparent in the popular and academic literature on both political
marketing and political communication is the occupation with image and how much or little it
affects the voter. Often the phenomenon of image in politics is said to have risen because of
television. However, image has almost as many meanings as the number of people who use it
combined concepts from consumer behavior and political science to create a model of voting
behavior in political marketing terms. So far it has only been tested in a primary election in the
USA, so its applicability outside such settings has yet to be shown. Most of the literature is
concerned with what marketers would view as tactical issues, though Butler and Collins (1996)
show the impact of strategy and its importance in governing the direction of the campaign.
Most of the electoral markets of the West are mature, the players are established and the
positions are set[ Harris:2006].

In political marketing it is important to note that politics borrows much from business marketing concept which is guided by the four P’s, namely products, price, place and promotion. If political marketing is a borrowed ancient, therefore it means that this phenomenon was there way back before it was recognized. America and British scholars which among includes Kotler are the first scholars to initiate this concept of political marketing (Scammell no year). Products in marketing are the first important “P” which can be used similarly in politics. Historically, the think in business world is that good products must sell itself. The same applies in politics where a good party that respects the rights of the citizens and takes care of the needs of its supporters is likely to live longer. Customers are protected by several rights to make the choice of the product they want depending as whether the product is well packaged and suits the demand of the customers. For instance, in Zimbabwe ZANU PF lost votes to their rival MDC Tsvangirai because they failed to suits the needs and wants of the majority of Zimbabwe. ZANU PF did not address the problems that matters most in people’s life and MDC had to capitalize on that. Political parties in this instance are treated as goods that the electorate can make a choice

In addition, price is another aspect that determines the customer’s choice to buy a product. Here customer can decide whether their money is enough for them to purchase a product depending on the quality and quantity of the products. The same applies in politics where the political party appears like the price of a commodity that customers are prepared to pay for. For example in Zimbabwe ZANU PF failed to lure the votes from electorate because the electorates was not prepared to pay for the cost. MDC and Mavambo/Kusile were the other competing products on the shelves that the voters could not sacrifice to buy. Since 1980 people have been supporting the ZANU PF as a party and their needs and wants were not gratified. The price or the compromise that people made since 1980’s was too much for them to bear up with the party. Land was distributed, but not to every one who need it but to the heavy weight supporters which among includes the war veterans and ministers. The ordinary citizens could not stand the cost of the party manifesto and had to go for other parties.

The third “P”which stands for place identifies the place in which a product can be found. In business and marketing goods or products have to be available at the right place, right time and in right quantities. Some of the revolutions in business have come about by changing places. The same applies in politics where people wish to vote for the political party that can address the bread and butter issues when need be. For example in Zimbabwe ZANU PF which used to rule since 1980, could not address peoples needs such as hunger and starvation, lack of jobs, free education and so forth. When people’s needs are not address they loss trust and flare to continue supporting a party. People shifted to MDC and Mavambo/Sokusile with hope that maybe their plight can be addressed. A political party can lose support if it fails complete to satisfy and instill hope to the people’s demands and needs. Those who fall sick could not get medication from the hospital or clinics because there were no medicines even the nurses and doctors were on strike. People of Zimbabwe lost hope to the ZANU PF and thought otherwise MDC might be the solution to their problems.

The fourth and most important “P” is promotion and in business certain organization gain favors for their products because they can persuade and satisfy the customer needs and wants through promotions. Promotion in business look at how are the chosen targeted groups informed or educated about the organization products. This includes all the weapons of marketing such as armory, advertising, selling, sales promotion, public relations and so forth. Promotion has become the most important “P” to focus on. The same can be applied in politics where political parties have to inform their supporters about their manifesto which addresses the people’s problems. In Zimbabwe promotion is done by all the political parties and the good example is the presidential scholarships to Fort Hare, Cuba, Malaysia and China. Land allocation and the distribution of inputs to the farmers is another promotion in politics. ZANU PF in the past used to educate the children of the war veterans and doctors, chiefs and university intellectuals were given cars so that they can remain loyal to the party. MDC on the other hand, could send their party members oversees, pay for their studies abroad as a way of instilling trust from their followers.

It can be noted that in political marketing campaigns by political parties and donations given to different social group such as the donation of computers to rural schools were there is no electricity, initiating of policies such as the domestic bill to product women, giving land to neighboring country leadership such as Bingo WaMutarika and inviting leaders from other African countries like Mandela in 1990 is a campaigning strategy that can be equated to promotion. It can therefore be argued that political marketing as a phenomenon borrows heavily on marketing concept. This phenomenon could have existed way back before it was recognized.

In addition, one of the earliest and most important studies of professional election campaigning appeared in the mid 1950’s written by American academic Stanley Kelly, “Profession Public Relations and Political Power” in 1956 examine development in political communication including the launch and evolution of the first full service consultancy campaign during the 1930’s. Significantly his study was probably the first to make use of the phrase “Political marketing”. Aside from the growth in specialist literature on electioneering in the United States, several scholars in other countries have begun research into development in and around their regions. Unlike the American research which is increasingly sub-divided and focused on specific cases or campaign activities such as polling or advertising techniques together under the generic term “political marketing”. The fact that several independent scholars from different democracies have recognize the growth of this phenomenon over the last two decades tend to reinforce the belief that there is a major change taking place in the way modern elections are conducted.

Furthermore, large amount of the non-American material on political marketing has been produced by researchers in Europe. Several French writers have been to the fore in this development. These include Lindon who completed his study “marketing politique et social”, in the 1970’s (Lindo 1976). In 1980 a group of French scholars including Charlotte, David and Piotet convened at Liege University to consider the growing importance of the phenomenon in Western Europe (Piotet et al, 1980) Wanger has pioneered the study of political marketing in German and in Italy Mazzoleni investigated the growth of political marketing, whilst a pair of experts have charted developments in Spain (Roce and Rives, 1982)

Again other research completed on political marketing includes material from countries as far afield as Canada (Leiss et al, 1990) Australia (Piffen, 1989) New Zealand (Denmark, 1991) and Columbia (Salazar Vargas, 1994). Judging from the above mentioned examples it is clear that political marketing is an old phenomenon that has been used and studied. However, nothing much is heard about how much impact this phenomenon hat to the African continent. It can be argued that political marketing is a technique that is used across the globe. There are some schools of thought like Wring (1996) who strongly believe that political marketing was first used by African nationalist such as Nkwame Nkrumah in the early 1960’s. What is amazing is that despite the use of this phenomenon in Africa no studies have been conducted. South Africa which had its election used this technique of political market at global scale. Technological advancement such as satellite television/channels, internet, news groups and conglomerate media have assisted immensely African countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and many others to cast their party ideology using political marketing strategy. This probably indicates that currently political marketing is operating at global scale due to new media technology.

Political marketing implies the usage of marketing tools, techniques and methods in political
Process (Menon, 2008). However, Menon (2008) asserts that in other words, political marketing is the outcome of the marriage between marketing and politics. As an activity and method, it reflects the penetration of the political space by marketing. Political advertising, Celebrity endorsements, involvement of professional consultants and campaign managers, online campaigning, mobile phone canvassing, segmentation, micro targeting and so forth are some of the methods extensively used in political marketing (Menon 2008). Though political marketing is increasingly used in democratic political systems in which mass support is significantly important to sustain power; military rulers also use marketing strategy to build their branded image. The influence of professional marketing has affected the working style of political parties. Parties became more market oriented and began to frame there programs and policies in tune with opinion polls and market surveys. Information revolution and globalization have played a vital role in changing the pattern and content of traditional political campaigning into one of the most professional and sophisticated marketing tactics. It is argued that if a political party implements the marketing philosophy, it will seek to meet voters needs and wants, thus producing voter satisfaction, and in doing so gain electoral support to meet its own goals.[Marshment:2006]

Political marketing in Britain
Margaret Thatcher’s leadership proved to be the watershed in the development of political marketing in Britain. Elected Conservative leaders in 1975, Thatcher set out to rejuvenate a party demoralized by defeat in the two general elections of 1974. Within four years a revitalized organization had established a close working relationship with advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi. Wring (1996) says that there is evidence that the political marketing concept shaped the manifesto and electoral strategy in all three elections under Lady Thatcher’s leadership. Following their emphatic 1979 victory the Conservative continued to re-organize their campaign machinery In 1981 Central office employed Christopher Lawson to head a new marketing department. Judging from the evidence fore fronted above, it is therefore clear that political marketing techniques is an old phenomenon which can be traced as far back as Thatcher’s time, or perhaps even before her days. This phenomenon had grown immensely up to the present moment where it is globalised.

Nevertheless, the impact and enduring importance of political marketing in Britain has been most comprehensively documented in the wealth of material which has appeared in the run-up to and after the 1992 general elections. For instance, while Harrop’s (1990)’s critical; review of the subject matter in Parliamentary Affairs, O’Shaughnessy (1990) uses a chapter to contrast British and American electioneering. Television producer Rees cover similar ground to Bruce in part of selling politics, a book based on the BBC “Time Watch” series of the same name (Rees, 1992)

Currant status of political marketing

Political marketing as a phenomenon has spread its tentacles. As a concept this approach put the customer at the beginning rather than at the end of production cycle (Barker, 1991). For instance, in Canada there are now two types of national political consultants. Party consultants have commandeered the authority once held by regional officials. Despite increasing presence of political consultants, all indications are that Canadian elections promotional activities are relatively static. (Marland 2003). Classical political marketing, at the national level have professional produced television advertisements’, media relations experts who wage spin control, and planned events such as leader tours and television debates (Marland2002). Classical political marketing nowadays enables the canvassing of electors to identify supporters by telephone, instead of on the doorsteps, although advertising still typically includes signage, brochures, and community newspapers in Canada. Perhaps the most visible modernization in recent years has been parties’ mediocre websites that provide daily campaign updates and which are sometimes mirrored by candidates’ amateurish online presence.

American-style political marketing is creeping into Canadian electioneering. The use of five classic and five newer marketing techniques, such as comparative advertising, celebrity endorsement, and permanent campaign are explored, while technological innovations such as internet campaigning, rob calls, and video imaging are also witnessed as an indication of the status of political marketing in Canada. Moreso, in Zimbabwe the main political parties such as ZANU PF and two MDC parties have electronic websites that reflects the structure, mandate, advertisement and manifesto of their parties. Through public media and the private media such as The Standard, Independent had political advertisements that were flighted in March 2008, during the harmonized elections. Perhaps what can be queried about Zimbabwe is the lack of effective implementation of political marketing techniques, which may be cause by lack of democracy. Political marketing is only vibrant in countries where there is democracy. The use of marketing concept in political marketing which includes 4 P’s thus products, price, place and promotion was never used effectively in Zimbabwe in March 2008 harmonized elections. In South Africa, in the recent election marketing concept were used by all the political parties and the choice of Jacob Zuma as the new elected president shows that people still have faith and trust with ANC. The ANC was effectively branded and a lot of money was poured in to campaign which could be the other reason for their victory.

Celebrity endorsements
In commercial marketing, celebrity are paid t endorse products in an effort to transfer the celebrity’s qualities. Similarly, American and British politicians regularly socialize with the range of entertainment stars, together choreographing photo-ops to augment each others profile. In Zimbabwe, after the inauguration of Tsvangirai and Mutambara, certain artists were there to entertain and endorse the “All inclusive government”. In South Africa recently the newly elected president Jacob Zuma came on the satellite television dancing with re-owned South Africa musician. For example, Mudumo African program that comes out every week. During elections, Republicans and Democratic campaigns are endorsed by who’s who list of Hollywood types, some whom are actually Canadians, such as star Treks Williams Shatner’s recent involvement in an Ohio gubernatorial campaign. In Zimbabwe during the 1980’s the coming of Bob Marley and Soul Brothers was a celebrity endorsement which indicate the growth of political marketing which started in 1980’s or even way back around 1960’s in Africa after its recognition in Europe.

However, celebrities have a low profile in Canadian federal elections. Perhaps the last time they were widely involved was during the failed 1992 Charlotte town Accord referendum where electors widely rejected elites. One respondent suggested that, since then Canadian strategists believe that quasi-celebrities such as bank CEO’s have only narrow appeal and can actually do more harm than good. As for Canadian entertainers, because so many achieve stardom only after they have left the country, it is considered difficult to source the support of Hollywood-type celebrities. Marland (2003) state that “one party consultant put it,” parties seek endorsements from credible people who allow you to say that you have growth potential”.

Erdogan (1999) notes that in Canada it is quite the opposite in the constituencies where in 2000 and 2002 candidates received endorsements from local musicians, athletes, politicians, minority groups leaders, as well as electors fitting demographic profiles. These political celebrities leverage their media status in an attempt to raise the profile of the party’s local candidate, to build moral among volunteers, and to generate local campaign momentum.

In addition, political marketing strategy has permeated every sphere of life and media. Malicious election advertising often explicitly targets the weaknesses of competing parties or candidates. These highly emotional broadcast advertisement accentuated issues and policy shortcomings, or attack the personal character of an opponent. They are an vogue among political consultants because, although electors say that they do not like the practice they are more likely to recall negative rather than positive messages. Moreover, controversial advertisement can also attract news coverage, and going negative is often thought necessary to effectively counter an opponent’s negatively. In Zimbabwe this technique is witnessed quite often. Pictures of politicians in newspapers appear differently with negative connotation to de-campaign each other. For instance, Tsvangirai’s portrait in public media and President Mugabe in privately owned papers. The progressive Conservatives infamously mocked Liberal leader Jean Chretien’s face paralysis in their 1993 advertisement and in 1997 the Reform Party’s advertising sneered at Quebec politicians. Despite the public debate that followed the 2000 campaign saw the PC’s label the liberals are liars, while the Liberal Party was busy slugging the “hidden agenda” of the leader of the Canadian Alliance.

Internet campaign:
Use of internet as an emerging political marketing tool enables the political parties to segment their supporters. The internet’s economical integration of interactive visuals, sound and data suggest that it may revolutionize election campaigning. Presently, may Americans campaigns purchase banner advertising on popular websites, send unsolicited electronic mails to electors, and use e-commerce software to accept donations online. Kipper (1993) say that, in Canadian politics, the internet is used to displace otherwise costly communication, and is starting to be used for get-out-the –vote efforts. In Zimbabwe the main political parties have the websites through which one can surf. The only problem is that some of the website are not updated and only few citizens access the website. However, lack of an online presence by any of the political parties during the 2000 election campaigns is indicative in Canadian electioneers’ skepticism about the World Wide Web. Banners advertising were used only somewhat by two parties, email had an almost exclusive internal office function, and online donations were an almost exclusive internal office function, and online donations were an after thought. Despite considerable technological changes, Canadian parties’ use of the internet in 2000 was not much different from the 1997 campaign, although by comparison news media website stores substantial content.

It can therefore be concluded that political marketing is a compounding term, which is derived from two independent entities thus “politics” plus “marketing”. Politics in short can be defined as “who gets what, when and how”. In addition, it is the study and conduct of decision making power. “Marketing” on the other hand can be shortly defined as the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas. It is mainly concerned with four “P”, that is products, pricing, place and promotion. Therefore it can be summarized that the term “political marketing” can be defined broadly by scholars such as Gronroos (1990), Harrop (1996), Clement, Newman (1999) and so forth. Political marketing borrows heavily from marketing and uses the marketing concepts. Kelly (1956) is credited for being the first to use the term “political marketing” (Venu 2008). Again the rise of political marketing has been attributed to the development of an investigative press, declining party loyalty and changes in the political and electoral system. Currently, political marketing has been globalised and certain techniques such as celebrity endorsement, internet campaign, political branding, advertisement and so forth are used to gain the support of the masses towards a certain political party.

References

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American Marketing Association (2004), "Definition" Marketing News, September 15, 2004
American Marketing Association, (2006) Dictionary of Marketing Terms, Online:
Abercrombie (1992), Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 12 (4), 29-38.
Aristotle, 1982: The Politics, London: Penguin.
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Butler, P. and Collins, N (1994) “Political marketing: Structure and process”, European
Clemente, M. N. (1992) "The Marketing Glossary" Amacon, New York, NY
Campaigns" Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference, University of
Darroch, J et al. (2004) “The AMA definition of marketing and its relationship to a market orientation: An extension of Cooke, Rayburn.
Gabbot, M. (ed) (2004) Introduction to marketing: A value exchange approach. France.
Gronroos, C. (1990) “Marketing re-defined”, Management Decision 28 (8)
Harris, P.l and Lock, A. (1996), "Machiavellian Marketing: The Development of
Corporate Lobbying in the UK", Journal of Marketing Management, (in press).Harris, M.W (2005) Marketing the mayor: political marketing and the election campaign, Government and Public Affairs.
Harrop, M. (1990), Political Marketing Parliamentary Affairs, Oxford University Press
Henneberg S .C (2004) Political Marketing Theory: Hendiadyoin or Oxymoron, University
of Bath
Kotler P. (1994): Marketing: analiza, planowanie, wdraKaniei kontrola, Warszawa.
Kotler P. – Anderson A. R. (1987): Strategic marketing for Nonprofit Organizations, Englewood http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=aristot.+ath.+pol.+F1
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http://www.marketingpower.com/mg-dictionary.php, Accessed: 30/6/2006

Multimedia communication as an agent of cultural imperialism Mr C Masuku( Media and Society Studies Department at Midlands State university)

2011-04-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

The assertion that , “Multimedia communication is an agent of cultural imperialism”, has awake the scholars and invoked them to talk about from several point of view. A well informed judgement will be given in support of the exposition from Southern Africa, in which Zimbabwe falls. It is vital and apt from the preamble to define key terms like Multimedia, communications, culture and imperialism.

The term “Multimedia”, is defined from different angles, as it is suggested by Biagi (1999:382) as the term used to describe any media that combines texts, graphic, sounds and video. Calvert (1996) defines Multimedia as essentially linking traditional type of media into one environment. Hansen (1997) defines it as a “synthesis of digital media types of combining text, graphics, audio, animation and video. From the three definitions, interactivity is a feature of most multimedia, new media or hyper-media

Vambe and Gunduza (1999) viewed multimedia in three different components. These are Oramedia, print media and electronic media. Ora-media includes songs, speech, dance, folk-tales and idioms. Print media includes newspapers, books, letters and all other printed matters, Electronic media include television, telephones, fax and satellites digital communication. In short, multimedia is a dynamic fusion of several media to create one text, which can be oral, written or electronic.

Sullivan et al (1983) defines communication as ; “ the creation and exchange of meaning, in which message, people in cultures and reality interact so as to enable meanings to be produced and understanding to occur. Nyamajiwa (2003) defines communication as the creation and exchange of meaning between individuals who are essentially different but, have something in common to enable them to share what each one has.

Williams (1990) identified three categories of culture. Culture to him is; “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”. Williams (1990)'s first category of culture is “a general process of intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic development. The second category of culture refers, “to a particular way of life whether a people, or a period, a group or humanity in general. The third and last category refers to culture as the works of practices of intellectual and especially artistic activity.From the above three categories, culture therefore refers to such practices such as language, the art, fashion, philosophy, journalism or the mass media and advertising . Hence culture is then asserted by Williams (1990) as a; “complex whole, which includes cultural practices such as consumption and shopping, economic practices through which people manage to satisfy their material needs and political practices or aspects of life which involves the distribution of power within and between collectives.

Fourie (1996:198) defines culture as everything from the cultivation of civilisation, human faculties or manners, the improvement of the intellectual by means of education, to the cultivation of plants or animals. Hagget (1983:248) defines culture as, “the patterns of learned human behaviour that forms a durable template by which ideas and images can be transferred from one generation to another. Cummings et al (1983:158) says that culture is a totality of knowledge, belief, values and attitude held by society across time. Stuart (19800 asserts that “culture is ordinary”. What one does at the present moment, the way he/she carries around him or herself is part of culture. One salient issue is that culture is dynamic and it changes all the time.

Another important term to be defined is “cultural Imperialism” This is a compounding term that is made up of two separate terms that can be defines and interpreted differently if time permit. Schiller (1986) defines “cultural Imperialism”, as the subjection of a country to undue pressure by a culture of the metropolitan (bigger powers). In addition, it is characterised by an unidirectional pattern, creating imbalance and a colonial cultural dependence of the North by the South. Cultural dependence also includes reliance on the West from technology to produce and disseminate these cultural products.

Bullock and Stallybrass (1977:303) assert that; cultural imperialism is the use of political and economic power to exalt and spread the values and habits of a foreign culture at the expense of a native culture.

Tomlison (19910 state that, cultural imperialism refers to a range of broadly similar phenomena. He further claimed that defining this compound term requires a broadly accepted view of both “culture” and “imperialism”. Furthermore, Tomlison (1991:4) point out that the term; “imperialism”, refers primarily to a political system and the other to an economic system. He further pointed out that the term, “imperialism”, refers to the domination associated with global reach of capitalism. Soviet 'imperialism” is believed to mean political domination of Eastern bloc satellite. Lenin (No year) perceived Imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism.

Bilton et al (1981) defines “cultural imperialism” as “the aggressive promotion of Western culture based on the assumption that its value system is superior and preferable to those of non Western culture. Bilton et al asserts that; “cultural Imperialism” lead to the construction and establishment of big firms like Econet, Bertelsmann, Viacom, Sonny, News Corporation, Walt Disney, General Electric and so forth. These corporate firms are more than media house as they are engaged in other business non other than the media related business. Their ownership patterns are either vertical, horizontal, cross ownership or diagonal.

In addition, cultural imperialism in the Southern African region is reinforced through the use of language such as English. Webster et al (1981:68) argued that; “ One key vehicle through which this occurs is the way the global firms tend to use English as a world language”. In historic terms, the ubiquity of English that is relatively recent. It has much to do, first, with the impact of British colonialism-on whose land “the sun never set”. Hence it can be true to support that;, “Multimedia communication” is an agent of cultural imperialism in Southern Africa like Zimbabwe.

Nevertheless, the communication technology upon which global interconnectedness, so heavily relies and uses English for the bulk of its data information storage and exchange like the internet, cellphones, books, television and so forth makes it possible for the rest of the world to believe that media are “American”. The leisure industry is similarly tied into English, especially via the English-Language based music industry; “Madonna is unlikely ever to have to go to language school to sell her record”. From this claim it is true that multimedia communication is an agent of cultural imperialism in Southern Africa like Zimbabwe. In short, Becker (1981) ans similar theorist believe that this dominance of Western Cultural products ensures the long-term survival of capitalist world markets

Another supporting evidence to back up the claim that Multimedia communication is an agent of cultural imperialism in Southern region especially in Zimbabwe is exposed by the use of satellite broadcasting and satellite television. Chari et al (2003) argued that Dstv is a pretty new phenomenon that hits the market in Zimbabwe. From his contribution, it can be observed that Dstv (Direct Satellite television) is an economic market equipped with technology, which is electronic media. As multimedia communication tool it transcend the cultural imperialism by portraying the Western cultures image meaning and the language which is foreign to the local population, that is English. In contrary one would argue that since this is watched by few audiences in urban centres, it has less influence on the local culture, hence the assertion can be dismissed as untrue that multimedia communication causes cultural imperialism in Zimbabwe

The Web (www.com) is one media which contributes immensely to multimedia communication. The web goes a step further than e-mail in that it shares text graphics, video and audio on-line. It requires a series of technology with its cultural manipulations that enable users to “roam”, which is a form of scanning through various websites for topic interest. It need a computer, modem and a telephone. Biagi (2000:219) claims that, this means the web has ushered a new culture of communication on that changes social relations in the world. Social site such as Face book, Tagged, Sky rock, Goggle chat, hot-mail chat,Multiply.com, Twitter, 24.com (South Africa) and many others enables people across the globe to communicate and exchange their culture.

The extensive trade, commerce and education provided to the masses about new media technology, has its cultural which widely leads to the creation of corporate companies like IBM, Compaq, Dell, Econet, Viacom, Walt Disney, Bertelsmann, news Corporation, general Electric,Sonny, Vivendi and so forth. Such organisation are meant for economic market, political, ideological domination and disseminate certain knowledge, norms and values which influences human behaviour.

In a nutshell it can be argued that “Multimedia Communication” has resulted to global culture, that is culture without fixed root. This highlights the powers of Transnational corporations (TNC's) and global media organisations and the ideological baggage they bring with them and impose on other. However, cultural imperialism has been criticised for failing to recognise that countries subject to TNC's influence do not necessarily absorb all their ideologies like some sort of cultural sponge. It can therefore be concluded that 'cultural imperialism” is the aggressive promotion of Western Culture based on the assumption that its values system is superior and preferable to those of non-Western culture.

Non-verbal communication in conversation

2011-04-05T02:10:00.000-07:00

Many people ask themselves multi-million questions as to whether they can communicate without uttering a word?. Again they ask whether communication without vocal sound has more implicature to their day to day communication? The answer lies with non-verbal communication that can be achieved without vocal sound, but rather convey messages through signs.

Non verbal communication is communication that takes place silently without vocal sounds and can be in the form of body language, gestures, symbols, sound, For instance, in one of the module that I take journalism and desktop publishing, if a student seat with one leg on top of the other like a chief collecting tribute it communicates that the student is not there and have no interest with what am imparting. When the speaker's attitude language matches the content of his words, the listener knows immediately that the speaker is honest and sincere in what he says.

3.The language of objects
Communication can sometimes take place by means of objects; for example the furniture in an interview room, the certificates on the wall, the size of desk behind the type of carpet, the person's clothing and the mobile handset one possesses. The object around a person show his status, how successful he is, and what respect he should be given.

4.Language symbols

Language is a vehicle through which the message can be disseminated to the intended audiences. Language can be connative; that is influential, functional, persuasive, abusive, melodious, delicate and perhaps powerful especially if nicely packaged using the rhetoric devices like assonance, litotes, onomatopoeia, rhyme, rhythm and so forth. The implicature that the language carries is something that need not to be over emphasis. One can shed tears, smile, wry-le the month, tighten the face, spite silver, collapse or gain confidence.
These include the speaker's tone, the speed at which he speaks, the volume he maintains, the quality of voice (pitch), and the movements he makes in order to make his words meaningful.

The good example is when a speaker speaks monotonously without ever varying his tone, his listeners will stop listening to him and think he is boring. This judgement does not rest what he says, but rather on how he says it.It is important to deliver your speech in style, with wisdom, courage and expertise to gain control of the floor.

5.Physical action

Physical action has to do with space and the environment surrounding. Physical action attracts attention and therefore is important that actions are only to assist effective communication. The action can better express the speaker's personality while creating at the same time a good mood in the audience. Thus meaningless, mechanical or stereotyped movements and gestures should be avoided.

The most important elements of physical action are postures, movements, gestures and facial expression.

6. Movements

Movement usually attracts attention, so lecturers or communicators has to make sure that they do not distract the listeners,s attention from what you are saying. Effective movement is natural, matching the language, the voice and the meaning of the speaker. Ineffective movement is often seen when the speaker walks about without purpose backwards and forwards. General lack of movement may be unnatural. Purposeful, meaningful, complete and suitable movement, when it holds meaning for the audience or listener, will attract favourable attention and contribute to effective communication.

7. Gesture

Gestures is a science of movement and speaks volume about a person. When a part of the body is moved, a gesture is made. For example, the movement of arms, hands, head, shoulders or feet. They may be classified as follows;

(a) Descriptive gestures: these are usually show meaning either directly or indirectly

(b) Symbolic gestures: these can include such signs as a balled first( to indicate power, determination, might or anger).

(c)Locative gesture: these show place, position or direction

(d)Emphatic gesture: these are used when ideas need to be emphasised or established

(e) Dramatic or imitative gestures: These are gestures used by a speaker when he wishes to imitate someone.

THE FLOWER THAT I LOVE

2011-04-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

When she looks at the sky, the sky looks through her
As she smile all the water lilies oozes
She always wear an iron curved smile
I love this flower

With a soft cooing voice she mellows my heart
When she speak, there is rhyme and rhythm in my ears
She pouts her lips like a coca-cola bottle
Two holed checks manifest,
A heart face protrude
The flower is beautiful

She walks like a tom cat
Her breast is decorated with two hills
Her forehead glitters with love
I like this flower

Life is never the same with or with out her
She gives me hope all the time
She gives me reassurance
Despair run away from her
I like this holed check born woman

She mellows my heart
As i think about her my heart throbs like drum beat
Her curved hips twist from an acute to an obtuse angle
i Love this flower

She carries the fountain of love in her face
A pool of it in her breast,
Melody and sweetness in her waist ,
Sea of it in her body
She quench my thirst for love
I love this flower

MEDIA ETHICS

2011-03-04T02:04:00.000-08:00

Mr C Masuku (Midlands State University)
Masuku.caven@gmail.com,masuku.caven@gmail.com or masukuc@msu.ac.zw

2011-03-01

Presentation for Gweru Press Club

MEDIA ETHICS

The term “ “Ethics”, is a contested terrain that can be defined from a multiplicity of ways. Several scholars under here will be quoted in their attempt to define “ethics” in journalism. Ethics are very salient and journalist should adhere to it for professionalism and credibility in their day to day business of gathering, processing and disseminating of news to the widely dispersed audiences with various norms and values and ethical traits.

Ethics is broadly understood as a fundamental factor that deals and plays a role in human life and interaction between individuals, and the individual and society. Ronning (2002) notes that “it is about how we should live our lives as media practitioners. In addition, ethics applies to issues of virtues and vices, and questions basic principles and rules in the evaluation of human conduct and social relations. It is concerned about character and conduct. Ethics can also be understood as the systematic study of morality and examines basic moral attitudes, dispositions, beliefs, standards, principles, ideals and practices (Ronning 2002)

Nevertheless, Days (2000:3) submit that, media ethics involves the accepted values or moral norms of a society's notion about what is right or wrong and the distinction between virtue and vice. It can therefore be argued that ethics defines what is morally acceptable using values as the basis of human behaviour, where the decision about right or wrong are made ( Seib and Fitzpatrick 1997:3) Ethics is seldom practiced in the same way in different societies and cultures.

Moreover, Hohenberg (1976: 320) argued that reporters and editors as a rule are much more concerned about ethical consideration than their critics believe. The old notion that you “get the story and to hell with everything else have no responsible defenders”.

It is important and can not be overemphasised that code of ethics can be; (i) aspirational (what we aspire to be) (ii) educational (this is how we can address ethical questions),(iii) regulatory (this is what we do if the code is breached) or a mixture of all three (Frankel 1989 ,Sri Lanker Press Institute ). Chadiwick (1995) states that ethical codes usually have the following segments: (i0 aspirations, (ii) standards, (iii) Disclosure, (IV) value and Enforcement

In addition, Professor Black (1997) says that “ethics entails making tough decision-not the obvious choices between right and wrong, but the tough choices between not-quite completely-right, or even choosing between the lesser of two wrongs.” One salient issue about ethics is that; “Ethical journalism can never be guaranteed simply by resorting to a list of dos and don'ts, Emmanuel Levinas (1969:178) one of the French philosopher said that;
“It is only in approaching the other that i attended to myself... In discourse i expose
myself to the questioning of others, and the urgency of the responses acuteness of
the present-engenders me for responsibility; as responsible i am brought to my final
reality”.

Therefore judging from the above quotation media practitioners should be guided and be influenced by others, that is the society at large. Their discourse should not harm others and should always tell both side of the story without taking sides. Every word, message and expression from media houses to the audiences should be a reality. Facts instead of rumours or hearsay should not find its way to the media.

There are three ethical philosophies postulated by Brook et al (1998) that guides and oils the codes of ethics in journalism as follows;

Absolutism ethics:
Absolutism holds that there is a fixed set of principles or law, from which there should be no deviation (Brook et al 1998). Principles become rules that in turn, are treated like laws. Some refer to this kind of ethical philosophy as “legalism”. This philosophy is based on the meritocracy that “if it is wrong to lie, it always is wrong to lie. If a rapist asks where his intended victim is the absolutist could not lie to save a life. If the action is right, it does not matter whether a friend is killed. The consequences are irrelevant. Another scholar Harcup (2007:138) says that; “respect for truth is the first principle in journalism and journalism is about informing and empowering the citizens of a society, holding the powerful to account, and facilitate a public sphere of rational discussion. An absolutist or legalistic ethical philosophy could spawn a conscientious objector who not only would refuse to take up arms but who would refuse even to go to war as a medic.

Furthermore, Brook et al (1998:462) state that “absolutist journalist is concerned only with whether an event is newsworthy. If it is interesting, timely, significantly or important, it is to be reported regardless of the consequences”. The absolutism philosophy is attractive to some journalists because it assumes the need for full disclosure. Nothing news-worth ever is withheld from the public. In the end, these journalists believe, publishing without fear of the consequences or without favour for one group's interests over another is the highest ethical principle. This ethical practice indicates the seriousness by media practitioner in their day to day business of news coverage.

Antinomian ethics:
Antinomianism rejects all rules and in effect, all ethics. According to Brooks et al (1998), “the antinomian has neither a predetermined standard of conduct nor moral rules”. Actions in any situation are spontaneous and unpredictable. Antinomian journalists are not concerned with motives, consequences or obligations. That does not mean that they would always lie, cheat or steal. Antinomian journalist might pose as someone other than a journalist in an attempt to gather information on some occasions, and they would not be bothered by doing it. Antinomian's have faith in their ability to extemporize in any situation. No premeditation or preparation is required. While the concept of absolutism is attractive to many journalists, few chose antinomianism. The principle that the press has a responsibility to the reader implies a concern for the consequences that antinomians do not have.

Situation Ethics
Situation ethics lies between the two extremes of antinomianism and absolutism. Unlike antinomianism, situationism does not hold that everything is relative. The Situationism knows, understands and accepts the ethical maxims of the community and its heritage and weighs them carefully before making a decision (Brook et al 1998). However, unlike the absolutism, the situationist is prepared to compromise them or to set them aside completely if unselfish love for one's neighbour demands it. For example, a situationist most likely belies that lying is unethical, but if a rapist ask where his intended victim is a situationist would lie to save a life. In a broad sense then, for the person holding to situation ethics, people always come first. Sometimes this takes the form of utilitarianism. The prevailing ethics in journalism today is what Mill (1960) called “utilitarianism”; the greatest good for the greatest number.

It can be argued that the purpose of codes of ethics in journalism helps a group define and redefine itself, declares to others what the group is about with regard to purpose, values and standards. Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) 2005, states that;

“In the context of journalism, the code of ethics is seen as a fair and comprehensive
account for events and issues, founded and presented in truth for “Public enlightenment”
and serve as a “forerunner of justice”

This means in essence that for the news media to serve the public well, it must be free from distorting pressure exerted by politicians or economic forces and must continue to obtain, keep and increase freedom in order to be trusted and protected by the general public and to gain the support of readers, listeners, viewers to which accountability is to be rendered (Independent Press Council (IPC) 2005).

It is salient to note that there is no single media system that is better than the other. Whether media system is self-regulated or government-controlled, there will be different aspects of ethics that need to be addressed. The code of ethics practiced by journalist is dependent on the defined and accepted values or moral norms in the particular society where the journalists are, and these defined codes of ethics determines the right and the wrong (International Journalists network (2005a).

The Society of professional Journalists (SPJ) asserts that;

“The duty of the journalists is to further those ends by seeking truth and
providing a comprehensive account of events and uses. Conscientious
journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with
thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a
journalist's credibility...”

The most important ethical codes of journalism that permeates both in print, broadcasting and on-line journalism are as follows;
(i)Seeking the truth and reporting it
(ii)Fairness
(iii) Minimize Harm
(iv) Act Independently
(v)Accountability

Journalist as professionals need to adhere to ethics and should often ask themselves the following questions;
(i) What is public interest?
(ii)What precisely, is the public interest here?
(iii) How, precisely, will it be served by my actions?
(iv)Am i confident i can defend my answers in public?
(MEAA (1997) Ethics in Journalism)

1. Seek truth and reporting it
A journalist should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Professional journalist

Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.

Journalist should diligently seek to subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoings.

Journalist must identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources reliability.

Journalist worth the salt should always question sources' motives before promising anonymity.
Journalist and newsrooms must clarify conditions attached to any promises made in exchange for information.
A good and professional journalist keeps promises
Media practitioners must make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of contexts.

Journalist and media houses should label montages and photo illustrations.
Media practitioners must avoid misleading re-enactments or stage news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.

Journalist must at all cost avoid under-cover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public.

Use of such methods for professionalism seek should be explained as part of the story.

Never plagiarize information. Plagiarism is tantamount to shop lifting.
A professional journalist examines their own cultural values and avoids imposing those values on others.
Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.

Journalist at times should support views, even views that are repugnant.

Give voice to the voiceless, officials and unofficial sources of information
Journalist should recognise a special obligation to ensure that the public business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.

(IJNET (2005a) Singapore code of ethics: Journalist’s code of professional Conduct, International Journalist's Network)

2. Fairness

RONNING (2002:86) STATE THAT TO ASK FOR FAIRNESS AND BALANCE IS TO ASK THAT EVALUATE LANGUAGE BE AVOIDED THAT THE MATERIAL SHOULD NOT BE SLANTED.GENERAL CRITICISMS OF NOTIONS OF FAIRNESS AND BALANCE ARE THAT THEY ARE LIMITED VIRTUES, TAKE THE MIDDLE LINE AND THUS EXCLUDE VIEWS THAT ARE MORE CONTROVERSIAL.

(A)Fair and reasonable opportunity to reply should be given to ordinary people or organizations in respect of factually incorrect statements endangering their reputation, dignity, honour, feelings, privacy and office. The reply should be confined to the complainants’ version of facts and no longer than necessary to correct the alleged inaccuracy.

ON THE RECORD: INFORMATION ABOUT TO BE USED AND ATTRIBUTED TO THE SOURCE BY NAME.
ON BACKGROUND: INFORMATION ABLE TO BE USED BUT NOT ATTRIBUTED TO THE SOURCE BY NAME.
OFF THE RECORD:INFORMATION NOT BE USED AT ALL. AGREEMENTS SHOULD BE MADE BEFORE THE MAIN CONVERSATION WITH THE SOURCE STARTS NOT AFTER INFORMATION IS GIVEN

(b) newspapers or journalists who respond to a complainant's reply other than to apologise or regret the error, must then be prepared to offer the aggrieved party a fresh opportunity to reply
(sri lanka press institute)

Therefore journalist should avoid at all cost to produce inaccuracy or distorted information, surreptitious gathering of information (eg) undercover techniques, deception and duplicity, subterfuge etc.
(Sri Lanka Press Institute)

3. Minimize harm
Ethical journalist treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect Above all journalist should among other things;
(a) Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage.
(b) Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
(c)Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of news is not a license for arrogance.

(d) Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence and attention. It is only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy.
(e) Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.

(f) Be judicious about naming criminals suspects before the formal filing of charges.
At last balance a criminal suspects fair trial rights with the publics right to be informed.
(SPJ (2005) SPJ Code of Ethics)

4. Act Independently
Journalist's should be free of obligation to any interest other than the publics right to know. Therefore a journalist should adhere to the following practices;
(a) Avoid conflict of interest, real or perceived

(b)Remain free of associates and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.

(c)Refuse gifts, favours, fees, free travel and special treatment, and political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.

(d) Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

(e) Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.

(f) Deny favoured treatment to advertisement and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.

(g) Be wary of sources offering information for favours or money avoid bidding for news.
(IJNET (2005a) Singapore Code of Ethics: International Journalists Network)

5.be accountable
media houses and journalist should be accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other. in addition, journalist should;
(a) clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public.
(b) encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media
(c)admit mistakes and correct them promptly
it can be argued that journalist owe it to the public

6.objective reality
it is argued that journalist owe it to the public to report things that are objectively true, although this is not always possible. Given little time reporters have to check on the facts they are reporting (Ronning 2002) in objectivity the reporter write factually without being coloured by biases. this is an ideal-writing without any prejudices, distancing oneself from the facts. objectivity is the opposite of subjectivity (Misa 2002). in addition, empiricism plays a big role in objectivity. objectivity also means writing fairly and that the concept presumed neutrality in journalism. it is important for journalist to cross check what sources are telling them with other sources to ensure that what they finally report corresponds to the objective reality. Ronning (2002:122) say that in Africa “vendetta journalism” has been practiced. THIS IS UNTRUE BUT STILL GOES AHEAD AND REPORTS it so that they square up or hurt their enemy who is the subject of news. Vendetta journalism is clearly unethical

7. PLAGIARISM
MEDIA PRACTITIONERS MUST NOT ENGAGE IN PLAGIARISM. PLAGIARISM CONSIST OF MAKING US OF ANOTHER PERSON’S WORD, PICTURES OR IDEAS WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITHOUT PROPER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ATTRIBUTION OF THE SOURCE OF THOSE WORDS, PICTURES OR IDEAS (INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SUPPORT 2009)

8.BRIBES AND INDUCEMENTS
MEDIA PRACTITIONERS AND MEDIA INSTITUTIONS MUST NOT PUBLISH OR SUPPRESS A REPORT OR OMIT OR ALTER VITAL FACTS IN THAT REPORT IN RETURN FOR PAYMENT OF MONEY OR FOR ANY OTHER GIFT OR REWARD.
((INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SUPPORT 2009)

9.Confidentiality of sources

confidentiality is associated with many profession, including medical doctors, lawyers, social workers and accounts and is central to journalistic ethics. every journalist has a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information, until that source authorities otherwise. The principle of confidentiality imposes a duty on the journalist to with hold the names of sources from third parties. An illustration of the problem surrounding confidentiality is the case where in October 1992, the editor and a journalist of the Zimbabwe weekly financial gazette were called before a parliamentary committee investigating corruption by senior officials. in 1933, the then editor of the Bulawayo chronicle Sydney Veats, was imprisoned for refusing to reveal a source (Ronning 2002:74)

The journalist shall regard as grave professional offences the following:
* plagiarism; * malicious misrepresentation;
* calumny, slander, libel, unfounded accusations;
* acceptance of a bribe in any form in consideration of either publication or
suppression.(IFJ 1954)

It can be concluded that journalist should adhere to the ethical norms in order for them to produce credible information that is free from distortion and credible to the audiences. The plethora of the ethics quoted from various scholars reflects that a journalist worth a name should be faithful. In a summary journalist should be truthfully, fair, minimise harm, remain independent and to be accountable in the news coverage and production.

REFERENCES
Berry D (ed) (2000) Ethics and media Culture; Practices and representations. Oxford. Focal Press.
Brooks et al (1998) News Reporting and Writing. USA. St Martins Press.
Day (2000) Ethics in Media Communications; Cases and Controversies 3rd Edition. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth.
Emmanuel L (1969) Totality and infinity: An Essay on Exteriority, Pittsburgh, Dusque ne University Press.
Hohenburg J (1976) The professional Journalists Fourth Edition. London. University of Kansas.
IFJ Declaration of principles on the Conduct of Journalists (1954); Amended by the 1986 World Congress.
IJNET (2005a) Singapore Code of Ethics: Journalists' Code of Professional Conduct, International Journalists Network.
http://www.ijnet.org/FE Article/Codeethics.asp (Accessed 20 July 2005)
Independent Press Council (IPC) (2005) About this Site; Independent Press Councils
http://www.PressCouncils.org/htm/frameset.php; (Accessed 21 August 2005)
Ronning H (2002) Media Ethics: An Introduction. South Africa. Juta and Co
Seib P and Fitzpatrick K (1997) Journalism Ethics. Orlando: Harcourt Brace and Co.
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) (2005) SPJ Code of Ethics Society of Professional Journalists
http://www.spj.org/ethics.code.asp: (Accessed 21 August 2005)

Book Review:COMING OF THE DRY SEASON

2011-02-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

By Caven Masuku
Midlands State University( Media Department)

This week we are going to review the collection of short stories written by Charles Mungoshi, one of the famous writers in Zimbabwean Literature.

The novel entitled, “Coming of the dry season” by Mungoshi consist of ten chapters and refers to several issues that affect Africans in today's world.

Education is viewed as a vehicle to success in all endeavours and contributing to political,social, religious and economic well being.

Mungoshi has a negative side of the story on formal education to Africans, especially during the colonial periods , where Africans could not occupy influential post despite being educated more than a white person. Creation of a social system in which the educated are granted higher status than those without causes disunity in the society. Alienation between educated and uneducated is functional to our social well-being.

The debate between two boys who are friends and are on equal level until they entered into alien school system in the story; “The mountain”, tells a story on the evils of formal education. Values and social hierarchies imposed by the education system creates a rift between community members. Chinua Achebe in, “Thing Fall Apart”, says that, “Western education acted as a crush blow levelled at traditional values by aliens and causes the society to fall apart”. Mungoshi condemns the economic, political, social and educational configuration brought by white person.

Unlike informal education where communalism is kept intact, formal education encourages individuals to be awarded on merit. Our contemporary society has an insatiable appetite of greedy fuelled by western education. One of Charles stories; “The setting sun and the Rolling” shows how our African community has been left in social shambling state.

Western education does not give us solution to our problems, but it worsens it. Imfundo yebeLungu kayilabubelo ngitsho lakancane. Dzidzo yechirungu haina pundutso kwatiri.Many graduands in our modern society from universities and colleges have despaired hope and are puzzled with the problems they face. Their hope is banked on the old age to offer them solution. Formal education is good to those who are determined, but fosters bitterness to the community.

“Shadow on the Wall” is a story that indicates how parents are not caring for their children. Child abuse, hostility and disputes between parents and their off-springs is the order of the day. Musaemura Zimunya in one of his poetry books portrays urban area as a place; Language is difficult to understand, parents deny their children gift of language to express themselves. Hence children are placed on a solitary plain as they are abused by their parents.

“The accidents” in Coming of The Dry Season depicts an urban area as a bad place for blacks to reside. Many blacks are caught with misfortune hence unemployment, prostitution, robbery, poor sanitation and a host of other problems is a product of the urban set-up. In today's world many people are living in misery. An urban area will never be a permanent resident for Africans because it was imposed to them by a white person.

“Coming of the dry season”, the title story in Mungoshi's book tells a story of Moab, who forgets his parents after securing employment in town. There are some people who resemble Moab in our contemporary society. Embracing western values have made us to shun our relatives who are poor and uneducated because they put us on shame. Many people have become wild animals that devour their by-products. They abuse children, and swindle associates their valuable assets. Women have been turned to the “sugar Pie” of the city, an ice cream ready to be eaten by the rich men in town.

Art is good to the community as it exposes bad conduct and seeks solution to it. Education is good some-how, but breathes venom to the society. Mungoshi's stories forefronts the bad issues imposed on blacks by whites that will never be easy to put an end to. The fact that some benefit at the expense of others is what makes the whole issue complex

Perfect partner in pregnancy

2010-11-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy is a period which men should extra love the wife. On women this is the time that they expect their men to know what they want without telling the men.

Women need to educate their partners about what they want from them during pregnancy. In Africa and probably the entire world a large percentage of men still believe pregnancy does not require their special attention or presence. This is not because they do not care about their partners, but because their dads were not around for their mothers.

Women are important people who need to be cared for and loved more than ever.There are very nice especially if you treat them with respect and love. Infect there are lovely and they care for their husband.It is important to show your loved one when she is pregnant that you respect and love what she is carrying for you.

Men on the other hand are responsible people especially if made by their wives to be. The respect that wives give to their husband is what they get in times of need. You have to fall in love many times with your wife in order to remain the best.

Men do not think of asking their partners to get involved and to play some roles in pregnancy period. Women should learn to tell their partners , spell out what exactly they need and expect from them. Communication is important in partners. It is a give and take situation and is a two way process. Both end should give and take the messages verbal and non-verbal from their partners. Perhaps men need to be educated and women should not assume their men knows what they want.

Men at times feel very uncomfortable among pregnant women and assume it is enough to drop her off at the clinic and wait for her by the car. Talking from experience women need to be accompanied and even if you are the only man among pregnant women feel proud to be there. It speaks volume to your wife and communicate to her more than any thing. The concept of men being present during deliveries is still new. Many men attend the birth more out of curiosity than a sense of responsibility.

With new technology men should take photos of their loved ones when they deliver so that they can watch time and again. This makes them realise the importance of women in the society. Women are important and need to be respected. I wonder how this universe could have been without them.

Dealing with sexual harassment

2010-11-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

Sexual harassment is a conduct of a sexual nature that is unwanted and offensive to the recipient. It includes promises of benefits in return for sexual favours, unwelcome sexual innuendoes, sex-related jokes, intimate comments about a person's body made in their presence, enquiries into their sexual life, indecent exposure, the display of sexually explicit pictures- even unwelcome whistling.

In our contemporary society technological advancement can enable people to forward pornographic photos and innuendoes that undermines ones stature and can be viewed as sexually harassment. People, especially ladies are exposed to sexually harassment on daily mundane. At work especially in higher learning institution some of the comments passed either by male student to female students or lecturers to female students are a good example of sexually harassment.

It is easy and simple to deal with sexually harassment either at work or at college. Do the unexpected by naming whatever the person harassing yo have just done and be specific. Hold the harasser accountable for his actions. Do not make excuses for him or her pretending it did not happen. Let people know what the harasser has done. Privacy protects harassers, but visibility undermines them.

At times making honest, direct statements that is speaking the truth is the best way to shame the harassers. Speaking the truth avoid threats, insults, obscenities, appeasing verbal fluff or padding. At time it is wise to be serious, straightforward and blunt when dealing with sexy bully.

Women are constantly harassed because they do not stand the ground. If possible demand that the harassment should stop. Repeat it if the harasser persist and tell the perpetrator that you are taking the issue either to the policemen or relevant officials be it at work or at college. In other word stick to your own agenda and do not respond to the harasser's excuses or tactics.

another salient tactics to deter and to put in shame the sexually bully is to reinforce your statement with strong, self-respecting body language ; eye contact, head up, shoulders back and a wearing a serious face. Do not smile at the perpetrator. Using a combined verbal and physical response respond well to physical harassment.

Many a times ladies are harassed in the public and they allow the perpetrator to walk free. Sexually bully's should be put into shame and let them know that you are a force to be reckoned. If you are beautifully ally man will either comment at you or will say naughty statements. Let them respect you and think many times before they utter rubbish to you

Children's rights through Zimbabwean Media

2010-11-17T23:44:00.000-08:00

Children's rights reporting is a new phenomenon or genre that has gain momentum in the journalism fraternity, especially in Zimbabwe and the entire world.

The rights to children is a phenomenon that can be drawn from the international human rights conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948, International Covenant on civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and many others that started in the eighteenth century by developed nations. Zimbabwe as well as many other developing nations are guided by the United nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in protecting the children from abuse.

UNCRC states that people under 18 have all the rights it contains, whatever their race, religion or abilities, what ever they think or say, and whatever type of family they come from. Children are entitled to survival rights, development rights, protection rights, participation rights and so forth.

Human rights conventions both international and home made ones attempt to protect children from abuse and harassment. In developing nations there is gross invasion and violation of children's rights. Media both print and electronic do not full educate the masses on the danger of children's rights infringement.

Both a boy child and a girl child suffers from gross invasion of their rights. At times our culture, religion and tribal practises have certain socio-cultural activities that infringe children's rights. The issue of circumcision that is said to be the best to prevent HIV/Aids violate the rights for children. In some tribes like Xosa and Varemba a boy child do not graduate to manhood until he is circumcised. Circumcision should be by choice and not a must. Fear for Isolation of children who do not follow their socio-cultural traits and regarding them as outcast is violation of children's rights.

The first important model of preserving children rights is the "Values and Awareness" model. The main focus of this model is to educate and provide basic education on human rights to the masses. For example in Zimbabwe and many other developing nation the media is used to condemn the abuse of children. Zimbabwe mainstream media plays a vital role of unearthing and exposing those who abuse children.

Girl child sometimes are forced by parents to leave school at a tender age and to get married to a person out of her choice. Some fall pregnant at a very tender age and joins a polygamous marriage which again undermine their rights. The Sunday Mail in Zimbabwe have been exposing and informing the masses on such happenings.

The lacking aspect in child reporting in Zimbabwe is that children are not given platform to speak for themselves. It is salient to hear the views of the children and hear how they feel about the infringement of their rights.

Ethical values should be respecting when reporting about the abuse of children. Journalist should not write the names of the victims as well as their photos.This can make people identify the victim.

A fair coverage should be give that represent all sides. Parents should be talked to before publication of the story.In Zimbabwe some stories writes the names of children and sometime the photos of the victim. This lead to isolation of the children affected and give a negative portrayal.

The second model of reporting on the abuse of children's rights is "accountability" and this model show an understanding of human rights issues. Media through this model directly or indirectly protect the abuse of children's rights.

In addition, the model focuses on building human protection and advocacy skills as well as deepening understanding of human rights law. Training sessions for human rights activists and documenting human rights abuses are the core business of this model. In Zimbabwe there are several human rights civil society for human rights, but few that represent children's rights. The Girl Child Network is a good example of one of the non governmental organisation that represent and present the girl child.

Media in Zimbabwe have not done much to document the abuse of a children human rights. The killing of innocent children by parents after disputes and for rituals is something that media should document.

Children in Zimbabwe and other developing nations have a challenge in attending primary education. In Zimbabwe the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) is an attempt to assist children to attend early education.

Despite having BEAM to assist children to attend primary education in rural areas many children have no access to primary education. Poverty in developing nation like Zimbabwe affects full implementation of children rights.

Microsoft profits from record first-quarter sales

2010-10-29T02:21:00.000-07:00

The quotation form BBC News said that, Microsoft has announced a 51% rise in first-quarter profit, and thank the higher sales of its flagship Windows and Office software.In the world of Information technology Microsoft as an application software package have several packages that we are benefiting from as media practitioners.As a lecturer of Media Studies in Zimbabwe i have enriched my students who are doing Journalism and Desktop Publishing by teaching my students on how to create business cards and brochures using Microsoft Publisher

Documented evidence indicate that Microsoft once said that in the same quarter last year it had deferred some revenue from Windows sales. Had it not done so, its net profit would have been only 16% higher in comparison.

"This was an exceptional quarter, combining solid enterprise growth and continued strong consumer demand for Office 2010, Windows 7, and X box 360 consoles and games," said Peter Klein, chief financial officer at Microsoft.

Windows sales rose 66% on a year earlier to $4.8bn, while Office and other business software brought in $5.1bn, a 14% increase on last year.'Firing on all cylinder shares rose 2.8% in after-hours trading.

BBC news said that Micro-soft stock has fallen 14% so far this year as investors worry about its ability to adapt to new ways of computing.Last week, its chief software architect Ray Ozzie unexpectedly resigned, and warned that the company must think "beyond the PC".

"Microsoft had a very good quarter," said Toan Tran, an analyst at Morning star.Generally, it can be said that across the globe, most countries and nations have benefited immensely from Micro-soft application software which caters for most activities in the office through the use of computers.Micro-soft have secured market across the globe and their products have all what it takes to be emulated.

"Windows is still doing well, Office is doing well, and servers and tools are doing well. The big three businesses are firing on all cylinders as the PC upgrade cycle continues." This is safe especially to people across the globe who often use Microsoft.

I have found Microsoft programmes and application software friendly and effective to use.Be it for financial purposes Microsoft -excel is one of the superb package for converting figures into bar-graph and pie chart.I will be very much happy if anyone out there can enrich me with more information about the current development by Micro-soft

Caven Masuku and Nokuthula Masuku Wedding photos (2009)

2010-07-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Caven MasukuBlogger Buzz

2010-07-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Paper to presented by Caven Masuku at Midlands State University on the 8th Social Science Research Seminar Series on 22 July 2010

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPROACHES AND PRACTICES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BY ECONET AND NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE (NRZ).

PAPER PRESENTED BY

CAVEN MASUKU

@

THE 8th SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES

Midlands State University

JULY 2010

Caven Masuku {Mr} lecturer in the Media and society Studies department at Midlands State university
Masuku.caven@gmail.com, masukuc@msu.ac.zw ,sukuman08@yahoo.co.uk or sqokoqela@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

The research focuses on the application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Corporate Social Investment (CSI) by Public Relations (PR) departments at Econet and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), two corporations that operate in Zimbabwe but with different business interests and areas of specialization. This presentation outlines and assesses CSR programmes implemented by Econet and NRZ to benefit their publics and communities as part of excellent PR. A comparative assessment approach between Econet and NRZ PR departments is used. Data gathering methods used in this study are face-to-face interviews, structured interviews, documentaries and content analysis of documents. These were subjected to both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis. The theoretical framework that informed this study encompassed the Two-way Symmetrical Model of communication, Three Cs Social Responsibility Model, Corporate philanthropy, Open system model of communication and Corporate Social Responsibility model of PR. The study established that both corporates’ PR departments are part of the management and are involved in the implementation of CSR programmes, which are of mutual benefit to them and their publics. However, it emerged in the study that Econet has more CSR programmes than NRZ and that the former’s programmes benefit both internal and external publics while the latter’s programmes benefit the internal more than the external publics. The study also problematised this disparity between Econet and NRZ’s programmes given the latter’s longer history of existence. Therefore, the assessment of the application of CSR by Econet and NRZ, despite the nature and background of the two corporate organisations in Zimbabwe, sheds light on the successes and value of CSR to PR endeavours.

INTRODUCTION
This study seeks to look into the application of CSR by National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) and Econet’s PR department. Cutlip et al (2001:1) say that public relations are the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and the publics on whom its success or failure depends. Puth and Lubbe (1994:179) define CSR as a generic concept referring to business organisations’concern and active two-way involvement with the social, economic and political forces which way influence the environment. Both corporations Econet and NRZ have a CSR programme that cover CSR wide ranges such as education, health, sports, environment and so forth. From the assessment deduced from questionnaires, interviews, documentaries and content analysis. Econet unlike NRZ, has 8 CSR programmes that benefits the publics, while NRZ have 5 CSR programmes that benefits the publics.
CSR is the idea that a business has a duty to serve society in general as well as the financial interests of its stakeholders (Robinson & Pearce 2009:53). CSR/CSI reflects excellent PR that is talked about by Grunig (2001). CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large (Digman 1990). CSR is about capacity building for sustainable livelihoods. It respects cultural differences and finds business opportunities in building the skills of employees, the community and the government. In short CSR is about business organisations giving back to society. Halal (2000:35) states that;

CSR have six salient aspects that is community involvement, development and investment, involvement and respect for diverse cultures and disadvantaged people, corporate philanthropy and employee volunteering, customer satisfaction and adherence to principles of fair competition, anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures, accountability, transparency and performance reporting and suppliers relations, for both domestic and international supply chains.

Econet and NRZ have CSR programs that assist the communities they serve. All their CSR programs are implemented by their PR departments with the influence they get from the community. Therefore a comparative approach between Econet and NRZ practices to CSR as a communication strategy to enhance excellent PR is used. The presentation analyzes comparatively mutual benefit by internal and external publics from the CSR programs run by NRZ and Econet.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Kotler and Lee (2005) submit that the history of CSR is as old as trade and business itself, although Freedman (1962) says that; CSR is a concept that has been around since commerce began in the nineteenth Century. Kotler and Lee’s submission is probably guided by the realization that trade and commerce are as old as humanity itself. CSR is an ancient phenomenon that started in the Western countries in the early 1970’s. In early 1980’s most PR departments for corporate organisations were already practicing it. For instance, Johnson and Johnson’s classic handling of the Tylenol poisoning in 1983 became a textbook case in how to respond to a crisis. To highlight the importance and centrality of CSR Kotler and Lee (2005) note that according to KPMG, a US professional service firm, in a survey of the Global Fortune, top 2005 companies indicated a continued increase in a number of American companies reporting on corporate responsibility.

PR may be said to be 20th century phenomena, or as an American concept, its roots go back to ancient Babylon, Greece and Rome. Ivy Lee (1906) is considered to be the ‘grandfather’ of modern PR, for he worked to end the ‘public be damned’ attitude (Wragg 1992). All CSR programmes are initiated and implemented by the PR department with the assistance of the stakeholders and the organisations’ top management. Pearce &Robinson (2009:56) assert that there are four types of CSR namely; economic responsibilities, legal responsibilities, ethical responsibilities and discretionary responsibilities. According to Pearce &Robinson (2009), CSR is an old phenomenon that includes PR activities, good citizenship and enhances image of the organization, products and services by supporting worthy causes. It is therefore the intention of this presentation to assess comparatively how Econet and NRZ enhance good citizenship through their CSR.

The world over CSR has gained momentum and discussions of it have bourgeoned. In Zimbabwe CSR is a phenomenon that started after independence in 1980. However, this phenomenon could have started with corporate organisations such as National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), which grew out of a number of different companies most of which were originally formed by the British South Africa Company (BSAC) in terms of the Royal Charter granted to it on October 29 1889 (Railroader NRZ 2005). In recent times of economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, CSR has played a significant role in ameliorating social hardships for both individuals and communities. Talk of CSR has therefore dominated PR discourses in recent times; given the economic hardships mentioned above. It is against this background that this paper discusses, comparatively, the approaches and practices of CSR by PR departments at Econet and NRZ.

It can also be noticed that while the two organisations fully implement CSR for good citizenship with their public they also practise philanthropy by giving directly to the community when need arises. Econet in August 2009, donated US$20.000 to Apostolic Faith Mission and NRZ in 2004 donated food and clothes to the Hwange community. The donations were mere giving of assistance to the publics for the challenges they were facing. It is again within the findings of the study that the researcher deduced that both Econet and NRZ practices philanthropy and CSR to meet the needs and objectives of their organisations and their publics.

In the NRZ publication entitled 100 Years it is suggested that NRZ started CSR implementation in 1985, while documented evidence shows that Econet started CSR in 1995, two years after its establishment by Strive Masiyiwa in 1993. Again unlike Econet which implemented CSR programs two years after its establishment, NRZ implemented CSR 98 years after its establishment Furthermore, both NRZ and Econet clearly stated in their core values that their relationships with their customers and community is enthused with warmth and a genuine desire to meet their needs. Econet unlike NRZ through its core values reflect that they reached out their customer in holistic and organic ways that makes them true stakeholders by involving them in the implementation of CSR programmes.

PR STARTEGIES AND ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN AT ECONET AND NRZ

In achieving the corporate objectives, the PR departments at Econet and NRZ designed PR strategies that complement the organisations’ corporate objectives. Management at Econet and NRZ allocated specific tasks to the PR departments and as such the PR strategies are designed in line with the companies’ expectations. Furthermore, both Econet and NRZ PR departments are assigned to manage their internal and external communication in a two way symmetrical communication for mutual understanding (explain symmetrical com). Again in both corporations stakeholders are updated with CSR activities that ensure mutual benefit to both the organisations and their publics. However, unlike Econet that is internationally recognised and has vast CSR programs to benefit their publics, NRZ as a parastatal has less CSR programs to benefit its stakeholders. One important aspect about Econet and NRZ PR departments’ approaches and practices is that they fulfill Carroll’s (2003) 3C-SR Model of Corporate Social responsibility. Carrolls (2003)’s model states that; in CSR there are 3C’s that is Commitments, Connections and Consistency. Commitments encompasses the legal, economic and ethical dimensions and is measured by the willingness by organization to plough back to the communities without expecting back anything from them. Connection is viewed by Norman and Ramirez (1993:64) as “Structure of relationships within the value network as the means through which joint implementation of a socially oriented value network is achieved. This then implies a stakeholder approach to ensure mutuality of interest and uniform commitment to share values across the value network”. Thus, Econet and NRZ PR departments do exactly the same in their day to day practices for excellent PR which is reciprocal in communicating with their stakeholders through implementation of CSR programs to maintain mutual understanding with their internal and external publics. Consistency refers to continued implementation of CSR programs which both Econet and NRZ enforce since they started supporting the communities.

OWNERSHIP AND FINANCIAL STATUS OF ECONET AND NRZ

Econet is a privately owned corporation that has a resounding financial status while NRZ is a parastatal. The financial position of NRZ as compared to Econet is limited and that has negative influence in the implementation of CSR for corporate citizenship. However, NRZ like Econet clearly indicates in their company policy that they are committed to assist the community as part of CSR. The CSR at Econet and NRZ is guided by Kotler and Lee (2005)’s five Cs namely conviction, commitment, communication, consistency, continuous and credibility. Econet and NRZ in their CSR are committed to assisting their publics and communicating effectively to them through their websites, in-house publications and local media. At Econet CSR programmes such as Joshua Nkomo Scholarship and Capernaum Trust are implemented year after year and have benefited thousands of ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe. NRZ also has maintained consistency of their CSR by mplementing them year after year. The NRZ scholarships which are meant to cultivate talent are some among the programmes that can be indicated.

From the information gathered it is clear that Econet and NRZ fully implement CSR to benefit its publics. The effort by the two corporate organisations maintains “credibility’ which is one important C as asserted by Kotler and Lee (2005). This is a good example of open system approach between corporations and the publics. The organisations effectively communicate in an open manner and respond well to the needs of their publics.

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF ECONET AND NRZ PR DEPARTMENTS

The analysis so far indicates that Econet and NRZ are two corporations with effective PR departments that have CSR to benefit their stakeholders. Unlike at Econet where PR department has clear indication that their corporation will meet most of their stakeholders needs, NRZ have no clear policy for that, despite the fact that they implement CSR programs and corporate philanthropy. Corporations, Econet and NRZ’s PR departments are part of management and are involved in implementing the CSR programs. Again both PR departments at Econet and NRZ practice reciprocity that is two way communication strategy in their communications practices, through the use of modern technologies such as the internet, website, chat rooms, blogs and so forth. PR departments at the above mentioned corporations are responsible for creating news about CSR programs and also to disseminate information to all their stakeholders through modern technology.

Furthermore, in their CSR/CSI both Econet and NRZ partake in education, health, environment and sports activities. Econet unlike NRZ, have more CSR programs on health issues and education that benefit all stakeholders nation wide. The PR department at Econet is more effective than NRZ in implementing CSR programs. Again unlike at NRZ where PR department started in early 80’s, at Econet PR department started in the early 90’s. In terms of CSR programs implemented Econet is in the lead as compared to NRZ.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN CSR AND CORPORATE SOCIAL PHILANTHROPY (CSP)

CSR can be defined as long-term commitment in a project focused on returns; according to

Carroll’s (2003) CSR model. In Carroll’s 3C-SR model commitment, connections and

consistency are important in implementing these programs. Commitments represent the value

element of social resources. They comprise the ethical standards and social objectives, strategy

programmes, organizational policies and corporate culture. Econet and NRZ as corporate

organisations fulfill CSR by sticking to ethical standards through assisting the publics. Programmes at NRZ such as NRZ scholarship, HIV and AIDS Capacity Building, supporting sports such as soccer and environment conservation programmes fulfil the commitment value of the corporate policies. Econet also fulfills commitment through implementation of Capernaum Trust, Joshua Nkomo Scholarship, Anti-Cholera, HIV and AIDS, Buddie Boys, and Harare Athletics Club (HAC). From the research findings it emerged that both corporate organisations, have shown their commitment through assisting their publics. Articles in The Financial Gazette dated 21-26 April 2005, 17-25 May 2007, 26-30 April 2007 and many other, web sites and in-house publications have been published which support the claim.

Connection as the second “C” from Carroll’s (2003) refers to the “values” in a business network
results from a value creating system, within which different actors suppliers, business partners, allies, customers work together for corporate value. From the findings of the study both Econet and NRZ have networked with various publics in implementing CSR programmes. NRZ has CSR programmes that meet the needs of various public such as workers, community members and other organizations just like Econet. This differs with corporate social philanthropy which is giving when the corporate feels it has generated more income. Such giving is not regular and is not a fulfillment of the company policy. The information elicited from questionnaires reflects that Econet and NRZ also practise corporate social philanthropy.

Consistency as the third “C’ refers to the behavioral element of social resources over time and

across all facets of an organisation’s operations. Through consistency, the organisation should

“walk the talk”. Thus, from the findings collected it is clear that both Econet and NRZ are

practising CSR and Corporate Social Philanthropy through their PR. NRZ and

Econet have walked their talk by implementing CSR programmes that assist their publics. Both

Econet and NRZ have CSR programmes in education, health, environment and sports.’ Railroaders

magazine” is a good example of NRZ in-house publication that has highlighted CSR programmes

implemented by NRZ such as NRZ scholarships that have benefit the Maphisa Primary school

pupils in Bulawayo. Econet has fulfilled consistency through their community programmes that

benefited the entire nation of Zimbabwe through their Capernaum Trust, Joshua Nkomo

scholarship, Stop Cholera Campaign and HIV and AIDS policy. From the findings gathered Econet

has walked their talk and published a number of articles in The Financial Gazette and in their

Econet web site, that document their CSR programmes.

In a comparative assessment of understanding the term CSR, out of 20 questionnaires emailed to Econet and the other 20 emailed to NRZ, the respondents reflected a better understanding of the concept and its role in PR practices. All PR employees from the two corporations have similar understanding of CSR concept. However, at NRZ five out of 20 respondents were not clear on the differences between corporate philanthropy and CSR. At Econet almost 80% of the respondents clearly distinguished the differences that exist between corporate philanthropy and CSR. This questionnaire keeps the researcher updated on the difference that PR practitioners and their subordinates hold in CSR and Corporate Social Philanthropy.

In the responses collected through emailed questionnaires all respondents gave wide ranging

options on CSR which can be summarized as;

(i)Providing cash to the public as assistance

(ii)Offering grants for education or research

(iii) Awarding scholarships
(iv)Donating products

(v) Offering service for free to the community

The study deduced that Econet and NRZ PR practitioners are part of management and implement the CSR programs that fulfill the 3C-SR model initiated by Carroll (2003). The PR departments show a deep insight of the activities that they practice in assisting the society as CSR. The question about the definition of Corporate Social Responsibility was meant to assess the knowledge of PR departments from two corporations, Econet and NRZ about their understanding of CSR and also as to whether they are aware of their activities in dealing with stakeholders through giving to the community or publics. CSR is modern PR that is dialogical and creates mutual understanding and good will (Skinner 2007). CSR as PR concept assisted the researcher to assess whether all PR departments for two corporations Econet and NRZ are quite clear about the meaning of the concept and how they should implement CSR for the good of their organisations.

CSR PROGRAMS ON EDUCATION AT ECONET AND NRZ

Econet has two CSR programmes for education that benefit the public nation wide while NRZ
has one educational programme to benefit the entire nation However, unlike Econet, NRZ has a nationwide education programme that provides grants to the employees’ children. This program is meant to cushion NRZ employees from financial constraints and enable them to send their children to tertiary institutions. At Econet, since the implementation of the Joshua Nkomo Scholarship Fund (JNSF) more than ten thousand students have benefited from it. Yet at NRZ less than five hundred students have benefited from the NRZ scholarships. Unlike Econet where JNSF benefit external publics, NRZ bursary benefits the employees’ children. Again NRZ through its corporate social philanthropy more than five hundred students have benefited. Econet unlike NRZ has scholarships meant for external and internal publics. This clearly shows that the PR department at Econet; unlike at NRZ has an effective approach to CSR programmes as reciprocal communication with the publics.

Econet CSR programmes such as “The Capernaum Trust”, which was formed in 1996 was implemented and controlled by the PR department. This clearly shows the effectiveness of PR department at Econet as compared to that at NRZ. Capernaum Trust has a vision to transform the lives of orphans in the most economically distressed communities into self reliant and socially vibrant individuals through the provision of food, training and education support. The trust has so far catered for more than 12.000 orphans through out the country. Most of the education fund at Econet is meant to benefit students in tertiary institutions.

Midlands State University has more than 100 students who benefit from this trust. There are ten students in the media department at MSU who are beneficiaries of the Capernaum Trust. In The Financial Gazette dated 14 April 2006 state that, the Capernaum Trust Director Ms Stembeni Chirume asserted that the Trust was assisting children with educational support up to tertiary level throughout all the provinces in Zimbabwe. Ms Chirume further indicated that over 40 000 children have benefited from the scholarship program since 2005. Among the beneficiaries in 2005 120 were students doing A “Level and 167 doing O”Level. Talented children through Capernaum Trust are allowed to pursue their dreams by sending them to universities where they study in various faculties.

From the findings of the study on CSR through education the researcher realized that programs at Econet and NRZ fulfill the open system theory that asserts that the organisation should interact with the environment for it to function well. Econet and NRZ are interacting with the environment by responding positively to the needs of their publics which may be caused by an unfriendly environment. For instance, during the Cholera Campaign of 2008 Econet circulated the messages to their subscribers about cholera, while NRZ offered Cholera affected publics free transport to health centers.

SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SPORTS SPONSORSHIP
.
As part of CSR both Econet and NRZ sponsor sports. Econet PR department provides sponsorship for the annual Harare Athletics Club (HAC) competitions. The company also supports sporting activities in the country, which include football and cricket. Econet has gone further to form its soccer team, the “Buddies Boys”, which takes part in the country’s communication League. NRZ on the other hand sponsors soccer and “Railstars”; a vibrant team that was relegated from Premier Soccer League is still being sponsored by NRZ. NRZ consistently sponsors Railstars and reflects consistency that has been discussed by Carroll (2003) in her 3C-SR model of CSR.

The Financial Gazette dated 16 September 2005: says that Econet through its PR department sponsored Harare Athletics Club (HAC) 20 Miler Road Race, where over 180 athletes of different backgrounds and ages convened to run until 5 December 2005. This is one good example in sports where Econet sponsors athletes through their corporate social responsibility programmes to create mutual understanding with their publics.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY HEALTH
As part of CSR Econet has played a vital role in assisting its publics to stay healthy. In 2008 Econet took a more direct and urgent role under health and welfare program to assist the publics who were affected by cholera. In the cholera health crisis Econet provided financial and logistical support to teams of dedicated health workers that were involved in fighting the cholera epidemic that affected the country during the later part of 2008. Using printed documentaries about Econet, the PR department at Econet offered wide airtime distribution network to spread awareness by printing anti-cholera SMS messages that were forwarded to every mobile phone with Econet lines. A Health-care Trust Zimbabwe in December 2008 was established as an attempt to assist the publics affected by cholera.

On health issues Econet also took care of its internal publics that are HIV/AIDS affected. Both internal and external publics benefit a lot from Econet HIV/AIDS programme. Econet Wireless continues to provide anti-retro-viral drugs for the infected employees and other members of their immediate family. The Econet Wireless publication on-line through their website indicates that Econet cares for its publics through the “Live 2 Love” program. On HIV and AIDS Econet encourages the publics to avoid the stigma attached to HIV and AIDS victims. Like Econet NRZ has two programmes for health that tackle HIV and AIDS and cholera. NRZ CSR programmes assisted external publics to stay healthy by providing free transporting of drugs and passengers from one area to another for medication. Apart from that through their web site and in-house publications, NRZ has published health programs that were implemented through their PR department

CSR ON ENVIRONMENT AT ECONET AND NRZ

This study’s findings reflect that Econet through its CSR programmes implemented environmental programmes. Through the PR department’s approach to CSR “Econet In the Community” programme was launched in 2004 and part of its intended focus was to target environmental awareness initiatives. From time to time, the company has supported activities aimed at changing the community’s attitude towards disposal of litter.

In the Financial Gazette dated September 1-7 2005, Econet published its corporate community responsibility article entitled “Econet supports environmental programmes”. The PR department at Econet partnered with the Harare Junior City Council, to conduct clean ups on the Eastern part of Samora Machel Avenue, one of the city’s busiest thorough fares. The initiative was supported by the Harare City Council itself, which provided implements that were used for the exercise. The Junior Council mobilized scores of volunteers from various high schools around the city, who displayed a unique sense of discipline and civic spiritedness. Econet through its CSR programme supported clean up initiatives ties in closely with the company’s desire to see users of its preferred services becoming more environmentally conscious, through appropriate disposal of used recharged cards in bins around the city.

NRZ like Econet is also concerned with the environment as part of their CSR programmes implemented by PR department. NRZ PR department through its CSR programmes installed a fume absorbing plant for the metaling shop to prevent workshop personnel from exposure to toxic fumes emitted during the smelting process. The metaling shop is one of the key sections of the engineering workshop at NRZ and its main function is to recondition plain bearings for use on locomotives and bearings. The process entails re-melting white metal from worn out plain bearings and shell. However, the process emits lead fumes which cause a serious health hazard to the workforce if there are no mechanisms to extract the fumes from the building. Fumes produced at NRZ workshop polluted the surrounding environment. Therefore the NRZ PR department had to implement measures that assisted in reducing pollution. Again in February 2005 NRZ organized a health campaign that cleaned up the 5th Street in Bulawayo in conjunction with the Bulawayo City Council.

TWO WAY-COMMUNICATION AT ECONET AND NRZ

The study findings also indicated that the two corporate organisations’ PR departments adopted the Two-way symmetrical model to communicate with their publics through the use of their organisations’ web sites. The architecture of the web site at NRZ has a forum for comments. Here clients can enter their views which the company can use as feed back about the positive and negative impact of their CSR programmes. Econet web site is user friendly and allows the publics to enter their opinions about the Econet CSR programmes. The use of web-logs fulfills the “public Opinion model of PR that allows stakeholders to be engaged in a dialogue with the PR department employees at Econet. A reciprocal relationship was built and this was facilitated by feedback channels opened by both organisations. The few public members interviewed by the researcher indicated that they have communicated with the two organisations through their websites. This indicates the commitments of Econet and NRZ through their PR department to reach mutual understanding and goodwill with all their publics. PR manager at NRZ Mr Fanuel Masikati is a professional PR practitioner, who communicates affectively with the publics. Masikati uses two-way communication and he listens to the public, although they have limited resources but his effort with his PR team is emulated by the publics. Corporate Communications Manager at Econet Mr Ranga Mberi is an excellent PR practitioner. All their programs for CSR are based on research and address the needs of the publics nationwide. Their web site is updated with all CSR programmes and the budget spent for CSR programmes.

Information elicited through interviews and questionnaires in this study revealed that CSR is also known as CSI because the organization invests in a specific cause to uplift the community, and in the process, increases its profits. Mersham et al (1995:78) say that a PR practitioner manages CSR programmes of an organisation in order to create a favorable corporate image for the organisation. Econet indicated that at times CSR programs conflict with the government policies. NRZ indicated that CSR impact them negatively, especially when their budget allocation is limited

All corporations Econet and NRZ PR department indicated through their responses from questionnaires that they encounter negative impact from top management to fully implement CSR programmes. NRZ as a parastatal with government having major shares has faced financial constraint to implement public centers CSR programs. Both Econet and NRZ in the questionnaires and interviews conducted admitted that CSR/CSI contribute positively to their organisations.

The responses elicited through questionnaires indicated that Econet and NRZ have gained positively after implementing CSR programs to benefit the publics as indicated below; Increase community participation in cause-related activities by providing promotional

support and use of distribution channels
Enhance corporate image and clout.

Build a strong corporate reputation.

Create a strong community relations

On the other hand, Econet indicated that to them CSR rewards positively in that:
It increases sales and market shares.
Strengthened brand positioning.

Enhance corporate image and clout

Increased ability to attract, motivate, and retain employees.

Increase appeal to investors and financial analysts.

Unlike Econet, NRZ states that to them CSR decreases operating costs and contribute to overall business goals by opening up new markets. For example, it provides opportunities to build long term relationship with distributors and suppliers.

POSITIVE IMPACT OF CSR PROGRAMMES AT ECONET AND NRZ

The finding of the study proved that Econet has more positive impact than negative of practising CSR in their organization through their PR department. While Econet have five positive impacts for practising CSR, NRZ have two positive impacts for practising CSR. This is probably because Econet unlike NRZ has a budget for CSR and CSR is one factor listed in their corporate policies. However, both corporates admitted that they have more positive impact by practising CSR than negative.

Econet and NRZ PR departments admitted that positive impact of practising CSR out weighs negative impact of CSR. It is clear from the respondents through interviews and questionnaires
that CSR to both Econet and NRZ enhance public awareness and concern for their cause. Again it can be argued that CSR support efforts to influence individual behavior change and industry business practices that improved public health. Mr Fanuel Masikati PR manager at NRZ viewed 2004 as a year of success in disseminating HIV and AIDS information to their employees at a Capacity Building workshop held at Griffin Hall. Capacity Building was an exercise being undertaken by the NRZ AIDS Awareness programme to re-equip AIDS Coordinators and Peer educators with new awareness techniques and approaches. Dumisani Sibanda, one of the first pupils to go public about his HIV and AIDS status was the driving force behind the NRZ awareness campaigns. Such CSR programs by NRZ have improved the turnaround of NRZ.

Econet CSR programs assisted its employee and other members of their immediate family with anti-retro-viral drugs. Econet CSR programmes like “Live 2 Love” encourages members of society not to discriminate and stigmatize fellow citizens affected by HIV and AIDS and help to fight any prejudice against them. The PR department at Econet is convinced that HIV and AIDS have the potential to waste valuable trained human resources and reduce productivity.

MEASUREMENT OF CSR PROGRAMMES IN PR
In addition, some researchers and PR practitioners in the U.S. refer to this as "Media Measurement “and/or "Publicity Tracking" research. In the United Kingdom, the technique is often referred to as "Media Evaluation;" and in Germany as "Media Resonance." Whatever the terminology used to describe this particular technique, more often than not its prime function is to determine whether the key messages, concepts and themes that an organisation might be interested in disseminating to others via the media do, indeed, receive some measure of exposure as a result of a particular public relations effort or activity. In the study the standards for Measuring PR Outputs effort at Econet and NRZ through assessment of published article for CSR to the publics for consumptions as indicate in the above bar line.

As important as it might be to measure PR outputs and outtakes, it is far more important to assess PR outcomes at Econet and NRZ in implementing CSR programmes for good corporate citizenship. These measure whether the communications materials and messages which were disseminated have resulted in any opinion, attitude and/or behavior changes on the part of those targeted audiences to whom the messages were directed. It is usually much more difficult and, generally, more expensive, to measure PR outcomes, and to some extent PR outtakes, than it is to measure PR outputs. This is because more sophisticated data-gathering research tools and techniques are required. Measuring PR outputs is usually a question of counting, tracking and observing, while for PR outtakes and PR outcomes, it is a matter of asking and carrying out extensive review and analysis of what was said and what was done. The researcher had to ask the PR managers Mr Mberi from Econet and Mr Masikati at NRZ whether the publics phone back appreciating their assistance to them. Both organisation's PR managers gave the positive response which shows that general public fully appreciate their CSR and CSP programmes.

Conclusion
The remarkable conclusion reached by the researcher after the data accumulated in the study is that both PR departments at Econet and NRZ are part of the management. Furthermore, both PR departments at Econet and NRZ play an essential part in approaching and practicing good citizenship by implementing CSR programmes that boost immensely their corporations’ reputations and objectives. Although NRZ had a few loopholes that they require to meet their publics’ needs for mutual understanding and goodwill, Econet’s CSR programs outweigh NRZ’s CSR by wide margin. Again in communication Econet is advanced as compared to NRZ and this could be the fact that Econet is a telecommunication organisation while NRZ is a transport oriented organisation. The salient idea in both organisations is that their PR departments are part of the management and are the ones that implement CSR programmes. Unlike NRZ that has been operating for more than a century, Econet has operated for 17 years. In conclusion, Econet and NRZ PR departments’ approaches to CSR are appreciated by their general publics. Again the two organisations practise excellent PR practices that improve their organisations’ image and reputation. To them CSR is not business ethics but rather, it is their burden to plough back to the community they serve.

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Paper to presented by Caven Masuku at Midlands State University on the 8th Social Science Research Seminar Series on 22 July 2010 |

2010-07-16T04:02:00.000-07:00

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPROACHES AND PRACTICES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BY ECONET AND NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE (NRZ).

PAPER PRESENTED BY

CAVEN MASUKU

@

THE 8th SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES

Midlands State University

JULY 2010

Caven Masuku {Mr} lecturer in the Media and society Studies department at Midlands State university
Masuku.caven@gmail.com, masukuc@msu.ac.zw ,sukuman08@yahoo.co.uk or sqokoqela@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

The research focuses on the application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Corporate Social Investment (CSI) by Public Relations (PR) departments at Econet and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), two corporations that operate in Zimbabwe but with different business interests and areas of specialization. This presentation outlines and assesses CSR programmes implemented by Econet and NRZ to benefit their publics and communities as part of excellent PR. A comparative assessment approach between Econet and NRZ PR departments is used. Data gathering methods used in this study are face-to-face interviews, structured interviews, documentaries and content analysis of documents. These were subjected to both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis. The theoretical framework that informed this study encompassed the Two-way Symmetrical Model of communication, Three Cs Social Responsibility Model, Corporate philanthropy, Open system model of communication and Corporate Social Responsibility model of PR. The study established that both corporates’ PR departments are part of the management and are involved in the implementation of CSR programmes, which are of mutual benefit to them and their publics. However, it emerged in the study that Econet has more CSR programmes than NRZ and that the former’s programmes benefit both internal and external publics while the latter’s programmes benefit the internal more than the external publics. The study also problematised this disparity between Econet and NRZ’s programmes given the latter’s longer history of existence. Therefore, the assessment of the application of CSR by Econet and NRZ, despite the nature and background of the two corporate organisations in Zimbabwe, sheds light on the successes and value of CSR to PR endeavours.

INTRODUCTION
This study seeks to look into the application of CSR by National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) and Econet’s PR department. Cutlip et al (2001:1) say that public relations are the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and the publics on whom its success or failure depends. Puth and Lubbe (1994:179) define CSR as a generic concept referring to business organisations’concern and active two-way involvement with the social, economic and political forces which way influence the environment. Both corporations Econet and NRZ have a CSR programme that cover CSR wide ranges such as education, health, sports, environment and so forth. From the assessment deduced from questionnaires, interviews, documentaries and content analysis. Econet unlike NRZ, has 8 CSR programmes that benefits the publics, while NRZ have 5 CSR programmes that benefits the publics.
CSR is the idea that a business has a duty to serve society in general as well as the financial interests of its stakeholders (Robinson & Pearce 2009:53). CSR/CSI reflects excellent PR that is talked about by Grunig (2001). CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large (Digman 1990). CSR is about capacity building for sustainable livelihoods. It respects cultural differences and finds business opportunities in building the skills of employees, the community and the government. In short CSR is about business organisations giving back to society. Halal (2000:35) states that;

CSR have six salient aspects that is community involvement, development and investment, involvement and respect for diverse cultures and disadvantaged people, corporate philanthropy and employee volunteering, customer satisfaction and adherence to principles of fair competition, anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures, accountability, transparency and performance reporting and suppliers relations, for both domestic and international supply chains.

Econet and NRZ have CSR programs that assist the communities they serve. All their CSR programs are implemented by their PR departments with the influence they get from the community. Therefore a comparative approach between Econet and NRZ practices to CSR as a communication strategy to enhance excellent PR is used. The presentation analyzes comparatively mutual benefit by internal and external publics from the CSR programs run by NRZ and Econet.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Kotler and Lee (2005) submit that the history of CSR is as old as trade and business itself, although Freedman (1962) says that; CSR is a concept that has been around since commerce began in the nineteenth Century. Kotler and Lee’s submission is probably guided by the realization that trade and commerce are as old as humanity itself. CSR is an ancient phenomenon that started in the Western countries in the early 1970’s. In early 1980’s most PR departments for corporate organisations were already practicing it. For instance, Johnson and Johnson’s classic handling of the Tylenol poisoning in 1983 became a textbook case in how to respond to a crisis. To highlight the importance and centrality of CSR Kotler and Lee (2005) note that according to KPMG, a US professional service firm, in a survey of the Global Fortune, top 2005 companies indicated a continued increase in a number of American companies reporting on corporate responsibility.

PR may be said to be 20th century phenomena, or as an American concept, its roots go back to ancient Babylon, Greece and Rome. Ivy Lee (1906) is considered to be the ‘grandfather’ of modern PR, for he worked to end the ‘public be damned’ attitude (Wragg 1992). All CSR programmes are initiated and implemented by the PR department with the assistance of the stakeholders and the organisations’ top management. Pearce &Robinson (2009:56) assert that there are four types of CSR namely; economic responsibilities, legal responsibilities, ethical responsibilities and discretionary responsibilities. According to Pearce &Robinson (2009), CSR is an old phenomenon that includes PR activities, good citizenship and enhances image of the organization, products and services by supporting worthy causes. It is therefore the intention of this presentation to assess comparatively how Econet and NRZ enhance good citizenship through their CSR.

The world over CSR has gained momentum and discussions of it have bourgeoned. In Zimbabwe CSR is a phenomenon that started after independence in 1980. However, this phenomenon could have started with corporate organisations such as National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), which grew out of a number of different companies most of which were originally formed by the British South Africa Company (BSAC) in terms of the Royal Charter granted to it on October 29 1889 (Railroader NRZ 2005). In recent times of economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, CSR has played a significant role in ameliorating social hardships for both individuals and communities. Talk of CSR has therefore dominated PR discourses in recent times; given the economic hardships mentioned above. It is against this background that this paper discusses, comparatively, the approaches and practices of CSR by PR departments at Econet and NRZ.

It can also be noticed that while the two organisations fully implement CSR for good citizenship with their public they also practise philanthropy by giving directly to the community when need arises. Econet in August 2009, donated US$20.000 to Apostolic Faith Mission and NRZ in 2004 donated food and clothes to the Hwange community. The donations were mere giving of assistance to the publics for the challenges they were facing. It is again within the findings of the study that the researcher deduced that both Econet and NRZ practices philanthropy and CSR to meet the needs and objectives of their organisations and their publics.

In the NRZ publication entitled 100 Years it is suggested that NRZ started CSR implementation in 1985, while documented evidence shows that Econet started CSR in 1995, two years after its establishment by Strive Masiyiwa in 1993. Again unlike Econet which implemented CSR programs two years after its establishment, NRZ implemented CSR 98 years after its establishment Furthermore, both NRZ and Econet clearly stated in their core values that their relationships with their customers and community is enthused with warmth and a genuine desire to meet their needs. Econet unlike NRZ through its core values reflect that they reached out their customer in holistic and organic ways that makes them true stakeholders by involving them in the implementation of CSR programmes.

PR STARTEGIES AND ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN AT ECONET AND NRZ

In achieving the corporate objectives, the PR departments at Econet and NRZ designed PR strategies that complement the organisations’ corporate objectives. Management at Econet and NRZ allocated specific tasks to the PR departments and as such the PR strategies are designed in line with the companies’ expectations. Furthermore, both Econet and NRZ PR departments are assigned to manage their internal and external communication in a two way symmetrical communication for mutual understanding (explain symmetrical com). Again in both corporations stakeholders are updated with CSR activities that ensure mutual benefit to both the organisations and their publics. However, unlike Econet that is internationally recognised and has vast CSR programs to benefit their publics, NRZ as a parastatal has less CSR programs to benefit its stakeholders. One important aspect about Econet and NRZ PR departments’ approaches and practices is that they fulfill Carroll’s (2003) 3C-SR Model of Corporate Social responsibility. Carrolls (2003)’s model states that; in CSR there are 3C’s that is Commitments, Connections and Consistency. Commitments encompasses the legal, economic and ethical dimensions and is measured by the willingness by organization to plough back to the communities without expecting back anything from them. Connection is viewed by Norman and Ramirez (1993:64) as “Structure of relationships within the value network as the means through which joint implementation of a socially oriented value network is achieved. This then implies a stakeholder approach to ensure mutuality of interest and uniform commitment to share values across the value network”. Thus, Econet and NRZ PR departments do exactly the same in their day to day practices for excellent PR which is reciprocal in communicating with their stakeholders through implementation of CSR programs to maintain mutual understanding with their internal and external publics. Consistency refers to continued implementation of CSR programs which both Econet and NRZ enforce since they started supporting the communities.

OWNERSHIP AND FINANCIAL STATUS OF ECONET AND NRZ

Econet is a privately owned corporation that has a resounding financial status while NRZ is a parastatal. The financial position of NRZ as compared to Econet is limited and that has negative influence in the implementation of CSR for corporate citizenship. However, NRZ like Econet clearly indicates in their company policy that they are committed to assist the community as part of CSR. The CSR at Econet and NRZ is guided by Kotler and Lee (2005)’s five Cs namely conviction, commitment, communication, consistency, continuous and credibility. Econet and NRZ in their CSR are committed to assisting their publics and communicating effectively to them through their websites, in-house publications and local media. At Econet CSR programmes such as Joshua Nkomo Scholarship and Capernaum Trust are implemented year after year and have benefited thousands of ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe. NRZ also has maintained consistency of their CSR by mplementing them year after year. The NRZ scholarships which are meant to cultivate talent are some among the programmes that can be indicated.

From the information gathered it is clear that Econet and NRZ fully implement CSR to benefit its publics. The effort by the two corporate organisations maintains “credibility’ which is one important C as asserted by Kotler and Lee (2005). This is a good example of open system approach between corporations and the publics. The organisations effectively communicate in an open manner and respond well to the needs of their publics.

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF ECONET AND NRZ PR DEPARTMENTS

The analysis so far indicates that Econet and NRZ are two corporations with effective PR departments that have CSR to benefit their stakeholders. Unlike at Econet where PR department has clear indication that their corporation will meet most of their stakeholders needs, NRZ have no clear policy for that, despite the fact that they implement CSR programs and corporate philanthropy. Corporations, Econet and NRZ’s PR departments are part of management and are involved in implementing the CSR programs. Again both PR departments at Econet and NRZ practice reciprocity that is two way communication strategy in their communications practices, through the use of modern technologies such as the internet, website, chat rooms, blogs and so forth. PR departments at the above mentioned corporations are responsible for creating news about CSR programs and also to disseminate information to all their stakeholders through modern technology.

Furthermore, in their CSR/CSI both Econet and NRZ partake in education, health, environment and sports activities. Econet unlike NRZ, have more CSR programs on health issues and education that benefit all stakeholders nation wide. The PR department at Econet is more effective than NRZ in implementing CSR programs. Again unlike at NRZ where PR department started in early 80’s, at Econet PR department started in the early 90’s. In terms of CSR programs implemented Econet is in the lead as compared to NRZ.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN CSR AND CORPORATE SOCIAL PHILANTHROPY (CSP)

CSR can be defined as long-term commitment in a project focused on returns; according to

Carroll’s (2003) CSR model. In Carroll’s 3C-SR model commitment, connections and

consistency are important in implementing these programs. Commitments represent the value

element of social resources. They comprise the ethical standards and social objectives, strategy

programmes, organizational policies and corporate culture. Econet and NRZ as corporate

organisations fulfill CSR by sticking to ethical standards through assisting the publics. Programmes at NRZ such as NRZ scholarship, HIV and AIDS Capacity Building, supporting sports such as soccer and environment conservation programmes fulfil the commitment value of the corporate policies. Econet also fulfills commitment through implementation of Capernaum Trust, Joshua Nkomo Scholarship, Anti-Cholera, HIV and AIDS, Buddie Boys, and Harare Athletics Club (HAC). From the research findings it emerged that both corporate organisations, have shown their commitment through assisting their publics. Articles in The Financial Gazette dated 21-26 April 2005, 17-25 May 2007, 26-30 April 2007 and many other, web sites and in-house publications have been published which support the claim.

Connection as the second “C” from Carroll’s (2003) refers to the “values” in a business network
results from a value creating system, within which different actors suppliers, business partners, allies, customers work together for corporate value. From the findings of the study both Econet and NRZ have networked with various publics in implementing CSR programmes. NRZ has CSR programmes that meet the needs of various public such as workers, community members and other organizations just like Econet. This differs with corporate social philanthropy which is giving when the corporate feels it has generated more income. Such giving is not regular and is not a fulfillment of the company policy. The information elicited from questionnaires reflects that Econet and NRZ also practise corporate social philanthropy.

Consistency as the third “C’ refers to the behavioral element of social resources over time and

across all facets of an organisation’s operations. Through consistency, the organisation should

“walk the talk”. Thus, from the findings collected it is clear that both Econet and NRZ are

practising CSR and Corporate Social Philanthropy through their PR. NRZ and

Econet have walked their talk by implementing CSR programmes that assist their publics. Both

Econet and NRZ have CSR programmes in education, health, environment and sports.’ Railroaders

magazine” is a good example of NRZ in-house publication that has highlighted CSR programmes

implemented by NRZ such as NRZ scholarships that have benefit the Maphisa Primary school

pupils in Bulawayo. Econet has fulfilled consistency through their community programmes that

benefited the entire nation of Zimbabwe through their Capernaum Trust, Joshua Nkomo

scholarship, Stop Cholera Campaign and HIV and AIDS policy. From the findings gathered Econet

has walked their talk and published a number of articles in The Financial Gazette and in their

Econet web site, that document their CSR programmes.

In a comparative assessment of understanding the term CSR, out of 20 questionnaires emailed to Econet and the other 20 emailed to NRZ, the respondents reflected a better understanding of the concept and its role in PR practices. All PR employees from the two corporations have similar understanding of CSR concept. However, at NRZ five out of 20 respondents were not clear on the differences between corporate philanthropy and CSR. At Econet almost 80% of the respondents clearly distinguished the differences that exist between corporate philanthropy and CSR. This questionnaire keeps the researcher updated on the difference that PR practitioners and their subordinates hold in CSR and Corporate Social Philanthropy.

In the responses collected through emailed questionnaires all respondents gave wide ranging

options on CSR which can be summarized as;

(i)Providing cash to the public as assistance

(ii)Offering grants for education or research

(iii) Awarding scholarships
(iv)Donating products

(v) Offering service for free to the community

The study deduced that Econet and NRZ PR practitioners are part of management and implement the CSR programs that fulfill the 3C-SR model initiated by Carroll (2003). The PR departments show a deep insight of the activities that they practice in assisting the society as CSR. The question about the definition of Corporate Social Responsibility was meant to assess the knowledge of PR departments from two corporations, Econet and NRZ about their understanding of CSR and also as to whether they are aware of their activities in dealing with stakeholders through giving to the community or publics. CSR is modern PR that is dialogical and creates mutual understanding and good will (Skinner 2007). CSR as PR concept assisted the researcher to assess whether all PR departments for two corporations Econet and NRZ are quite clear about the meaning of the concept and how they should implement CSR for the good of their organisations.

CSR PROGRAMS ON EDUCATION AT ECONET AND NRZ

Econet has two CSR programmes for education that benefit the public nation wide while NRZ
has one educational programme to benefit the entire nation However, unlike Econet, NRZ has a nationwide education programme that provides grants to the employees’ children. This program is meant to cushion NRZ employees from financial constraints and enable them to send their children to tertiary institutions. At Econet, since the implementation of the Joshua Nkomo Scholarship Fund (JNSF) more than ten thousand students have benefited from it. Yet at NRZ less than five hundred students have benefited from the NRZ scholarships. Unlike Econet where JNSF benefit external publics, NRZ bursary benefits the employees’ children. Again NRZ through its corporate social philanthropy more than five hundred students have benefited. Econet unlike NRZ has scholarships meant for external and internal publics. This clearly shows that the PR department at Econet; unlike at NRZ has an effective approach to CSR programmes as reciprocal communication with the publics.

Econet CSR programmes such as “The Capernaum Trust”, which was formed in 1996 was implemented and controlled by the PR department. This clearly shows the effectiveness of PR department at Econet as compared to that at NRZ. Capernaum Trust has a vision to transform the lives of orphans in the most economically distressed communities into self reliant and socially vibrant individuals through the provision of food, training and education support. The trust has so far catered for more than 12.000 orphans through out the country. Most of the education fund at Econet is meant to benefit students in tertiary institutions.

Midlands State University has more than 100 students who benefit from this trust. There are ten students in the media department at MSU who are beneficiaries of the Capernaum Trust. In The Financial Gazette dated 14 April 2006 state that, the Capernaum Trust Director Ms Stembeni Chirume asserted that the Trust was assisting children with educational support up to tertiary level throughout all the provinces in Zimbabwe. Ms Chirume further indicated that over 40 000 children have benefited from the scholarship program since 2005. Among the beneficiaries in 2005 120 were students doing A “Level and 167 doing O”Level. Talented children through Capernaum Trust are allowed to pursue their dreams by sending them to universities where they study in various faculties.

From the findings of the study on CSR through education the researcher realized that programs at Econet and NRZ fulfill the open system theory that asserts that the organisation should interact with the environment for it to function well. Econet and NRZ are interacting with the environment by responding positively to the needs of their publics which may be caused by an unfriendly environment. For instance, during the Cholera Campaign of 2008 Econet circulated the messages to their subscribers about cholera, while NRZ offered Cholera affected publics free transport to health centers.

SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SPORTS SPONSORSHIP
.
As part of CSR both Econet and NRZ sponsor sports. Econet PR department provides sponsorship for the annual Harare Athletics Club (HAC) competitions. The company also supports sporting activities in the country, which include football and cricket. Econet has gone further to form its soccer team, the “Buddies Boys”, which takes part in the country’s communication League. NRZ on the other hand sponsors soccer and “Railstars”; a vibrant team that was relegated from Premier Soccer League is still being sponsored by NRZ. NRZ consistently sponsors Railstars and reflects consistency that has been discussed by Carroll (2003) in her 3C-SR model of CSR.

The Financial Gazette dated 16 September 2005: says that Econet through its PR department sponsored Harare Athletics Club (HAC) 20 Miler Road Race, where over 180 athletes of different backgrounds and ages convened to run until 5 December 2005. This is one good example in sports where Econet sponsors athletes through their corporate social responsibility programmes to create mutual understanding with their publics.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY HEALTH
As part of CSR Econet has played a vital role in assisting its publics to stay healthy. In 2008 Econet took a more direct and urgent role under health and welfare program to assist the publics who were affected by cholera. In the cholera health crisis Econet provided financial and logistical support to teams of dedicated health workers that were involved in fighting the cholera epidemic that affected the country during the later part of 2008. Using printed documentaries about Econet, the PR department at Econet offered wide airtime distribution network to spread awareness by printing anti-cholera SMS messages that were forwarded to every mobile phone with Econet lines. A Health-care Trust Zimbabwe in December 2008 was established as an attempt to assist the publics affected by cholera.

On health issues Econet also took care of its internal publics that are HIV/AIDS affected. Both internal and external publics benefit a lot from Econet HIV/AIDS programme. Econet Wireless continues to provide anti-retro-viral drugs for the infected employees and other members of their immediate family. The Econet Wireless publication on-line through their website indicates that Econet cares for its publics through the “Live 2 Love” program. On HIV and AIDS Econet encourages the publics to avoid the stigma attached to HIV and AIDS victims. Like Econet NRZ has two programmes for health that tackle HIV and AIDS and cholera. NRZ CSR programmes assisted external publics to stay healthy by providing free transporting of drugs and passengers from one area to another for medication. Apart from that through their web site and in-house publications, NRZ has published health programs that were implemented through their PR department

CSR ON ENVIRONMENT AT ECONET AND NRZ

This study’s findings reflect that Econet through its CSR programmes implemented environmental programmes. Through the PR department’s approach to CSR “Econet In the Community” programme was launched in 2004 and part of its intended focus was to target environmental awareness initiatives. From time to time, the company has supported activities aimed at changing the community’s attitude towards disposal of litter.

In the Financial Gazette dated September 1-7 2005, Econet published its corporate community responsibility article entitled “Econet supports environmental programmes”. The PR department at Econet partnered with the Harare Junior City Council, to conduct clean ups on the Eastern part of Samora Machel Avenue, one of the city’s busiest thorough fares. The initiative was supported by the Harare City Council itself, which provided implements that were used for the exercise. The Junior Council mobilized scores of volunteers from various high schools around the city, who displayed a unique sense of discipline and civic spiritedness. Econet through its CSR programme supported clean up initiatives ties in closely with the company’s desire to see users of its preferred services becoming more environmentally conscious, through appropriate disposal of used recharged cards in bins around the city.

NRZ like Econet is also concerned with the environment as part of their CSR programmes implemented by PR department. NRZ PR department through its CSR programmes installed a fume absorbing plant for the metaling shop to prevent workshop personnel from exposure to toxic fumes emitted during the smelting process. The metaling shop is one of the key sections of the engineering workshop at NRZ and its main function is to recondition plain bearings for use on locomotives and bearings. The process entails re-melting white metal from worn out plain bearings and shell. However, the process emits lead fumes which cause a serious health hazard to the workforce if there are no mechanisms to extract the fumes from the building. Fumes produced at NRZ workshop polluted the surrounding environment. Therefore the NRZ PR department had to implement measures that assisted in reducing pollution. Again in February 2005 NRZ organized a health campaign that cleaned up the 5th Street in Bulawayo in conjunction with the Bulawayo City Council.

TWO WAY-COMMUNICATION AT ECONET AND NRZ

The study findings also indicated that the two corporate organisations’ PR departments adopted the Two-way symmetrical model to communicate with their publics through the use of their organisations’ web sites. The architecture of the web site at NRZ has a forum for comments. Here clients can enter their views which the company can use as feed back about the positive and negative impact of their CSR programmes. Econet web site is user friendly and allows the publics to enter their opinions about the Econet CSR programmes. The use of web-logs fulfills the “public Opinion model of PR that allows stakeholders to be engaged in a dialogue with the PR department employees at Econet. A reciprocal relationship was built and this was facilitated by feedback channels opened by both organisations. The few public members interviewed by the researcher indicated that they have communicated with the two organisations through their websites. This indicates the commitments of Econet and NRZ through their PR department to reach mutual understanding and goodwill with all their publics. PR manager at NRZ Mr Fanuel Masikati is a professional PR practitioner, who communicates affectively with the publics. Masikati uses two-way communication and he listens to the public, although they have limited resources but his effort with his PR team is emulated by the publics. Corporate Communications Manager at Econet Mr Ranga Mberi is an excellent PR practitioner. All their programs for CSR are based on research and address the needs of the publics nationwide. Their web site is updated with all CSR programmes and the budget spent for CSR programmes.

Information elicited through interviews and questionnaires in this study revealed that CSR is also known as CSI because the organization invests in a specific cause to uplift the community, and in the process, increases its profits. Mersham et al (1995:78) say that a PR practitioner manages CSR programmes of an organisation in order to create a favorable corporate image for the organisation. Econet indicated that at times CSR programs conflict with the government policies. NRZ indicated that CSR impact them negatively, especially when their budget allocation is limited

All corporations Econet and NRZ PR department indicated through their responses from questionnaires that they encounter negative impact from top management to fully implement CSR programmes. NRZ as a parastatal with government having major shares has faced financial constraint to implement public centers CSR programs. Both Econet and NRZ in the questionnaires and interviews conducted admitted that CSR/CSI contribute positively to their organisations.

The responses elicited through questionnaires indicated that Econet and NRZ have gained positively after implementing CSR programs to benefit the publics as indicated below; Increase community participation in cause-related activities by providing promotional

support and use of distribution channels
Enhance corporate image and clout.

Build a strong corporate reputation.

Create a strong community relations

On the other hand, Econet indicated that to them CSR rewards positively in that:
It increases sales and market shares.
Strengthened brand positioning.

Enhance corporate image and clout

Increased ability to attract, motivate, and retain employees.

Increase appeal to investors and financial analysts.

Unlike Econet, NRZ states that to them CSR decreases operating costs and contribute to overall business goals by opening up new markets. For example, it provides opportunities to build long term relationship with distributors and suppliers.

POSITIVE IMPACT OF CSR PROGRAMMES AT ECONET AND NRZ

The finding of the study proved that Econet has more positive impact than negative of practising CSR in their organization through their PR department. While Econet have five positive impacts for practising CSR, NRZ have two positive impacts for practising CSR. This is probably because Econet unlike NRZ has a budget for CSR and CSR is one factor listed in their corporate policies. However, both corporates admitted that they have more positive impact by practising CSR than negative.

Econet and NRZ PR departments admitted that positive impact of practising CSR out weighs negative impact of CSR. It is clear from the respondents through interviews and questionnaires
that CSR to both Econet and NRZ enhance public awareness and concern for their cause. Again it can be argued that CSR support efforts to influence individual behavior change and industry business practices that improved public health. Mr Fanuel Masikati PR manager at NRZ viewed 2004 as a year of success in disseminating HIV and AIDS information to their employees at a Capacity Building workshop held at Griffin Hall. Capacity Building was an exercise being undertaken by the NRZ AIDS Awareness programme to re-equip AIDS Coordinators and Peer educators with new awareness techniques and approaches. Dumisani Sibanda, one of the first pupils to go public about his HIV and AIDS status was the driving force behind the NRZ awareness campaigns. Such CSR programs by NRZ have improved the turnaround of NRZ.

Econet CSR programs assisted its employee and other members of their immediate family with anti-retro-viral drugs. Econet CSR programmes like “Live 2 Love” encourages members of society not to discriminate and stigmatize fellow citizens affected by HIV and AIDS and help to fight any prejudice against them. The PR department at Econet is convinced that HIV and AIDS have the potential to waste valuable trained human resources and reduce productivity.

MEASUREMENT OF CSR PROGRAMMES IN PR
In addition, some researchers and PR practitioners in the U.S. refer to this as "Media Measurement “and/or "Publicity Tracking" research. In the United Kingdom, the technique is often referred to as "Media Evaluation;" and in Germany as "Media Resonance." Whatever the terminology used to describe this particular technique, more often than not its prime function is to determine whether the key messages, concepts and themes that an organisation might be interested in disseminating to others via the media do, indeed, receive some measure of exposure as a result of a particular public relations effort or activity. In the study the standards for Measuring PR Outputs effort at Econet and NRZ through assessment of published article for CSR to the publics for consumptions as indicate in the above bar line.

As important as it might be to measure PR outputs and outtakes, it is far more important to assess PR outcomes at Econet and NRZ in implementing CSR programmes for good corporate citizenship. These measure whether the communications materials and messages which were disseminated have resulted in any opinion, attitude and/or behavior changes on the part of those targeted audiences to whom the messages were directed. It is usually much more difficult and, generally, more expensive, to measure PR outcomes, and to some extent PR outtakes, than it is to measure PR outputs. This is because more sophisticated data-gathering research tools and techniques are required. Measuring PR outputs is usually a question of counting, tracking and observing, while for PR outtakes and PR outcomes, it is a matter of asking and carrying out extensive review and analysis of what was said and what was done. The researcher had to ask the PR managers Mr Mberi from Econet and Mr Masikati at NRZ whether the publics phone back appreciating their assistance to them. Both organisation's PR managers gave the positive response which shows that general public fully appreciate their CSR and CSP programmes.

Conclusion
The remarkable conclusion reached by the researcher after the data accumulated in the study is that both PR departments at Econet and NRZ are part of the management. Furthermore, both PR departments at Econet and NRZ play an essential part in approaching and practicing good citizenship by implementing CSR programmes that boost immensely their corporations’ reputations and objectives. Although NRZ had a few loopholes that they require to meet their publics’ needs for mutual understanding and goodwill, Econet’s CSR programs outweigh NRZ’s CSR by wide margin. Again in communication Econet is advanced as compared to NRZ and this could be the fact that Econet is a telecommunication organisation while NRZ is a transport oriented organisation. The salient idea in both organisations is that their PR departments are part of the management and are the ones that implement CSR programmes. Unlike NRZ that has been operating for more than a century, Econet has operated for 17 years. In conclusion, Econet and NRZ PR departments’ approaches to CSR are appreciated by their general publics. Again the two organisations practise excellent PR practices that improve their organisations’ image and reputation. To them CSR is not business ethics but rather, it is their burden to plough back to the community they serve.

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Operation and merging of Econet in Zimbabwe

2010-07-14T03:51:00.000-07:00

IF the statement written in The Financial Gazette; Zim Supplement, dated June 24-30 2010 is true then, I owe Douglas Mboweni all the respect he deserve in the country.

The Financial Gazette dated June 24-30 said that, “ Douglas Mboweni is one of the pioneers of Econet Wireless, having joined in 1996 at a time the company, which was the first to seek a license as a mobile phone operator in Zimbabwe, was preparing to launch its service to the public”.

What I know about Econet is that it started with Strive Masiyiwa in 1993 and in 1996 it was operationing. Infact Econet has become one of the dominant telecommunications Company not only in Zimbabwe, but in Africa to offer quality service in communications.

It is a fact that Mboweni has more than 20 years experience in the Information Technology and telecommunications Industries. This is vast experience that everyone would respect and emulate. This is not a surprise to see Econet being in the lead in telecommunications service providing.

In Zimbabwe almost half of the population holds either “Buddies”, “Business Partner” and “Liberty” lines. Again almost more than a third of Zimbabwean population uses ECOWEB internet services. My wife and I are in the lead in using Econet telecommunications services.

Econet is one of the telecommunications organisations’ in Zimbabwe that entered international mobile market. It has launched the Mascom Wireless network in Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and United Kingdom. In Morocco, through the reading that I made it emerged that Masiyiwa own Gulfsat Maghreb in Morocco.

In Zimbabwe so far this is for the first time to have one man trying to network the entire Africa and has penetrated western countries wireless market.

It is time for Africans to have their own media mogul, go to the history book. In global media, we have been learning about Rupert Murdock, Berlusconi, George Lukas and so forth. Now it is time to have books that tells history of people like Strive Masiyiwa, Douglas Mboweni, Trevor Ncube, and so forth.

In my view Zimbabwe has talented Media gurus’ who have worked under severe economic, political and social conditions. Most of the media owners from Zimbabwe have survived and are doing good local, regional and even abroad.

I have been enticed and challenges by the community service programmes that Econet has implemented to benefit local people. Non-profit organisations’ such as National Health Care Trust Zimbabwe, Capernaum Trust, Christian Community Partnership Trust, and Joshua Nkomo Scholarship Fund assist local population academically, social, healthy and even religious to better their lives.

Technological, in Zimbabwe there is no telecommunication organisations’ like Econet that has improved communication service delivery. Range boosters are established in all cities of the country and cables are laid from Harare to Bulawayo, in fact in every corner of the country.

Econet has proved to be a giant and is engaged in both vertical and horizontal integration in terms ownership and control of the company. Vertical they are a wireless telecommunication company that offers buddies, liberty and business partner wireless lines. Horizontal they have merged internet service like ECOWEB, with satellite station like Gulf Maghreb and wireless mobile phone services.

The Financial Gazette dated 24-30 June said that, “under Mboweni Econet has grown into the largest cellular service carrier and has now entered into major upgrade and expansion agreement with Ericsson to increase capacity and quality of voice data traffic in the country”

Ericsson under the terms of agreement will assist in the expansion of core and access of 2G and 3G networks. The aspect of media merging is important in understanding global media.

Media scholars from higher learning institutions’ such as national University of Science and Technology, University of Zimbabwe, Midlands State University and many other should conduct some research about these synergies by wireless telecommunication companies in Zimbabwe. Econet, Netone and Telecel need scholarly attention about their ownership patterns and control. Again important issues about their merging and operation is an interesting as an interesting issue that needs scholarly attention.

New body of knowledge, theoretical framework and technological advancement springing from the three Zimbabwe telecommunications’ organisations’ need a thorough inquiry.

ABSTRACT FOR MY FIRST PAPER ON CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

2010-06-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPROACHES AND PRACTICES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BY ECONET AND NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE (NRZ).

This research focuses on the application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by PR departments at Econet and NRZ. Econet and NRZ are the two corporations that operate in Zimbabwe but with different focus of business and areas of specialisation. As part of excellent PR practices CSR/CSI is modern PR that mutual benefit both the corporations and the community they serve as proposed by Grunig (2001). Hence in the study the research will outline and assess CSR programs offered by Econet and NRZ to benefit the surrounding communities as part of excellent PR. However, a comparative assessment approach between Econet and NRZ PR departments will be used. Albeit the fact that the study used both qualitative and quantitative methods of information gathering, largely qualitative methods were used in this study. Face-to face interviews and questionnaires interviews and document analysis inter alia were used. The most important thing about these two corporations is that they have international recognition and strong PR departments that are part of the management. Econet is one of the largest telecommunication company in Zimbabwe that is currently operating in seven countries, while NRZ is a parastatel that specialises in rail-road transport. In addition, while Eonet is a privately owned company on the other hand, NRZ is a parastatel. It is therefore important to assess the application of CSR by Econet and NRZ, despite the nature and background of the two corporate organisation in Zimbabwe. Also to be noted and assessed is whether the PR departments are in charge in initiating and implementing the public centred CSR programmes. Furthermore, several theories from public relations and communications discipline such as the 3C-SR Model, corporate philanthropy, corporate charity or altruism, two way symmetrical, agenda setting , open system model of PR, public opinion and many others will be used in assessing the application of CSR by Econet and NRZ.

IMF stance on Europe's debt crisis

2010-06-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

THE BBC NEWS said that ;the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has told the eurozone bloc to speed up budget cuts or risk eroding the confidence of financial markets.
In a hard-hitting report, the IMF said the current "crisis management" was no alternative to fundamental economic restructuring. It is believed that the IMF report suggest that the economic crisis was due to "unsustainable policies".

The EU officials hoped that the official go-ahead for the 750bn euro ($893bn; £618bn) fund - first announced last month - will calm investors who are worried about the lack of a safety net for European governments who cannot repay mounting debt.

In other developments, EU finance ministers agreed to design new rules that will allow nations to intervene before countries become too laden down by debt - essentially meaning national budgets should be shown to European partners before they are fixed at home
The British Prime Minister David Cameron is quoted in the BBC News warning that dealing with the deficit would be "unavoidably tough" and affect "our whole way of life". An emergency budget detailing the cuts is being held in two weeks.

Further sovereign debt worries and the possibility of a double-dip recession consumed European markets on Monday. Reliable sources said that, Hungary has been the latest country to stir investor concern after government officials compared the country's fiscal position with Greece late last week.

The BBC also said that the IMF, which is contributing to the rescue fund, continued: "The current euro area crisis results from fiscally unsustainable policies in some countries, delayed repair of the financial system, insufficient progress in establishing the discipline and flexibility needed for a smooth functioning of the monetary union, and deficient governance of the euro area."

The organisation said that some eurozone countries needed to open their trade markets and loosen employment regulations in order to avoid "anaemic growth" in the coming years.
The EU loan scheme, which ministers rubber-stamped on Monday, is aimed at preventing troubled economies having to borrow at high prices on the open markets, exacerbating their problems.
The markets expect that Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy are most likely to call on help from the fund.

However, it is said that accessing emergency loans would be "strictly conditional" on recipients agreeing to certain criteria such as spending cuts - just as with the bail-out agreed for Greece, said EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn.

The financial rescue package includes a special purpose vehicle to borrow up to 440bn euros for emergency funds.

Zimbabwe Media Commission issues licence to five media organizations

2010-05-27T02:06:00.001-07:00

IN today's Herald it emerged that the Zimbabwe Media Commission has approved applications from five media organisations that could start operating in Zimbabwe after full certification. This is a positive development to Zimbabwe media and the ZMC should be applauded for fostering media pluralism and diversity which the country has been longing for.

This reporter through the Herald understood that ZMC chairperson Mr Godfrey Majonga in Harare last night said that they had agreed to grant all the applicants registration.

The ANZ’s (Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe) application to relaunch The Daily News, which was closed some years ago bounced back to life after the Majonga commission saw it fit for them to start publishing.

In addition, it is learnt that,"The ZCTU”, who applied to change the frequency for publication of their publication The Worker — which was a monthly publication — to a weekly, The mail and Alpha Media, The Financial Gazette's Daily Gazette also were given permission to resume operation.

Mr Majonga is quoted in the Herald saying that; the licences are going to be issued immediately and those who receive the licences can start publishing. This will improve the quality of the news production and foster media diversity and pluralism which will make the ordinary citizen to have a wide choice of news consumption.

Another positive development which if take seriously can be healthy to Zimbabwean media is the move to register all foreign publications which ZMC, including on-line media targeting Zimbabweans, must register with the commission.

Mr Majonga said ZMC’s mandate was to allow the public to have wide access to diverse views. Students from higher learning institution that produce media graduates such as Midlands State University , National University of Science and Technology, Harare Polytechnic and others will have opportunities to showcase their talent. This will enable the media fratenity to gain its muscles and recogition that has been always trailing behind

Zimbabwe Media Commission issues licence to five media organizations

2010-05-27T02:06:00.000-07:00

An interview with the Midlands National Arts Manager

2010-03-12T04:13:00.000-08:00

This is an interview that was conducted by Caven Masuku with the Midlands Provincial Arts Manager, Abigal Sivanda about the plans and developments that are lined up to improve arts in Midlands Province. Midlands Province is a placed blessed with talent and is the third largest city in Zimbabwe. Most artists move to vibrant towns like Harare and Bulawayo, where they think they can make money leaving Midlands province desolated.

Q. Can you give me your background as Provincial arts manager?

A. Thank you so much Mr Masuku! I am the Midlands , provincial arts manager, a former lecturer at Nyadire College, in arts and design field. I started at grass root level as a junior lecturer and rose through ranks to become a senior lecturer. I was trained as a teacher at Hillside teachers college, specializing in Arts and design ,and English and taught in Beitbridge from 1999 to 2002. In 2002 l studied an Art and Design degree at University of Zimbabwe, and then worked for the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo as arts administrator under Mrs Adellis Sibutha.

Q. Miss Sivanda can you comment about the artists activities in the Midlands province?

A. Artists in Midlands province have great potential that can be catapulted further through exposure and funding. In Midlands artists are working hard to earn a living and with “struggling economy” , what people around are earning do not have disposable in-come to support the work of art. Artists are starved for the platform at provincial level to show case their talent. As national Arts Council of Zimbabwe in the Midlands province, we are looking at the ways to improve artists position through promoting them. Women in arts especially in Gweru are few and as an arts organization we are working towards addressing that problem. Rural folk in terms of arts are not given space yet they play a major role to preserve our culture. Midlands is a province with mixed lot of bag where we have the Shona tribe, Ndebele, Shangani, Tonga and so forth.

Q You mentioned the word culture and what do you understand by that?

A. Thats interesting Mr Masuku, Culture is the way people live and interact as a society. It is the people's beliefs, tradition, life-style and way of thinking. In Midlands culture is captured through inherent practices that is transmitted from generation to generation. The good examples are mbira music, potters in Mberengwa, traditional dance around the Midlands province.

Q Comparing Gweru with Bulawayo in arts disciplines, is there any gap?

A. Oh! Not at all Mr Masuku. The issue is that there are more activities in the metropolitan like in Harare and Bulawayo where artists can earn a living and amass wealth out of it. Most artists from Midlands province move away from Midlands to bigger towns like Bulawayo, leaving Gweru desolated. If we do away with that then it is clear that there is no gap whatsoever in arts activities that make Gweru distinct with Harare and Bulawayo.

Q. What plans as new administration do you have to improve arts activities in the Midlands province?

A. Yes! We have lots of plans to develop artist and to benefit them along the way. We are organizing the Midlands Arts Festival in June that will encompass all the eight districts. Artists are important and without them we are nowhere. Artists speak where words, eyes, ears and mouths fails. We are constantly working with them through various programs that are lined-up for them. Our main aim is to create a platform for them and amongst themselves. The Midlands province national arts council have created a web-log to market and promote artists in the province. As a new administration we are there to market the artists products not only within boarders but also across the boarders. I hope to create a website that will equip our artists and create a forum for them to interact with the lager world.

Q. From your opinion what do you think can be done to improve arts industry in Midlands province?

A. There are some setback in the Midlands province that need to be rectified for the development of our arts. There is need for concerted offices, co-operations by business community and social responsibility. Artist have been complaining about lack of the art gallery. An art gallery is a custodian place, where information can be preserved. As National arts Council in Midlands province, we may not be able to build a gallery, but there is great need to look into that.

Q. How is your relationship with electronic media in an attempt to improve the arts discipline?

A.Yeah! We do have strong relationship with the electronic media. Artists need to have tangible papers as an offer when need be by electronic media, that is the only way they can go on air. National arts Council of Zimbabwe have links with Radio Zimbabwe and media houses in Midlands. Electronic media are so much into educational programs such as theatre and reading of books. Television perhaps is the only media that we are yet and have not given us a coverage. Well in short i will then say reception has been a problem and will be a problem.

Q. How do Midlands province National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) assist artists in marketing their artifacts?

A. I like your question! Yes we assist our artists to market their products by planning and organizing festivals as a way of them to show case their talent. For instance the Midlands Arts Festival will be a combined effort for everyone in Midlands including the business people, community, tourists and artists. So the festival will be the first stepping stone and culture week to be held on 15-22 May 2010 in Matabeleland North will be another good platform to market the artists products.

Q. Do you have any plans or programs lined up for 2010 as Midlands province?

A. Not really. Well artists have started and the NACZ have strategic plans for 2010 to benefit artists . Artists have to take their artifacts to the world cup in South Africa. NACZ is in the mid of preparing for arts development fund.

Q. What words of encouragement can you pass to the artists in the Midlands province?

A. l would want to urge artists to endeavor to do their best, seek new opportunities and ideas to create something unique in showing cultural background and also to work on artifacts that will attract tourists out there.

Carlos Slim overtakes Bill Gates in world rich list

2010-03-12T03:52:00.000-08:00

In the BBC News of 11 March 2010, it emerged that a Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim has topped Forbes magazine's billionaire's list - the first time since 1994 that an American has not led the rankings.

Mr Slim's fortune rose by $18.5bn (￡12.4bn) last year to $53.5bn. That beat Microsoft founder Bill Gates ($53bn) into second place, with US investor Warren Buffett ($43bn) third.This reflects the paradigms shift in terms of affluent in Northen America. Technology is one area where the western countries thrives on to make their riches and then market their products to the third world countries. Third world countries are take as secondary market for the developed world.

In 2009 332 names left the list after a tough year, but the total number of billionaires on this year's list rose from 793 to 1,011, Forbes said. I wonder if that could be same with Zimbabwe, where we already have moguls like Strive Masiyiwa, Phillip Chiyangwa, Delma Lupepe and many others.

A spokesman for Carlos Slim refused to confirm the Forbes estimate of the Mexican tycoon's wealth, saying they did not "waste their time" on such calculations, but he welcomed the result. In France 24 they presented the same facts and asked Carlos Slim to comment on the rankings.
"We're pleased that he has been considered the best businessman of the world," spokesman Arturo Elias told the BBC. "It means there is trust among the investors." Forbes magazine's chief executive Steve Forbes told the BBC that Mr Slim had been slowly climbing the rich list for a number of years. This indicates how media should be taken seriously like any other business that can generate enormous income.

"He has been dominating businesses in Mexico, and businesses in the US as well," Mr Forbes said. Slim foresaw the rise in telecommunications, particularly cell phones. And he is also big in cement."

The year's biggest gainer, Brazilian mining tycoon Eike Batista, broke into the top 10 for the first time. This also indicate how Latin America is gradually gaining power in accessing wealth and competing with the conglomerates that are based in Northern America.

He came in at number seven, having boosted his wealth by $19.5bn to $27bn. This at list open up an area of analysis how the audience of the Forbes magazine managed to catch the market ninch which satisfied the needs of the audience. Again the images that are perpetuated by this magazine that have generated Slime more income need to be analyzed to evaluate how the magazine has capture images appealing to five senses to generate lucrative income.

It will be a good move especially to developing countries like Zimbabwe to analyses how their media organizations can be boosted to enable the media owners to amass wealth that will change the ranking of affluent people in Zimbabwe. With the use of the green dollar, advertisement charges have to be hiked and business will be more willing to place advertisement to improve their image, reputation and to sell their products local and at global scale.

caven Masuku and his wife Nokuthula Masuku

2010-03-02T08:14:00.001-08:00

2010-03-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

Caven Masuku Degree Transcripts

2010-02-23T01:49:00.001-08:00

1. BA English and Communications Studies Degree (ZOU)
2. Masters of Science in Media and Society Studies (MSU)

2010-02-23T01:49:00.000-08:00

Midlands talented Visual Artists scooped the NAMA Award

2010-02-23T01:29:00.000-08:00

By Caven Masuku

Godwell Mkandhla who has always functioned in his society as the recorder of mores and experience of his society and as the voice and vision in his own time, scooped this year NAMA Award under “two dimensional” category.

Mkandhla is the only visual artists in the Midlands Province who won the “two dimensional” NAMA Merit award out of three contestants. “ I am happy because this is my first time to enter and win NAMA Award which is the first award in my life”, said Mkandhla

Mkandhla told Caven Masuku in an interview that he is dedicating the award to his mentor Tapfumanei Gutsa for the skills and expertise he imparted to him since 2005, at Suprise Centre 20km away from Gweru along Shurugwi road. “ This award can be nothing to me if I fail to mention specially thanks to National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Midlands Province team”, he added. He also thanked the “Dark House association'” for their immense and unwavering support.

Mkandhla said that visual art is all about feelings and giving a sight of objects around. Visual artists teach people through artistic works like painting to honour their culture . Painting is one medium and means of communications that was used by the Bushman and the Mesopotamia to communicate to the society.

Visual arts as a genre in arts like oral and written literature cultivate good culture to the community. Visual arts through drawings remind people of their past, their learned ways of living, behaviour and attitudes. “Through my paintings i reflect harmony within the community and preserve the culture of my people', said Mkandhla.

He added that Visual art unlike oral and written literal works of arts uses the voice and words to disseminate information related to social, cultural, economic and political issues within the community. Visual art on the other hand is silence and is loaded with meaning that can be determined by the viewers cultural background that sometimes can be different to the intended intention by the artist.

Mkandhla said that his artifacts won him an award because of the expertise and commitment he applied. “ I used Cubism shapes, the mathematical shapes which comes through innate ability and talent to integrate mathematical knowledge with artifacts skills”, he said

In addition, Mkandla encouraged artist in Midlands as well as across the country to remain focused and to be innovative in crafting their artifacts. He promised the people of Midlands another thriller very soon that will be portraying the plight of a guitar man. He said that in this artifacts he expresses the sad life of musicians , especially the life of guitarists who plays melodious rhythm, but at the end dies as a pauper. “ A guitar man plays music for the band owner who eventually becomes opulent yet the guitar despite his talent , gets little money to sustain himself and his family”, said Mkandla.

In some couples of months to come Mkandhla will be working on another piece of visual artifacts called “ A desperate Woman”. In this artifacts, Mkandhla will expose the evil that men cause to women, who after working hard and becoming affluent the husband then divorce the wife for no apparent reasons. Art is a medium that can be used to emancipate and unite people, providing alternative and dissenting views of social reality. Arts is there to educate, entertain, balm and soothe the wounded spirits.

This visual artifacts by Mkandhla will be used to crystallize people's experience and to give them identity. It will also enlightens the social, economic and cultural problems that affects women and challenge those in power to do something about it. It is that type of artifacts that made the man like Mkandhla who embodies crucially element in the society to scoop the NAMA award.

The Midlands current celebrity in visual arts, told Masuku that he has produced twenty pieces of visual artifacts and is looking forward to assist artists in Midlands in visual arts who wish to express their emotions, beliefs and opinion through the works of arts. To Mkandhla art is culture and portrays the durable template life of the people which can be transmitted from one generation to the other.

The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, acting Provincial Arts Manager, Cathrine Mthombeni said that Mkandhla as a visual artist in Gweru has a modern tendencies and his work has not been exposed. Sivanda said that, “Mkandhla once visited Bulawayo Arts Gallery for assistance in his artifacts but did not get the help he needed at that time”. She promised that for the next four weeks as the new administration in Gweru, they will organise an exhibition to enable the business community to meet with local artist. She said that as a marketing strategy this will promote Gweru artists and enable them to sell their arts products to the local business people.

Caven Masuku

2010-02-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

This is Caven Masuku a Junior lecturer at Midlands State University (MSU) in Gweru Zimbabwe. He is a journalist and writes for "The Sunday News" in the entertainment desk. For more information find him on masuku.caven@gmail.com, masukuc@msu.ac.zw, sukuman08@yahoo.co.uk,sqokoqela@hotmail.com.

Midlands State University theatre arts group

2010-02-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

Midlands State University theatre arts group

The Midlands State University (MSU) launched the arts theatre group for Students with disabilities into theatre Arts (IDITA). Brian Ntabeni one of the teaching assistant lecturers at MSU is the co-ordinator of this arts group.
In an interview conducted by Caven Masuku with Ntabeni, it emerged that Ntabeni was born on 6 May 1963 in Filabusi. He did his primary education at Glogg Range in 1972, and later, secondary education at Wanezi Mission and David Livingston in 1982 and 1983. After completing his advanced level he then went to University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in 1984 and 1986, where he obtained a BA General degree majoring in history and isiNdebele with the components of arts theatre. He is also a former headmaster at Sibhata Secondary School.
IDITA is a brainchild of Dr C Pfukwa the Dean in the faculty of arts at MSU. Brain Ntabeni and Muchineripi Gwarinda are the coordinators. Among the disabled students the main actors are JB Dube, Godknows, Tendai Muzondiwa and Tawonavo Chinyoka. IDITA uses arts and theatre, to address socio-economic issues like AIDS, religious and tribal conflict which is a threat to the peaceful wellbeing of society”, said Ntabeni.
“As IDITA arts group singing and dance, beat of drums and jingles are used across the board to communicate issues that affects the society on daily a basis”, said Ntabeni. As a mode of communication this form overcomes barriers of illiteracy.
The Midlands State University theatre arts for the disabled uses Zimbabwe's main languages; English, Shona and isiNdebele in their theatrical productions. Ntabeni has been in the arts theatre for some time and is known for creating Jabulani kuphela Theatre arts group in Matabeleland South.

As a creative artist Ntabeni has authored a book called “Sando the rat” that he forwarded to the Heinemann publishers in London for publishing. In addition, he has just completed a collection of isiNdebele short stories titled, “Ungaludinga uzaluthola” and is looking for a willing publisher locally or in South Africa. He added that the society does not change unless it has to laugh at its own ills. The arts and theatre for the disabled at MSU points at such evils that trouble the society and influence the change of behavior.
Asked whether he has an intention to start his own arts theatre group in Filabusi , Ntabeni said that he is planning to open a cultural village for the disabled in Filabusi. “People with economic muscle do not believe in the work of arts and take theatre lightly, instead of allocating the arts and theatre a space, they prefer a grinding meal”, said Ntabeni. He said that if arts are taken seriously like the church it will make the arts industry grow strong and become a recognized phenomenon.
“Gweru is sleeping in terms of arts, they have a tendency of depending on the outsiders and most artists prefer to move to Harare or Bulawayo”, said Ntabeni. Ntabeni as an artist and a teaching assistant lecturer said that students by virtue of being involved in theatre arts will come to understand better.
This is for the first time that Midlands State University got involved in engaging the disadvantaged in arts and theatre and will enable them to publish their artistic work in brails, added Ntabeni. “I urge all artists in the Midlands to fight hard to earn themselves respect in arts and theatre since nothing comes easy. Otherwise if they do not fight hard they will end up giving us a bubble gum product which blows and does not last”, said Ntabeni

കോര്‍പ്പറേറ്റ് Giant

2010-02-17T00:42:00.004-08:00

This story is taken from CNN and indicates the enormous power developed by conglomerate organization in Europe in monopolizing the global market
STORY HIGHLIGHTS. Caven Masuku a lecturer at Midlands State University from Gweru, Zimbabwe teachers Global Media structures and is a Journalist who have keen interest in finding out what is currently happening with conglomerate and global media agencies. he can be contacted on masuku.caven@gmail.com

* Dispute over e-book prices between Amazon, publisher a power play, says Barry C. Lynn
* Lynn: Government has stressed lower prices while allowing growth of powerful retailers
* He says the cost of the policy has been domination of retailers over suppliers

RELATED TOPICS

* Amazon.com Inc.
* Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
* Monopolies

Editor's note: Barry C. Lynn is author of "Cornered: The New Monopoly Capitalism and the Economics of Destruction" (Wiley). He is a senior fellow and director of the Markets, Enterprise and Resiliency Initiative at the New America Foundation.

(CNN) -- Late in January, the book publisher Macmillan told Amazon it wanted to raise the prices of its books sold through the online retailer. Amazon made clear it wanted to continue to set prices for Macmillan's books, as it does for most books it sells.

To make sure the publisher understood it was serious, Amazon cut the links that enable people to buy Macmillan's books via Amazon's Web site. For more than a week, you could still see Macmillan books on Amazon; you just couldn't order one.

Even though the two companies have since struck a truce, the showdown should deeply concern anyone who cares not merely about the health of this vital industry, but about concentration of political power in America.

What should concern us foremost is not that Amazon's managers believe they -- rather than the people who write and edit our books -- have a right to set the price for books. It is that Amazon's managers believe they have consolidated sufficient power -- the company sells as much as 80 percent of all ebooks, for instance -- to enforce their will by cutting off the public's access to a publisher's books.

More disturbing yet, Amazon is not alone in having captured such a position. Another company that has captured a real say over the actions of our publishers is Wal-Mart. And Wal-Mart is a goliath that has repeatedly used its dominant position to influence the content of products by refusing to sell certain books or music.

Indeed, such brute use of power is increasingly the norm across our economy. As anyone who has studied the business practices of Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Best Buy knows, rough treatment of the people who make what we buy is true in just about every industry.

It was not always this way in America. A generation ago every city boasted its own department stores, discount shops and independent bookstores. Power was so widely distributed that few retailers enjoyed any real power over suppliers.

The consolidation in retail since then is due largely to two revolutions in our anti-monopoly laws. The first was the Consumer Goods Pricing Act of 1975, which gave retailers the power to price other companies' products. Second was the Reagan administration's reframing of our anti-monopoly laws in 1981 around the concept of "consumer welfare."

Until then, the prime purpose of anti-monopoly laws was to protect citizens against concentration of political power. Since then, officials have used our anti-monopoly laws instead to lower prices. To achieve this end, they often virtually promote concentration of power over entire market systems.

As a result, it is now all but routine for big firms, in their efforts to grow bigger and increase profits, to dictate prices to suppliers who depend on them to get to their customers. Such use of power can strip away or destroy much of the cash suppliers would have invested in new products or simply to maintain systems and skills.

There is nothing new in this. A century ago Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes spelled out the dangers in a case in which a retailer manipulated the price of a drug, "I cannot believe," he wrote, "that in the long run the public will profit by this court permitting knaves to cut reasonable prices for some ulterior purpose of their own, and thus to impair, if not to destroy, the production and sale of articles which it is assumed to be desirable that the public be able to get."

In the case of Amazon, consolidation has often been presented as a consequence of new technologies. And it is not entirely clear how we can apply traditional anti-monopoly laws, many of which have geographic components, to online commerce.

But any careful reading of history will carry us to analogous challenges in our past, like those posed by the early railways, and thereby to other potentially useful forms of anti-monopoly law such as common carriage rules. Also, most of Amazon's abuses would have been avoided if the people who make our products (in this case books) still enjoyed complete autonomy to set their own prices.

Amazon acted badly. So too Wal-Mart, especially during last fall's book price war. Yet the fundamental flaw lies not with the decisions made by managers of these companies. It lies with viewing our anti-monopoly laws as a tool to promote a flawed vision of efficiency rather than to protect our most vital liberties.

Defenders of concentration will continue to justify their use of power with claims they are serving the "consumer." But we should be clear that fixation on lowering prices can result in truly dramatic costs.

Sometimes it is degradation of the quality and safety of the products delivered to the American "consumer." Sometimes it is the concentration of power over the people who produce our books and other vital products and over the American citizen.

Mbira music evokes spiritual feelings-Gweru Mbira crew

2010-01-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

"When I first listened to the mbira sound, I wanted to hear more and
more. I could not stop it, I was sick until I learned to play, so I
could hear these sounds, once declared Zimbabwe's Mbira Queen maestro,
Stella Rambisai Chiweshe.

The above experience is not unique to Stella, as she is known by her
legions of fans. Those were the same feelings that drove the only
Mbira music ensemble in Gweru , the Midlands Mbira Crew to the
traditional beat.

The group, a brainchild of three Mbira enthusiasts, Trymore Marowa,
Chigama Hope and James Chiguvare was formed in November last year.

The trio declares that as they play and listen to the Mbira beat they
are “engrossed in the spiritual world”, where they get possessed with
ancestral powers “that can cast the evils of society away.”

Martin Mgwagwa, the Manager of the group, said feelings of the artful
way ancestors lived made them play mbira music, an art he says is
“innate and does not need formal education.”

He added that the traditional beat is unique, compared to others as
Sungura as one plays using instruments that are not connected to
external wires.

"Mbira as part of art music is distinct from Sungura music that is
played out of wires connected to electricity for entertainment. As we
sing the song about Imbwa Machena yaenda yoga musango, it comes deep
in my heart through feelings that neither can be touched or seen",
said Mgwagwa. We play mbira to express our feelings as well as that of
my community using typical ancestry self made instruments that we want
to conserve as culture to our children, he added.

This group that is based in Gweru sings about the past in Chikaranga
and Zezuru language, especially in their songs like chidzima and
mhondoro. “Last week we performed in front of the spirit mediums from
Guruve that came to Costorage in Mkoba 9, to appease the ancestry to
open up the sky for the Midlands people”, said The Manager.

Mgwagwa revealed that mbira music is an important artistic prowess
that remind the people of Zimbabwe about their ancestors way of life
before the coming in of television and radios. He said that just like
Christianity, traditional living can be captured and conserved through
playing mbira to the people of Gweru.

Mbira music is more salient to social and economic issues than in
politics .As Midlands Mbira Crew we get invitations from all over the
country to perform, especially where there will be spirit mediums
(mhondoro) or where the will be some ceremonies to bless new buildings
or to cleanse away evil spirits. We have seen many artists dying of
HIV/Aids and if you are playing Mbira dzechivanhu it works on you as a
carthesis that disciplines and cleanses away evil. You can not sleep
around with women and come to singing mbira never, never, mbira will
deter you no-wonder why mbira singers do not die of HIV/AIDS, said
Mgwagwa.

The Midlands Mbira Crew is currently in need of the PA system and hope
that the Midlands National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) will assist
them through promotions and marketing by inviting them to provide
entertainment in big gatherings said one of the crew members, James
Chiguvare. He added that they are very grateful with the new Midlands
administration (NACZ) for the support they are giving them to market
themselves. Hope Chigama said that the NACZ in Midlands Province if
possible should inform them where there is need for their performance
since there are the only Mbira group so far in Gweru.

Mgwagwa said the group has a strong relationship with the Gweru
business community and performs in Beer Halls like Batanai bar in
Mkoba and Mnkandla Ekhaya Holdings Light Industry (Sponono).

He added that last year Mkoba Member of Parliament Mr Chibaya invited
them for a Christmas Party held at Mkoba Secondary School.

So far this group is yet to go for a tour, but are looking forward to
travel places all over the country performing. Seven members for
Midlands Mbira Crew namely Trymore Marowa, Hope Chagama, James
Chiguvare, Owen Mbano, Skanyisiwe Kanye, Author Mbano and Clara
Mashayamombe are looking forward to record their first album in mbira
music very soon.

There is need to teach mbira music at both primary and secondary level
as a way of preserving our local culture, said Mgwagwa the Manager. He
encouraged all artist around the country not be shy about what they
are doing. To the mbira arts groups across the country Mgwagwa
encouraged them to take mbira music seriously and not to be deterred
by negative comments from community members who perceive them as
marombe( poor people).

"We thank the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Midlands Province new
administration for realising people like us and trying to promote and
market us. We will be happy if they can invite all artists in
important events without bias and to network us with business
community", said Mgwagwa.

NACZ should in future organise workshops for artists in Gweru and
impart skills on how we should conduct ourselves and business with
that spirit in Gweru we are likely to prosper, he added.

“The Midlands Mbira Crew group is a talented music group that contains
their cultural practises and observed that there is vibrant talent in
Midlands”, said Cathrine Mthombeni the Midlands National Arts Council
of Zimbabwe, Provincial Programmes Officer.

She added that she expect the artists in Midlands to be corporative so
that there can jointly market and promote them.

The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Midlands Provincial Arts
Manager, Abigal Sivanda said there is talent in the Midlands but
lamented the tendency by the artists to relocate to bigger cities,
hence depriving the province's status as an arts and cultural boiling
point.

“Midlands is blessed with artists from various genres and some of them
use to flee to other cities like Bulawayo and Harare”, she said

Facebook blocks social network profile removal service

2010-01-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

BBC NEWS ON-LINE

Social network giant Facebook has blocked a website from accessing people's profiles in order to delete their online presence.

The site, Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, offers to remove users from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Myspace.

It does not delete their accounts but changes the passwords and removes "friend" connections.

Seppukoo.com, which offers a similar service, was issued with a "cease and desist" letter by Facebook in 2009.

Netherlands-based moddr, behind Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, says it believes that "everyone should have the right to disconnect".

However Facebook says that by collecting login credentials, the site violates its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR).

"Facebook provides the ability for people who no longer want to use the site to either deactivate their account or delete it completely," the company said. "We're currently investigating and considering whether to take further action."

Web 2.0 Suicide Machine claims that it only stores the name, profile picture and "last words" of its clients, who can choose to watch their friend/follower connections disappear in real time as their profiles unlink from others.

"Seamless connectivity and rich social experience offered by web 2.0 companies are the very antithesis of human freedom," says a statement on its website.

Seamless connectivity and rich social experience offered by web 2.0 companies are the very antithesis of human freedom.
Web 2.0 Suicide Machine

The machine operates on an adjusted Linux server which runs open source software Apache 2.

Seppukoo.com, which offers to remove people from Facebook, received a letter from the social network site's lawyers in December 2009.

Once they have deleted their friends Seppukoo clients can choose an image instead of their profile picture to remain as a "memorial" .

The site is run by a group called Les Liens Invisibles, and describes itself as an artistic project. The name Seppukoo is taken from a Japanese ritual form of suicide known as Seppuku.

In November 2009 the group orchestrated the "virtual suicide" of a group of fictitious Facebook profiles set up in the names of deceased well-known figures including Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Virginia Woolf.

The positive achievement of Copenhagen

2009-12-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

The Western media publicly announced that the Copenhagen Conference was a unique moment ever to be achieved in history. It is salient to examine whether this uniqueness is measured in terms of achievement with regard to environmental issues or integration of the world leadership.
The BBC News indicated that despite the hassles that the leaders had at Copenhagen Conference there are changes that this conference had made which among will be talked about in this story.It is therefore salient to question whether the achievement talked about can be viewed the same from an African context.
The conference had 110 world leaders present and a single issue on the agenda, judging from history there has never been a meeting like this. The countries that brokered the text, the US, China, India, South Africa, Brazil and the EU, also reflects a world in which the balance of power has significantly changed in the last 20 years. This statement can be a born of contention in that only few countries are talked about here and nothing much is said about third world countries like Zimbabwe, Senegal, Ethiopia,Somalia and so forth. Again it is debatable as to whether what the conference discussed will be fully factored by leaders who attended the conference. It can be argued that this conference sounds like a meeting that was meant to rate the countries with potential, or countries that had emerged to join super powers like America, Canada, Australia, Germany and Britain.
The conference is said to have redefined the debate between countries in terms of awareness of climate science and support for action. There is no longer any question that climate change is central to the political thinking of every country on the planet. Again environmental awareness is important but western countries or developed countries are the ones in lead when it comes to emission of gasses that destroys the environment. Most developing countries do not produce mass destruction weapons which have gasses that destroys the environment. The western powers are the ones who does that and are including developing countries to be part of their mess. In Zimbabwe, not even a single day have i heard the manufacturing of dangerous explosive that destroys the environment. Yes we do have industries that produces too much gasses, but which i hope do not causes drastic emission that can destroy the environment. Apart from that the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) as an organisation that deals with environment preservation is doing a lot to curb that. This is just like the human rights convention of 1948, that was convened after the first and second world war, that benefited the western countries who were involved in wars. The third world countries did not benefit much on that, if they did it was by chance. Perhaps what can be recommended about it is that it created consciousness to the the developing world population that there is need to respect human rights.
Public awareness has also massively increased. The vast campaigns run around the world in the run-up to Copenhagen by governments, NGOs and business and the media coverage of the issue and the summit have made addressing climate change widely understood and discussed from the pubs of rural England to the bars of Beijing. This perhaps is one aspect i will agree with the rest, but differ in that the conference was embodied with political tension than with environmental knowledge to improve our environmental conditions.
The other very important change is that green growth is now the prevailing economic model of our time. The idea that addressing climate change is bad for business was buried at Copenhagen. Countries from both developed and developing worlds have announced low-carbon economic plans and are moving forward. Well i guess this is a gloss over picture which need thorough investigations and which many people will beg to differ. In Countries like Zimbabwe where we have too many scrap cars with running engines i do not think this is true.
On the other hand, it is said that Copenhagen despite its positive achievement had certain issues that it failed to resolve which among include combination of political will, economic direction and public pressure was not enough to overcome the concerns over sovereignty that many countries have in the context of international law. The final decision reflects the fact that many countries only want to be answerable to themselves. They will co-operate, but not under the threat of legal sanction. From my view i guess this is the most important issues this conference should have resolved. For environmental policies to be full implemented at global standards there is need to address political and economic tension that exist between the super powers and their colonies. For instance,sour relationships between Zimbabwe with Britain and other western powers is a serious issue that can block the fully implementation of environmental policies initiated in such conference.
Again setting standards for developing world similarly to the developed world is a mammoth task which can not be easily measured and quantified. I support the BBC news view that the first time actions by countries can be assessed globally, but there is no verification of the actions undertaken in the developing world unless they are paid for by the developed world. Assessment measured used against the developed worlds can not fit well in the developing worlds. It is however questionable how this will be achieved and how developed worlds can be put in the same footing with the developing worlds.

It remains to be seen whether committed targets on emissions, which are due to be made at the end of January, will make a difference. The BBC news is quoted saying that there will also be a review of progress in 2015 which may offer the opportunity to adjust any targets in light of the science. There is query whether the review in 2015 will be all encompassing due to the political and economic tension that exist among the superpowers , and also between the developed and the developing worlds
For any better understanding on this issue please feel free to email Masuku caven on masuku.caven@gmail.com. Thank you!

A talented visual artist in Midlands (Gweru)

2009-12-17T07:36:00.001-08:00

An artist like Godwell Mkandhla has always functioned in his society as the recorder of mores and experience of his society and as the voice and vision in his own time. Visual art like oral art is a vehicle of imparting the values and cultural personalities of the society. Mkandhla like any other artists is talented in painting, stone sculptor and weaving.

In an interview conducted with Caven Masuku, Mkandhla said that he was born in Zvishavane in 1979. He did his primary education in Bulawayo and secondary education in Hwange secondary school. He was later trained in visual arts at Surprise Centre a place situated 20km away from Gweru along Shurugwi road.

Mkandhla said that visual art is all about feelings and giving a sight of objects around. Visual artists teach people through artistic works like painting to honour their culture . Painting is one medium and means of communications that was used by the Bushman and the Mesopotamia to communicate to the society.

Visual art as a genre in arts like oral and written literature cultivate good culture to the community. Visual arts through drawings remind people of their past, their learned ways of living, behaviour and attitudes. “Through my paintings i reflect harmony within the community and preserve the culture of my people', said Mkandhla.

He added that Visual art unlike oral and written literal works of arts uses the voice and words to disseminate information related to social, cultural, economic and political issues within the community. Visual art on the other hand is silence and is loaded with meaning that can be determined by the viewers cultural background that sometimes can be different to the intended intention by the artist.

Visual artist assist people to learn about their traits using the animals, birds, trees and natural vegetation surrounding them through attaching meaning to it. It needs talented artists like Mkandhla to apply his visual artistic talent to remind people and educate them about their learned ways of living.

Economically, visual arts assist in drawing the attention of the foreigners , who can bring forex through buying artistic artefacts and improve the financial well-being of the country. Again artist can earn a living like formal employed workers and can create employment to the youths, said Mkandhla.

In responding to the current problems faced by Gweru artists, Mkandhla indicated that many artists in Midlands ,Gweru faces financial constraints which contribute negatively to the standard of their products.

Furthermore, Gweru unlike Harare , Bulawayo and Mutare has no art gallery to show case and sell their artefacts. “As artists in Midlands, Gweru we have tried to talk to the Military Museum so that they can allow us to display our products for exhibition”, said Mkandhla.

Mkandhla so far has produced more visual art products which among include his 2005 painting entitled “Spirit Blood”. This painting reflect the ills of road accidents and was triggered by the accident that happen along Shurugwi road in 2005, that spilled blood. Un-timed death is painful and causes many people to die young and with brilliant ideas, he said.

Stop violence is another visual arts product that was produced by Mkandhla in 2005 and remind parents that domestic violence is not health for their children. This art products condemns violence that affect the performance of the school going children who witness the fight between their parents on daily basis.

In 2006, Mkandhla produced the “bushman paintings”, a product that was produced through the mixture of soil with paintings. Such paintings that sometimes can be done on stones as a medium benefit society to learn history much better than written words that can be subject to bias.

Mkandhla told Masuku that so far he has only exhibited in Gweru Agricultural Show for 2009. In this show a new visual artefacts called “Sad faces” was displayed to educate people about the strange happenings that catches them by surprise. “As artists there are difficult times that we pass through that makes sad moments for us and this is what i was communicating to the society through my paintings', said Mkandhla.

The talented artist Mkandhla advise other artist to be perseverance, persistent and hard working. Artists should take time and not rush things and admire people like Dominic Benhure and Gutsa who came a long way and have laid a good example to all artist in Zimbabwe, he said.

The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Provincial Arts Manager, Abigal Sivanda said Mkandhla as a visual artist in Gweru has a modern tendencies and his work has not been exposed. Sivanda said that, “Mkandhla once visited Bulawayo Arts Gallery for assistance in his artefacts but did not get the help he needed at that time”. She promised that for the next four weeks as the new administration in Gweru, they will organise an exhibition to enable the business community to meet with local artist. She said that as a marketing strategy this will promote Gweru artists and enable them to sell their arts products to the local business people.

Tips for managing employees

2009-12-15T05:25:00.000-08:00

Communicate their way

If you have an influential post at work that deals with regulating and supervising other workers it is important to communicate effectively with the. Communication is the only way through which information can be disseminated from one point to another. Communication as a process of creating and exchanging information between or among individuals who are completely different but have something in common in order to reach mutual understanding has to be crafted well. Communication in an organization should be kept simple, precise and straight to the point. Organizations have different type of workers the highly literate and the less literate. It therefore wise for the managers or boss to ask the subordinate they manner or ways in which they prefer getting their messages. Those with assess to the Internet and mobile phones can prefer to get the message through their communication gadgets. The less educated can prefer to get the message through the word of mouth using the language they understand. Other employees prefer to get the message in figures instead of words. Any boss with his employee at heart should do things to suite the subordinates.

Focus on goals

Managers should be guided by goals when dealing with their subordinates and not be particular about the methods. When engaged in a conversation the recipient should all focus on the purpose of conversation and not to develop an attitude of getting their own way at the expense of others. Communication is done to inform, to get the message understood,to achieve the intended goals and to create a strong rapport within the organization. The more the workers communicates the higher the chances for them to remain focused. Recipient should avoid being emotional and arrogant when communicating.

Face up fast

In a conversation the recipients should be simple to sort things out immediately. As a leader, subordinates should be encouraged to be honest and open up their heart. This assist to enable individuals to exchange their ideas in a robust atmosphere. It is wise to talk in an adult way and avoid conflict. Despite the position that individuals hold it is advisably to be respectful of peoples age and positions. At time bosses hate people who challenges them and who tell them their ideas. Wisdom makes one to become a good communicator. It can tell you what to say, how to say it and when to say it with polite selection of words to put across the message.

Do not reward bad behaviour
People come to work with different background that at times does not tally well with their boss's behavior. It is wise not to always be in a habit of trying to solve other people's problems because they will just bounce back to you for assistance. Leaders should set the right precedent to their subordinates. Tell them what behaviour you look forward to them and when and how to display it.

Be clear and consistent

Tell the person you are dealing with what they are required of doing. It is important always to tell your subordinates what need to be changed about then and when. If it is bad behaviour tell it straight when it is displayed that you hate it. Be friendly, open and at the same time firm when dealing with human beings. A human face is a must , but at times you have to wear a different face to show that you can be anything when you are pushed over the corner. A Janus face that is always talked about in public relations practitioner is the best ever to be displayed in communicating or dealing with your subordinate. For views and comments you can email Masuku caven on masuku.caven@gmail.com or call 263-913210607

AOL part ways with Time Warner

2009-12-15T04:22:00.001-08:00

AOL part ways with Time Warner

The BBC news says that AOL and Time Warner have formally part ways after almost 10 years as one company.

It is said that under the deal that was sealed by the two media giants a consensus was reached, qualifying that shareholders will receive one AOL share for each 11 Time Warner they own.
The BBC on-line news in the technology column revealed that AOL shares will begin trading on Thursday. They will even regain the market ticker symbol they used before the merger. It is important for media students especially those from 3rd World countries to be conscious of such development. Media just like any other business is there to generate profit and deals have to be made to boost the financial status of the organisation

But the company will be worth a tiny fraction of what it once was. Its market value is put at about $2.5bn - 10% of its value at the firm's height.

Media stars in America at the time AOL and Time Warner mergered in 2001, their marriage viewed as the "deal of the century" - one that brought superstars of both old and new media together. In Global media it is a norm that media organisation merge either vertical or horizontal to become one. This apart from making the global media grow big it has some political connotations that can be analysed under the political economy of media.

New media technology is one influential aspect that makes global media to shift position time and again. BBC news says that the separation between Time Warner and AOL came soon after AOL started to look jaded as its once-popular dial-up Internet model was superseded by broadband. Again in media studies students should observe the influential role played by technology in shaping the global media organisation.

Time Warner's long-established collection of TV and magazines proved no bulwark against new developments. It also lost revenue as the media fragmented further. AOL as global media organisation have websites that provides wider services such as the on-line news, emails and so forth.

2009-12-08T09:50:00.001-08:00

CAVEN MASUKU CV

CURRICULUM VITAE

NAME CAVEN MASUKU
Date of Birth: 04-10-1981
Mobile Number: 0913210607
Home Address: 352 MTAGE ROAD SENGA T/SHIP, GWERU
Email Address: masuku.caven@gmail.com or masukuc@msu.ac.zw

Midlands State University Varsity on-Line publication: In 2007 i was one of the Posts Graduate Diploma students to start the varsity Voice MSU on-line paper

Online Publication, Weblogs, Profile and so forth:

These projects were undertaken using my own initiative during the work related learning period (September 2006-July 2007).

The Business Express Won the Award for Being the Best Community Newspaper NJAMA Award in 2007.
NAMA NOMINEE Award Certificate in 2007
NAMA NOMINEE Award Certificate in 2008

ON-LINE PUBLICATIONS
www.masukucaven.blogspot.com
www.cave8.wordpress.com
http://blogs.24.com/Lulindo.com
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Caven_Masuku
www.msu.ac.zw/cm/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=1&id=20&Itemid=2 - 23
http://blogs.24.com/Lulindo
http://blogs.24.com/Lulindo
Adobe PageMaker (Page Layout and Cover Design)
Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Internet competence

JANUARY-2002-DEC 2005: ZIMBABWE OPEN UNIVERSITY
AWARD: BA English & Communication Studies
Class : 2:1(Upper second class)
KEY MODULES
Introduction to communication
Introduction to Applied Linguistics
Introduction to Literature
Communication, English and literature
Communication in Negotiation
African Literature

English for specific purpose
Multimedia Communication
Zimbabwean Literature

Research in Communication, Language & Literature
Training for Specific Purpose
Computers in Communication, language & Literature
Research Project

Dissertation: "An investigation as to whether advertising is a form of
Propaganda use to manipulate people's mind in Gweru
Urban"

CURRENT STUDIES
MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN MEDIA AND SOCIETY STUDIES DEGREE
Feb 2008-Dec 2009

Period: April 2008 - July 2008
Level: 1.1

MMSS 701 Theory and methodology in Communication Merit
MMSS 702 Mass media Audience Merit
MMSS 703 The Media Governance and Development Merit
MMSS 705 Principles and Practices of Health Communication Pass
MMSS 707 Media Human Rights and crisis Management Pass

Period: January 2009 - April 2009
Level: 1.2

MMSS 704 Political communication & Political marketing Pass
MMSS 710 Corporate Communications Management Pass
MMSS 711 Media & Communications Regulations Pass
MMSS 712 Critical Media Theory Merit

Period: August 2009 - December 2009
Level: 2.1

MMSS801 DISSERTATION Pass
MMSS802 CRITICAL POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE MEDIA Merit
MMSS805 INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES Pass

Decision: PASS

February -2007 - Dec 2007: Midlands State University
Award: Post Graduate Diploma in Media & society Class: PASS

Key Modules
Introduction to Print Journalism
Journalism and Desktop Publishing
Media Law and Ethics
Comparative Media in Africa
Texts, Audiences and Reception
Principles of Advertising & Public Relations
Theories of Communication

Media Research Methods
Global Media Structures
Political Communication
Critical Media Theory
Political Economy and the Media
Radio Journalism

FEB- 2000-DEC 2000 EDUcare College
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN COMPUTER
STUDIES

Key Modules
1998-1999: Educare College
'A' Levels
Sociology, Divinity & History

1995-1998: SENGA SECONDARY School
'O' Level

April 2008-up to date: Midlands State University
Teaching Assistant Lecturer in Media Departments. I
Assess students on attachment, mark the
Assignments. I am also in the work related learning
Committee (Department of Media & Society Studies)

Dec 1999- Sept 2003: Desai Spar Supermarket
This was the placement year of my degree course where I was based in Editorial and Marketing Departments.
Duties included Writing articles, Page layout, Design of advertisements, Marketing and Distribution of the paper.After completion of the attachment, I continued freelancing for The Business Express.

Jan 2003 - Dec 2005: EDUcare College
Teaching English Literature and Sociology at Advance
Level.
Lecturing Advanced Business Communication

February 2005-February 2008: The Business Express
Senior News Reporter
Writing stories, interviewing sources, supervising intern
Students on attachment, designing the paper and
attending to Press Conferences.

March 2008-April 2008:The Voice of Zimbabwe
Radio News Reader and News Reporter.
Writing business News
Conducting on air business programs
On-line networking
Watching Soccer
Travelling
Writing Stories online

TEAM WORK SPIRIT, STRONG PUBLIC RELATIONSHIP&COMPETENCE IN COMPUTERS

REFERENCES
The Manager
Miss Kirunda
Business Express
2ND Floor Suit 201-204
Main CABS BLD
Box 836, Gweru
263-221508
email: jkirunda02@yahoo.com.au

The Chairperson Media Department
Mr P Mandava
Midlands State University
P Bag 9055
Gweru, Zimbabwe
mandavap@yahoo.com
263-260337/263-260450/263-260475
Mobile: 263:913282886

Mr Aaron Radman Manager
Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe
5th Floor,First Mutual Bldg, Main Street 9th
P.O Box 2932
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe Telex 263-33061ZDB ZW
Tel 263-70035/70241/70398/70672
Telefax;263-69313
Mobile:263 912294591
E-Mail; aradman@idbz.co.zw