Effect of public relations planning on human resource management performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria.

The study examines the effect of public relations planning on human resources management performance in the Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria. Data were collected through a mailed survey-designed questionnaire to the senior and junior staff. The staff were stratified and randomly selected from a sampling frame of employees. Multiple linear regressions and the Z-test are used for the analysis. The results reveal that public relations planning affect human resources management practice and performance. The Z-critical value suggests a significant difference between the mean ratings of senior staff and junior staff on the strategies for credible performance in the human resource management. The Z-calculated value is greater than the Z-critical value confirming a significant difference between the mean ratings of junior and senior staff on the effectiveness of public relation planning strategies in the human resource management performance. The government is should play a crucial role to guarantee effective public relations planning by employing or deploying qualified personnel, evaluating electoral programs, and staff development programs. The government should provide adequate funding to the Independent National Electoral Commission to build public trust on the information disseminated to the public. The appointment of high-profile staff should be void of biases, prejudices, and unethical practices which will decrease corruption. These policy implications permit the Independent National Electoral Commission and the government human resource managements to mitigate electoral violence, fraud, corruption, and voters' abstention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]