A Correlation Study On The Relationship Between Media Coverage And The Corporate Reputation Of National Social Security Fund (NSSF)

ABSTRACT

The relationship between media coverage and corporate reputation is an essential phenomenon given its influence on perceptions among madiences. For instance, customers affiliate themselves with organizations with good reputations and regularly patronize their products and/or services. Past studies also indicate that the measure of organizational success is based on the attitudes and opinions of the public arising from media coverage of an organization's attributes. The purpose of this study was to explore how negative media coverage influences the corporate reputation of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The sample size was 103 respondents drawn from Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and Agricultural Employers Association (AEA) who were also the target population. Descriptive research design was used in this research and both questionnaire and Focus Group discussions employed for data collection. Quantitative data was malysed using SPSS programme and Thematic Content Analysis for analysing qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that the publics of NSSF depended on the media as a source of information. However, majority of the respondents depended on their organizations internal publications as a source of information. Majority of the response from the publics indicated negative perceptions towards the corporate reputation of NSSF. Finally, a correlation was identified between negative media coverage and the corporate reputation of NSSF. The key recommendations of the study included creative use of the media by NSSF such as publishing news articles, production of television documentaries and carrying out Corporate Social Responsibility activities in highlighting positive organizational attributes. It also included initiatives such as media relations and media monitoring in order to safeguard sensitive information likely to influence public decisions.