Public Relations and Municipal Marketing as Factors Improving the Quality of Public Administration

Abstract

The level of functioning of public administration is interrelated with its quality as perceived by the environment. The term public relations is most commonly defined as the “creation, promotion and maintenance of a positive image, beliefs in honesty and good will”33. Instruments of public relations permit development of administration based on good communications, good opinion and cooperation with the recipients of public services. Assurance of quality and competitiveness in public administration is nowadays essential, therefore the strengths and weaknesses of particular entities must be emphasised. One factor that contributes to success of a city is its recognizability. For a city to attract attention, it must stand out not only with its consciously developed image but most of all with character and function. The collaboration of the self-government, inhabitants and PR specialists helps to build a positive image of cities, enhances their good name, which in many cases translates into a higher service quality of administrative agencies as well as local organisations. The City of Lublin exemplifies an administrative unit that employs PR consciously and successfully.