Eka Widhiyarti, Nanik Suryani
[email protected], [email protected] The Student of Administration Office, Faculty of Economy,
Universitas Negeri Semarang, Central Java Indonesia
Abstract: Public relations are used to communicate at educational institutions. Based on the primary data of secondary education at the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2015-2016, the total numbers of vocational high schools at Semarang city are12 state Vocational High Schools and 77 privates Vocational High Schools. Based on the observation at Palebon Vocational High School, it could be seen that the total students had been unstable during the last eight years (2009 until 2015). This study is a qualitative study. The data were collected by observation, interview, and documentation; then, the data were analyzed by Miles & Huberman interaction model. The result of the study shows that the internal role of public relations at school is to coordinate the relationship of all units at schools. While, the externals roles are to promote the school and to cooperate with companies. Then, it can be concluded that the roles of public relations at Palebon Vocational High School are good at improving the public relations and promoting the school brand at Semarang city.
Keywords: Public Relations, Internal Role, External Role, Schools.
INTRODUCTION
Education is the one of the important things in human life. In general, education can be got from institution, formal institution, non-formal institution or informal. Based on Law Republic Indonesia (UU RI) Number 20 Year 2003 about National Education System(SISDIKNAS) that poured forth in Paragraph 1 general determinate section 1 subsection 11 explains that “ Formal education is they way of education that to be structure and step by step includes as basis education, intermediate education, and advanced education”. Section 1 subsection 12 explains “ Non-formal education is the way of education that outside of formal education that can be conducted structural and step by step, “ Section 1 Subsection 13 explains “ Informal education is the family and environment education way. Formal education is divided into 4 includes, intermediate education such as Senior High School, Senior High Islamic School, Vocational High School and Vocational High Islamic School or another form that have same grade (UU RI Number 20 Year 2003 about SISDIKNAS Paragraph 1 Section 18).
Based on primary data of intermediate education, the Cabinet Education and Culture (DAPODIKMEN KEMENDIKBUD), the status of the school is divided into two, the school that is held by government institution often called state school, and the school that is held by non government institution often called private school. The competition between them is directly felt by student as consumer. The competition for wresting quota in state school and the enchantment of private school is very common in society.
Based on the result of interview with the vice chairman of public relation SMK Palebon Semarang on 1 February at 12.19 pm in the vice headmaster of SMK Palebon’s room. He stated that the majority of students’ anxiety after they pass from SMP is checked in state school than private
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school, it is triggered by student assessment that private school more expensive and the quality of state school better. (Soeroso)
Lupiyoadi and Hamdani (2009:159) “The education institute communicates with the market uses public relation, marketing publication, and advertisement. It is the primary type from formal marketing communication program”. In line with that, especially private school, the role of public relation is very important because private school is like business that service education. They must be able to draw out the interest from student and teacher to check in that private education.
Based on that condition, the communications have to work perfectly between the public relation and the consumer, so the aim of communication in education institute can be reached. In line with that, Lupiyadi and Hamdani (2009:159) state, because one of the communication aims is education institute is to maintain and increasing image from the institute and draw out the student.
Some public in public relations can be classification into some categories includes: internals public and externals public. Internal public is the public that be in organization/business such as supervisor, employee implementer, manager, contribution holder and management undertaking. External public is not related with business such as press, the government, lecturer, customer, and supplier. (soemirat, 2015)
Semarang city is one of the biggest country that consist of state school and private school, according to DAPODIKMEN explains that 2015-2016, the number of state SMK is 12 schools and private school have a lot of numbers than state SMK, so it can created the tight competition in private schools. Based on the result of interview with chairman of Administration Office Course SMK Palebon Semarang, in 1 February 2016 at 09.07 WIB in teacher’s room of SMK Palebon, he states that, the majority vote of student in SMK Palebon Semarang, the student that check in state SMK and they failed, so they have to check in private SMK. (Eti).
According to the statement reflect that certain indicator that can determine student’s decision when they want checked in private SMK, private SMK is a business education serving and will be choose by some parents and students with certain reasons. According to Lupiyoadi and Hamdani (2009:132) states that public relation has important role in management service marketing, building the image of undertaking and strengthen undertaking positioning, doing public communicate effectively. If the private school get good image in society, parents, and students as the consumer, they will interest to check in in that private SMK. To build good image, they need communication effectively to influence public toward to interest to check in SMK Palebon Semarang.
Based on the theory that is state by expert in social psychology Theodore M. Newcomb on Severin (2007:157-158) takes balance theory Heider and applies in human communication. Newcomb states that the effort to influence others is magnet for the other peoples. In line with that, Newcomb theory is the theory that brings something close between individual than the changed attitude theory.
If we failed reach the balance through communication with the other people about an object that important for us, so we can change our attitude toward to that people or the object that is discusses to create the balance. In order to the attitude change, someone have to relate to information that different with the changes of attitude today. The balance theory of Newcomb predicts that if A interested in B, so the changed opinion toward A is more grown.
The role of public relation is as the bridge of school to society as consumer, because they can create interest to parents and student when they will determine the choice. SMK Palebon is one of private school from 77 private schools in Semarang Regency. According first observation in SMK Palebon Semarang, the researcher gains the data of the student in the last 8 year. The data is the number of new student that checked in every year.
Table 1. The Number of Student in Tenth Grades 2008-2015 SMK Palebon Semarang
No Years
The Courses
Totals Accounting
(AK)
Administration Office (AP)
Multimedia (MM)
Marketing (PM)
1 2008-2009 92 65 37 48 242
2 2009-2010 80 82 40 42 244
3 2010-1011 89 47 76 47 259
4 2011-2012 96 137 84 48 365
5 2012-2013 88 133 78 47 346
6 2013-2014 83 92 42 41 258
7 2014-2015 75 93 39 46 253
8 2015-2016 83 138 69 44 334
Source: TU of SMK Palebon Semarang
SMK Palebon Semarang determined the number every year with the assumption that every year the number of class is appropriate with the target. According to interview with vice chairman of public relation SMK Palebon, he stated that” every year has new challenge in recruit the student.
Humas has the important role in registration of student. They will enter a field when they promote about SMK Palebon in different schools and compote with other schools. The interest of student and parents when they take a decision and check in their children in private SMK also is influenced by public relations when they promote. (Soeroso)
The researchers conducted interview with student from office administration in tenth grade named Rina Budi Astuti on 28 April 2016 at 11.14 WIB in front of class XI AP. She states that the reason why she checks in SMK Palebon is: The primary factor is my score was not enough to check in state SMK, so I choose SMK Palebon. It means that there was some student that was not acceptance because they had low score. The students that realize if they were not fulfill the requirement, they will check in private SMK. SMK Palebon also does not determine high score in registration of new student.
Based on the previous study which have done by Tendean (2013), it shows that the public relation has a positive benefit to the Sam Ratulangi Manado University’s image. In this study, the use of data analysis technique was different from before. Data analysis technique that used in previous study was descriptive statistic technique with percentage, whereas in this study was using model interactive analysis by Miles and Huberman in Sugiyono’s book (2010) explain that “the activity of data analyzing is data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/ verification”
Based on previous study about public relation that was done by student in University of Indonesia (Oktavianingsih, 2012) titled: Role of Human Relation State Institution to Keep the Reputation of An Organization (the role of the public relation in DPR RI to keep reputation performance the member of DPR RI). This research showed that public relation DPR RI conducted various communication strategies to keep reputation performance the member of DPR RI includes Publication of Magazine and Bulletin Parlementaria, blocking rubric, Parliament television, Website of DPR, Press Conference and Adult Parliament
The next research was done in the Government of Kutai Barat (Bernadeth, 2014) conclude that the government of Kutai Barat regency will have been taken the measure immediately to turn the society’s believing and to get back the government’s images which has been weak to the government
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By using the previous studies as the basic of study, the researcher was enthusiastic to do the research in a school. So, the purpose of this study is to know how the internal and external public relation’s role in the school, especially Vocational High School of Palebon Semarang.
METHODS Basic of the Study
The researcher was used qualitative method to do the study. Moleong (2010:6) explain the qualitative research as follow: the qualitative research is the study which used to understand holistically the phenomena that has been experienced by the subject of study, for example: behavior, perception, motivation, action, etc. And by using the description of words and language, in the natural special context and employing some natural method.
This qualitative research method was used in this study, because in doing so, the researcher was found some behavior, perception, information, also indications in the yard by doing observation concerning the act of internal and external public relation in Vocation High School of Palebon Semarang which can not explain by numbers but by described the problems clearly. The problems that happened in the yard also needed more explanation by looking for the information to the involved party which support by documentation.
Focus and Location of the Study
The focus study is the object of the research, which be a notice spot or core of research. Ths research was focus on internal and external public relation’s action in Vocation High School of Palebon Semarang. That research place is in Vocation High School of Palebon Semarang. The motive of the researcher to choose this location was because the ration number of tate and private Vocational High School in Semarang city was much enough, there are 12 state Vocational High School and 77 private Vocational High School, the students number was unstable in every year. Based on that case, the researcher want to know deeply how internal and external public relation action in Vocation High School of Palebon Semarang.
Source of the Data
Source of the study based on Lofland and Moleong in Moleong’s book (2010:157-160)
“source of the main date in qualitative research is words and behavior, and the other is additional data like document, etc. The characteristic of qualitative research is descriptive, not numbering.” The data is the process, event, and incident which than be analyze in category form. Words and behavior of people whom observed or interviewed is the main source which noted or recorded by video/ audio taper, captured some photo or film.
Main source in this study is about internal and external public relation action in Vocational High School of Palebon Semarang which have gotten by the researcher as the product of interviewing some informer who related in public relation, some of them is vice public relation and all clerk in Vocation High School of Palebon, whereas the supporter data in this research is the back-up of the students data in 8 years left, documentation of Decision Letter of vice public relation, and other document which related with the role of public relation Vocation High School of Palebon Semarang.
Based on Sugiyono’s book (2013:300) in qualitative study, sampling technique which often used is purpose sampling or snowball sampling. Purpose sampling is the taking data sampling technique by consideration. Snowball sampling is the taking data sampling technique that the number at the beginning was a little, and at last the number was increase. It was doing because from the little number of the data source can gave a complete data, and get looking for someone who can used as
data source. In this study the researcher was considered information aspect which may will be get deeply if interviewing the vice of public relation. Then, to increase the number of data and information, the researcher was interviewed all clerk in the school.
Then explanation by Faisal who copying Spradley in Sugiyono’s book (2013:303) explain that
“sample as a data source or informer had better fill criteria as follow: (1) They who understand for something by inculturation process, so that something not only be knowing but also understanding. (2) They who still doing the activity which be research. (3) They who have much time to be informer. (4) they who did not explain their information. (5) they who was at the beginning as the stranger so the researcher more enthusiastic to make them as a teacher or informer.
The sample increasing was stopped, because the data was loaded. From some informer did not gave information. In this study if the researcher felt enough for getting the information, so the researcher did not need to interview other people and did not looking for documentation which related with internal and external public relation in Vocation High School of Palebon Semarang.
Equipment and Data Collecting Technique
The equipment that used by researcher in this study are: (1) note book and pen, the function is to note the interview’s report when the process of interviewing. (2) recorder, this function is to record the conversation between the researcher and the informer. (3) camera, this function is to take some picture/ video which related with the data.
The data collection technique in this study is: observation, based on Marshall in Sugiyono’s book (2013:310) said that “through observation, the researcher learn about behavior and the meaning attached to those behavior.” The researcher has observed on January 29, 2016 and the conclusion of these observation is vice-public relation said that many tips was made by the admissions committee learners especially the public relation to work directly in school in order to promote Vocational High School Palebon to the Semarang society. Tips that definitely done by the public relation are build a stand in the Vocation State High School 2 and 9 Semarang. The purpose of build that stand is the students who are rejected in one of Vocation state will be over to enroll in Vocation Palebon. In addition, before the registration period started the committee was disseminate in Junior High Schools to introduce Vocational High School of Palebon and spreading questionnaire to find out how far the Junior High School students know the Vocation High School of Palebon. The researcher also got the data of the students number for 2013-2016 from Mr Nawawi as the secretary of PPD.
Furthermore, researchers did the second observations on February 2, 2016 and get the results in the form of completeness data on the number of new students last 8 years. So with that data researchers can strengthen the research background. The number of students in 2008-2012 was obtained from the archives administration (TU) Vocation High School of Palebon Semarang.
Observations that did by researchers in data collection expressed clearly to the data source, that she was doing research.
Interviewing, in this study the type of interview conducted a structured interview. According Esterbeg in Sugiyono’s book (2013: 319) a structured interview was used as data collection techniques, when the researcher or the data collection has been through exactly what information will be obtained. Therefore, in conducting interviews, collecting data has been set up research instrument in the form of written questions that the alternative answer has also been prepared. With this structured interview each respondent was given the same question. As the initial data researchers to strengthen the background in the study informants who have been interviewed, Mr Soeroso as vice-public relations, Mrs. Eti Asfiyani as the head office administration skills program.
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Documentation, documentation used as supporting data from interviews and observations, used to obtain data or information. Sugiyono (2013: 329) the document is a record of events that had passed. Documents can be in the form of text, images, or the monumental works of a person. In this study, as the basic data of this research that the researchers have obtained documents containing data on the number of new students in the last 8 years. The authors obtained that data from the vice public relations, secretary receiver learners (PPD) and TU Vocation of Palebon Semarang.
Objectivity and Validity of Data
Moleong (2010: 325-326) explains that: to make sure that something is objective or not depends on the approval of some of the views, opinions and discoveries by someone. It could be said that the experience of a person was subjective if agreed by a few or some people, then it can be said objectively. Objectivity that researchers do aimed so that the data or information that obtained will make the data was valid so that researchers in this conduct interviews with several parties, Mr Soeroso as vice-public relations, Mrs. Eti Asfiyani as chairman of expertise program administration office, and Mr Nawawi as secretary receiver learners (PPD).
According Moleong (2010: 324) to obtain the (trustworthiness) of data required inspection techniques. "Implementation of the inspection techniques based on certain criteria. There are four criteria used is the degree of confidence (credibility), transferability, dependability, and certainty."
The degree of confidence (credibility) Serves: first carry out inquiry such that the confidence level of discovery can be achieved; second, demonstrate the degree of confidence the results of the invention by way of evidence by investigators at the double reality that is being researched. The degree of confidence in this study of information related to the role of public relations in Vocational High School of Palebon Semarang. This is done by researchers with making instruments that structured interview questions where the latter researchers will conduct interviews with informants with the same question, so that the data does not only have source from one informant alone but researchers will be strengthened with the results of interviews by other informants. So that the degree of confidence about the role of public relations can be justified.
Other efforts by researchers to obtain data validity is by triangulation. Triangulation is a technique that utilizes data validity checking something else. Outside of that data for the purpose of checking or as a comparison against the data. Denzin in Moleong (2010: 330) distinguishes four types of triangulation as examination techniques that utilize the use of sources, methods, investigators, and theory.
In this case the researchers used a triangulation of sources and methods. The first triangulation is to source, compare and check the meaning behind confidence degrees of information that was obtained through time and different tools in qualitative research (Patton in Moleong 2010: 330).
Triangulation can be achieved by comparing the results of interviews with the contents of a document that related to the role of public relations in improving the image of the school. The second triangulation, according to the Moleong Patton (2010: 331) there are two strategies: (1) Checking the degree of confidence discovery research results of several techniques of data collection and (2) Checking the degree of confidence multiple data sources using the same method.
Transferability according Moleong (2010: 324-325) transferability as an empirical question depends on the similarities between the sender and recipient context. To make that switch, a researcher should seek and gather empirical incidence of the same context. Thus the researchers were responsible for providing data descriptive sufficient if he wants to make a decision on the transfer. For this purpose, the researcher should do a little research to ensure that businesses verify. The transferability in this study conducted by direct observation of the role of public relations in Vocational High School