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The importance of effective communication during a crisis situation essays
Emergency and crisis response plan
Aspects of crisis management
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A crisis can arise at any unexpected time. There is nothing worse than having a crisis that is completely unexpected of. One of the most important ideals for a crisis management role is to be prepared. If a company is unprepared in a time of crisis it can bring negatively-viewed perceptions their way (Schmidt, 2013, 16). Take Noah, for example. Noah built an Ark on dry land years before the flood, however, once the flood came he was safe and sound in the boat that people laughed at him for building. Noah was prepared (Edwards, 2013, 33). Too often, organizations are not prepared for a crisis and often times, this diminishes their reputation. This means that a company should never leave their reputation vulnerable to reproach, there should always be a crisis-communication plan intact. A crisis communication plan can help keep potential damage to a company’s reputation at a minimal (Stuart & Cohen, 2010). In fact, a survey conducted by the IABC reported that one in three companies would not be prepared if a crisis arises (Holland & Gill, 2006). The significant goal of a crisis-communication plan is to lessen the damage incurred by the complications of a crisis, meaning the damage done to the company and brand should be at a minimal. It is also important to uphold the company to maintain a secure and stable organization and business realm during the crisis. The company should not have to put their business needs on hold because of a crisis. The crisis should be addressed and the organization should continue to move forward. “One way to view the crisis-communication plan is as an insurance policy: something one should never need but can rest easy that it is there if needed (Stuart & Cohen, 2010). ” Practicing is a good way to help ... ... middle of paper ... ...risis before the company has a chance to make a statement. There are plenty of situations where the company knows about the crisis as hand long before the media and the public and there is so much that could be done before the crisis begins to spread. However, often time the company chooses a different route: to try covering it up instead of making a statement and admitting the problem. One simple problem can turn into a huge crisis simply by the media or public knowing before the company admits any problem (Braud, 2012). Crisis-Communication Plan A crisis-communication plan can make or break an organization. Poor communication in the midst of a crisis can lead the public to feel different emotions. The public could feel that the company does not care and could cause distress because they may feel the organization does not know how to solve the problem they created.
Christ Hospital was founded in 1872 in Jersey City, NJ and is currently operated by the for-profit organization Care Point Health also known as Hudson Hospital OpCo. Christ Hospital is a community healthcare provider that exists to promote and improve health of residents of Jersey City, NJ. Christ Hospital is a 376-bed acute care facility that offers a full spectrum of services including oncology radiation center, and is staffed by over 500 physicians. As part a family of three local hospitals owned and operated by Care Point Health, Christ Hospital shares some administrative and operational functions with the Bayonne Medical Center and Hoboken University Medical Center, all located in Hudson County, NJ. Just like Christ Hospital, Bayonne Medical Center is an acute-care facility with 278-bed capacity and is known for its cardiovascular services, whereas Hoboken University Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital with 364 beds known for its maternity services. All three were acquired by the Care Point Health in the period of five years and have transformed themselves from being market-place competitors to members of the same organization. This has significantly affected their operational strength, and in particular crisis management planning. In the course of regular business, as “sister” organizations, the three hospitals can call on each other for more specialized services to complement their existing capabilities to service their patients better. This networking support becomes crucial in their crisis management planning.
...g by; First, I would make sure that their is plenty of feedback for the employees. As our text suggests, "Without feedback, learning can not occur"(Crandall, W., Parnell, J. & Spillan, J. (2013). Secondly, I would make sure that I have a great crisis management team that are well trained and drilled. Thirdly, we would have a strategy and plan for crisis events. Also, It is very important to make sure that your team members are all confident in their ability to make good decisions for the company. So many times, people are afraid to make decisions. This leads to scapegoating within the departments, and the whole blame game. That doesn't get anybody anywhere.
Despite the abundance of strategies available, researchers have found that William Benoit’s theory of image restoration—later titled image repair—offers a more useful framework for the understanding of corporate crisis situations (Benoit, 1997). Considered the dominant paradigm for image repair discourse, the theory of image restoration is grounded under the premises that communication is a “goal-directed activity.” The first goal aims to maintain one’s favorable image, while the second goal aims to restore or protect one’s reputation (Benoit, 1995, p. 63-71). To ensure these goals where met, Benoit designed a typology that provided crisis communication practitioners with five general defense strategies to employ (separately or collectively) during a crisis to mitigate and or repair damages created by a crisis. Those strategies are: (1) denial, (2) evading responsibility, (3) reducing offensiveness, (4) corrective action, and (5) mortification.
The company should be honest and acknowledge that they have made a mistake. On all interviews the company should express sympathy and regret for those affected and immediately promise that the company will pay all medical costs associated with the crisis. The company should also say the latest news on the crisis and ensure the public that the company has a handle on the problem. Listing places customers can ask questions and seek help about problems related to the crisis can be very appreciated by the customers knowing that the company cares about them.
Crisis is defined as a major, unpredictable event that has potentially negative results. The event and its aftermath may significantly damage an organization and its employees, products, services, financial condition, and reputation. There are many types of crises, for example, economic crises, physical crises, personnel crises, criminal crises, information crises, reputation crises and natural crises. This incident has been grouped into physical crises, natural crises and economic crises. In order to prevent crises from adversely affecting the firm, organizations need effective plans and procedures in place to prevent crises if possible, or to mitigate their effects when they do occur.
There are many definitions for what is considered to be a crisis. Alan Jay Zaremba, author of the textbook ”Organizational Communication,” combines several definitions of the word to conclude that a crisis is “an incident that occurs unexpectedly, could damage an organization’s reputation, values, and/or performance, and requires effective communication. (Zaremba, 2010) In the case of the Nuance Group, their current situation completely blindsided the organization, was a nightmare for their reputation, and communication was now the key element in restoring their image. This was indeed a crisis.
The first situation in which a child could go into crisis, would be that of witnessing a divorce between their parents. Divorce is incredibly common in our society, and even when it isn’t considered a messy divorce, its effects can be catastrophic for a child. When responding to a child experiencing this kind of crisis, it is important to establish a meaningful connection and meeting with them. If the child was young, I would arrange a meeting in which they were able to create art work, talk about their feelings and fears and explain to me what things have been like for them through the divorce. An accurate response would be to remind them that everything will be okay and that your support is guaranteed whenever they need it.
Crisis communication is an area of public relations that I find really fascinating. I enjoy learning about the proper steps that a professional takes when a company is pitted against a major crisis, and what they do in the face of chaos to turn the situation around and use the crisis in their own favor. One case study that exemplifies the degree to which a crisis can be managed effectively and a company can gain more respect by doing so is the case of the Chicago Tylenol Murders in 1982. The tragic deaths of seven people who died due to potassium cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules started as a disaster for Tylenol producer Johnson and Johnson. However, J&J communicated with their publics and the media proficiently, investigated their products after pulling millions of dollars of Tylenol capsules off the shelves across the nation, and developed proper packaging to avoid further mishaps.
..., Crisis communication failures: The BP Case Study, International Journal of Advances in Management and Economics, Issue 2, March-April 2013, accessed 28 March 2014,
The communication process is not something that begins when a crisis rears its ugly head rather it is a process that takes place in preparing for a crisis before it happens. While the term crisis represents a blanket term used to describe many situations, each situation is unique, thus presenting different obstacles to overcome. However, with a well-established advanced plan in place an organization places itself in a position to overcome and work around obstacles. The development of a comprehensive crisis management plan is one achieved through effective communication where each member of the crisis management team has an advanced shared understanding of his or her role and responsibility during a time of crisis (du Pr'e, 2005).
Managing a Crisis Using Public Relations Handling Public Relations for any organization can be very difficult. task in any circumstance - even in simple, non-crisis situations. When a crisis strikes, that's when PR managers really have their work. cut out for them to see. A PR manager must always be prepared for the inevitable crisis to happen because that is when their jobs are really tested by the public and the organization.
In the evaluation of strategic management of public relations, both concepts of risk communication and situational theory can be integrated into the above-mentioned model. Risk communication is an ongoing process that builds the foundation for crisis communication. Particularly, the risk analysis process consists of hazard identification, risk assessment, significance of risks and communicating risk information.
According to David Abrahams, senior vice-president of Marsh Risk Consulting Practice and an expert in brand risk, there is often a demonstrable link between the way in which a crisis is handled by a company and what happens to that business and its associated brand. 'The way in which any crisis is handled becomes a visible test of management capability,' he says. 'If that crisis arises from a fundamental breach of trust or performance, the compound effect of the bad handling can be devastating.'
Essentially, a crisis triggers attributions of responsibility to the organization from stakeholders, along three dimensions: 1) whether the crisis has happened before or will likely happen again; 2) whether the event was controllable or uncontrollable by an individual or the organization; and 3) whether the crisis occurs within the organization or external to it. In this case, Domino’s as an organization was not directly responsible for this crisis, as the event occurred internally at the hands of employees, and this type of crisis had never happened
The increase in unpredictable natural disasters events for a decade has led to put the disaster preparedness as a central issue in disaster management. Disaster preparedness reduces the risk of loss lives and injuries and increases a capacity for coping when hazard occurs. Considering the value of the preparatory behavior, governments, local, national and international institutions and non-government organizations made some efforts in promoting disaster preparedness. However, although a number of resources have been expended in an effort to promote behavioural preparedness, a common finding in research on natural disaster is that people fail to take preparation for such disaster events (Paton, 2005; Shaw 2004; Spittal, et.al, 2005; Tierney, 1993; Kenny, 2009; Kapucu, 2008; Coppola and Maloney, 2009). For example, the fact that nearly 91% of Americans live in a moderate to high risk of natural disasters, only 16% take a preparation for natural disaster (Ripley, 2006).