Crisis Management Case Study

The University of North Carolina (the “University”) has taken certain actions to address the academic scandal that came into light in 2011. The University’s African and Afro-American Studies (AFAM) Department was discovered giving “paper classes,” which allowed athletes to stay eligible in the NCAA (the “crisis”). The crisis has tarnished the University’s reputation not only internally, but also externally. Crisis management is a crucial aspect to regain public trust and its reputation. The University has successfully taken several steps to achieve these goals and minimize the damage.
The University had been offering paper classes for 18 years and has tainted the University’s reputation for nearly five years. Advisors directed athletes to take those classes to help boost their GPA. These classes were known to require little to no

This includes “coming clean,” which is what you did with a public apology and therefore, taking responsibility. This is one technique utilized if the brand is at fault. The University was able to get its message across, which is that it will never happen again. The point in coming clean is to help the public understand what occurred and how the faculty is working on preventing this crisis from happening again (Johar, Birk and Einwiller 59). By choosing to be transparent in this crisis, the University has had a more successful outcome. According to the book Crisis Management, organizations need to share information with stakeholders in order to have an effective outcome. “Information dissemination” is the term used to refer to the sharing of important information with stakeholders. Another aspect of crisis management is “organization and industry visibility” (Pearson and Clair 18-19). The University accomplished this by creating a website where the public can keep up with updates and gain their trust. The University was honest and is taking measures to correct the