Crisis Management and Communication - Research Paper Example

It is the moment of uncertainty that best describes a crisis situation. The severity of such crisis varies significantly, with less moderate to severe. The most common aspect of uncertainty pertains to the ethical and moral implications of the organization’s communication strategy during the crisis. The most common aspect of this is who is to be held responsible. Often, organizations fail to address crisis effectively because they have the tendency to engage in blame game which should ideally be the no-go area for organizations during crisis situations.

The purpose of communication, or more so “strategic” communication during times like these, is to mitigate to some extent this form of uncertainty associated with the crisis. The higher the uncertainty associated with finding a solution for the crisis the greater the severity of the crisis (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). It is often useful to classify crisis as an event caused by either external factors such as opportunities and threats as well as internal dynamics of the company including strengths and weaknesses.

Crisis puts the company’s immediate survival at stake. . Furthermore, researchers have also delineated on the steps in crisis management and communication, keeping in mind the procedural nature of a crisis situation. In the first stage, the organization gets signs and warning signals pertaining to an upcoming disaster (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). In the next stage, organizations often engage in preparation and prevention exercises such as team-building measures as well as employing training measures to deal effectively with the crisis (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005).

In the third phase, the damage is potentially “contained” or limited by several measures, the most important of which is communication, in order to avert the spillover of damage to other parts of the organization (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). In the final phase, the organization recovers from the mishap, which is followed by essential learning in order to avoid the possibility of such a crisis in future (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). Communication during crisis situations, therefore, is fundamental to reaching the recovery phase sooner and more safely.

The ultimate aim of communication during crisis situation is to frame appropriate public perceptions about the company and to maintain a favorable image of the company in the minds of stakeholders. Communication during these times also serves the purpose of informing, convincing or even motivating stakeholders towards a desired form of action. Another aim of crisis communication is to ensure that the damage is controlled and that the negative impact of the crisis on various environmental elements is minimized.

Companies often use this as an opportunity to reinforce and communicate existing values, culture, vision and mission associated with the organizations to the public. As is the