Crisis Managers Benefit - Coursework Example

1980 Words Crisis management Module code Coursework title Module name Name Date submitted There is a strong link between crisis communication and the corporate reputation management. Generally, crises destroy corporate reputations though corporate reputation can be a liability or assets to the crisis managers (Burke, Martin & Cooper, 2011, p.7). Consequently, this paper makes use of situational crisis communication theory to evaluate the link between crisis communication as well as corporate reputation. The fundamental goal during any crisis is public safety (Hillyard, 2000, 30). Resources as well as communication efforts ought to be directed at directed at protecting people from the implications of a crisis. However, what should be done after public safety is assured? Crisis managers can shift their attention towards repairing the reputational damaged that has been destroyed by the crisis (Lerbinger, 2012, n.p). According to crisis management, crisis can results in reputational damage. Furthermore, crisis communication professionals contend that crisis communication is pertinent to reputational repair. Communication is of essence in the entire crisis management process and is divided into two main groups, managing information along with managing meaning (Coombs & Holladay, 2012, p. 25; Jaksic, Rakacevic, 2012, p. 1474). Management of information entails collection as well as analysis of information and dissemination of knowledge established through analysis of crisis information. Managing meaning includes aims at managing perceptions resulting from the crisis along with the organization that is in crisis. The crisis communication research concentrates on the crisis response strategies (Carroll, 2013, p.2). Crisis response approaches are what crisis managers undertake in after a crisis has occurred and is a subdivision of crisis communication (Jennex, 2011, 149). Crisis response approach research puts focus on repair of reputation as well as protection. Crisis response approaches develops a strong post-crisis corporate reputation. Basically, crisis response approaches are the public face of the crisis response and is linked to the corporate reputation. This paper focuses on situational crisis communication theory (SCCT). Situational crisis communication theory posits that any situation influences heavily the decisions crisis make regarding crisis response approaches (Trosborg, 2010, p.550). Situational elements show the crisis response approaches will be successful or not helpful in protecting the organizations reputation. According to Coombs (2011, p. 157), the SCCT advocates for a two-step process to help in evaluating the reputational threat a crisis has posed on the organization. Consequently, this determines the most suitable response. Firstly, the SCCT instructs organizations to identify the crisis they are experiencing. The SCCT organizes crises into three categories, according to the corporate responsibility in the crisis, accidental (low responsibility), victim (low responsibility) and preventable (high responsibility) (Sellnow & Seeger, 2013, n.p). Crises that are racially charged can be grouped in any of these types of crisis. Victim types include rumours, natural disasters, malevolence and workplace violence (O’Hair & Heath, 2008, p.110). The accidental type entails challenges, technical error product harm as well as technical error accidents. The preventable type comprises of human error accidents, organization misdeed as well as human error product harm. The second step that ought to be put into consideration is whether the corporation has had a crisis before and whether the corporation has experienced the same type of crises before. Additionally, the corporation ought to consider its connection background with fundamental stakeholders. If the corporation has poor relationship background with its stakeholder or it has a history of crises then the attribution level augments that in turn emboldens reputational threat. Lastly, a corporation ought to choose a response strategy after it has identified the type of crisis being confronted as well as considers the implications of the crisis history along with relationship history. The SCCT puts the response approaches into four groups, deny, diminish, rebuild as well as reinforce (Okazaki, 2011, 250). According to the theory, the first action that should be taken is to protect stakeholders of the corporation from any harm that is likely to result from the crisis. This will involve giving instructing as well as adapting information. Instructing information helps in notifying the stakeholders the most appropriate actions they can take so that so that they can shield themselves from any physical threat that can come be as a result of the crisis (Coombs & Holladay, 2012, p. 339). Adapting information helps the stakeholders to cope up with psychological threats that which result from the crisis. By dissemination of adapting information, corporations show concern to the victims of the crises. In addition, corporation helps in informing the stakeholders regarding corrective actions, this is how the corporation intends to solve or prevent problems, which result in crises (Zaremba, 2009, 24). Consequently, instructing and adapting information are the fundamental responses during any crises. The two are joined other four response options, deny, rebuild, diminish and reinforce (Coombs & Holladay, 2012, p. 339). During the Westgate terrorist attack in Kenya a number of strategies were used to help in crisis management. First of all the diminish response was used by the crisis manager. The crisis manager termed the attacked as an act of cowardice by the terrorists and that there a number of measures that were being put in place so that the situation can be contained and the attacker be brought to book. For instance, the crisis manager stated that the Kenya Defense Forces had been deployed at the Westgate Mall so that they help in countering the terrorists who had attacked the Westgate Shopping Mall. There were also various security teams from various countries, for instance, from US, UK, Israel as well as Kenya’s neighbouring states. The crisis manager assured the public that the situation was being handled tactfully and soon they will emerge victors. The crisis manager also attacked individuals who were propagating rumours on social media such as Facebook and Twitter among others that they situation was out of control and it would be difficult to contain it. Media houses were not spared either by the crisis manager since they were helped in portraying that the situation was getting out if hand yet the situation were being handled tactfully so that the hostages trapped in the Westgate Shopping Mall can be released easily without leading to loss of lives (Howden, 2013). The crisis manager blamed the attack on the porous border in Kenya, which allows terrorists to get access to the country. The crisis manager also blamed the Kenyan government for allowing its defence forces to be deployed in its neighbouring Somalia. Since he believed that the terrorist were responding to the attacks that had been made in Somalia, since he believed that had Kenya not sent its troops in the war tone Somalia the attacked would not have been lodged on the Westgate Shopping. To some extent this was a scapegoat, however, it was also confirmed by the fact that the Alshabab Militia had claimed responsibility of attacking the Kenyan shopping. They further explained their reasons that prompted them to attack the innocent shoppers in the mall. The militia group stated that the main reason that prompted them to attack the Kenyans was the mere fact that there were Kenyan soldiers in the war tone Somalia. The crisis manager used the diminishing strategy since the corporation did not have a history of crises as well as unfavourable prior reputation. The crisis manager also used the rebuild response option, which includes two strategies, apology and compensation. Firstly, the crises manager assured the victims that they would get support from the corporation. This helped in safeguarding the corporation’s image. This came to pass when the corporation settled hospital bills of the victims of the terrorist attack. The corporation also asked an apology from the victims. According to the SCCT, it recommends that corporations use rebuilding approach so that they can prevent occurrence of similar crises in the future. The crises manager told the public that they would improve the security system in and around the shopping mall so that they can prevent occurrence of similar events. The crisis manager reassured the public that they purchase and install hi-tech security devices in several locations in the shopping mall. The devices will be able to detect dangerous gadgets such as grenade 1 km away from the shopping mall. The corporation also promised to improve on their security staff by giving the tender to the best security firm in the continent. In doing so, the corporation will be in position of preventing similar occurrence in the near future. According to Martinko (2004, p.286), the third strategy is the reinforce response. This strategy is supplemental and it was used with at least one of the other responses. The reinforce response entails three strategies, ingratiation, victimage and bolstering. Bolstering strategy was used since the corporation had had good security system in the past and what had happened was just a minor lapse in their security system. The crises manager praised the stakeholders being very helpful when the corporation was experiencing tough times. The stakeholders were helpful in a number of ways, for instance, they helped in giving blood donations to the victims of the terrorist attack. The stakeholders also gave donation of funds to help in settling the medical bills of some of the victim though the corporation also settled medical bills of some of those who were affected. Lastly, victimage occurred since it is automatic that the corporation were victims of the terrorists attack, they lost of money, customers and property as well. According to Heath (2010, p.483), the diminishing strategy was the one that was most frequently used by the crisis manager. The crisis manager was most frequently used directed speaker. The message strategies varied among different people. The crisis manager being an expert in communication and reputation building strategy he was instrumental in building the reputation of the corporation. However, there were also other speakers who spoke on behalf of the corporation but they are experts in communication strategies hence some of them ended up destroying the reputation of the corporation. For instance, some of the stakeholders from the shopping mall gave information that is misleading and damages the reputation of the corporation. For instance, one of the stakeholders was quoted on national television saying that the attack was instigated by the corporation competitors and that they will not entertain it. This remarks damaged the reputation of the corporation since its competitors did not take it positively. The tragedy that had hit the corporation required cooperation and help from various people in the business sector as well as their competitors. There was varying information from various people who communicated on behalf of the corporation. The corporation adhered to the SCCT model when selecting the response strategy. To some extent, the corporation was effective in its communication strategy since the crisis manager was very instrumental to the corporation in communicating what is required and at the right time. For instance, the crisis manager first message to the public helped in building the reputation of the organization since the crisis manager asked the public to be patience since they had put necessary strategies in place so that the situation can be contained and asked the public to stop propagating rumours and assured the public that they seek help from experts in conducting investigations regarding the root cause of the problem and what can be done to avoid the problem in future. During the entire incident, there was different conflicting information from various sources within the corporation. Conflicting information portrayed the organization negatively and some people perceived it as being disturbing since an organization could give information that is conflicting. In future, such cases can be avoided by having one source of authorized information that gives information to the public so that the public can be confident with the information emanating from the corporation. In future, the organization should always hold meetings before the crisis manager could give any information to public. This will help in ensuring that there is unity in the organization and there is no conflicting information that is given to the public. References Burke, R, Martin, G & Cooper, C 2011 Corporate reputation, Managing opportunities and threats, Surrey, Gower Publishing. Carroll, C 2013 The handbook of communication and corporate reputation, West Sussex, John Wiley & Sons. Coombs, T 2011 Ongoing crisis communication, Planning, managing, and responding, Thousand Oaks, SAGE. 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