Crisis Management Plan and Media Communication - Essay Example

? Crisis Management Plan and Media Communication Task Crisis Management Plan and Media Communication Introduction Crisis management plan and media communication are imperative element that convey essential information about an institution. The concept facilitates adoption of superior promotional activities and effective mode of advertisement that are viable and sustainable. Evidently, communication channels and plan contribute to organization’s sound performance in terms of sales, capacity building and dispute resolution. It is important for institutions with strong performance orientation to develop viable promotional plans and crisis management techniques that enhance growth. Researchers and marketers assert that institutions with growth aspirations need to advance their crisis management capacity including effective media identification to ensure that the information relayed reaches prospective individuals. Dispute resolution requires superior plan, and execution of activities to facilitate problem awareness and development of amicable solutions. Similarly, it entails proper identification of viable and effective media system that would enable wide coverage of information with an aim of enhancing decision-making. . It is proper for companies to integrate their systems with strong media communication plan that is economically viable and socially relevant to avoid unwarranted disputes. The design should be issue oriented and customer focused with an aim of providing essential information that advances customers knowledge about available services. As noted marketing planning and media, identification has been a prevalent factor that has affected growth in most companies. The impediment requires effective strategies and policies to advance realization of excellent output including satisfaction of stakeholder needs. Indeed, media provide a superior communication channels through which companies relays basic information to consumers and receives various feedbacks for purposes of adjustments. Such communication may cause crisis in service delivery including unwarranted disputes with the potential to stall operations in various operating sectors. Therefore, institutions need to adopt quality media practices and promotional activities through accurate identification of the best media systems with immense coverage. This paper analyses crisis management plan CMP and media communication as vital elements that facilitate dispute resolution and marketing. It also communicates strategies and tactics of communication on how to communicate with customers Purpose of the study The study is to relay significant information about the imperativeness of superior crisis management and media identification in companies. It is a concept that enhances performance and organizations market share towards attainment of its objectives. Evidently, companies with inferior dispute resolution strategies and media planning perform dismally in the global arena, which is characterized with immense competition especially in the airline sector. Companies for example, Qantas should equivocally understand the imperativeness of developing strong and viable dispute resolution mechanism to avert possible failures including crisis that would be detrimental to sustainable growth. Rationale Evidently, the study seeks to provide a rational view of the imperativeness of media planning to include crisis management in ensuring superior dispute management and marketing practices. It is clear that disputes and poor media planning strategies affects performance and productivity in terms of service delivery. PR officials indicate that, effective design and identification of mode of advertisement is central towards the creation of products knowledge with superior management of disputes in companies. Companies with rational dispute resolution ideals should develop quality strategies that do not lead to unwarranted crisis as this would lead dismal performance. Therefore, institutions need to advance their dispute resolution strategies to facilitate performance and customer satisfaction through superior strategies that provide solution to specific issues as a rational obligation. Literature review According to Philpott & Serluco (2010), dispute resolution plan should have the requisite capacity to advance stakeholder understanding on various issues through effective strategies while allaying possible fears that may cause detrimental effect. Media institutions offer promotional programs that hold a capacity to develop or degrade company’s growth potential through unwarranted crisis that may be caused due to poor information conveyance. PR officials assert that, companies should perform promotional activities through media institutions with immense credibility including strong capacity to design reliable information that delimits crisis. Evidently, companies should develop strong dispute management and marketing plans that define the best media for advertisement, crisis solution techniques and ways to ensure conveyance of satisfactory information (Philpott & Serluco, 2010). They should craft superior policies and strategies that ensure proper segmentation and stakeholder need identification to enhance provision of timely solutions during crisis times. This is essential since crisis events severely detriments company’s image and market share thus requires an effective mode that can facilitate effective quelling of its impact. The impact has led to dismal performance in various companies resulting to industrial disputes that cause immense harm than aspired. Qantas in its bid to restore its performance should develop potential restoration strategies with proper planning and media identification to ensure that consumer’s perception is transformed effectively. The administration and marketers should also adopt superior promotional campaigns through reputable media stations to prevent further crisis from eruption (Reid, 2000). Indeed, problem resolution requires specific, realistic, attainable, measurable and timely SMART guidelines with requisite capacity to advance negotiation practices to standardized levels of operation. Managing crisis and disputes Managing disputes and crisis requires immense determination with development of relevant contingency measures. The measures should ensure effective problem identification and formulation of quality solutions that would limit complications that may influence performance. Institutions should develop crisis management department with relevant expertise that are versed with problem solution techniques to enhance recovery during crisis. Publicity through the media has contributed towards the advancement of various institutions success and failure. According to Reid (2000), media through its impeccable sources have the capacity to obtain various information that they subsequently relay for consumption by the public. It is fundamental for corporations to be open and relay potential information that may influence their performance early, to enable prior solution development (Diggs-Brown, 2012). Similarly, companies should initiate crisis administration and media relations department to ensure effective collaboration with an aim of harmonizing requisite information that is fit for public consumption (Ray, 1999). Critically, how institutions manage disputes defines future success and performance. Crisis exposes companies into brinks of collapse and high staff turnover including goodwill that are difficult to build. It is essential for institutions to establish their weaknesses and address them amicably through favorable, structured and civilized procedures that enhance growth (Diggs-Brown, 2012). Evidently, Quantas airline after that spill of its intense disputes by the media that hampered its operation should have equivocally yielded to pressure and provided categorical information about the management’s quietness on the turn of events. The company also ought to provide clear information about the causes of the dispute and its management efforts to enable stakeholders to develop relevant judgment and to provide requisite support. Background to the problem and issues Crisis solution strategies are vital elements that organizations should adopt to facilitate the provision of relevant guidelines including management of various issues. Media plays a critical role in institutions development and progress. Clearly, Quantas case scenario gives a detailed information on the Medias influence and how it can lead to low production (Ray, 1999). The media in Australia contributed to Qantas complications through exposure of the company’s internal dispute and industrial malpractices. Poor remuneration and terms of work presented to engineers including various personnel led to increased disquiet in the company thus leading to strikes. The strikes resulted to poor delivery of services and customer satisfaction that are key elements for growth (Fairbrother, Paddon& Teicher, 2001). Ideally, managing such crisis requires immense determination and superior problem resolution techniques with results orientation. Poor work ethics and stipulated guidelines also facilitated the crisis since the management adopted autocratic administration details that compromise fairness. The style also compromises participation of various employees in choice making, an element that is essential towards achieving exemplary performance. Evidently, the management through its autocratic rule adopted reserved practices that workers were in contention to. The practices were coercive in nature with poor ethical values that contribute in developing non-viable and sustainable institutions. The company’s administration clearly blames the media for spilling its internal dispute issues to the public domain thereby advancing continuous go slow with subsequent closer of operations. Its restoration of its activities was realized after intense deliberations and development of viable solutions to ensure superior administration practices in the institution. The government and various stakeholders contributed immensely to company’s restoration through the expertise and financial assistance. Clearly, the strategies adopted by the stakeholders had holistic capacity to meet the employee’s demands and advance the airlines operations towards customer satisfaction. Relevant primary and secondary publics Occurrence of crisis or dispute of any nature influences institutions operations in diverse facets. According to Avraham & Ketter, (2008), organizations should develop strong policies that enhance quality execution of activities to limit possible crisis. He noted that, crisis or internal disputes present severe repercussions on a company’s progress and growth. Companies have an obligation through their administrators to craft acceptable policies that seek to tackle stakeholder needs. Evidently, stakeholders for example, in Qantas Airline Company include passengers, employees, community, government and international relations. The stakeholders have requisite contributions and incentives that they offer to advance the company’s growth prospects (Avraham & Ketter, 2008). They should be treated with due diligence and honesty through clear structures that ensure superior communication including delegation of work. To avoid internal disputes stakeholders should receive satisfactory services to motivate them towards attaining set objectives. It is imperative for institutions to formulate problem solution strategies with effective ideals to ensure prior scrutiny of complications that may occur and design potential remedies (McDonald, 2006). Such strategies include quality communication channels, problem identification and management techniques to advance cohesiveness. Evidently, the conflicts primary and secondary victims of the dispute were the airlines employees, community members, customers and the government (McDonald, 2006). Their loyalty and trust on the company’s affairs deteriorated and led to severe losses. They fought for high-quality terms and conditions of work where engineers and various workers complained for poor wages. They were not involved in the company’s decision-making that is a vital element for success (Benjamin, 2011). Ideally, the media through its comprehensive reporting disseminated the company’s internal disputes against the management wishes who advocated for the matter to remain under cover. However, the media through impeccable sources was acquainted with the company’s black deals and created public awareness about the unfolding events that led to company’s closure. Companies should realize the imitativeness of various stakeholders and the media with an aim of crafting policies that foster mutual relationship. The strategies should also advance eradication of disputes and ensure effective mitigation measures of various complications that may arise in corporations. Recommended approach and strategies Ideally, institutions should adopt appropriate approaches with requisite capacity to eradiate negative media influence. As an RP consultant, there are basic approaches that company’s with immense crisis and disputes should undertake to avoid intense damages that may be caused by the media. Media institutions and journalists through their reporting may relay reports with negative repercussions to the company’s growth (Nason, 2007). Therefore, companies should identify basic principles that could foster superior integration of noble communication practices. Evident approaches that company’s under such situations should undertake includes development of realistic, attainable and specific ideals with greater capacity to address internal disputes and media planning. Proper identification and development of amicable solutions to specific problems facing company’s for example, internal disputes require realistic strategies that are sustainable. Evidently, proper media panning and dissemination of information in a credible manner also forms a vital element that would ensure eradication of media interference. This element would facilitate development of information to be reported on fair basis under holistic view of turn of events. The absence of this element in an environment with intense disputes would enhance suspicion on various dealings including management prowess thus prompts negative reporting. Such negative reporting bears detrimental effect especially if journalists acquire the information on their own (Susannah Moran, 2011). Therefore, company’s with growth orientation should develop comprehensive media planning and control department to facilitate conveyance of information and reporting based on ethical values. Formation of credible crisis management department with relevant potential to addressing internal issues is also vital. This would provide adequate solution to various emerging issues that may limit progress and stakeholders satisfaction. Essentially, crisis management team would identify emerging issues and design best approaches through which solutions can be developed in an inclusive manner to avoid conveyance of disputes by the media. As a public relations official, company’s require well structured communication network with absolute potential to quell possible problems that may hinder performance. Communication is a powerful tool that facilitates understanding and decision making on various issues. Workers and various stakeholders should get full acquaintance with the company’s activities and problems to enable development of requisite solutions to emerging issues. This is fundamental to avoid surprises and harboring of disastrous events that may degenerate to severe crisis when identified by the media. Indeed, Qantas Airline Company, had a gross lapse in its communication channel that failed to relay basic information to its stakeholders with an aim to devise a collective solution. The management in their own discretion decided to assume the internal disputes without providing quality solutions. Effective communication would have facilitated valuable negotiations on employee’s demands towards development of amicable solution while avoiding escalation of the matter. Therefore, it is imperative for institutions with growth orientation to be transparent and provide information about evident set backs with an aim of solution development. This is a vital element as it would reduce suspicion on company’s operations and activities. Recommended tactics for implementation The industrial discontent can cause the provision of company’s services to halt. Therefore, it will be essential to initiate tactics that will mitigate the consequence of the industrial dispute and prevent an impending crisis of a similar form in future. This will require the management to formulate appropriate mechanisms that will be implemented to neutralize such action from stakeholders and employees of the institution. The new tactics should incorporate assistance from crisis experts that will counsel the management on how to manage a similar occurrence in future. The management should involve all the stakeholders in developing the tactics that would regulate discrepancies in the organization (Collier, 2012).. In addition, if the industrial dispute is of a high magnitude and affects critical areas of the organization, it is crucial to re-evaluate the management. It is probable that the discontent of the employees can be resultant of particular undertakings by a section of management. Similarly, it is reassuring to highlight to the dissenting stakeholders of an alteration of the management structure to address their requirements. Furthermore, the organization can involve the media in disseminating their commitment to resolving the discrepancy and outline viable plans that they will adopt. Lastly, intervention from the government will be essential in managing the industrial disputes since it can advice on the appropriate measures that are in line with its statutes, which the company can undertake. Moreover, the government can financially assist the company in settling their industrial woes since the dispute can adversely affect the economy. Press release This section provides a sample press release that companies that have undergone through severe complications due to media practices should adopt with an aim of restoring operations and performance. It focuses on detrimental effects that are caused due to poor media relations and management of disputes that could erode the noble gains that have been achieved. Qantas airline dispute and wrangles that led to termination of its services is adopted as a case in point where the release seeks to relay information based on the company’s restoration plans The release The company regrets and sent its apology to all stakeholders due to inconvenience caused over the last period. The management currently wishes to inform the stakeholders that, due to intense deliberations, the company intend to re-launch its operations with an aim of providing satisfactory services to stakeholders. The Company is under new management that is formed with core mandate to provide favorable working conditions and ensure development of superior strategies with strong capacity to offer solutions to various issues. The company will also enhance coordination and communication channels to facilitate inclusivity in service delivery. Indeed, the management wishes to thank various stakeholders including the government for offering basic intervention incentives that have provided the company with renewed growth potential. Conclusion Evidently, companies should develop strong dispute management and marketing plans that define the best media for advertisement, crisis solution techniques and ways to ensure conveyance of satisfactory information on various issues. They should also design superior policies and strategies that ensure proper segmentation and stakeholder need identification to enhance provision of timely solutions during crisis times. References Avraham, E., & Ketter, E. (2008). Media strategies for marketing places in crisis. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 14(4), 373-374. Retrieved from < http://search.proquest.com/docview/195789969?accountid=45049> Benjamin, K. (2011). Crisis management. Campaign Asia - Pacific, pp. 44-44,46,49. Retrieved from Collier, M. (2012).Social Media Crisis Management: A No-Nonsense Guide. Mack Collier. Retrieved from < http://www.mackcollier.com/social-media-crisis-management/> Diggs-Brown, B. (2012). Strategic public relations: An audience-focused approach. Boston, Mass: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Fairbrother, P., Paddon, M., & Teicher, J. (2001). Privatisation, globalisation and labour: Studies from Australia. Leichhardt, N.S.W: Federation Press. McDonald, C. (2006). Threats to reputation require CRISIS management. National Underwriter.P & C, 110(20), 25-28. Retrieved from < http://search.proquest.com/docview/228619147?accountid=45049> Moran, S. (2011). Qantas contract lost as industrial dispute escalates. The Australian study. Retrieved from Nason, R. R. (2007), Crisis management planning. Security Technology Executive, 17(3), 66-69. Retrieved from Philpott, D., & Serluco, P. (2010). Public school emergency preparedness and crisis management plan. Lanham, Md: Government Institutes. Reid, J. L. (2000). Crisis management: Planning and media relations for the design and construction industry. New York, USA: John Wiley and Sons. Ray, S. J. (1999). Strategic communication in crisis management: Lessons from the airline industry. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books. Read More