scholarly journals Crisis Communication as Course Correction: Communicative Efforts Revive Goals

2021 ◽  
pp. 111-130
Author(s):  
W. Timothy Coombs
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Organizational Resources ◽  
Valuable Resource ◽  
Organizational Goals

It is common to think of crisis communication as a reactive form of communication intending to protect an organization from a threat. Some research and media focus on crisis communication serve to create that interpretation. While the crisis response often is reactive, crisis communication also can be proactive and, more importantly, should be considered a valuable resource for pursuing strategic organizational outcomes (Coombs & Holladay, 2015). Crises posse threats to achieving organizational outcomes by pushing organizations off course. Crisis communication can be considered a means of correcting the course and reviving the pursuit of organizational goals/outcomes. Crises disrupt strategy by detracting from the pursuit of organizational outcomes (Bundy et al., 2016). A crisis demands management’s attention and the application of organizational resources to that situation (Milburn et al., 1983). A crisis can create a “distraction” from the pursuit of organizational goals — can impeded strategy. Moreover, a crisis can erode critical organization goals such as maintaining positive social evaluations and the pursuit of revenue (e.g., Chen et al., 2009; Coombs, 2007). This chapter considers how crisis communication can be used as a form of strategic communication designed to return managers to the pursuit of organizational goals.

scholarly journals Crisis, Communication, and Canadian Hospitals: An Analysis and Evaluation of Risk Preparedness and Crisis Communication Efforts of Ontario Hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Dobosz
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Management ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Crisis Preparedness ◽  
Analysis And Evaluation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Risk Preparedness

Background While hospitals are complex and unique organizations, they are not often the subjects of crisis communication research.Analysis Through an analysis of each stage of the crisis communication process (preparedness, execution, and post-crisis), this study seeks to analyze and evaluate the crisis response of Canadian hospitals from a strategic communication perspective.Conclusions and implications This study reflects the findings of similar research in the field, confirming that hospitals in Ontario are indeed more prepared to face issues and crises that they have faced in the past. This study also demonstrates how integration between crisis communication and operational crisis management helps to foster a robust crisis preparedness strategy and a unified crisis response. Contexte Bien que les hôpitaux soient des organisations complexes et uniques, elles ne font pas souvent l’objet de recherches en communication de crise.Analyse En examinant chaque étape de la communication de crise (préparation, exécution, bilan), cette étude cherche à analyser et évaluer, par l’entremise de la communication stratégique, comment les hôpitaux canadiens répondent aux crises.Conclusion et implications Cette étude, à l’instar d’études comparables menées dans le domaine, confirme que les hôpitaux en Ontario sont mieux préparés pour gérer des problèmes et des crises qu’ils one déjà eus à gérer. L’étude démontre en outre qu’en associant la communication de crise et la gestion de crise opérationnelle, on peut développer une meilleure stratégie de préparation aux crises et assurer une gestion mieux coordonnée de celles-ci quand elles surviennent.

The Value of Brand Fans during a Crisis: Exploring the Roles of Response Strategy, Source, and Brand Identification

2021 ◽  
pp. 232948842199969
Author(s):  
Hayoung Sally Lim ◽  
Natalie Brown-Devlin
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Brand Identification ◽  
Communication Source ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Selection Of

Using a two (crisis response strategy: diminish vs. rebuild) × three (source: brand organization vs. brand executive vs. brand fan) experimental design, this study examines how brand fans (i.e., consumers who identify with a brand) can be prompted to protect a brand’s reputation during crises and how the selection of a crisis spokesperson can influence consumers’ evaluations of the crisis communication. Being buffers for their preferred brands, brand fans are more likely to accept their brand’s crisis response and engage in positive electronic word-of-mouth on social media. Brand fans are more likely to evaluate other brand fan’s social media accounts as a credible crisis communication source, whereas those who are not brand fans are more likely to evaluate brand and/or brand executives as credible. Findings provide theoretical applications in paracrisis literature pertaining to social media but also practical implications for brand managers to strategically utilize brand fans in crisis communication.

scholarly journals Probing the Links between Workforce Diversity, Goal Clarity, and Employee Job Satisfaction in Public Sector Organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Edmund C. Stazyk ◽  
Randall S. Davis ◽  
Jiaqi Liang
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Workforce Diversity ◽  
Organizational Goals ◽  
Employee Job Satisfaction ◽  
Goal Clarity ◽  
Management Policies

A considerable body of research substantiating the importance of workforce diversity to public organizations has accrued over the past two decades. However, research on workforce diversity has also been narrow in scope and frequently fails to link diversity to important individual and organizational outcomes. Using data (n = 1,109,134 employees from 500 sub-agencies) collected in three waves (2010, 2011, and 2012) of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), this study examines whether (1) increased diversity influences organizational goal clarity, (2) diversity and goal clarity, in turn, influence employee job satisfaction, and (3) diversity management policies influence job satisfaction by clarifying organizational goals for workers. FEVS is administered yearly by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and is designed to assess whether and to what extent federal employees believe the characteristics of successful organizations are present in their agency. Results from a multi-level structural equation model (MSEM) suggest diversity is associated with greater goal clarity and that diversity management policies, by clarifying organizational goals, positively affect job satisfaction. Findings also indicate that the type of diversity matters.

scholarly journals Achieving employee support during the COVID-19 pandemic – the role of relational and informational crisis communication in Austrian organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Einwiller ◽  
Christopher Ruppel ◽  
Julia Stranzl
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Relational Communication ◽  
Job Engagement ◽  
Organizational Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Crises

PurposeBased on social exchange theory, the study examines the influence of informational and relational internal communication on cognitive and affective responses and job engagement during organizational crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by means of an online survey among people working in organizations with a minimum of 10 employees (N = 1,033) and analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsResults show that informational and relational communication as organizational resources have a significant but distinct influence on how employees support their employer during the crisis. While informational communication influences employees' acceptance of managerial decisions, relational communication exerts most influence on affective commitment, which is the strongest driver of job engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThe cross-sectional design, specific crisis situation and geographic location are limitations of the study.Practical implicationsDelivering relevant information to employees quickly and reliably is important. Yet, relationship-oriented communication that demonstrates appreciation and allows for participation has even stronger effects on job engagement, which is essential to mastering challenges arising from a crisis.Social implicationsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations demanded much from their employees. In exchange, organizations should provide the resources information, status and love (Foa and Foa, 1980) by means of internal crisis communication.Originality/valueThe study demonstrates the role of different types of internal communication during organizational crises used to convey organizational resources, and it highlights the mediating role of acceptance and commitment to enhance employees' engagement at work.

“Gatekeeper or Crisis Manager? Coverage of "Lahad Datu" Conflict”

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.21) ◽  
pp. 476
Author(s):  
Manimegalai Ambikapathy ◽  
Hasmah Zanuddin
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Communication Theory ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Situational Crisis Communication Theory ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
Security Personnel ◽  
Independent Variable

Lahad Datu conflict also known as “Sabah standoff” conflict, is unforgettable tragedies until killed about 10 of Malaysian security personnel and impacted economic, social and emotion of citizens especially at Lahad Datu, Sabah. The objective of this research is to examine the portrayal of solution from Malaysian Government for the “Lahad Datu Crisis” through newspaper framing in Malaysian mainstream newspapers namely Utusan Malaysia, The Star, Sin Chew and Nanban daily. The measurement for the crisis response will be measure through few independent variables such as category of “Lahad Datu” news; between problem, solution, people or neutral category. The following independent variable is through the slants of news; whether news is slanted in positive, negative or neutral slant. With the assistance of “Situational Crisis Communication Theory”, this research employed a systematic quantitative content analysis to gather the data. Finding revealed that, category of solution appeared most in Utusan Malaysia, The Star, Sin Chew and Nanban daily and news in positive slants were covered in all the selected dailies. In providing responses for the crisis, Justification and Concern crisis response portrayed most, however, through Kruskal Wallis test, data found that The Star and Utusan Malaysia portrayed most of the Justification and Concern responses compare to Sin Chew daily and Nanban daily.  

Organisations' conversations in social media: applying dialogue strategies in times of crises

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Romenti ◽  
Grazia Murtarelli ◽  
Chiara Valentini
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
The Body ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Crisis Communications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to develop and test a theoretical framework, grounded in managerial and organisational theories of dialogue, through which organisations can take decisions in relation to the most appropriate crisis response strategies for handling social media stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical framework is developed through a conceptual analysis of literature on dialogue, social media and crisis communication. The theoretical framework is then tested in eight different international organisations experiencing a crisis. For each case, different web contents, such as organisations' status updates/posts, links, videos published on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, were analysed using a rhetorical research approach. Findings – The analysed organisations apply different online dialogue strategies according to crisis types and in combination with specific crisis response strategies. Most of the organisations investigated carry on those dialogue strategies suitable to develop consensus (concertative), guide conversations on specific topics or issues (framing), find solutions to the crisis collectively (transformative). Concertative strategies were often associated with informative crisis response strategies, framing strategies with denial and justification crisis response strategies and transformative strategies with corrective actions. Research limitations/implications – By using a dialogic perspective in setting up online conversations with their external stakeholders, the paper proposes a theoretical model to explain companies' decisions in carrying on online dialogues during critical situations and thus contribute to the body of knowledge on online crisis communications. Practical implications – The proposed model can support crisis communicators to manage dialogue's aims and dimensions differently by taking into account both contextual and situational conditions. Originality/value – By integrating management studies on dialogue into crisis communication and social media literature, the authors intend to offer an alternative thinking of organisations' decision-making in relation to crisis response strategies and social media stakeholders.

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