Successful Crisis Communications Strategies example essay topic

Crisis communication is the most important aspect of external and internal organization communication. This type of communication ranges from image restoration campaigns to employee turnover. In the articles that I have analyzed, I discovered many examples of crisis communications and its importance. I will discuss the Bridgestone-Firestone Corporation's image restoration campaign and explain Benoit's theory of image restoration.

Also, I will discuss how crisis communications fits into public relations models. Two examples for discussion will be how supervisors should convey bad-news to their employees, and group communication within employee turnover. My last example for this discussion will be Bill Clinton's image repair discourse. This essay will analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of crisis communications and its place within an organization. As stated earlier, I will discuss different examples retrieved from five scholarly articles that are relevant to this topic.

I hope to convey the importance of crisis communications. In the article "Blowout! Firestone's Image Restoration Campaign" Blaney, Benoit, and Brazeal (2002) discuss how Firestone failed in its recovery efforts. The authors claim that Firestone's attempt to shift blame was "poorly conceived". (p. 379) Also, they claim the use of celebrities to support their products and reputation was unsuccessful due to the obvious financial relationships between them. This discussion leads up to the application of Benoit's image restoration theory. (2002).

This theory states that "communicators who need to restore damaged reputations have five general rhetorical options: denial, evading responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification". (p. 380) The author's conclude that this case study displays "denial and, sadly, concealment of incriminating data, are common responses to wrongful action. Had corrective action been implemented immediately, it seems likely that many deaths and injuries could have been avoided". (p. 388-389) This article gives a great example of how important crisis communications is. The failed image restoration campaign still haunts this corporation. Blaney, Benoit, and Brazeal make a valid point of why this campaign was unsuccessful.

Organizations must educate their selves on proper crisis communication tactics. This type of communication proved to be invaluable to this particular group and not utilizing it properly nearly destroyed them. John E. Guiniven's article "Dealing with Activism in Canada: An Ideal Cultural Fit for the Two-Way Symmetrical Public Relations Model" (2002) is a discussion on how public relations practitioners deal with different public issues. Guiniven states that the two-way model should be applied "where the research is used for uncovering points of agreement and where the goal is open dialogue and honest exchanges in an effort to resolve conflict and reach a compromise". (p. 396) Also, the author discusses the differences between the United States and Canada that public relations practitioners must face.

An example would be how less confrontational activists are in Canada. Guiniven concluded "that the greater acceptance of two-way symmetrical communication in Canada than in the United States results from the tradition of compromise embedded in Canadian culture". (p. 393) Public relations practitioners must adapt to different circumstances. One of the more difficult areas to change are the methods of crisis communications. Confronting activists is something that organizations must have success in. The two-way model discussed in this article gives a good view on resolving conflicts.

I believe this model to be an example to follow for practitioners wanting successful crisis communications strategies. The article "How Supervisors Convey Routine Bad News: Facework at UPS" (1999) by Ruth Wagoner and Vincent R. Waldron is an interesting case study. The authors studied this at UPS Air Group. Wagoner and Waldron claim that at UPS "the delivery of negative feedback is both frequent and critical to success". (p. 193-194) During this study the authors conducted surveys giving them data ranging from the different types of bad news, and the different strategies that were used. Wagoner and Waldron applied a politeness theory to this study concluding that "the nature of the face threat inherent in a bad news event should be reliably associated with the use of repressive strategies". (p. 201) The authors finish their study by stating that "no doubt leaders and followers adjust their behavior during these episodes based on their relational and communicative history and the anticipated relational consequences of the event". (p. 207) This study conducted gives a good view on crisis communications within the work place. This type of communication is important to ease tension and allow for a positive working environment.

Without companies being aware of positive crisis communications strategies, there would be a much greater risk involved. Knowing the proper tactics for conveying bad news makes your organization better. "Group Communication and Employee Turnover: How Co-workers Encourage Peers to Voluntarily Exit" (1999) is an article by Stephen A. Cox. This article is a review of social exchange, group communication, and employee turnover. Cox reviews the relationship between employee exit and group communication. The author applies a social exchange theory that states, "interpersonal behavior is the process of exchanging resources to maximize benefits and minimize costs".

(Thiabaut & Kelly, 1959) (p. 181-182) Within this article, Cox reveals data received from surveys he administered. The data gives the frequency in which a response was made within different circumstances. This data shows the most frequently used strategies and the response to them. This study provides the reader an idea of what strategies coworkers are using to encourage voluntary peer exit and show how managers and coworker strategies differ.

Cox concludes this study by claiming that "the utilization of these strategies by coworkers may motivate turnover. Therefore, studying the particular messages shared and behaviors performed in work groups may provide greater insight into the relationship between turnover and group communication". (p. 190) Employee turnover is a great example of crisis communications. The different methods in which companies terminate workers can make all the difference within the work place. Crisis communications must be studied by both the management and the coworkers in order to better prepare for such events.

The relationships between coworkers may be greatly affected if there is not a positive strategy implemented. The fall out from such poor crisis communications can be detrimental to an organization. In the article "Bill Clinton in the Starr Chamber" (1998) Benoit analyzes Clinton's August 17, 1998 speech with his theory of image repair discourse. Benoit breaks down the steps that Clinton took after the accusations were made. These steps were, admitting wrong doing, attacking the investigation, and using transcendence by arguing his relationship was private. Benoit concludes that this was a successful campaign and that it appealed to the targeted audience, this case being the voters.

Not only is crisis communications beneficial to organizations, it can benefit political figures as well. This image restoration discourse is a good example of the proper tactics being used. With a good knowledge of crisis communication, you can make an event that may end someone's career, turn into a mere smudge on their character. With this discussion in mind, I am assured that crisis communications is the most important aspect of external and internal organization communication. The studies and examples given by the scholarly resources establish this point.

Bibliography

Blaney, Joseph R., Benoit, William L. & Brazeal, LeAnn M. (2002).
Blowout! : Firestone's image restoration campaign. Public Relations Review, 28,379-392. Cox, Stephen A. (1999).
Group communication and employee turnover: How coworkers encourage peers to voluntarily exit. The Southern Communication Journal, 64,181-192. Wagoner, Ruth & Waldron, Vincent R. (1999).
How supervisors convey routine bad news: Facework at UPS. The Southern Communication Journal, 64,193-209. Guiniven, John E. (2002).
Dealing with activism in Canada: an ideal cultural fit for the two-way symmetrical public relations model. Public Relations Review, 28,393-402. Benoit, William L. (1998).
Bill Clinton in the Starr chamber. American Communications Journal. 12, (2). retrieved from web Apr. 21 2005.