Crisis Management
The occurrence of an emergence creates an immediate need for communication. In a business setting, for example, it is critical to immediately reach the customers to calm their curiosity about what could happen to them. Also, indirect stakeholders such as regulators and government officials should be briefed since society will be expecting information from them. Under normal circumstances, a firm will have neighbors who will also need immediate details as to whether the emergency will affect them. A business should ensure a vigilant communications department to ensure that the relevant audiences get information in time to avoid unnecessary tension. Preparedness of a business crisis communication department can be measured by the rate at which the business responds during an emergency both during and after the emergency has occurred. The relevant audiences that include customers, employees and families, survivors of the crisis, media, managers, and investors, government officials and suppliers must be reached immediately with information related to the specific interests and needs.
Developing a comprehensive crisis management program to handle information during disasters is critical for the success of every organization. According to (Coombs, 2014), crisis management is varied and requires the integration of several departments in the firm such as risk management and media relations. The most critical issue of interest is the handling of contact information that can be used to pass information in the event of a disaster. Contact information for different audiences that could be interested in getting immediate information during the emergency should be readily available for use when a need arises. Existing contact information may be obtained from existing databases (Fearn-Banks, 2016). [unique_solution]The contact information stored by the firm should be up to date and stored under high security to avoid accessibility by unauthorized users. Hard copies could be stored as backups as a security measure against loss of information due to machine failures. In the event of a crisis, a company may incur significant reputation issues. The response and information released to different audiences determine how a company protects its reputation in the time of crises. For example, Taco Bell intentionally mislabeled their products which posed a significant threat to the reputation of the company. However, the CEO was quick to apologize and presented the case as an issue of misunderstanding (Kent, 2017). A similar situation happens for the Roseanne bar scandal where the company reacts by apologizing to the different audiences and proposed a correctional plan. The social media impact is also an issue that cannot be ignored in the crisis management plan. The case of Dove advertisement represents the obligation of a business to apologize and the extent to which social media is critical in the issue of crisis management. The business has to assure customers that strategies have been put into place to prevent similar occurrences in future. A company should filter information released through social media keenly.
The crisis management of a business affects several audiences who happen to be the stakeholders in the entire process. The different stakeholders include customers, investors, managers and directors, and the media. The customers are the primary interest of a business and thus should be given with the highest priority (Koblin, 2018). Tension may grow among customers in the event calls are not answered or orders processed. Therefore, a crisis management program should ensure that there is a forum for redirecting incoming calls to another call center or a voice mail service to indicate that the business is experiencing a temporary problem. Suppliers should also receive a higher priority. It is essential for a business to create an efficient process to notify suppliers immediately of the existence of a problem and assuring them of the need to not worry. The other stakeholders who should be notified are the managers and directors of the business. Notification of the management should, however, consider the documented protocols to avoid any confusion. For example, a disaster might happen late at night; it is the responsibility of the crisis management department to know what information to report to the management. The managers may feel unsubordinated to get information about their business through the media. The employees, victims, and families to the employees also need communication from the crisis management department. The Human Resource department should provide full information concerning the state of the employees and whether the incidence has affected the employees. The families should be informed about whether there is a need to worry about the lives of their relatives. In the event, the incidence poses a danger; the surrounding community has the right to know about the incidence. The community deserves to get full details concerning the incidence since misinformation could turn the community against the business. The last group to engage should be the media. The media needs to be given details concerning the incidence only after the exact details have been obtained. Before engaging any of the stakeholders, the business should consider the relevant information to give and the expected reactions from the different parties.
A business should ensure a vigilant communications department to ensure that the relevant audiences get information in time to avoid unnecessary tension. Preparedness of a business crisis communication department should always be at its best and should be excellent in responding during an emergency. Different stakeholders that include customers, employees and families, survivors of the crisis, media, managers, and investors, government officials and suppliers must be reached immediately with information related to the specific interests and needs.