Crisis Communication: The Public First/Organization Last Paradox

Elizabeth L. Toth, Ph.D.University of Maryland

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The General Rule of Crisis Communication

“Environmental turbulence is a catalyst for pushing public relations and

communication management to center stage.”

(L. Grunig et al., 2002, p. 424)

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No Public Relations In Evidence

“But don’t you CEO’s get the optics? This is a PR debacle. You’re not talking to shareholders or staff members; you’re talking to Congress. And Congress doesn’t work for you; it works for millions of Americans who are struggling and getting pretty desperate for a way out.”

(Brown, 2008)

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A Crisis is. . .

“A people-stopping, show-stopping, product

stopping, reputationally defining event, which

creates victims and/or explosive visibility.”

(Jim Lukaszeski, 2001, p. 203)

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Question

• Is there anything of sufficient explanatory and strategic value in public relations theory to help organizations and global governments relieve crisis situations?

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Powerful Paradox

“On a day to day basis, companies and organizations tend to operate around what is in their economic and operational best interest. . . However, when a crisis situation occurs, it is the community’s value system that predominates. “ (Lukaszewski, 2001, p. 201)

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Lukaszewski’s advice:

“Respond to community values.”

“If the company does not respond to the community, its ability to operate and possibly its future is threatened.” (2001, p. 212)

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Purpose of Paper

To examine Lukaszewski’s observation of the powerful paradox of community or publics first over organizational priorities in crises, by discerning how we will know what public values are.

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Simple, says Luaszewski

Health and SafetyNatural EnvironmentSocial Environment

Cultural EnvironmentTechnical ConsiderationsFinancial ConsiderationsEconomic Considerations

(the reverse of corporate interests)

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His Advice:

“Solve the crisis, care for the victims, involve

employees, alert those indirectly affected and

manage those who appoint themselves as part

of the situation, such as the news media.”

(2001, p. 207)

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Outline of Paper

• Summarize major strategic crisis management and crisis communication theories’ view of publics

• Define those directly involved in the crisis (community as defined by Lukaszewski, or publics in public relations theory)

• Center those involved in a crisis as those found through discourse

• Advocate scenario building as a means to conceptualizing “values” more accurately.

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Public Relations Defined

“The management of communication between an organization and its publics”

J. E. Grunig & T. Hunt (1984, p. 6)

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Major Theories

Strategic Public Relations ManagementRhetorical Theory

Situational Crisis Communication TheorySymmetrical/Excellence Theory

Contingency Theory

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Definitions of “Those involved”

“Individuals’ attitudes toward specific issues”(Fern-Banks)

“Persons who are affected” (Heath and Millar)

“ People who are affected by the organization or who have power to affect the organization”

(J.E. Grunig)

“Size, credibility, commitment, power”(Pang, et al.)

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Publics

Groups that Arise Out of Problems that Affect Them

(John Dewey, in J. E. Grunig, 1994)

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Three views of publics

• Economic view: The situational theory of publics

• The social interpretist view: publics develop through discourses

• The critical view: diffuse coalitions with diverse needs, values, and perceptions

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Publics Paradox

• Dozier and Lauzen’s exemplar of activist public that doesn’t want “mutually beneficial relationships”

• Murphy’ s publics as “complex adaptive systems in their own right”

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To Summarize

• Publics are situational, without fixed values

• Publics have identities

• Publics have power, are resistant

• Publics self-organize new information

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Knowing values not a matter of strategic planning

“Strategic management is the process of actively participating in conversations around important emerging issues. Strategic direction is not set in advance, but understood in hindsight as it is emerging or after it has emerged”

(Stacey, 2003, p. 423)

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Scenario Planning/Building

• Considering all outcomes, and beyond bottom line (Stroh)

• Projects multiple environmental situations based on the analysis of a variety of environmental factors (Sung)

• Learning process that shares and explores different perspectives (Sung)

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Steps1. Task analysis2. Environmental influence analysis3. Issues analysis and selection4. Key uncertainty identification or problem areas5. Key public identification6. Scenario plot and component identification7. Final scenario development and 8. Final decision scenarios9. Consequence analysis and strategy

development

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Conclusion

• Public relations takes central role in organizational crises by providing accurate descriptions of values and priorities of constituent groups that give organizations permission to operate.

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