Communicating in Crisis: A Theoretical and Practical Guide to Crisis Management

By Michel Ogrizek and Jean-Michel Guillery

Book Overview

A concise theoretical formulation and a practical guide to managing the crises that corporate and other enterprises inevitably face. It provides an analysis of the field and a step-by-step approach to preventing full-scale, uncontainable disasters and corporate relations fiascoes, from which companies may never recover. The book is based on a wide range of examples and case studies, including an alleged worm infestation of McDonald's hamburgers and the worldwide recall by Perrier's of 160 million bottles of mineral water when word spread that the product had been contaminated by a toxic compound. For every instance cited, an appropriate communications strategy is suggested that would gain public trust and support, as well as keep business going. In addition to product use, the authors discuss industrial and institutional crises and the kinds of endemic panic to which enterprises are subject.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0202306321
• ISBN13: 9780202306322
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 94 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

this is what the publisher says about it. i agree. :)

Communicating in Crisis is both a concise theoretical formulation and a practical guide to managing the crises that corporate and other enterprises inevitably face. Responding to a need long recognized in departments of corporate communication, Drs. Ogrizek and Guillery have produced an in-depth analysis of the field and a step-by-step approach to preventing full-scale, uncontainable disasters and corporate relations fiascoes, from which companies may never recover.The book is based on a wide range of examples and case studies, including an alleged worm infestation of McDonald's hamburgers and the worldwide recall by Perrier's of 160 million bottles of mineral water when word spread that the product had been contaminated by a toxic compound. For every instance cited, an appropriate communications strategy is suggested that would gain public trust and support, as well as keep business going. In addition to product use, the authors discuss industrial and institutional crises and the kinds of endemic panic to which enterprises are subject. Communicating in Crisis is indispensable for anyone involved in the management of an organization, whether it is privately or publicly held, and for courses in corporate communication and corporate risk.Contents Foreword, Stephen A. Greyser Introduction · What Is Crisis Communication? 1. Product Risk and Crisis Communication · Rumors · Product Contamination · Accidents · Boycotts · New Risks and New Product Crises 2. Industrial Risk and Crisis Communication · Major Technological Accidents · Setting Up or Expanding an Industrial Site · Industrial Waste Management 3. Institutional Risk and Crisis Communication · Corporate Identity Crises · Media/Legal Crises and Scandals · Industrial Restructuring · Financial Communication in Times of Crises · Internal Crisis Communication 4. Major Collective Fears and Crisis Communication · Terrorism · Major Health Fears 5. Communicating in a Crisis · Major Principles · Developing Scenarios · Communicating with the Victims · Internal Communication First · Crisis Communication and the Media · Symbolic Communication 6. Crisis Unit Organization and Operation · Unit Organization · Unit Members and Their Roles · Working Methods · Managing the Postcrisis Period 7. Training and Preparing for Crisis Communication · Case Studies · Setting Up a Crisis Unit · Simulation Exercises · Preparing for Crisis Prevention and Avoidance ConclusionReferencesMichel Ogrizek, a medical doctor by training with a background in social/cultural anthropology, is Director of Corporate Relations worldwide for the Unilever Group.Jean-Michel Guillery, a medical doctor, is an expert consultant in the prevention and handling of risk..