Corry 1

Rachel Corry

Ms. Boudreau

ENC 2135

9 October 2017

From Hurricanes to Burrito Bowls: An Overview of Crisis Management in the Public Spectrum

Introduction

Take a moment to reflect on Hurricane Katrinas destructive path beginning in 2005, the

disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and the Chipotle E. Coli scare in 2015. In a world of

constantly changing circumstances and unpredictable events such as these, fast-paced decisions

and responses to crises are no stranger to most organizations. Crisis management, the way an

entity responds to an emergency requiring addressment, is far more active in society than many

of us recognize. From this paper, readers can expect to gain a stronger understanding of the real-

world applications of crisis management and the position it holds in numerous organizations at

the local, national, and international levels. Readers should also acquire a heightened awareness

of what constitutes an effective crisis management strategy and how to better evaluate crisis

responses, particularly in the realm of a health crisis.

The point of the research conducted in this paper is primarily to explore a more specific

realm of communication that is directly tied to an organization and has potential to affect society

on multiple scales. Throughout the paper, concepts will be connected to the three previously

mentioned health crises. The focus of this essay is life within my field and the role of

communication required between people inside and outside of the field. I developed an interest

in crisis management because I am curious about why the public is drawn to responding more
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emotionally to certain emergency situations over others. My sister is a nurse; her readiness

during chaotic circumstances inspires me to do the same. I have a variety of interests in the areas

of public relations, business, and communication; I feel that crisis management combines these

in a meaningful way that involves remaining calm during uncertain times. From my paper, I

gained insight into a field I am interested in entering and the skills necessary to communicate

within the field. I had the preconceived notion that crisis management was concerned solely with

the environment and internationally known events like the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001

in the United States. I also didnt realize the wide-reaching scope of other areas of skill that crisis

management encompasses and its applicability to many careers. To provide an illustration from

the professional world, crisis management is considered key to corporate sustainability, helping

to guarantee long term operations and survival (Rasli et al. 54).

The primary research questions I will address in my field essay are as follows: the

process of creating a crisis management strategy based on unique circumstances, how crisis

management teams interact within their group correspondence through proper training, how an

organizations handling of crises influences their reputation based on the affected audience, and

ultimately the role of crisis management at various scales and its connection to numerous other

fields of study. These research questions matter because understanding the dynamic nature and

wide applicability of crisis management is personally valuable to me and should offer some

useful insight to others as well.

Methods

To discover what people in the field of crisis management discuss and what publications

they read regularly, I initially relied on academic articles and studies. Evident in almost every
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secondary source article was an overview of the strengths and weaknesses surrounding different

types of crisis management and the structure of a crisis management team. Volume 60 of

Business Horizons offers an analysis of four major crisis leadership types with examples of each

demonstrating their benefits and disadvantages; transformational leaders who are experienced

with considering future consequences through a flexible, strategic outlook appear most effective

in guiding organizations through crises (Bowers, et al. 551-563). Despite efforts by President

George W. Bush, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Guard soldiers,

charities, and other organizations during and after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it became clear that

centralized, well-prepared crisis management leadership was lacking. In the hurricanes

aftermath, the degree of devastation in New Orleans alone provides proof that qualified and

effective leaders are a necessity to respond appropriately to a crisis and initiate the steps to

recovery.

A reoccurring focus I found in my research was the role of time and pressure on an

organizations crisis management plan, but I also found the role of social approval to be a

significant factor, as those affected by a crisis are inclined to make attributions of

responsibility in understanding the situation (Bundy and Pfarrer, 350-352). The widespread

demand for cleanup after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill into the Prince William Sound led to

the development of a more active public relations realm within Exxon to implement a clearer

crisis management plan to address any future emergency situations that did not exist when the oil

spill occurred. The publics advocacy for protecting the environment and their own safety

demonstrates how influential social involvement can be on the formation of a crisis management

strategy and how a companys reputation is affected by their response. The main audience for
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publications within my field are organizations who need to stay aware of the variety of options in

choosing appropriate crisis management strategies. Some publications, however, involve more

specialized conversations and research studies intended for members of crisis management teams

to raise their awareness of effective techniques in communicating to the public during a crisis.

The topic of organizational legitimacy is brought into focus in a research study on

crisis response strategies aimed at discovering the role of crisis response consistency and

message delivery during crises (Massey, 153). Following the outbreaks of E. Coli linked to

Chipotle in October and November 2015, the food chain experienced declining stock and stunted

sales with the temporary closing of multiple restaurants in the northwest. The unidentified cause

of the bacteria combined with lacking details about the outbreak had a negative influence on how

customers viewed Chipotle. Proper crisis management influences the publics perception and an

organizations overall reputation; reliable and honest communication is crucial in a CMTs

response to emergencies.

For my interview process, I started reaching out to possible interviewees in a broad sense

and gradually moved toward narrowing down my search to the most qualified candidates. I

contacted multiple Florida State University professors within the College of Communication

whose research interests were applicable to my topic of interest. Several professors provided me

with specific contacts who were more qualified in the field of crisis management, including Dr.

Jay Rayborn and Dr. Patrick Merle. I relied on my own connections for finding interviewees in

the workforce, including people who are involved in a crisis management based career like Kaila

Lariviere. By talking to my resident assistant, Andrew Burns, I realized that he would be a great

interviewee candidate for crisis management because of the situations he is required to be trained
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for at FSU. In my interviews, I asked questions including what got them interested in their area

of specialty, techniques at handling crises, the most important or debated topics in the field of

crisis management, key pointers to keep in mind when communicating within a crisis

management team, how to best connect with an audience in handling a crisis, how crisis

management is involved in other fields, and valuable insights they have gained in their career

history. My first interviews were the ones I conducted via email with Kaila Lariviere and

Andrew Burns, which provided a strong basis for me to advance to personal interviews with Dr.

Merle and Dr. Rayborn. After speaking with Dr. Merle, I made some of my questions more open

ended and realized the need for expressing my understanding after each response. Although I

found the email interviews to be easily accessible and timely, there was increased potential for

dynamic conversation and higher flexibility involved in the face to face interviews I conducted.

Results

Throughout my interview process, I was exposed to the significance of communication

within an organization as well as between an organization and the public in my field. Through

my first interview with Kaila Lariviere, I was given firsthand insight into the hard work and

intercommunication devoted by a crisis management team before, during, and after a crisis

within the Florida Department of Health. Working as an intern with the Leon County Emergency

Management Director, Kevin Peters, during Hurricane Hermine and being a part of a

management team during Hurricane Irma exposed her to the importance of quick mobilization

and activation of the Emergency Operations Center communication (Lariviere). She described

the process of creating and maintaining appropriate plans for health crises, a responsibility that

falls to the Public Health Preparedness Planner for Leon County. Effective techniques utilized
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within the Leon County Emergency Management to facilitate a crisis response include being

able to have each others backs, extensive planning, resource management, and knowing the

departments and the individuals capabilities (Lariviere). Her recounts of the countys

responses during Hurricane Hermine and Hurricane Irma compared to the more nation-wide

responses to Hurricane Katrina provide evidence of the significance of adapting crisis

management planning to ensure preparedness and swift recovery.

Something that surprised me from my interview with Andrew Burns was the extent of

crisis management at the local level. His feedback contributed to my understanding of crisis

management skills as being beneficial in numerous situations and communities. Burns, who has

been trained for any emergency he could possibly face as an RA at FSU, explains An RA needs

to take the process one step at a time and make sure they cover every base necessary in the

crisis which requires you to have several skills you can apply to almost any job. Thus, crisis

management plays an integral part in the functioning of a wide collection of establishments,

including universities.

Speaking with Dr. Rayburn provided me with evidence of the direct connection between

crisis management and multiple other fields. One of the most interesting things I retained from

my interviews was his insight Every field has potential crisis communication involvement

Even the good guys have PR problems (Rayburn). This is worth recognizing because the depth,

dynamism, and widespread applicability of crisis management should drive organizations across

different areas of study to implement crisis response plans. Rayburn also offered compelling

commentary on the long-term effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on the company, including

ongoing litigation, criticism, and environmental concerns. Ensuring that a proper crisis response
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plan is prepared and a crisis management team is active offers irreplaceable advantages to

organizations in many diverse fields.

Dr. Merle helped me gain a more wholistic view of my research questions and understand

how they work together by drawing on his own career experiences and teaching style. He

emphasized the universal importance of accuracy, consistency, and transparency in any crisis

response, as they build or destroy credibility. Similar to the outline of professional crisis

communication tips included in Skinner and Mershams Disaster Management, Dr. Merle

affirmed the message must be adjusted to the target audience based on the level and nature of

damage. For example, the origin of E. coli outbreak in Chipotle must be identified as natural or

human error according to what the public is likely to believe to enact an effective crisis response.

Thus, the food chain was potentially not ready to handle the crisis (Merle) because it failed to

recognize the source of the problem and publicly acknowledge their obligation to take steps

toward future prevention. A crisis response strategy, CMT training, an organizations reputation,

and the role of crisis management in other fields all rely to a notable extent on the organizations

analysis of the current target audience.

Conclusion

In summary, crisis management proves fundamental to the society we live in and allows

for our everyday lives to run as smoothly as possible. From my research process, I learned how

to form research questions to drive a field investigation, conduct interviews effectively in person

through pointed and open-ended questions, discern scholarly sources, and combine new

knowledge from secondary sources as well as my own interviews. Communication within the

field of crisis management relies principally on mutual understanding between an organization

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and their target audience. By relating my findings to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Chipotle health

scare, and Hurricane Katrina, I hope readers will grasp the necessity of crisis management as a

means to prevent and recover from unforeseen circumstances from the local to international

level.
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Works Cited

Bowers, Melissa R., J. Reggie Hall, and Mandyam M. Srinivasan. Organizational Culture and

Leadership Style: The Missing Combination for Selecting the Right Leader for Effective

Crisis Management. Business Horizons, Vol. 60, Issue 4, Elsevier, 2017, pp. 551-563, doi:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2017.04.001 Accessed 13 September 2017.

Bundy, Jonathan, and Michael D. Pfarrer. "A Burden of Responsibility: The Role of Social

Approval at the Onset of a Crisis." Academy of Management Review, Vol. 40, No.3,

Academy of Management, 2015, pp. 345-69,

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=73956a63-6245-4e3f-809f-

313e800b56e3%40sessionmgr4010&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=108331

702&db=bth Accessed 14 September 2017.

Burns, Andrew. Email Interview. 26 September 2017.

Coombs, W. Timothy. Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding.

Fourth ed., Sage, 2015, Los Angeles, pp. 66-81, 105-120, 138-148. Print.

Lariviere, Kaila M. Email Interview. 25 September 2017.

Massey, Joseph Eric. "Managing Organizational Legitimacy: Communication Strategies for

Organizations in Crisis." The Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 38, Issue 2, Sage,

2001, pp.153-173,

https://login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=PPCM&sw=w&
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u=tall85761&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA74584846&asid=43c133d230e61baf093b05305

1f70cf2 Accessed 19 September 2017.

Merle, Patrick. Personal Interview. 27 September 2017.

Penrose, John M. "The Role of Perception in Crisis Planning." Public Relations Review, Vol. 26,

Issue 2, Elsevier, 2000,

https://login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=PPCM&sw=w&

u=tall85761&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA64333353&asid=0810c10988554859225ee8edd

b834988 Accessed 19 September 2017.

Ponis, Stavros T., and Athanasia Ntalla. Crisis Management Practices and Approaches: Insights

from Major Supply Chain Crises. Science Direct, Vol. 39, Elsevier, 2016, doi:

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(16)30287-8 Accessed 17 September 2017.

Rasli, Amran, Maqsood Haider, Chin Fei Goh, and Owee Kowang Tan. "Keeping the Lights on:

A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Crisis Management Capability in the Public

Sector." Global Business & Organizational Excellence, Vol. 36, Issue 6, Wiley, 2017, pp.

54-61, doi: 10.1002/joe.21814 Accessed 12 September 2017.

Rayburn, Jay. Personal Interview. 27 September 2017.

Seymour, Mike and Simon Moore. Effective Crisis Management: Worldwide Principles and

Practice. Cassell, 2000, London and New York, pp. 16-23, 75-85, 99-106. Print.

Skinner, Chris and Gary Mersham. Disaster Management. Oxford University Press, 2002, South

Africa, pp. 22-33, 44-50, 112-116. Print.

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Ulmer, Robert R., Matthew W. Seeger, and Timothy L. Sellnow. Effective Crisis

Communication: Moving from Crisis to Opportunity. Sage, 2007, pp. 19-30, 45-71, 142-

150, 170-177. Print.

Veil, Shari R. "Mindful Learning in Crisis Management." The Journal of Business

Communication Vol. 48, Issue 2, Sage, 2011, pp. 116-47, doi: 10.1177/0021943610382294

Accessed 15 September 2017.

Waller, Mary J., Zhike Lei, and Robert Pratten. "Focusing on Teams in Crisis Management

Education: An Integration and Simulation- Based Approach." Academy of Management

Learning & Education, Vol. 13, No. 2, Academy of Management, 2014, pp. 208-21,

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=c98e1205-725a-443f-8704-

143f89b0c3d5%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=9669585

3&db=bth Accessed 12 September 2017.