Below are the instructions for the assignment copied and pasted. I’ve also linked a video down below detailing the crisis case that needs to be analyzed.
Crisis Analysis & Solution (100 points | 3-4 Pages):
Throughout this semester, you will be writing 4 Crisis Analysis & Solution papers (Double-
spaced, Times New Roman 12pt, 1 inch margins, APA style for in-text citations) in which you
analyze and evaluate real-world crisis communication cases. For each paper, your job is to
develop a theory-guided solution to a crisis that is better than what the crisis-ridden company
developed. Drawing upon the information from the “Crisis Theories” document (available on
D2L), you will develop (1) analyses, (2) evaluations, and (3) recommendations for how to
handle the different crisis situations. Imagine yourself as the crisis manager of the affected
company (i.e., Union Carbide, Chick-fil-A, Nestle). Ground your analyses, evaluations, and
recommendations in the theories and insights laid out in the “Crisis Theories” document, not
just your personal opinion and experience. To access the cases and related documents, navigate
to D2L and click on the “Case Studies” tab. While all the information assembled in the Thinglink
images are important to writing your case solution, start with the case study summary (click ).
Before you write your case analyses and solutions, complete the following steps:
1. Read Case Carefully: Familiarize yourself with the case and additional information.
Focus on identifying the relevant details in the case. Take notes on the following
questions.
a. Who are the key stakeholders?
b. What actions are taken by various actors?
c. How does the crisis affect the organization and its stakeholders?
2. Identify Crisis Concerns & Crisis Type: Identify and take notes on the central crisis
communication concerns and issues. There may be several issues, isolate the most
important crisis communication problem(s). Crisis communication concerns include
examples like dangerous products/recalls, chemical spills or leaks, loss/theft of sensitive
consumer data, sexual harassment/discrimination of customers or employees, lack of
empathy for victims, rumors on social media, boycotts, false organizational
environmental or social claims (i.e., greenwashing), consumer activism, disgruntled
employees criticizing the organization on social media, etc.
Based upon the stakeholders and the crisis concerns you identified, determine the crisis
type. First ask yourself to what degree we are dealing with a paracrisis and/or
operational crisis. Also, see textbook for specific crisis types. For complex crisis
situations, a combination of crisis types is possible.
3. Determine Objectives: Determine the objective(s) or effects for your crisis
communication. As the crisis manager, what do you hope to achieve through your crisis
communication? Identifying communication objectives or desirable effects is key to
evaluating the success or failure of your crisis communication efforts. In a way,
identifying what you wish to achieve with your crisis communication allows you to
assess whether you actually achieved it.
4. Develop a List of Solutions & Messages: Develop solutions for the crisis
communication concerns you identified earlier. The solutions should be guided by the
insights and theories from the “Crisis Theories” document. Solutions include drafts of
messages for how to deal with the crisis problem. Let the theories help you in drafting
crisis messages. Some theories recommend specific strategies. For example, Situational
Dr. Marco Ehrl | marcoehrl.com 2
Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) recommends to provide money and other gifts to
victims if victims suffer serious harm (i.e., compensation strategy). Alternatively, Image
Repair Theory recommends to use simple denial or scapegoating to disassociate the
organization from the crisis. There is no “right” or “wrong” when developing solutions
and messages. Ask yourself why your solutions and messages would work or would not
work for the specific crisis type the organization experiences. Consider the costs and
benefits for each solution.
5. Evaluate, Select, and Implement a Solution: Select the best solution(s) from your list
of solutions and messages. Consider the benefits and costs of each solution before
narrowing it down. Do not overwhelm yourself with too many solutions. Settle on one,
possibly two. Again, let the theories help you in narrowing down your options. Finally,
explain what steps are necessary to implement your solution.
a. Who is your target audience? Who are the stakeholders you intend to target with
your message(s)?
b. What channel(s) do you use to reach your stakeholders (e.g., traditional media,
social media, email, mail, fund raising events, etc.). Will you be using opinion
leaders? (e.g., celebrities, social media influencers, activists, etc.)
Crisis Theories for Crisis Analyses and Solutions:
Instructions
This document discusses crisis theories as analytic tools for your crisis solutions. Use the crisis
theories below to analyze those assignments and explore possible crisis communication actions.
Also, the crisis theories help you explain why certain crisis communication actions should or
should not be taken for a particular crisis. Keep in mind that a case can be analyzed by using a
variety of crisis theories either individually or in combination with one another. It is up to
you to decide which crisis theory or theories would be most appropriate for analyzing the
case. Part of a strong analysis is justifying your selection of critical tools for the analysis.
There are two categories of crisis communication: managing information and managing
meaning. Managing information involves the collection, analysis, and dissemination of
information during a crisis. Managing meaning involves the messages used in attempts to shape
how people perceive the crisis or the organization in crisis. Your case study assignments focus
on managing meaning because they examine the public aspect of the crisis and do not include
private information from the crisis teams themselves. This focus reflects the crisis
communication research itself that has a strong managing meaning focus.
Crisis management includes three phases: Precrisis (i.e., prevention and preparation), Crisis
Response (i.e., public communication), and Postcrisis (i.e., learning). All your assignments
focus on managing of meaning during the crisis response phase. Each of the following
theories offers a list of crisis responses as well as a brief discussion of when and how to use
them. The overall goal of these case study assignments is for you to see how the different
theories and crisis response strategies work before we discuss them in class. Treat these theories
as tools for managing meaning during crises, not as abstract ideas. The key concepts and crisis
responses are highlighted (bold text).
Source: Coombs, W. T. (2014). Applied crisis communication and crisis management: Cases and
exercises. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://library.dctabudhabi.ae/sirsi/detail/384950
Dr. Marco Ehrl | marcoehrl.com 2
Corporate Apologia
Corporate apologia was the earliest communication-based approach to crises. Apologia is a
rhetorical concept involving self-defense. The origins of apologia flow from political
communication and the strategies politicians employed when they would defend their public
character from attacks. The essential elements of apologia were an actual attack on someone’s
public character, which could include accusations of wrongdoing, and a defense of that character.
The four strategies that could be utilized in apologia are denial (people claim they are not
involved in any wrongdoing), bolstering (the audience is reminded of the good things the people
had done), differentiation (remove the action from its negative context), and transcendence
(place the action in a new, broader context that is more favorable) (Ware & Linkugel, 1973).
