Chapter 10: A Public Relations Crisis.
In this chapter, I learnt that if issues are not well managed, crises can result for an organization, government, or individual. Crises are unpredictable events that can impact an organization’s viability, credibility, and reputation.
Reading, I find that a crisis is highly uncertain events in which the causes and effects are unknown. A crisis is a major occurrence with potentially negative outcomes that affect the organization, company, or industry.
I find that this is where the PR practitioners step in with skills in issue management. Issue management is a specific management function that seeks to identify potential, emerging, or actual trends, concerns, or issues likely to affect an organization and its key publics. They are identified by the PR professionals and dealt with.
Wait. I am talking about two matters at the moment. Crisis versus Issue. What are they, what’s the difference between the two of them?
An issue arises when there is a gap between what a company does and the key public or audience expectation of the company’s behavior as well as issues generated and public awareness spiked by organization’s who want people to start thinking about the topic and responding to a particular situation. For example, when organizations have their product made in countries such as Africa and India – and the key publics thought all this while that it was made in countries such as Italy and America.
While a crisis example is where the key publics find out that the money they placed in for charity were used to make a gold tap and toilet seat for the management of the organization.
"Organisations engaged in socially responsible practice tend to be more successful at anticipating potential public issues and responding to them before the issue becomes politicised." (Buchholz, 1982)
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Thats a very interesting and funny example you gave about crisis! HAHA love it.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it these kind of things do happen a lot. I do not mean the money being used to make gold taps and toilet seats but like you know, so many cases have sprung where charity organizations are using the money for their own purpose. It makes people not want to donate because they do not know whether their money is actually going to the people that really need it! CRISIS INDEED!
"where the key publics find out that the money they placed in for charity were used to make a gold tap and toilet seat for the management of the organization."
ReplyDeleteOkay, I do remember that fraud case. It was too unique to forget. Hahaha!
I would like to add that crisis, in this case, frauds by charitable organizations, can really impact the local communities as a whole.
For instance, the infamous NKF Scandal and the one about the Buddhist monk, Ming Yi, have huge effects on the public. There is always a lingering taste of distrust when charitable events or tv fund raisers are held. We cannot help but be skeptical of these organizations even though we sympathize with the patients.
In my opinion, I think it is true that PR practitioners should step up their game and respond to these issues. But at the end of the day, it really depends on how ethical the company is.