Crisis Communication Reflection

Find a current event, within the last year, that involved a crisis or scandal. Give a brief synopsis of the company and the issue, and then answer the questions below:

• What was the company’s communication approach to the crisis?
• Do you feel the company’s communication approach was effective? Why or why not?
• What would you have done the same and what would you have done differently?

 Week 7 Discussion Starter PostCOLLAPSE

Class:

This week we will be discussing crisis management communications. Any business, large or small, at some time will have to respond to a crisis that has affected the organization. You will learn this week that the key is being prepared.

A few tips for this week’s Discussion Post: 

1. Find a crisis that occurred in the last few years (Examples: Boeing, Starbucks, United Airlines, Equifax, Facebook, etc.).  This can be about a company in the news or a crisis within your own company.  

2. Describe the crisis you are selecting with a short synopsis in your own words about what occurred.  Describe the company and the issue that affected them. Is it a public company, private, your company, etc.? 

Besides the reading and video material for this week, here are two additional resources for you as you consider crisis management discussion post:

“13 Golden Rules of PR Crisis Management” https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/06/20/13-golden-rules-of-pr-crisis-management/  

 “Ted Talk: The Secret to Crisis Management in the 21st Century” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQGEPEaEWtg  

3. Make sure to consider these questions in your post:  

• What was the company’s communication approach to the crisis? 
• Did they use social media? 
• Who in the firm responded?  
• How quick were they to respond?   
• Did they follow up with new information?         
• Do you feel the company’s communication approach was effective? Why or why not?          
• Do you think the response was well-thought-out and planned, or just reflexive? 
• Did the story change? For better or worse?   
• Was it effective with the public (audience) or did it antagonize the situation?   
• Did they appear transparent and candid?  
• Did the public appreciate the response? 
• What would you have done the same?
• What would you have done differently?

Put yourself into the position of the company’s spokesperson and make sure you never take things from “bad to worse”. Explain how you will anticipate, plan, and put into effect your crisis management plan.

As always, please include your references and in-text citations.

I look forward to you incorporating all the material from this week’s readings and videos.

Have a great week everyone.

1 Response

 RE: Week 7 DiscussionCOLLAPSE

Hello Professor Paulson and Classmates,

Fundamentally, GE follows the principles mentioned in the “Crisis Management” chapter of The Real-Life MBA (Welch, 1).   We often refer to ourselves as having a bullseye on our monogram (the GE Meatball).  We know that any crisis will be bigger and deeper, secrets (true and false) will be told, how we handle it will be portrayed as bad, internal changes will be one of several results, and we will survive.  For the 128 years GE has been in existence, it has been known as an easy target with deep pockets.  Our PR department is viewed as an essential part of our business and remains busy throughout the year to try to be proactive and get ahead of stories as mentioned by Forbes in the 13 Golden Rules (Forbes, 2).

GE was slow to get into social media but once it decided to do so, the process in place has been very focused on preparing for crisis and responsiveness.  Our main social media presence exists on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. 

The crisis situation in this case is based on the rumors surrounding our X-ray team being relocated to China.  The negative news described our $1B business move from the Wisconsin area to China, taking jobs away from the United States in order to take advantage of cheaper labor.  For background purposes, Wisconsin is the first headquarters location for this business unit.  There are approximately 6000 employees in the southeast Wisconsin area and another 4000 GE retirees.  Moving from Wisconsin anywhere was big news in that region.  Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there.  The story spread fiercely across the nation and examples of other business units moving jobs and work outside of the United States became the negative theme.  This led to the accusation that GE doesn’t pay taxes and so on. 

Our PR department answered each accusation immediately and prepped the senior leadership for any upcoming press opportunities.  Internally, communications were sent to our email addresses as well as our intranet site with facts and directions not to speak with any press.  The PR lead name and contact information were shared for any and all inquiries.  This was completed at every business unit and our GE corporate intranet site as well. 

Social Media was used via press releases and Twitter links to press releases in less than 24 hours.  There wasn’t as much activity on LinkedIn, and Facebook and Instagram were not deemed appropriate.

The truth was, only four employees were moved from the Wisconsin area.  GE has grown its non-US presence over the past two decades unapologetically.  While headquartered in the US, the expectation is that non-US presence will continue to rise and deliver over 50% of GE’s total revenues.  GE, like many other corporations, benefits in tax breaks, this is publicly known and documented.  Some years, more is paid in taxes; some years, less is paid.

The follow up was not very consistent but another crisis took the headlines away from this one.  The accusations regarding tax payments is often mentioned.  Overall, the explanation regarding the roles being moved seemed to satisfy the fury in Wisconsin, but it wasn’t the last time the US press provided backlash on the globalization efforts of GE.  It was effective in that the answer pointed out the actual numbers which were so low; it quieted the noise.  The response was more reflexive but based upon a well-planned PR process for these types of incidents.

The only change to the story is more employees have been hired in Wisconsin and the X-Ray team continues to grow.  Recently, articles and social media highlighted some new product introductions from this well-developed team and the challenges of keeping up with the orders.  That’s definitely a change for the better!  For this particular team, the public sees the positive and appreciates hearing about the Wisconsin led team.  We hear this from our healthcare professionals and we see it in our orders. 

Once the negative story was published by the press, the candor was required. Providing simple facts was a win for the PR department.  Equipping the employees across all business units is the best practice for crisis management that should remain the same.   If GE had publicized and made this a positive story, transparency would receive higher points. 

By creating a positive and proactive story around the move, this could have been less impactful initially.  The jobs held in the Wisconsin area is always a very touchy point, especially in the Midwest.  Eventually, because the individuals were US citizens, their ex-patriot contracts returned them to the US after two years.  This should have been part of the story and follow up on the transition, culture, learnings, and return would have made the story more interesting and inclusive.

The root cause of this particular crisis was a lack of communication to the PR department regarding the upcoming move of the four individuals.  In this PR position, it is essential that HR and the respective PR team are in lockstep to prepare, plan, and put into effect a strong crisis management plan.  It was no secret that the local community would be upset about the movement; however, the leader and the HR team must consider PR a partner.  Building a partnership with the HR lead would be my first step.  Creating a positive theme or story around this scenario would have been the next step.  By creating a team to assess the situation, get ahead of the media, and prepare responses, communications (internal and external) and announcements would be included in my crisis management plan (Forbes, 2).  Additionally, the ongoing story is key.  This could have been a “filler” story as the four individuals progressed over the 2-year period—an opportunity to spread the good things we bring to life at GE.

References

1.  Welch, J & S.  The Real-Life MBA.  New York.  HarperCollins Publishers.  2015
2. Forbes Agency Council.  “13 Golden Rules of PR Crisis Management”. Forbes.  2017.  https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/06/20/13-golden-rules-of-pr-crisis-management/

You have taken steps to identify the risks in your community, identify the actions that the community has taken to address those risks, and prepare some priority issues to address in risk management. Now, this work will be combined to create a portfolio package. You should prepare this portfolio package as if you were going to an interview panel and interviewing for a position as the community’s chief resiliency officer. The chief resiliency officer is equal to the other department heads in the organization and reports directly to the chief executive such as the city manager or county administrator. 

You have flexibility in how you organize the portfolio package. However, the components that make up your portfolio package should include corrections and updates that you made based on integrating the feedback provided by your professor about your previous assignments.

You have the option to submit your portfolio package as multiple files or as a single file. 

Your portfolio package will include the elements listed below. 

• Include an executive summary that introduces the portfolio package and highlights the priority focuses for risk management and hazard mitigation that you have identified. Your executive summary should include an overview of the current activities in disaster risk reduction and risk management that are being used in your community and your new action plan that provides a snapshot of how you would frame or change the risk management activities of the office, should you get the chief resiliency officer position.
• Your portfolio package will also include your revised and updated assignments from Units II, IV, VI, and VII. You should update them as needed to address the feedback provided by your instructor. Specifically, make certain to include the following elements: 
  • Unit II Article Critique: Incorporate your article critique discussing an emergency support function issue for today’s first responders. 
  • Unit IV Research Paper: This section should contain the research and evaluation of your local hazard mitigation plan. 
  • Unit VI PowerPoint Presentation: Include your presentation, which focused on the evaluation of your community’s hazard mitigation plan. 
  • Unit VII Scholarly Activity: Include your briefing memo. 

APA Style should be followed.

 Case Scenario 

 Read the following case first; then proceed to the next steps. 

Jim and Mary work in the same department for a company. Mary is a new employee. Jim has worked at the company for 11 years. Both employees have the same job title and do the same job. The nature of their work dictates that they have to work together.

Jim believes if something works or if a procedure has been successful then it should not be altered. Jim likes to do things the way they have always been done. His personality is such that he is very outspoken. Because he’s been with the company 11 years, he ”freelances” at times when it comes to company policy is comfortable with his performance. Simply put, Jim thinks he knows how to do things better. He will share his opinion on the best way to complete a task, even if his coworkers do not ask for his input.

Mary tries hard to follow company rules. Mary is a very quiet person and doesn’t say much at work. Mary has conservative and traditional values. So when the policy is that employees must clock in within 5 minutes of the start of their shifts, Mary always adheres to the rule.

Employees are supposed to clock in at their own buildings, but there isn’t any way to check this as the company has employees working at multiple sites.

Jim has developed the habit of clocking in at another building when he is running behind so he won’t be docked for being late. Jim has begun getting late to his work station at least 10 minutes on most days.

At least a couple of times each week, somebody asks Mary where Jim is because they are supposed to be working together.

Mary has been covering for Jim for a long time; however, she now feels that she is being taken advantage of rather than just being a good coworker. She is tired of covering for Jim.

Finally, one morning, Jim is 20 minutes late. Mary has to cover for Jim twice that day. When Jim finally arrives at work, Mary tells him she will not make excuses for him anymore.

Jim says, “Hey, I clocked in at the other building. I’ve been doing that for years so what is your problem? As long as you don’t say anything, nobody will ever know. Just shut the %&# up and do your job.”

Mary feels betrayed and she and Jim start shouting at each other. You are the supervisor and you walk in just as it looks like Jim is going to hit Mary. 

Step 2 Reflection

Ask yourself:

As a team supervisor for this company, what would you do?

After you have thought through your position on this scenario, apply your thinking to this week’s philosophers and complete Step 3 – the writing part of this assignment. (John Rawls)

Writing Part

 In 2 pages, explain how Rawls might suggest that you respond to the scenario of Jim and Mary if he was the supervisor and confronted with this situation. How might he apply consensus and public reason to illustrate his philosophy? Support your analysis with quotes or paraphrases from the philosophers. Use APA format and citation when writing your assignment. 

Step 1: Case ScenarioRead the following case first; then proceed to the neJim and Mary work in the same department for a company. Mary is a new employee. Jim has worked at the company for 11 years. Both employees have the same job title and do the same job. The nature of their work dictates that they have to work together.

Write 7-page single space using the executive summary below, and  reference the attached materials. You may have attachments in the  addendum (create a salary grid from a reputable job, or a job  classification family table. You may use APA or MLA format for citation.  TURNITIN IS USED FOR PLAGIARISM. 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Identify the Problem and Stakeholders

Job classification is the process of placing one or more jobs into a cluster or family of similar jobs. The jobs family is based on lines of authority, duties, and responsibilities of the work or behavioral requirements of the job. Job classification can be important for setting pay rates and selecting employees. Small companies are facing challenges more than ever before. Small companies used to serve local community in the past and that was kind of sufficient for those companies to survive. Nowadays, massive companies are dominating the market and extending to even small neighborhoods that used to be served by small companies. There is then a challenge for those small companies to recruit highly talented employees and create a job classification system in which they can compete with other larger companies. HR professional play a crucial role in creating the job classification systems that those small companies need. Position classification is the foundation document used to assign a position’s title, job duties, compensations, and grade level. Since small companies do not have a wide range of job that can be classified under the same jobs family, they face challenge as each job maybe considered a unique job. 

The impact of this touches employers and employees together as they each need to have a well-defined list of duties and responsibilities. The job classification sets the expectation for both parties and allows for a smooth task to be carried in workplace. 

The paper will finally discuss in details those challenges and how small companies can classify their jobs in order to compete with larger companies who have a more designed system for job classification. 

Research Methodology

For the purpose of this research, two methods, questionnaire and interview will be the first methods to use. Market research about small companies challenge to create job classifications comes third as well as journals from human resource subject will compliment the information needed for the entire research. 

Different Alternatives

Job analysis will be conducted in order to determine what can classified as family job and hence have the chance to create a classification system for those jobs. Also, standardizing the classification based on the job requirements and automate most of the tasks will make easy to classify a job and list the requirements. The use of duties as a mode of analysis may be helpful for such functions as job evaluation and classification or creation of job families. Small companies should strive to create a classification system that simultaneously treats the essential attributes of both jobs and people. Other alternatives based on market research will be in the paper as well.

Review Alternatives

The feasibility of the alternatives will be reviewed in the paper, and each will be given a weight as to how easily it can be implemented. The information used to evaluate the alternatives will be based on researching the market and finding more about how small companies deal with job classification and how they can create a reliable system for the same. 

Final Recommendation

The final recommendation is choosing one of the alternatives as the most appropriate method or creating a job classification based on using information from all alternatives presented. 

In the final project, you will be developing a change plan for the “Alaska Airlines: Navigating Change” case study. In The Heart of Change Field Guide: Tools and Tactics for Leading Change in Your Organization, Cohen explains what is required from the leader and other parts of the organization to incorporate Kotter’s steps successfully as a change intervention.

Review the case study “Alaska Airlines: Navigating Change” and then complete the following: (a) State what actually occurred in the case regarding Kotter’s first two steps of establishing a sense of urgency and creating the guiding team in a change effort and (b) address each of the critical elements for Section II parts A and B in your change effort analysis. Make sure to include your recommendations for implementing Kotter’s steps 1 and 2.

A. Create Urgency

1. Describe a plan to create urgency within the organization and convince stakeholders that this change needs to take place.
2. What processes currently exist for implementing change? How will these processes need to be updated for the proposed change?
3. Describe the strategy you will use to get support from your employees. How will this strategy be effective?

B. Build a Guiding Coalition

1. Identify who should be involved in this guiding coalition. Provide rationale for each choice. Kotter likes 50% leaders and 50% managers with experience, while others prefer the composition to be 33% leaders, 33% managers, and 33% informal leaders, but you can assemble the guiding coalition as you see fit.
2. Determine steps you can take to ensure commitment from those involved. Describe those steps.

The focus of the video is tying total rewards to overall employee engagement. Now, you must communicate to the senior management team in your own words exactly what that means. Be creative with your response and you may not use any references for your response.  

NO PLAGIARISM

WILL BE CHECKED THRU TURNITIN AND SAFEASSIGN

Discuss how your project design incorporates design factors, building materials, Furniture Fixtures & Equipment as well as wall coverings, flooring and floor covering and other interior products and materials. Food and beverage must also address ways in which you will reflect environmental management in the food and beverage operations.  

Each assignment should be done on its own word document. Please read all instructions and follow all guidelines. Information for Ebook is posted also link to CSU Library is posted. If you have any questions please let me know. 

Unit I Project

E-BOOK  Diversity in Organizations, 3rd Edition

https://online.vitalsource.com 

[email protected]

Jamal2013!

Instructions

Final Project Information 

Throughout this course, you will complete assignments that lead up to a final project. The project, titled “Consultant to the Client Organization,” is based on a scenario presented below. It may be helpful to refer back to this scenario as you complete each assignment.

Consultant to the Client Organization

Fig Technologies is a global technology solutions firm with offices around the globe. Fig Technologies’ corporate headquarters is just outside Mobile, Alabama. Fig recently acquired several smaller firms in different regions to expand its products and service lines. Assimilating the processes, systems, and human capital has presented a significant challenge. The leadership has chosen to bring in an outside firm to address concerns. You are the consultant from that firm, The Solution Group. 

In each of the assignments in this course, you will be given a scenario to address the concern that is presented. You will be expected to develop assessment, analysis, and research in order to support your proposed solution. Often, you will be asked to present the top three solutions for the concern and support your answer. Use of course materials (textbook and required readings) and external credible materials is strongly encouraged. The scenario is not intended to have a set answer but to develop critical thinking on what can often be very emotional and opinion-based topics. Consider carefully your position and how you will support the proposed solutions. 

Grading will not require simply meeting format standards and word count. It will require substantive content, research, and critical thinking. Each assignment will be a section of a comprehensive report that will be submitted to the Fig Technologies Executive Leadership Council (ELC) in written form in Unit VII. The presentation will be made in Unit VIII. Consider as you work on each assignment how it will fit into the final report that will be sent to the ELC for review. The final report will include recommendations for continued improvement regarding managing diversity in the organization. 

The project serves as an opportunity to stretch your thinking and your organizational skills whether you are a business or human resources major. Working in an organization or being contracted to an organization will require this type of thinking from you as to how you will handle diversity issues within an organization. The project and the course will allow you to build a solid foundation to build upon while also enriching your resource library on the topic for future business world opportunities. 

Click here to download a copy of these instructions for the project scenario. 

Fair Treatment of Ethnicities

The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) has authorized The Solution Group, (the company you work for) to assess assimilation of recent transfers into the workplace environment in the newly opened IT division of Fig Technologies in Tyler, Texas. The Tyler IT division was aligned with its counterparts in Qatar and Germany. In an effort to assimilate the newly formed virtual teams, a contingent from each of the three offices went to the other offices for a two-month immersion. The purpose of the short-term exchange was to learn culture, process, and systems. Some hostilities have been reported in all three offices by team members as to difficulties with the visiting team members. The ELC wants more information. 

Your objective is to determine how to assess the assimilation progress of workers to different people and cultures. Is there acceptance? What are possible roadblocks and obstacles (e.g., language, common terminology, customs, and work ethics). As a consultant, how would you complete this assessment and report results? 

Your assignment instructions are as follows: 

1. Introduce the composition of the three 10-member teams in each of the sites. You do not need names, though you should develop an ethnically diverse team of locals and visitors from the other respective worksites and national cultures. Explore the differences in culture, perspective, and experience of your team. Include whether the work culture in these countries is individualistic or collective. This section should be 200 words, approximately half of a page.   
2. Develop a short assessment tool in order to measure assimilation. Tools may include one of the following: a survey (no more than 10 questions), an interview (no more than 10 questions), or natural observation (approximately half of a page, including a copy of the assessment tool questions). The CSU Online Library is a great place to find information about research questions. 
3. Assessment and results: Develop a one and a half-page summary of your assessment results and how you determined these results based on the answers. The results must address the challenges of these three dynamic cultures and perspectives working together in a live, onsite, and remote environment. Also, identify the demographic data and cultures that make up the organization and how these relate to the U.S. population. Show how you will analyze and use this data in your assessment. 
4. Present your three approaches for improving assimilation onsite. Support your approaches. This section should be approximately half of a page. 

Your completed homework assignment should be three to four pages in length, not counting your references page. No title page is required. The report will require you, as the hired consultant, to review briefly the cultures in play in this scenario. What would be challenges these teams might face? Work ethics, religions, systems, cognitive processes, and cultural dynamics are all factors. 

Important: The homework assignments in each unit will build upon each other to create the entire project. The assignments are deliberately general for you (the consultant) to have a little fun as well as possibly apply the homework assignment to a situation you face or are likely to face in your chosen career field. These assignments will also allow you to apply practical knowledge for continuous improvement in your field. 

You are required to use at least two outside sources for this assignment—one of which may be the textbook. You are encouraged to use the CSU Online Library ( CSU Online Library Research Guide ) . All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style. 

Unit II Project

Instructions

Benefits of Organizational Diversity

You are the consultant assigned to study the organizational environment in the Miami, Florida, and the Kansas City, Missouri, offices. Both are service call centers for Fig Technologies. The workforces have a large cross-section of locals from the area, university graduates from nearby institutions, and transfers from other offices within the organization. The offices are facing issues in several areas. 

The two offices have a friendly rivalry with regard to professional sports and local college teams. In the Florida office, there have been concerns raised, including some complaints that the rivalry has gone to extremes. 

Contingent software developers in both offices from Brazil and South Africa have been unable to get people excited about fútbol instead of football. A few individuals in the Kansas City office have begun hanging out together and talking in the break areas about their relationships with same-sex partners, multiple partners, and some encounters of homosexual and heterosexual relationships together. A petition is circulating around the Kansas City office about these types of discussions being banned. 

You are being sent to assess the environment and provide a report of your findings. The report should be in three sections: 

• assessment of findings in Miami, FL; 
• assessment of findings in Kansas City, MO; and 
• recommendation for addressing these findings to the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) for review. 

In your assessment of findings, be sure to evaluate how organizational cultures are perceived and how problem solving and creativity are promoted with organizational diversity. In your recommendations for the ELC, contrast the benefits and disadvantages of diversity, and establish the value of working through these issues to create a dynamic organizational culture. How will you channel this diversity and help create a positive atmosphere? 

Support your recommendation through the use of at least two sources, one of which can be the textbook. Content should be three to four pages in length. Length does not include an assessment tool, if used, though it may be added as an addendum (recommended, not required). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style. 

Have some fun with the assignment. Use your creative thinking along with your critical thinking to include your perspective of the findings and how to address the issue.

Two scholary article and one Ebook

Find Two Appropriate Non-Scholarly Sources Using a Search Engine such as Google or Bing ( Research Question: What can be done to organizations to adopt mandatory drug testing of employees to deal with substance and drug abuse among American employees?)