PR Crisis Management in Organizations

: Comm 390EVD – Spring 2002

4:20pm-6:00pm-VUCA 1412

One hour to be scheduled

Dr. B.D. Neff, Associate Professor Office:Schnabel 8 
Bonita.Neff@valpo.edu X6827 
Office Hours:MW 11:15am-2:00pm TTh 11:15pm-2:00pm 
W 2:00pm-4:00pm  and by appointment 

Course Goals:  PR crisis management in organizations focuses on the most advanced level of public relations.Crisis management from a public relations perspective is critical whether you are part of nonprofit, corporate, agency, or governmental concern.This course examines PR crisis management from an academic and a practitioner point-of-view.A particular emphasis will be made to cover both the growing development in diversity and the contributions of technology.

In additions to the textbooks, students will be reading selections from PRWeek and PRSA’s Tactics and Strategist. The classroom activities will work with experiential exercises, stress teamwork, and involve field and case investigations.

Guest speakers on public relations crisis management will be scheduled as available. Some guests may be outside-of-class assignments (see above one-hour scheduling policy).

Required Texts:
Banks, Steve P.Multicultural Public Relations:A Social-Interpretive Approach.Ames, Iowa:Iowa State University, 2000.
Fearn-Banks, Kathleen, Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002
Fearn-Banks, Kathleen, Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002 (2nd edition), student workbook.

Background Lectures:

Coombs, Timothy W. Ongoing Crisis CommunicationPlanning, Managing, and Responding,Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA., 1999.

Required Subscription: PRWeek

Web site: Selected readings.

Evaluation

Students must successfully complete all of these assignments to receive a course grade.

    1. A daily participatory grade (points) for each class session/exercises, independent sessions, and for scheduled field trips.(85 points)
    2. A series of evaluations (quizzes, exams, papers, exercises)(100 points)
    3. Successful completion/presentation of projects, activities and/or exercises assigned as a member of a team (both individual and team evaluation conducted) 100 points.
Unauthorized Aid

It is the responsibility of each student to review and understand the University’s Honor Code. For purposes of this course, it is a particular violation of the Honor Code to submit papers or assignments based on materials submitted by students in previous offerings of public relations. Project proposals are expected to be original and not derived in whole or in part on others’ work. Work submitted in other classes or from work planned for submission in those classes. If you have any doubts about what you plan to propose for this course, see the instructor. Plagiarism of published literature reviews and/or research designs is an absolute violation of the Honor Code. The honor code must be written in full for all assignments and exams.

Grading

Course grade will be based on the following point breakdowns (total available points = 285).
 
A 285 (95%)   B- 240 (80%)   D+ 201 (67%) 
A- 270 (90%)   C+ 231 (77%)   D 195 (65%) 
B+ 261 (87%)   C 225 (75%)   D- 180 (60%) 
B 255 (85%)   C- 210 (70%)       

You always know how you are doing in this course. Take the number of points you have on any given day and compare them to the number of points you could have if you had obtained a perfect score on everything. Take your actual score point total divided by the perfect score total, and match the resulting percentage to the grade list above. Since the exams, quizzes and presentations/projects represent ample opportunity for evaluation in this course, there will be no opportunity for extra credit work.

Attendance

Because the exam and quizzes are derived from lectures and readings, regular class attendance is important—especially during class presentations. Failure to attend all such presentations will result in course points being deducted. Make-up exams and quizzes will be given for illness only when the instructor can verify the illness through a nurse and/or doctor. Make-ups for other reasons are at the instructor’s discretion, but will be difficult to obtain. All sports participants must provide official schedules of their activities. No exceptions. Arrangements for make-ups must be made in advance of the absence. Make-up quizzes will be oral. Make-up exams will usually be essay, and always different from regularly scheduled exams.

Vacation Policy: The University specifies clearly when vacation periods begin and end. The course operates strictly on that schedule, which students are expected to know. Leaving for vacation early, returning late, missed rides or failures to make alternative transportation arrangements do not constitute good excuses for missed classes, assignments, quizzes and exams. GRADE RECORD SHEET

Please keep a record of your grade points. That way you will easily be able to compute how well you are doing in the course on any given day.

Quizzes (The number of lines do not represent the actual number of quizzes that will be given.)
 
#1 #8 #15
#2 #9 #16
#3 #10 #17
#4 #11 #18
#5 #12 #19
#6 #13 #20
#7 #14 #21

Class participation (85 points) _____

Exams (100 points) _____

Projects & exercises (100 points)_____

COURSE CALENDAR

COM390EVD-PR Crisis Management in Organizations

WEEK ONE

Jan 9 Obj: To review the framework of crisis management study

Obj: To learn how to work in teams
Assignment:Experiential exercises
PRWeek team subscription is $34.00 (cash/check/credit card)

WEEK TWO

Jan 16 Obj: To clarify the different stages of crisis communication

  Obj: To understand the historical perspectives of crisis communications literature Banks: Culture, Diversity, and Public Relations, 1-21
Assignment: role of intra/interpersonal communication
F-B Text: Nature of Crisis 1-22
Wkbk: Vocabulary 1
Wkbk: study body publics 4

WEEK THREE

Jan 23 Obj: To understand the life cycle of various crisis efforts

  Obj: To appreciate PR crisis management as part of nonprofit, agency, corporate, governmental relations Banks: A Theory for Multicultural Public Relations, 23-35
Banks: Multicultural Community Relations, 65-79
F-B Text: Crisis Communication Plan 22-40
Wkbk: Vocabulary-Plan 5-6
Wkbk: Crisis inventory 6-10
Wkbk: Developing the Crisis Communications Plan 10-44
Lecture: Coombs: A Need for More Crisis management Information, 1
Crisis management Defined, 2
Importance of Crisis Management, 5
A comprehensive approach, 6

WEEK FOUR

Jan 30 Obj: To discover experientially the sense of PR crisis management

  Obj: To understand the role of assessment
Banks:Communicating with Multicultural Internal Publics, 45-61
F-B Text: Crisis Makers 41-51
Wkbk: Rumor 48 and 49
Wkbk: TV camera news 50
Coombs: Outline for an Ongoing Approach in Crisis Management, 9
The Initial Crisis Management Framework, 9
Outline of the Three-Staged Approach, 14

WEEK FIVE

Feb 6 Obj: To profile PR crisis management programs for each type of  organization

Obj: To learn how trust is developed

Exam: Second class period
Banks:Multicultural Community Relations, 57-68
F-B Text: Cyber Crises 52-75
Wkbk: Non-expert expert 51
Wkbk: Cyber Crises Vocabulary 52-53
Wkbk: Urban Legends Web site 54
Coombs: Signal Detection, 17
Contributing Organizational Functions, 18
Sources to Be Scanned, 22
Information Collection, 30
Information Analysis, 31
Crisis-Sensing Mechanism, 36
Conclusion, 37

WEEK SIX

Feb 13 Exam over all material up to this point

  Obj: To understand the nature of the multicultural community
  Obj: To explore one’s own multicultural awareness Banks: Communicating with Multicultural Activists, 71-83.
The Nature of Activist Publics, 72
Situational Factors:Disasters, Crises and Issues, 77
Establishing Dialogue with Multicultural Activists, 82
F-B Text: Managing a Crisis 65-85
Wkbk: Rogue Web 55
Wkbk: Banana—discussion 56-57, 58, 59
Wkbk: Managing a Crisis 60-62

WEEK SEVEN

Feb 20 Obj: To assess the role of relationships in crisis management

  Obj: To compare and contrast the various attitudes toward issues/risk
Banks:The Future of Multicultural Public Relations, 115-120
Mini Case Presentation
Chp 6: Johnson & Johnson (Text and workbook)
Coombs: Crisis Prevention, 39
Basic Crisis Prevention Process, 39
Issues Management, 40
Risk Management, 42
Relationship Building, 44
Conclusion, 57

WEEK EIGHT

Feb 27 Obj: To understand how different organizations approach strategy

  Obj: To assess how different organizations view the competitive Banks: Technology, 87-99
Mini Case Presentation
Chp 7 and Chp 8: Exxon and the Valdez Oil Spill
Coombs:Crisis Preparation, 59
Diagnosing Crisis Vulnerabilities, 59
Crisis Types, 59
Crisis Management Teams, 63
The Spokesperson, 71
The crisis Management Plan, 78
Preparation of the Crisis Communication System, 84
Conclusion, 87

WEEK NINE and TEN

WEEK ELEVEN

Mar 18 Obj: To determine how to factor in the multicultural dimension

   Obj: To compare and contrast the multicultural with global approaches
Banks: Cultural Diversity in International Public Relations, 103
Primary and Secondary Dimensions of Diversity, 105
Diversity versus Uniformity, 106
Bridging diversity and Uniformity, 108
Control, Subjugation and Harmony Cultures, 108
Redefining Public Relations and Effectiveness, 109
Beyond Cultural Knowledge, 112
Mini Case Presentation
Chp 9: Snapps and AIDS

WEEK TEN and ELEVEN Spring Break

WEEK TWELVE

Mar 20 Obj: To understand the role of culture in PR crisis management

   Obj: To compare and contrast western culture with nonwestern cultures Mini Case Presentation
Chp 10: Cellular Phones/Cancer
Coombs: Crisis Recognition, 89
Selling the Crisis, 90
Crisis and Information Needs, 99
Conclusion, 111

WEEK THIRTEEN

Mar 27 Obj: To learn how social vision differs

   Obj: To learn how social vision is important to constructive growth
Mini Case Presentation
Chp 11 and 12: United Way
Banks: The future of Multicultural Public Relations, 115
Training and Education, 116
Professionalism and Diversity, 118
Ethical Communication and Diversity, 120

WEEK FOURTEEN

April 3 Obj: To examine the future of CR

  Obj: To focus on the role of technology as a PR crisis management tool Mini Case Presentation
Chp 13: Chinese Immigrant in Canada
Coombs: Crisis Containment and Recovery, 113
Initial Crisis Response, 114
Reputational Management Concerns, 114
Communicating the Contingency Plan, 140
Follow-Up Communication, 130
Conclusion, 133

WEEK FIFTEEN

April 10 Obj: To apply your research skills to a PR crisis communication project

Mini Case Presentation
Chp 14: DC Mayor
Coombs:Postcrisis Concerns, 135
Crisis Evaluation, 135
Institutional Memory, 144
Postcrisis Actions, 145
Conclusion, 146

WEEK SIXTEEN

April 17 Obj: To learn how to assess a crisis management plan

Mini Case Presentation
Chp 15: Texas A & M University and the Bonfire Tragedy
Coombs:Final Observations and Lessons, 147
Crisis Management is Ongoing, 148
Knowledge, Skills, and Traits, 149
Crisis Management Procedures, 152
Final Thoughts, 155

WEEK SEVENTEEN

April 24 Obj: To learn how to assess a crisis management plan

Mini Case Presentation
Chp 16: U.S. Postal service and Workplace Violence

WEEK EIGHTEEN

May 1 Review

May 8: Reading day

Final Exam: Tuesday, May 14--1:00-3:00pm