Conflict Management: Dealing with Issues, Risks, and Crises Chapter 10

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Conflict Management Dealing with Issues, Risks,
and Crises
Chapter 10

• Public Relations is involved in influencing the
  course of conflicts to the benefit of the
  organization and, when possible, to the benefit
  of the organizations main constituents.
• The use of public relations to influence the
  course of a conflict is called strategic
  conflict management.

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Competition vs. Conflict

• It is important to understand the differences
  between the two.
• Competition can be defined as when two or more
  groups or organizations vie for the same
  resources. In business these resources could
  be sales, market share, contracts, employees, and
  ultimately, profits.
• In the nonprofit sector, the competition might be
  donations, grants, clients, volunteers, and even
  political influence.

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Conflict

• Conflict, on the other hand, occurs when two
  groups direct their efforts against each other,
  devising actions and communication that directly
  or verbally attack the other group.
• PR pros play a key role in organizations
  competition and conflict efforts and obstacles
  successful handling of such situations increases
  the value of public relations to top management.

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In competition/conflict, a sense of mission and
conviction is needed

• That your organizations behavior is honorable
  and defensible
• Your organization is ethical
• Your organizations mission is worthy

• Your advocacy of the organization has integrity
• Your organization works at creating mutual
  benefit whenever possible
• Fight the good fight!

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Phases of the Conflict Management Life Cycle

• Proactive
• Strategic
• Reactive
• Recovery

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Proactive Phase

• This phase involves activities and thought
  processes that can prevent a conflict from
  arising or from getting out of hand.
• One way is through environmental scanningthe
  constant reading, listening and watching of
  current affairs with an eye to the organizations
  interest.
• Issue Tracking attention becomes more focused
  and systematic through, for example, the daily
  clipping of news stories
• Issues Management when an organization makes
  behavioral changes or creates strategic plans in
  ways that address the emerging issue
• Crisis Plan the first step in preparing for the
  worst an issue or event that has escalated to
  crisis proportions

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Strategic Phase

• An issue that has become an emerging conflict is
  identified as needing concerted action by the PR
  professional.
• Three broad strategies take place in this phase
• Risk communication
• Conflict-positioning
• Crisis management

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Strategy Phase Three Strategies

• Risk communicationdangers or threats to people
  or organizations are conveyed to forestall
  personal injury, health problems, and
  environmental damage
• Conflict-positioningstrategies to favorably
  position the organization in anticipation of
  actions such as litigation/lawsuits, boycott,
  adverse legislation, elections, or similar events
  that will play out in the court of public
  opinion.
• Crisis managementa plan of action for dealing
  with worst case scenario crisis situations

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Reactive Phase

• This is when an issue or conflict has reached a
  critical level of impact on the organization
• Now PR professionals must react to events in the
  external communication environment as they
  unfold.

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Reactive Phase Strategies can include

• Crisis communicationsimplement your crisis
  communication plan
• Conflict resolutiontechniques used to bring a
  heated conflict, such as collapsed salary
  negotiations, to a favorable resolution (PR
  people employing strategies to assist negotiation
  or arbitration efforts to resolve conflict, for
  example)
• Litigation public relationsemploys communication
  strategies and publicity efforts in support of
  legal actions or trial

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Recovery Phase

• In the aftermath of a crisis or a high profile,
  heated conflict with a public, the organization
  should employ strategies either to bolster or
  repair its reputation in the eyes of key publics.
  
• Two ways Reputation management and image
  restoration

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Recovery Phase Two Approaches

• Reputation managementincludes systematic
  research to learn the state of the organizations
  reputation and then taking steps to improve it
• Image restorationstrategies to help a companys
  or organizations reputation that has been
  damaged by the poor management of issues or
  controversies, or callous responses to a crisis

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How to Communicate during a Crisis

• Put the public first
• Take responsibility
• Be honest
• Never say No comment
• Designate a single spokesperson
• Set up a central information center

• Provide a constant flow of information
• Be familiar with media needs and deadlines
• Be accessible
• Monitor news coverage
• Communicate with key publics
• (from page 263)

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How organizations respond to crises

• Attack the accuser-confront, challenge, threaten
• Denial-there is no crisis!
• Excuse-minimize responsibility no
  control/harmful intent
• Justification-minimize crisis- no serious
  damage/injury
• Ingratiation-take actions to appease publics
  involved
• Corrective action-steps taken to repair damage
  prevent from happening again
• Full apology-take full responsibility, ask
  forgiveness
• (from page 264)

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Crisis Management Examples

• Intels Pentium Chip Problems
• Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Alaska
• Pepsis Syringe Hoax Crisis
• Wendys Fickle Finger of Fate
• (pages 265-7)

• Bottled Water Industry Reacts(page 259)
• Wal-Marts Shrimp Dilemma
• (page 248)
• Home Depot Staging Community Support?(page 258)
• China Tries to Counter Criticisms
• (page 270)