Crisis communication is essential for any Master of Business Administration (MBA) candidate. Effectively communicating through a crisis can be the difference between a company’s survival or its downfall. A crisis can come in many forms: cyberattack, supply chain failure, product recall, public environmental hazard or an internal sexual harassment scandal. As problems become increasingly complex, the need for leaders who can effectively communicate with stakeholders and the public becomes even more critical.
Crises often catch organizations off-guard, and the resulting reputational damage to an organization can be significant. However, a well-managed crisis response can help alleviate negative impacts and even present opportunities for growth and improvement. Furthermore, as organizations become more interconnected, the potential for crises increases. As such, MBA students must learn how to navigate the intricacies of crisis communication. This article explores why crisis communication is vital for MBA students and how they can develop these skills in the MBA with a Concentration in Strategic Communication online program from Southeastern Oklahoma State University to become effective leaders in today’s volatile business landscape.
What Does Crisis Communication Involve?
Corporate crisis communication involves the strategic management of communication during an event that could potentially harm an organization’s reputation, bottom line or stakeholders. Crisis communication aims to manage the crisis effectively through seamless internal and external communication, minimize the damage and restore the organization’s credibility and reputation as quickly as possible. The ability to effectively complete this process makes an organization resilient.
Strategic crisis communication involves several key components, including proactive planning and preparation, timely and accurate information sharing, clear and consistent messaging and a coordinated response. The aims of a comprehensive crisis communication plan should be thoroughness in each of the following stages so the organization can be resilient following the crisis impacts:
- Readiness involves preparation and resilience planning for a wide variety of scenarios.
- Response includes strategic communications, delegation of responsibilities and actions to carry out.
- Recovery entails evolving messaging, insights and change management.
- Restoration concerns realigning communication to mission and values, restoring business operations and reestablishing connections and trust with stakeholders.
As a crisis communication plan plays out, it may involve leadership communicating with employees, customers, shareholders, regulators, media and other stakeholders. During a crisis, leadership, internal communications and PR teams utilize employee communication strategies, such as showing empathy and competence, to disseminate updates and critical company information. Each crisis is unique, and the communication strategy needs to fit accordingly and through a range of channels, including social media, press releases, company websites and public statements by executives.
The Importance of Effective Crisis Communication
While many organizations recognize the importance of effective crisis communication, frameworks and approaches to crisis communication can always be improved to increase resilience and maintain business relationships. More awareness and training can help in identify and addressing any gaps or issues in an organization’s crisis communication plan.
PwC’s Global Crisis and Resilience Survey 2023 revealed that 91% of organizations experienced disruption other than the pandemic in the past two years, and 76% said their most serious disruption had a medium-to-high impact on operations. In addition, just one-third of respondents reported having the proper foundational elements to support resilience.
Valotalive suggests establishing a “crisis communications hub” that includes adaptable messaging like email drafts, relevant contact information and assigned roles, such as anyone designated to contact a particular department, how the organization expects those departments to respond and response timeframes. A clear communication structure enables a crisis team to respond with minimal delay and reduces vulnerability gaps in the response.
In addition to plans for communication with employees, an organization must prepare to answer or even anticipate client concerns. Organizations should be proactive and ask clients when and how often they would like updates or information and how they can provide assistance. This approach can help build trust and strengthen relationships and public perception.
A Curriculum That Prepares Professionals With Crisis Communication Skills
If helping to close organizational crisis vulnerability gaps is something you would like to accomplish in your career, this program provides the training you need throughout the curriculum, in two courses particularly:
- Crisis Communication: This course introduces you to the planning, creation, deployment and critique of risk and crisis communication. Students explore competing theoretical perspectives and rhetorical strategies used when conveying risk and crisis communication to the public.
- Strategic and Organizational Communication: In this course, you will study these messages and examine how organizational leaders communicate through challenges, engage in sense-making and develop strategies for communicating change and development.
Organizations are feeling vulnerable to an ever-growing number of potential crises, which presents opportunities for graduates of Southeastern’s online MBA with a Concentration in Strategic Communication program to rise to the challenge of developing an effective crisis communication plan and response.
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online MBA with a Concentration in Strategic Communication program.