Date of Award

5-21-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Michael Hazel

Second Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Abstract

A crisis can be defined as “an unexpected, non-routine event that creates uncertainty and threatens an organization’s priority goals” (Dean, 2004, p. 192). If not handled properly, it may have negative effects on the organization’s reputation and overall viability. Therefore, it is essential that organizations prepare an effective crisis response plan to implement once a crisis occurs. Situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) is a proven theory used in developing effective crisis response strategies. This theory asserts that organizations must select the crisis strategies most appropriate to the type of crisis (Coombs, 2006). Heider’s attribution theory asserts that how we react to situations is based on our perception of the situation and our judgment of the situation (Coombs & Holladay, 1996). Informed by these perspectives, the purpose of this project is to develop a custom crisis communication plan for xyz organization. This organization is very well known among its publics, as its history of legendary member service has stood for nearly a century. However, the organization lacks a crisis response strategy. This is alarming as the organization has a large customer-facing workforce that deals with thousands of customers per month in a variety of situations. This standalone crisis communication plan will enable xyz organization to respond to a variety of crises in order to minimize any reputational or financial harm.

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