Liem - W1 - Course Introduction

RMIT Classification: Trusted
COMM 2699 -
Issues, Risk and
Crisis Communication
Week 1: Introduction
1
What will I learn?
• How to identify and describe the processes involved in risk and

issues management
• How to compare and contrast issues, risks and crises using
appropriate theoretical frameworks
• How to evaluate communication strategies undertaken by a
range of companies in response to crises, and to assess the roles
of stakeholder groups
• To create a crisis communication plan to guide the chosen
client through a real-world issue or crisis
22
A1: Locating & Tracking Issues and Risks
• Focus: Crisis prevention
• Individual work
• Main work: 1,200–1,500-word essay
• 35 points
• Due Week 4, Friday
33
A2: The Communication Plan
• Focus: Crisis communication preparation
• Group presentation
• 30 points
• Due Week 8
• This group stays together for A2 and A3 and works around the
same client for both assignments
44
A3: Press conference and essay
• Focus: Crisis readiness and recovery
• Group work: press conference and media kits – 15% - week 11
• Individual work: reflection essay – 20% - week 12
55
—
Issues, Risks and Crisis
66
Defining terms
• Issue management is about steering the ship out of troubled

water (prevention)
• Crisis management is about saving the ship after it has struck an

iceberg (cure)
• A crisis is a poorly managed risk!
• Risk management is the practice of identifying potential risks,

analyzing them, and taking action to reduce or avoid them
77
What is an issue?
• A condition or event …
• internal or external to an organization …
• which, if it continues,
• will have a significant affect on the functioning or performance of

the organization or its future interests
88
How did we do?
• Public safety – Parking area crashes, injuries in the gym, falling

downstairs, food poisoning, river flood, fire, theft, assault, students
jumping out of unlocked windows …
• Social media! Bad raps on RMIT Confessions, et al
• Cyber-security
• Competitor universities
• Staff shortages, staff quality
• Government relations might go sour
• Industry relations might go sour
• Other ideas?
99
How do you know you have an issue? (1)
1. An issue arises from a social and/or political dispute ( ‘the

disputation’ theme)
• The #MeToo movement forced resignations of key CEOs
• Cartier forced to stop buying gems from Myanmar, re:
Rohingya ethnic massacres
• Child labor and cocoa production
• Sweatshops and garment/shoe production
10
10
2. An issue exists when there is a gap (real or perceived) between

an organization's performance/behavior and the legitimate
expectations of key stakeholders about how they think that
organization should behave (the expectation or legitimacy gap)
• Consumer's pressure small cafés to nix plastic cups/straws
• Your mother is unhappy about your grades
• Dolce & Gabbana’s “chopstick” ad campaign
• RMIT lecturers stressing over student phone use in class and
therefore not learning!
11
11
3. An issue is assessed by its capacity to seriously harm the

organization and its interests (aka the impact theme).
• Boeing 737-Max jet crashes, banning the planes from the sky
and canceling orders to new planes indefinitely
12
12
What is issues management?
• An anticipatory, strategic management process that helps

organizations detect and respond appropriately to emerging
trends or changes
• Issue communication: a subset of IM that contributes to and

supports development and implementation of the strategic plan,
including message development and effective delivery (so,
useful for A2!)
13
13
Jaques: Four aspects of an issue (1)
1. Issues may not necessarily be “real.” Perceptions matter!

“If stakeholders think there is a risk or crisis, there is one.”
(Holladay and Coombs 2013)
2. Issues occur in the public arena, somewhat external to the

organization
• Consider: animal-rights groups boycotting Burberry and others

over sales of fur coats.
14
14
Jaques: Four aspects of an issue (2)
3. Issues are significant and genuine threats, spread over time

• Issues Management is not a general problem-solving tool for
everyday problems
4. Issues require a structured approach and a planned strategy,

not an ad hoc response
15
15
Jaques’ Stages of Issue Management

• Scanning
Issue • Monitoring
identification • Stakeholder input
• Review
• Assess • Identify
• Consult Evaluation
Analysis & • Characteristic
• (Re)prioritize
pioritization • Formal criteria
• Ranking
• Assign tasks
• Tactical implementation • Goals and objectives
• Stakeholder Strategy • Identify allies
communication Action Plans • Allocate resources
options
• Report progress • Criteria for success
16
16
—
What is a risk?
17
17
What is a risk?
• A probability or threat …
• of damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative

occurrence that is
• caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and
• that may be avoided through preemptive action
18
18
There are so many different kinds of risk!
Physical hazards (fire, Chemicals (improper Unexpected financial

flood, weather) storage or use) loss
Equipment (faulty Ergonomic (poor Loss of important
equipment, poor workplace design, suppliers or
maintenance) room layout) customers
Employee-related Psychological Decrease in market
(insufficient staff (bullying, harassment, share (new
numbers, untrained discrimination) competitors or
staff, employee safety, products)
labour actions
19
19
Useful criteria for priorising issues / risks
How bad will this be? Potential magnitude for the organization if the
issue is left unmanaged.
How popular is this issue? Salience/Legitimacy: How widely do people in
general view this issue as a concern.
How big will this be? Visibility: Extent of coverage in the news
media
When does this hit? Proximity/Timing: When is the issue likely to
reach its climax?
What can we do to Affectability: The organization's capacity to
influence or counteract? influence the issue.
How bold will we be? Profile: Willingness of the organization to be
proactively identified with the issue.
20
20
Jaques: Crisis management relational model
21
21
Class activity 1 -
Let’s list some issues facing Grab
22
22
Class activity 2 -
Let’s looks at some risks facing RMIT campus
Issues Risk – yes/no? How likely
(low, medium, high)
People falling downstairs
Cyber-security breach
Bad rap on social media/press
Declining student enrolment
Fire
Vandalism to computer labs
Govt takes away our license
Assault on a student
Injury in the gym
Food poisoning at campus café
23
23
Class activity 3 - Case Study
TOYOTA RECALL CRISIS
Questions
[1] What is the issue?
[2] Identify other potential issues Toyota may face.
[3] How did Toyota respond to the crisis?
24
24
Class activity 4 – Case Study
ZALO FEE COLLECTION CRISIS
Questions
[1] What is the issue? Explain
[2] Can you make some consequeces Zalo may face if they collect
fee from non-business users?
[3] How did Zalo respond to the crisis?
25
25
References (1)
AdWeek (2014). Graphic: crisis magnified. Viewed 29 Jan. 2019,

https://static.adweek.com/adweek.com-prod/wp-
content/uploads/sites/8/2014/09/Crisis-magnified.jpg
Carpenter, E. (2008: Graphic: Perception vase. Viewed 29 Jan, 2019,
http://bp0.blogger.com/_Avtt0o7q5_4/R8gsqaANE4I/AAAAAAAABOU/omC7ttcIaO8/
s1600-h/perception_vase.gif
The European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) (2019)
Graphic: crisis just ahead. Viewed 29 Jan 2019,
https://www.enisa.europa.eu/news/enisa-news/cyber-crisis-cooperation-
report/@@images/c609c245-05ac-463c-be4c-0564d51f9293.jpeg
Law, S. (2014). The Power Of Teamwork. Viewed 29 Jan. 2019,
https://youtu.be/vtXKQOtNWPg
26
26
References (2)
MIPTV (2018). Photo: CONFERENCES. Viewed 29 Jan. 2019,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mipmarkets/40446292185
St. Tammany Parish Library / Charles Schulz (n.d.) Graphic:
Lucy_Peanuts_Reference. Viewed 29 Jan 2019.
https://stpl.bibliocommons.com/events/uploads/images/full/3e36a30815b93ae68dba
3d595b514ae5/Lucy_Peanuts_Reference.jpg
TNC (2018). Graphic: Communication Planning Process process-icon-1-1024x534.
Viewed 29 Jan. 2019, http://reefresilience.org/wp-content/uploads/process-icon-1-
1024x534.png
TNC (2018). Graphic: Communication Planning Process strat-comms-def-2018.
Viewed 29 Jan. 2019, http://reefresilience.org/wp-content/uploads/strat-comms-def-
2018.png
27
27

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RMIT Classification: Trusted

What will I learn?

• How to identify and describe the processes involved in risk and

A1: Locating & Tracking Issues and Risks

• Focus: Crisis prevention

• Main work: 1,200–1,500-word essay

• Due Week 4, Friday

A2: The Communication Plan

• Focus: Crisis communication preparation

A3: Press conference and essay

• Focus: Crisis readiness and recovery

• Group work: press conference and media kits – 15% - week 11

• Individual work: reflection essay – 20% - week 12

• Issue management is about steering the ship out of troubled

• Crisis management is about saving the ship after it has struck an

• A crisis is a poorly managed risk!

• Risk management is the practice of identifying potential risks,

• internal or external to an organization …

• will have a significant affect on the functioning or performance of

How did we do?

• Public safety – Parking area crashes, injuries in the gym, falling

How do you know you have an issue? (1)

1. An issue arises from a social and/or political dispute ( ‘the

How do you know you have an issue? (2)

2. An issue exists when there is a gap (real or perceived) between

How do you know you have an issue? (3)

3. An issue is assessed by its capacity to seriously harm the

What is issues management?

• An anticipatory, strategic management process that helps

• Issue communication: a subset of IM that contributes to and

Jaques: Four aspects of an issue (1)

1. Issues may not necessarily be “real.” Perceptions matter!

2. Issues occur in the public arena, somewhat external to the

• Consider: animal-rights groups boycotting Burberry and others

Jaques: Four aspects of an issue (2)

3. Issues are significant and genuine threats, spread over time

4. Issues require a structured approach and a planned strategy,

Jaques’ Stages of Issue Management

• of damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative

• caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and

• that may be avoided through preemptive action

There are so many different kinds of risk!

Physical hazards (fire, Chemicals (improper Unexpected financial

Useful criteria for priorising issues / risks

Jaques: Crisis management relational model

Class activity 3 - Case Study

TOYOTA RECALL CRISIS

[1] What is the issue?

[2] Identify other potential issues Toyota may face.

[3] How did Toyota respond to the crisis?

Class activity 4 – Case Study

ZALO FEE COLLECTION CRISIS

[1] What is the issue? Explain

[3] How did Zalo respond to the crisis?

AdWeek (2014). Graphic: crisis magnified. Viewed 29 Jan. 2019,

MIPTV (2018). Photo: CONFERENCES. Viewed 29 Jan. 2019,

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