Risk and Crisis Communication (20515)
Degree/study: Bachelor's Degree in Advertising and Public Relations
Year: Third and fourth
Term: Third
Number of ECTS credits: 4 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 100 hours
Teaching language or languages: catalan
Teaching Staff: Joan Francesc Cánovas
1. Presentation of the subject
A crisis is not a divine punishment. It happens within organizations much more often than what we would think of and, on top of it, it is not easy to avoid. Therefore, the only thing we can do is to be ready to manage it. In this management, communication achieves an essential role. In fact, the success of a risk contingency plan has a lot to do with communication.
However, do we get ready during times of peace? Do we prevent before we have to cure? Do we know when to tell the difference between a crisis and a risk situation? Not normally. Usually, crisis surprise us, collapse us and keep us from strategic management, tactic development and methodology applying. These three aspects are essential in this course's contents.
2. Competences to be attained
General skills
• Resolution and decision making skills.
• Analysis and synthesis skills.
• Reaching consensus when working on practical cases in team works.
• Writing structured clear and understandable reports.
• Time planning for tasks and activities development.
Specific skills
• Capacity for using tools and applying methodology for information treatment in risk situations.
• Communication strategic vision.
• Assuming analysis capacities for media events with a communicative dimension.
• Capacity for designing and fostering organizations' communication skills.
• Knowledge of the main tools and communication strategies in risk situations.
• Planning, organizing and event execution with a communicative dimension.
3. Contents
1. Perceptions and reality. Reputation and business.
2. Safety and risk society.
3. How to identify a crisis? What is a crisis? Players, phases, vulnerability, typology. Risk and crisis.
4. Priorities in case of crisis.
5. Strategy, tactics and methodology to handle a crisis.
6. Arguments.
7. Crisis plan and manual.
8. The media's role.
9. The organization's spokesperson during the crisis.
10. How to handle the media in case of crisis.
4. Assessment
Assessment will be based on two basic aspects:
• A project about a crisis case.
• A theory exam.
The project must be done in 3-4 people groups and it is worth 60% of the course's overall mark (10% of the project mark is obtained by the project's presentation in class). The theory exam is worth 40% of the overall mark.
The minimum mark that needs to be achieved in both sections (project and exam) in order to get a pass in the course is 4 out of 10.
Students who fail the course at the first round of exams or who do not show up will have to do the same tasks for the September round (except for the project's public presentation).
Students must have attended the classes to have the right to take the exam at the first round.
5. Bibliography and teaching resources
5.1. Basic bibliography
· Alcat, Enrique; Y ahora ¿Qué? Claves para gestionar una crisis ¡y salir fortalecido! Barcelona, Empresa Activa, 2005.
· Coombs, W. Timothy; Ongoing Crisis Communication. Sage, California-London, 2007.
· Del Pulgar Rodríguez, Luis; Comunicación de empresa en entornos turbulentos. Madrid, Esic, 1999.
· Fernández-Aceytuno, Juan; Gestión en tiempos de crisis. Barcelona, Deusto, 2009.
· Mitroff, Ian I, y Pearson, Christine M; Cómo gestionar una crisis. Barcelona, Gestion 2000, 1997.
· Sanjuán, Antonio; Esto rompe. Casos de productos en apuros y gestión de crisis. A Coruña, Netbiblo, 2002.
5.2. Complementary bibliography
· Albrecht, Steve; Crisis management for corporate self-defense. New York, Amacon, 1996.
· Alcat, Enrique; Seis recetas para superar la crisis. Barcelona, Alienta Editorial, 2009.
· Arroyo, Luis; Yas, Magali; Los cien errores de la comunicación de las organizaciones. Madrid, Esic, 2003.
· Bel Mallén, José Ignacio (coordinador); Comunicar para crear valor. Pamplona, Eunsa, 2004.
· Cervera, Ángel Luis; Comunicación total. Madrid, Esic, 2004.
· Elizalde, Luciano H. ; Estrategias en las crisis públicas. Buenos Aires, La Crujía ediciones, 2004.
· González Herrero, Alfonso; Marketing preventivo. La comunicación de crisis en la empresa. Barcelona, Bosch, 1998.
· Fink, Steven; Crisis management planning for the inevitable. USA, Authors Guild Back inprint.com Edition, 2002.
· Fita Trias, Jaume; Comunicación en programas de crisis. Barcelona, Gestion 2000, 1999.
· Healt, Robert; Crisis management for managers and executives. London. Financial Times, 1998.
· Knapp, Mark L.; La comunicación no verbal. El cuerpo y el entorno. Barcelona, Paidós comunicación, 1982.
· Lilley, Roy; Cómo tratar con gente difícil. Barcelona, The Sunday Times, 2002.
· López-Quesada Gil, Miguel; ¡Estamos en crisis! Madrid. CIE Dossat 2000, 2003.
· Losada Díaz, José Carlos (coord); Gestión de la comunicación en las organizaciones. Barcelona, Ariel Comunicación, 2004.
· Marín Calahorro, Francisco; Gestión técnica y de la comunicación en situaciones especiales. Madrid, Fragua, 2005.
· Marín, Francisco; Comunicación de crisis. Madrid, LID, 2009.
· Mitroff, Ian I, y Pearson, Christine M; Cómo gestionar una crisis. Barcelona, Gestion 2000, 1997.
· Mitroff, Ian I, y Kilmann, R.H.; Corporate Tragedies: Product Tampering, Sabotage and Other Catastrophes. Praeger, 1984.
· Pescador Martín, Mercedes; Viagra. Bilbao, Deusto, 2001.
· Pont, Carles; Comunicació i crisi. Barcelona, UOC, 2009.
· Pinsdorf, Marian K.; Communicating when your company is under siege. Surviving public crisis. New York, Fordham University Press, 1999.
· Regester, Michael & Larkin, Judy; Risk Issues and Crisis Management. A Casebook of Best Practice. London & Sterling, Kogan Page, 2005 (third Edition).
· Sánchez Calero, María Luisa; La información especializada en la gestión de crisis. Madrid, Fragua, 2006.
· Tuñez López, Miguel; La comunicación preventiva. Netbiblo, La Coruña, 2007.
· VV.AA. (Robert R. Ulmer, Timothy L. Sellnow, Matthew W. Seeger); Effective Crisis Communication. Sage, California-London, 2007.
· VV.AA.; Gestión de la crisis. Bilbao, Ediciones Deusto, 2001.
· VV.AA.; Gestión de crisis. Convertirlas en oportunidades. Barcelona, Harvard Business Essentials, Deusto, 2004.
· VV.AA.; La comunicación en situaciones de crisis: del 11M al 14M. Pamplona, Eunsa, 2006.
5.3. Teaching resources
· Bernstein Crisis Management LLC
· Institute for Crisis Management
Crisis Management International
6. Metodology
The course combines the following methodologies:
- Master interventions by the teacher
- In-class case analysis
- Personalized tutoring sessions
- Case research to be done by the students
- Student's presentations
7. Planning of activities
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Activity |
Activity type |
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Week 1 |
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Master class |
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Case analysis + debate |
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Week 2 |
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Master class Case analysis |
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Master class |
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Week 3 |
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Personalized tutoring sessions |
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Master class |
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Week 4 |
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Case analysis |
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Master class |
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Week 5 |
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Personalized tutoring sessions |
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Personalized tutoring sessions |
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Week 6 |
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Master class Case analysis |
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Case analysis |
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Week 7 |
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Personalized tutoring sessions |
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Personalized tutoring sessions |
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Week 8 |
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Master class Case analysis |
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Case analysis |
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Week 9 |
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Case analysis |
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Works presentation + debate |
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Week 10
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Works presentation + debate |
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Works presentation + debate |