• Recognize the importance of crisis communication and management in a crisis-driven world (Catastrophes, Global Crises, Financial Crisis, Pandemics, Organizational Crises, Management Crises, Image crises tec.)
• Have a broad understanding of theories, concepts and frameworks to analyse and adopt a critical and reflective approach on global issues, stakes and challenges which trigger reputational crises for business, states, diverse types of organizations and communities.
• Analyze an organizational crisis situation (internally and externally) and resolve / navigate through a crisis (in a case study).
• Communicate with the media and other stakeholders before, during and after a crisis and engage with social media in an open and 'out of control' interconnected world.
• Analyse and evaluate the pre-crisis and post-crisis, the organizational, situational, societal and technological context and prepare for the next crisis.
• Discuss how to set crisis preparedness and communication in the context of new entrepreneurial and business cultures that are riven by the values of social, market and technological innovation, sustainability, transparency and engagement as well as value creation while addressing and solving market and societal challenges.
• Demonstrate theoretical insights into and/or practical skills within crisis management and communication (including organizational analysis, stakeholder management and communication).
• Analyze, discuss, solve, and reflect on a challenge, process or activity within crisis communication in, from and about a selv chosen organization.
• Ability to use language appropriately, and effectively in academic writing a report complying with standard principles for academic genres (project report / case study).

We are living in a crisis-driven world. Organizations and institutions, corporate leaders, social sector organizations, cities, communities and states, even families and individuals, are experiencing the turmoil and the turbulences of a life “out of control”. Environmental, financial, food or humanistic crises, accidents and corporate governance failures, frauds and political crisis are signaling the "new “normal”.

The aim of this course is to learn how to apply and adopt concepts, models, theories and practical tools of crisis management and crisis communication in private and public organizations in this new normality.

These concepts, models, and tools should help the students to be able to analyze the organizational, situational, societal and technological context of crisis communication in a network of analogue and digital / mobile / social media, to navigate and communicate through the crisis process, and to reflect on the crisis communication and management.

Topics for lectures and student presentations:

• The research field of crisis management (definitions and typologies)
• Crisis management: preconditions, events and processes, stakeholders
• Crisis Communication: theories and models (Response, Damage Control & Image Repair, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Rhetorical Arena Framework, Stakeholder Communication)
• Context: Organization, situation, industry, culture, and the network of analog, electronic, and digital media
• Analysis and discussion of cases from literature and real life cases

Topics for workshops:

1) (Virtual) workshops with guests from communication industry

• Analysis of crisis, crisis management and crisis communication
• Analysis of organization (mission, vision, structure, industry), context, situation and stakeholders
• Internal and external crisis communication 

2) (Virtual) methodology workshop (MS Teams)

• Case studies as qualitative method: Theory, practice, and reflection

Topics for cluster supervision (MS Teams)

• Problem-based reports as genre: problem statement, methodology, structure
• Organizational relevance and academic rigor

Virtual dynamic crisis simulation (platform TBA; SoMe)

• 2 days virtual simulation “game” with briefing, simulation of a crisis with the student groups in the role of different stakeholders

Compulsary text books:

Coombs, W.T. (2019): Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, Managing, and responding. Sage: London [International student edition].

Frandsen, F. & W. Johansen (2017): Organizational crisis communication. Los Angeles ; Sage.

Ndlela, M. (2019): Crisis communication: A stakeholder approach. London: Palgrave Pivot. Online at CBS library.

Reader (compendium) with excerpts from recent research, e.g.:

Anthonissen, Peter Frans (ed.): (2008) Crisis communication: Practical PR strategies for reputation management and company survival: London: Kogan Page.
 
Capozzi; L. & Rucci (2013): Crisis management in the age of social media. New York; Business Expert Press.

Cheney, George; May, Steve & Dabashish Munshi (eds.): The Handbook of Communication Ethics. London & New York NY: Routledge.

.

Coombs, T.W. (⁴2015): Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.

Coombs, W. T.; Falkheimer, J., Heide, M. & P. Young (eds.) (2016): Strategic communication, Social Media and democracy: The challenge of the digital natives. New York NY: Routledge.

Smith, D. & D. Elliott (2006): Crisis management: Systems and structures for prevention and recovery. London & New York: Routledge.

Umer, R., Sellnow, T., and Seeger, M. (2010): Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

White, C. (2011): Social media, crisis communication and emergency management: Leveraging Web 2.0 technologies. London: Taylor and Francis:  CRC Press.