How existent IT tools can impact crisis management: A case study of Xinsheng Overpass crisis on overpriced materials
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Hong, Chai-Chi
Abstract
Crisis management is inevitable in the modern day society that pushed organizations to become transparent in their operations. Publics are enabled with learning opportunities about knowledge of interested issues. This has, in turn, forced organizations today to act more responsibly. With the development of internet and digital storage, any piece of information today, once on the internet, is almost impossible to demolish. While communication is made easier and faster for organizations to reach publics, communication is no longer one-way. It is simultaneously happening mulit-directions. Publics receiving information from organizations can also be information originators for other publics as well as feedback to the organizations. This study suggests embracing two-way communication tools in routine operations can not only build stronger organization-public relationships, but also serve as mechanisms in altering crisis life patterns and providing defense shields in crisis situations.
The study took a qualitative approach in examining two historic cases in comparison with the recent Taipei City Government Xinsheng Overpass crisis to determine the possibilities. Criterion adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of the crises include Kent and Taylor’s (1998) five dialogic principles and an additional factor of whether the employed communication medium bypass filters in reaching targeted publics. Interviews with Taipei City Government’s spokesperson Chao Xin-ping was conducted to gain insight of the Xinheng Overpass crisis. It is observed from the evaluations and case comparisons that the assumptions made of existent two-way communication tools can effectively assist in crisis management. It is still with restriction that knowledge of internal operations on historic cases could not be obtained for further examination. The fact that private organizations seemed to embrace the use of social media in crisis communication more than public sectors could also imply a more customer-oriented approach to crisis management. With increasing emphasis on customer satisfaction in government agencies, implementing two-way communications can build the long-term social capital needed for civil services and policy-making. It is also observed in this study that crisis of human error or mismanagement often send prior warning signals. It is surmised that with adequate crisis-sensing mechanism, organizations can effectively detect these crisis threats, providing organizations opportunities in shortening the information void immediately following crisis happenings.
Government agencies, unlike private and non-profit organizations, cannot be bankrupted by market mechanisms. The services of government agencies are by far more complex than private or non-profit organizations. Until today, there has not been a case of successful or failed crisis management that actively utilized existent two-way communications in its operations. It is for future research to determine whether government agencies employing these relationship-building communicational tools can turnaround crisis situations and failing public trust conditions.
Subjects
crisis communication
crisis management
IT tools
Type
thesis
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