The article constitutes a presentation of the results of research devoted to the current trends in crisis PR. The authors of
the work made an attempt to diagnose crisis prevention in a cross-section of two dimensions. On the one hand the perspective of business (survey of companies) was presented and on the other hand experts' opinions (survey of the leaders of public relations agencies) were shown. As a result of analyses a point model of an immune system, which takes into consideration the key instruments of crisis methodology (developed procedures in form of communication management book, dedicated anti-crisis structures in an organization, crisis team with a fixed membership and a system
of communication trainings) was designed. Diagnosis of prevention measures of the leaders of Polish business — based on the years 2007–2017 showed major deficiencies in the degree of companies' preparation for the risk of crisis.
Model of the diagnostic field as an element of support for public relations a...Dariusz Tworzydło
One of the key issues related to crisis management is awareness combined with the actual
state of preparation. Not always awareness goes hand in hand with the resources and documentation that the company has. This is the subject of analysis carried out within the
diagnostic square, which is an attempt to capture within one analysis two key planes in image
crisis situations: the actual situation and the declared preparation on the part of managers.
FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE CRISIS COMMUNICATION BASED ON PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFES...Dariusz Tworzydło
The way of conducting communication during the image crisis is a special type of challenge for the company. Lack of preparation of the company for proper communication management may be crucial in averting and/or reducing the effects of crises. The paper presents the results of research conducted among experts from the PR industry and representatives of the largest Polish enterprises from the 500 List compiled by “Rzeczpospolita” daily newspaper. The vast majority of Polish enterprises show an open-minded approach to crisis communication. Companies from oppressive industries, where crises occur more often, are better prepared for crisis communication. The determinants of effective communication in the situation of image threats are, according to the leaders of public
relations agencies, anti-crisis preparation, presence of procedures, openness and honesty in communication processes as well as quick response time.
COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS AS AN ELEMENT OF BUILDING AN EFFICIENT BRANDDariusz Tworzydło
Crisis is a word which nowadays is used in all forms and contexts. The year 2008 was a prelude to
what now and in the year 2011 concerns not only entrepreneurs, but also every average inhabitant
of the globe. Even though the crisis, the world has found itself in, concerns mainly the economic aspects. Hardly anyone talks about its other implications such as problems in the sphere of image. Despite differing definitions, economy and image are not that far apart, as especially in case of crises both notions are
closely intertwined. It is hard not to notice that in a situation where economic perturbations take place in a company, it becomes very easy to transfer such problems to the area of activities associated with image. Figures, which naturally don’t lie, show us the direction, which later is taken over by messages targeted both at the interior of the organization and the external environment. This way a general crisis of a company deepens, and its situation becomes definitely uncomfortable. In such case not only the issue of economic stabilization but also the way it is presented becomes a problem. Incorrectly managed process of managing a crisis situation may contribute first of all to irreversible changes in the sphere of image or even its bankruptcy, which may in turn lead to financial losses. For this reason its is essential to prepare appropriate documentation, which can help efficiently communicate in times of crisis or avert a crisis before it actually takes place. This is the subject of this article, which is supposed to show whether Polish companies are prepared for an image crisis and how it is possible to cope with it. The article refers mainly to the results of the research carried out by a team under the guidance of the author of this article and the president of Alter Media Communications, Adam Łaszyn.
OPPRESSIVE INDUSTRIES IN THE CONTEXT OF MANAGING AN IMAGE CRISISDariusz Tworzydło
The article focuses on the problems of oppressive industries in the context of their vulnerability
to crisis situations. These critical industries have been subjected to scientific research,
which showed that they have more crisis experience, i.e. they more often go through image
crises. Thanks to this, managers representing companies operating in this industry are more
aware and better prepared for possible image crises. Business entities classified as oppressive
industries are normally more susceptible to crisis situations. This type of enterprises need to
be aware of this fact and prepared for image-related problems. Classifying industry as oppressive
seems to be well-grounded due to such factors as susceptibility of entities operating
within the industry to external factors, the complexity of processes performed in the process
of production and rendering services, as well as the ultimate consumer’s complicity in those
processes. The image crisis involves not only negative implications, but also positive
effects – it can be considered as an industry’s immune system which gains strength every time
a crisis is properly managed.
Critical Vulnerability of the Leading Industries of the Polish EconomyDariusz Tworzydło
The perspective of the division into industries gives the opportunity to implement more
advanced analyses regarding the type and frequency of image crises. Scientifi c objective: The
presentation of an example of how to select oppressive industries based on a model referring to the leading branches of the Polish economy. Research methods: The quantitative research using an auditorium questionnaire conducted among PR specialists and desk research, incl.
500 List of the “Rzeczpospolita” daily. Results and conclusions: Studies have shown that there
is a group of industries operating on the market that are particularly vulnerable to the occurrence
of communicational crisis situations. The results show that the enterprises included in this group (e.g. Companies representing the public, food, pharmaceutical or telecommunications sectors)
are more likely to attract image crises and are more often forced to manage them. Therefore,
the company’s business activity has been analysed based on the principle of a crisis magnetism,
which attracts many unfavourable phenomena from the internal and external environment of the
organisation. Cognitive value: The presented results may provide support for both the assessment
of the effects of public relations and media science techniques (e.g. media coverage analysis).
Model of the diagnostic field as an element of support for public relations a...Dariusz Tworzydło
One of the key issues related to crisis management is awareness combined with the actual
state of preparation. Not always awareness goes hand in hand with the resources and documentation that the company has. This is the subject of analysis carried out within the
diagnostic square, which is an attempt to capture within one analysis two key planes in image
crisis situations: the actual situation and the declared preparation on the part of managers.
FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE CRISIS COMMUNICATION BASED ON PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFES...Dariusz Tworzydło
The way of conducting communication during the image crisis is a special type of challenge for the company. Lack of preparation of the company for proper communication management may be crucial in averting and/or reducing the effects of crises. The paper presents the results of research conducted among experts from the PR industry and representatives of the largest Polish enterprises from the 500 List compiled by “Rzeczpospolita” daily newspaper. The vast majority of Polish enterprises show an open-minded approach to crisis communication. Companies from oppressive industries, where crises occur more often, are better prepared for crisis communication. The determinants of effective communication in the situation of image threats are, according to the leaders of public
relations agencies, anti-crisis preparation, presence of procedures, openness and honesty in communication processes as well as quick response time.
COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS AS AN ELEMENT OF BUILDING AN EFFICIENT BRANDDariusz Tworzydło
Crisis is a word which nowadays is used in all forms and contexts. The year 2008 was a prelude to
what now and in the year 2011 concerns not only entrepreneurs, but also every average inhabitant
of the globe. Even though the crisis, the world has found itself in, concerns mainly the economic aspects. Hardly anyone talks about its other implications such as problems in the sphere of image. Despite differing definitions, economy and image are not that far apart, as especially in case of crises both notions are
closely intertwined. It is hard not to notice that in a situation where economic perturbations take place in a company, it becomes very easy to transfer such problems to the area of activities associated with image. Figures, which naturally don’t lie, show us the direction, which later is taken over by messages targeted both at the interior of the organization and the external environment. This way a general crisis of a company deepens, and its situation becomes definitely uncomfortable. In such case not only the issue of economic stabilization but also the way it is presented becomes a problem. Incorrectly managed process of managing a crisis situation may contribute first of all to irreversible changes in the sphere of image or even its bankruptcy, which may in turn lead to financial losses. For this reason its is essential to prepare appropriate documentation, which can help efficiently communicate in times of crisis or avert a crisis before it actually takes place. This is the subject of this article, which is supposed to show whether Polish companies are prepared for an image crisis and how it is possible to cope with it. The article refers mainly to the results of the research carried out by a team under the guidance of the author of this article and the president of Alter Media Communications, Adam Łaszyn.
OPPRESSIVE INDUSTRIES IN THE CONTEXT OF MANAGING AN IMAGE CRISISDariusz Tworzydło
The article focuses on the problems of oppressive industries in the context of their vulnerability
to crisis situations. These critical industries have been subjected to scientific research,
which showed that they have more crisis experience, i.e. they more often go through image
crises. Thanks to this, managers representing companies operating in this industry are more
aware and better prepared for possible image crises. Business entities classified as oppressive
industries are normally more susceptible to crisis situations. This type of enterprises need to
be aware of this fact and prepared for image-related problems. Classifying industry as oppressive
seems to be well-grounded due to such factors as susceptibility of entities operating
within the industry to external factors, the complexity of processes performed in the process
of production and rendering services, as well as the ultimate consumer’s complicity in those
processes. The image crisis involves not only negative implications, but also positive
effects – it can be considered as an industry’s immune system which gains strength every time
a crisis is properly managed.
Critical Vulnerability of the Leading Industries of the Polish EconomyDariusz Tworzydło
The perspective of the division into industries gives the opportunity to implement more
advanced analyses regarding the type and frequency of image crises. Scientifi c objective: The
presentation of an example of how to select oppressive industries based on a model referring to the leading branches of the Polish economy. Research methods: The quantitative research using an auditorium questionnaire conducted among PR specialists and desk research, incl.
500 List of the “Rzeczpospolita” daily. Results and conclusions: Studies have shown that there
is a group of industries operating on the market that are particularly vulnerable to the occurrence
of communicational crisis situations. The results show that the enterprises included in this group (e.g. Companies representing the public, food, pharmaceutical or telecommunications sectors)
are more likely to attract image crises and are more often forced to manage them. Therefore,
the company’s business activity has been analysed based on the principle of a crisis magnetism,
which attracts many unfavourable phenomena from the internal and external environment of the
organisation. Cognitive value: The presented results may provide support for both the assessment
of the effects of public relations and media science techniques (e.g. media coverage analysis).
The incorporation of sustainability risks into the risk culture | Albert Vila...Albert Vilariño
Post published on Medium on 3/3/17.
https://medium.com/@albert.vilarino/the-incorporation-of-sustainability-risks-into-the-risk-culture-b18aa1e39add#.cd2l4nh2x
Developing a Culture of Compliance by Embracing the Impact of Emotional Conta...Duff & Phelps
Recognising the impact of emotional contagion on risk could be the key to developing a true compliance culture. To achieve it, however, firms will have to look inside themselves.
I have 3 posts from class I need someone to read them and ague which.docxfideladallimore
I have 3 posts from class I need someone to read them and ague which is to (RESPOND) With 120 words and 2 references each . I have attached an assignment to help you respond. read it and read each post to ague well.
Post 1
Jennifer: While a crisis can certainly occur at any time of day or night do you think it is more dangerous or damaging during normal working hours versus after the normal working hour?
Post 2
A crisis this can happen anytime of the day whether it's after working hours or normal business hours. But also when an emergency occurs, they need to communicate is immediate. Because if the business operations are disrupted, the customers they will want to know what the impacted will be. Also they will also need to notify the local government officials because they will want to know what is going on with their community. Also the families and also the employees they would also like some information on what is going on. Even the neighbor that live beside the facility they also need to know some information and the reason why is because if they are threatened by the incident.
I really don't think that you would want to blow the issue out of proportion or don't let anyone else. Also if the media happens to contact you before you have had a chance to asses the situation and decide on a response, just let them know when you expect to have the information also honor your own deadline.
The employee a key stakeholder group with which to communicate Corporate crisis this can cause immense pressure and also uncertainty for any affected company and also it's employees. So in order to prevent the rumors, false information and also unfounded allegations all external as well as internal stakeholders they have to be communicated with.
If you don't prepare, you can and will incur more damages. Also when looking at existing crisis management related plans while conducting a vulnerability audit (the first step in crisis preparedness), also this is what I found is the failure to address the many communication issued related to crisis disaster response.
Post 3
Crisis can occur at any time of day. Before a crisis, successful communication will depend on the preparations made long before the crisis occurs. A crisis is a series of unforeseen events that launch a group, team or an organization into a downward organizational spiral, a crisis situation incorporates a surprise, a threat to high priority goals, and a restricted amount of time available for response. Crisis is not limited to any size or type, it doesn’t confine itself to any particular policy area, it jumps from one field to another uncovering issues and combining them into unforeseen mega-threats, and it is an embedded vulnerability that emerges, fades, mutates and strikes again. There is no warning when it happens. (Bland, 2013).
Currently, crisis communication is more of a discipline in public relations and corporate communications (Frandsen & Johansen, 2011.
Effective Management in Image Crisis in the Example of Tiger Brand.pdfDariusz Tworzydło
The article contains an analysis of Tiger’s brand image during the crisis in 2017. Scientifi c
objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of crisis communication activities of the studied company. Research methods: Analysis of materials obtained from media monitoring, as well as desk research from the analyzed company. Results and conclusions: The study shows the
response methods and actions taken by the company in the analyzed crisis. The key determinants of the crisis were indicated as well as the factors that contributed to the proper resolution of the
crisis situation. One of the essential components of the paper is also the analysis of actions taken
by the company after the end of the crisis. The mistakes made by the company in the fi eld of
crisis management have also been described. Cognitive value: The paper contains a consistent
description of crisis events that affected the brand, provides an objective look at the image crisis,
along with the assessment of the methods and tools used.
Abstract: Risk management is an activity which integrates recognition of risk, risk assessment, developing strategies to manage it, and mitigation of risk using managerial resources. Some traditional risk managements are focused on risks stemming from physical or legal causes (e.g. natural disasters or fires, accidents, death). Financial risk management, on the other hand, focuses on risks that can be managed using traded financial instruments. Objective of risk management is to reduce different risks related to a pre-selected domain to an acceptable. It may refer to numerous types of threats caused by environment, technology, humans, organizations and politics. The paper describes the different steps in the risk management process which methods are used in the different steps, and provides some examples for risk and safety management.
SUCCESS FACTORS AND LIMITATIONS OF EFFICIENT INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONDariusz Tworzydło
The article covers the key issues of internal communication within an organization. It highlights the benefits
of implementation of transparent communication principles for a company. It identifies objectives and
presents selected communication tools. In the article, also guidelines for carrying out research in the
context of development of an internal communication strategy can be found. Selected research areas of
the process of planning and implementation of strategic assumptions have been presented. Factors limiting
effective implementation of an internal communication strategy have been discussed.
Praca dziennikarza w czasie koronawirusa i lockdownDariusz Tworzydło
Zrealizowany przez Polską Agencję Prasową oraz Instytut Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Informacyjnego projekt badawczy jest pierwszym tak szerokim badaniem, które objęło dziennikarzy i media w kontekście zmian jakie zaszły w związku z koronawirusem. Pozyskane dane mogą stanowić ważny wkład w zakresie poszerzania wiedzy niezbędnej zarówno dziennikarzom, jak i innym podmiotom, które dokonują oceny wpływu zjawisk związanych z COVID-19 na poszczególne branże i sektory gospodarki. Zebrane przez nas dane i wnioski dotyczące m.in. pracy dziennikarzy w dobie koronawirusa, oceny takich aspektów jak wykorzystywane
narzędzia, zmiany w ich zakresie czy w końcu przejście na tryb on-line w pracy, mogą
wzmocnić zakres dotychczas istniejącej wiedzy w tym zakresie, ale także określić co nas czeka
w najbliższej przyszłości.
Jednym z tematów poddanych przez nas badaniom była kwestia współpracy na linii dziennikarze-
public relations. Tu także zaszły zmiany. Ocenialiśmy w jakich obszarach relacje te były
kluczowe, ale także czy pandemia spowodowała, że stały się trudniejsze. Zweryfikowaliśmy
na czym te trudności polegały. Sporo uwagi w badaniu poświęciliśmy także tematowi fake newsów. Poszukiwaliśmy odpowiedzi na pytanie w jaki sposób dziennikarze radzili sobie
z problemami nieprawdziwych informacji. Zweryfikowaliśmy jak dziennikarze podchodzą
do fake newsów, czy sprawdzają uzyskiwane informacje, a także czy korzystają ze stron fact-
-checking’owych. Bardzo dużo wagi w badaniach poświęciliśmy identyfikacji trwałych skutków
pandemii odnośnie korzystania z wybranych form komunikacji.
Dziękujemy wszystkim dziennikarzom, którzy zechcieli podzielić się z nami swoją wiedzą
i doświadczeniem. Jesteśmy przekonani, że zrealizowany przez nas projekt może stanowić
podstawę w pogłębianiu wybranych wątków, które przeanalizowaliśmy. Jednak przede wszystkim
powinien on stanowić pole analizy w kontekście stanu branży dziennikarskiej oraz perspektyw
jakie stoją przed mediami.
More Related Content
Similar to THE ROLE OF CRISIS PREVENTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIGGEST POLISH COMPANIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCIES ON THE BASIS OF EXPERT RESEARCH
The incorporation of sustainability risks into the risk culture | Albert Vila...Albert Vilariño
Post published on Medium on 3/3/17.
https://medium.com/@albert.vilarino/the-incorporation-of-sustainability-risks-into-the-risk-culture-b18aa1e39add#.cd2l4nh2x
Developing a Culture of Compliance by Embracing the Impact of Emotional Conta...Duff & Phelps
Recognising the impact of emotional contagion on risk could be the key to developing a true compliance culture. To achieve it, however, firms will have to look inside themselves.
I have 3 posts from class I need someone to read them and ague which.docxfideladallimore
I have 3 posts from class I need someone to read them and ague which is to (RESPOND) With 120 words and 2 references each . I have attached an assignment to help you respond. read it and read each post to ague well.
Post 1
Jennifer: While a crisis can certainly occur at any time of day or night do you think it is more dangerous or damaging during normal working hours versus after the normal working hour?
Post 2
A crisis this can happen anytime of the day whether it's after working hours or normal business hours. But also when an emergency occurs, they need to communicate is immediate. Because if the business operations are disrupted, the customers they will want to know what the impacted will be. Also they will also need to notify the local government officials because they will want to know what is going on with their community. Also the families and also the employees they would also like some information on what is going on. Even the neighbor that live beside the facility they also need to know some information and the reason why is because if they are threatened by the incident.
I really don't think that you would want to blow the issue out of proportion or don't let anyone else. Also if the media happens to contact you before you have had a chance to asses the situation and decide on a response, just let them know when you expect to have the information also honor your own deadline.
The employee a key stakeholder group with which to communicate Corporate crisis this can cause immense pressure and also uncertainty for any affected company and also it's employees. So in order to prevent the rumors, false information and also unfounded allegations all external as well as internal stakeholders they have to be communicated with.
If you don't prepare, you can and will incur more damages. Also when looking at existing crisis management related plans while conducting a vulnerability audit (the first step in crisis preparedness), also this is what I found is the failure to address the many communication issued related to crisis disaster response.
Post 3
Crisis can occur at any time of day. Before a crisis, successful communication will depend on the preparations made long before the crisis occurs. A crisis is a series of unforeseen events that launch a group, team or an organization into a downward organizational spiral, a crisis situation incorporates a surprise, a threat to high priority goals, and a restricted amount of time available for response. Crisis is not limited to any size or type, it doesn’t confine itself to any particular policy area, it jumps from one field to another uncovering issues and combining them into unforeseen mega-threats, and it is an embedded vulnerability that emerges, fades, mutates and strikes again. There is no warning when it happens. (Bland, 2013).
Currently, crisis communication is more of a discipline in public relations and corporate communications (Frandsen & Johansen, 2011.
Effective Management in Image Crisis in the Example of Tiger Brand.pdfDariusz Tworzydło
The article contains an analysis of Tiger’s brand image during the crisis in 2017. Scientifi c
objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of crisis communication activities of the studied company. Research methods: Analysis of materials obtained from media monitoring, as well as desk research from the analyzed company. Results and conclusions: The study shows the
response methods and actions taken by the company in the analyzed crisis. The key determinants of the crisis were indicated as well as the factors that contributed to the proper resolution of the
crisis situation. One of the essential components of the paper is also the analysis of actions taken
by the company after the end of the crisis. The mistakes made by the company in the fi eld of
crisis management have also been described. Cognitive value: The paper contains a consistent
description of crisis events that affected the brand, provides an objective look at the image crisis,
along with the assessment of the methods and tools used.
Abstract: Risk management is an activity which integrates recognition of risk, risk assessment, developing strategies to manage it, and mitigation of risk using managerial resources. Some traditional risk managements are focused on risks stemming from physical or legal causes (e.g. natural disasters or fires, accidents, death). Financial risk management, on the other hand, focuses on risks that can be managed using traded financial instruments. Objective of risk management is to reduce different risks related to a pre-selected domain to an acceptable. It may refer to numerous types of threats caused by environment, technology, humans, organizations and politics. The paper describes the different steps in the risk management process which methods are used in the different steps, and provides some examples for risk and safety management.
Similar to THE ROLE OF CRISIS PREVENTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIGGEST POLISH COMPANIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCIES ON THE BASIS OF EXPERT RESEARCH (20)
SUCCESS FACTORS AND LIMITATIONS OF EFFICIENT INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONDariusz Tworzydło
The article covers the key issues of internal communication within an organization. It highlights the benefits
of implementation of transparent communication principles for a company. It identifies objectives and
presents selected communication tools. In the article, also guidelines for carrying out research in the
context of development of an internal communication strategy can be found. Selected research areas of
the process of planning and implementation of strategic assumptions have been presented. Factors limiting
effective implementation of an internal communication strategy have been discussed.
Praca dziennikarza w czasie koronawirusa i lockdownDariusz Tworzydło
Zrealizowany przez Polską Agencję Prasową oraz Instytut Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Informacyjnego projekt badawczy jest pierwszym tak szerokim badaniem, które objęło dziennikarzy i media w kontekście zmian jakie zaszły w związku z koronawirusem. Pozyskane dane mogą stanowić ważny wkład w zakresie poszerzania wiedzy niezbędnej zarówno dziennikarzom, jak i innym podmiotom, które dokonują oceny wpływu zjawisk związanych z COVID-19 na poszczególne branże i sektory gospodarki. Zebrane przez nas dane i wnioski dotyczące m.in. pracy dziennikarzy w dobie koronawirusa, oceny takich aspektów jak wykorzystywane
narzędzia, zmiany w ich zakresie czy w końcu przejście na tryb on-line w pracy, mogą
wzmocnić zakres dotychczas istniejącej wiedzy w tym zakresie, ale także określić co nas czeka
w najbliższej przyszłości.
Jednym z tematów poddanych przez nas badaniom była kwestia współpracy na linii dziennikarze-
public relations. Tu także zaszły zmiany. Ocenialiśmy w jakich obszarach relacje te były
kluczowe, ale także czy pandemia spowodowała, że stały się trudniejsze. Zweryfikowaliśmy
na czym te trudności polegały. Sporo uwagi w badaniu poświęciliśmy także tematowi fake newsów. Poszukiwaliśmy odpowiedzi na pytanie w jaki sposób dziennikarze radzili sobie
z problemami nieprawdziwych informacji. Zweryfikowaliśmy jak dziennikarze podchodzą
do fake newsów, czy sprawdzają uzyskiwane informacje, a także czy korzystają ze stron fact-
-checking’owych. Bardzo dużo wagi w badaniach poświęciliśmy identyfikacji trwałych skutków
pandemii odnośnie korzystania z wybranych form komunikacji.
Dziękujemy wszystkim dziennikarzom, którzy zechcieli podzielić się z nami swoją wiedzą
i doświadczeniem. Jesteśmy przekonani, że zrealizowany przez nas projekt może stanowić
podstawę w pogłębianiu wybranych wątków, które przeanalizowaliśmy. Jednak przede wszystkim
powinien on stanowić pole analizy w kontekście stanu branży dziennikarskiej oraz perspektyw
jakie stoją przed mediami.
Skuteczne zarządzanie w kryzysie wizerunkowym na przykładzie marki TigerDariusz Tworzydło
Artykuł zawiera analizę wizerunkowej sytuacji kryzysowej, jaka dotknęła markę Tiger w roku
2017. Cel: Ocena skuteczności działań komunikacyjnych badanego podmiotu w zakresie
komunikacji kryzysowej. Metody badań: Analiza materiałów pozyskanych z monitoringu
mediów, a także desk research od analizowanej fi rmy. Wyniki i wnioski: Opracowanie pokazuje
metody reagowania i działania podjęte przez firmę w analizowanym kryzysie. Wskazane
zostały kluczowe determinanty kryzysu, a także czynniki, które przyczyniły się do właściwego
rozwiązania sytuacji kryzysowej. Jednym z istotnych elementów składowych artykułu jest
także analiza działań podjętych przez fi rmę po zakończeniu sytuacji kryzysowej. Opisane
zostały również błędy popełnione przez fi rmę w zakresie zarządzania kryzysowego. Wartość
poznawcza: Materiał zawiera spójny opis wydarzeń kryzysowych, które dotknęły markę, stanowi obiektywne spojrzenie na kryzys wizerunkowy, wraz z oceną zastosowanych metod i narzędzi.
Public relations, to używany coraz częściej termin, którego interpretacja i rozumienie jest tak często błędne
jak i poprawne. Wielu polityków i niektórzy dziennikarze używają tej definicji, aby ukryć w niej działania
nieetyczne, nieuczciwe, kłamstwa, manipulację i oszczerstwa. Wielu z nich nawet nie zdaje sobie sprawy
z tego, jak ważna jest w prawidłowym rozumieniu public relations właściwa interpretacja intencji oraz
kwestia etyki. PR bowiem to budowanie relacji i skuteczne komunikowanie. Takie pojmowanie public relations
jest prawdziwe, chociaż w pełni nie wyczerpuje znaczenia tego terminu. Z pewnością jednak ukierunkowuje myślenie na właściwy tor, o którym tak wielu i tak często, nawet praktyków public relations, zapomina.
The Condition of the Public Relations Industry in Poland: Current Situation a...Dariusz Tworzydło
Purpose: The most important research objective of the project described in this article is to examine the condition of the public relations (PR) industry in Poland in the context of changes taking place in the economy in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The research referred to a study conducted with the use of an auditorium survey in April 2019. The research sample consisted of 253 PR consultants, from various companies and organizations operating in Poland. The second project was a study aimed at understanding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the PR industry. 242 PR industry specialists were examined in this project.
Findings: PR specialists in Poland are aware of the challenges and understand how to support companies and institutions affected by the crisis and operating in a changed reality. In our research, six areas have been defined, which may provide a new direction for the PR agency when preparing the service offer. Most of the respondents believe that a PR agency's potential clients will seek external help in communication services like media relations, digital PR, crisis management, lobbying, public affairs, event management, and influencer relations.
Practical Implications: The article presents real and representative opinions of the public relations community expressing concerns and defining the directions of changes caused by the COVID pandemic.
Originality/Value: The article presents the most recent and up-to-date research results on the condition of the PR industry in Poland, which is an important element of the European public relations market. The obtained research results are representative for Poland.
ROLA PROFILAKTYKI ANTYKRYZYSOWEJ Z PERSPEKTYWY NAJWIĘKSZYCH POLSKICH PRZEDSIĘ...Dariusz Tworzydło
Artykuł stanowi prezentację wyników badań, które są poświęcone aktualnym trendom PR-kryzysowego. Autorzy
opracowania podjęli próbę diagnozy profilaktyki antykryzysowej w przekroju dwóch wymiarów. Z jednej
strony przedstawiono stanowisko biznesowe (badanie przedsiębiorstw), z drugiej przywołano głos ekspertów
(badanie liderów agencji public relations). W toku analiz zaprojektowany został model punktowy systemu odpornościowego, który uwzględnia kluczowe narzędzia metodologii kryzysowej (opracowane procedury
w formie księgi zarządzania komunikacją, dedykowane struktury antykryzysowe w organizacji, sztab kryzysowy o ustalonym składzie oraz system szkoleń komunikacyjnych). Diagnoza profilaktyki liderów polskiego biznesu — bazująca na latach 2007–2017 — wykazała znaczące niedobory w stopniu przygotowania przedsiębiorstw na ryzyko kryzysu.
PROCEDURY I NARZĘDZIA ZARZĄDZANIA W SYTUACJACH KRYZYSOWYCH NA PODSTAWIE BADAŃ...Dariusz Tworzydło
W niniejszym artykule zaprezentowane zostaną wybrane procedury, ale także narzędzia, jakie stosuje się w sytuacjach kryzysowych. Prezentacja zostanie dokonana w oparciu o wyniki badań jakościowych, ale także analizę zapisów zawartych w wybranych pozycjach literaturowych, w których temat przygotowania do kryzysu, a także zarządzania nim jest poruszany. Celem artykułu jest zwrócenie uwagi na to, iż możliwe jest ograniczone ale przy tym skuteczne zarządzanie kryzysem, gdy nadejdzie, ale zdecydowanie lepszym podejściem jest przygotowanie organizacji na wypadek zaistnienia sytuacji kryzysowej w sposób ułatwiający reakcję. Skuteczność jednak należy rozpatrywać w tym przypadku dwojako, po pierwsze jako niedopuszczenie do eskalacji kryzysu czy też wyjścia poza mury firmy czy biura zarządu, lub ograniczenie jego negatywnych skutków.
SELECTED ASPECTS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS ACTIVITY ORGANISATION IN POLISH ENTERPRISESDariusz Tworzydło
Public relations activity is treated as an element ensuring the desired reception of the company with the public.
Against a general background on public relations, the article presents selected aspects of organising activities within that
scope by the largest Polish enterprises. The analysed entities mostly conduct public relations activities basing on their
own services. Every fifth one, however, uses the assistance of external PR agencies. It is still puzzling that representatives
of almost every third company claim they do not conduct regular activity such as could be viewed as public relations.
From the point of view of organising PR activities important is also the place taken by PR departments or units in corporate
structure. The necessity of conducting current communication policy requiring very quick reactions indicates
clearly that PR department should be directly subordinated to the highest management level. This subordination model
dominates in Polish companies and concerns nearly 68% of the analysed subjects. Sometimes there occurs a not fully
realised distinction between PR and marketing. The activities in both these spheres should complement each other, which
in turn would increase the effectiveness of corporate communication. Good cooperation of the two departments should
allow to benefit from synergy effects and lead to cost reduction in communication activity. In almost half of the analysed
Polish companies, the distinction between marketing and PR is visible in their organisational structure, for there are independent
marketing and PR departments/units. In every third analysed company there is only a marketing department,
performing also activities assumed to belong to public relations. In three out of four companies no conflicts are noted
between the departments. The conflicts which do appear result from marketing and PR departments/units competing for
financial means and sometimes from competence overlap.
PUBLIC RELATIONS — NARZĘDZIA JEDNOSTRONNEGO KOMUNIKOWANIA I DIALOGU W INTERNECIEDariusz Tworzydło
Rozwój technologii oraz narzędzi informatycznych spowodował niezwykłe przyśpieszenie w branży public relations
na całym świecie. Żyjemy w czasach rewolucji komunikacyjnej, w której jeden rok to cała wieczność. Zmieniają
się komunikaty, szybkość ich transmisji, narzędzia. Zmieniają się także nadawca i odbiorca, którzy przywykli do
dynamiki przekazu, ale także do tego, że informacja jest i będzie dystrybułowana bez ograniczeń czasowych i przestrzennych.
Przeglądarka Netscape, portal wp.pl, era Wikipedii, Facebooka, dynamicznie rozwijającego się
YouTube’a czy Nasza Klasa, Twitter i szereg innych narzędzi z zakresu social media, a także systemy monitorujące1
— to tylko wybrane etapy, lub jak uważają niektórzy kamienie milowe pościgu za nowościami i nowymi formami
dystrybucji informacji. W takich właśnie czasach przychodzi profesjonalistom public relations tworzyć, wysyłać
i odbierać przekaz. Jeszcze w końcu lat dziewięćdziesiątych mało kto przypuszczał, iż takie zmiany nastąpią.
Trudno także przewidywać czego świadkami będziemy za następne kilka, kilkanaście lat. Jedno jest pewne, a mianowicie
to, że zmiany będą i to dokonywane w tempie jeszcze szybszym niż ma to miejsce obecnie.
Jako że współcześnie nowoczesne media mają już istotny wpływ na decyzje wyborcze, czy przemiany społeczne,
proces ten jest bardzo dogłębnie analizowany i badany. Oprócz tego badaniom podlega inny aspekt jakim
jest podejmowanie decyzji dotyczących tego, czy komunikacja w internecie powinna opierać się na komunikowaniu
masowym czy też można mówić o podejściu indywidualnym. Osoby prywatne same podejmują
decyzje w oparciu o własne potrzeby, firmy jednak muszą analizować wiele czynników które mają wpływ
na ostateczne decyzje w zakresie wyboru narzędzi czy też samej decyzji w zakresie komunikowania. Wśród
tych czynników znajdują się: zasięg, dostępność narzędzi, a nawet branża w jakiej firma działa.
Niniejszy artykuł zawiera prezentację wybranych narzędzi wykorzystywanych w procesie jednostronnego komunikowania
do otoczenia, ale także narzędzi służących i wykorzystywanych do dialogu. Komunikacja jednostronna
o której mowa w niniejszym artykule nie zakłada odpowiedzi ze strony odbiorcy, oprócz ewentualnej decyzji
„action” w postaci zakupu lub „kliknięcia”. Dialog natomiast daje możliwość interakcji, porozumiewania, wymiany
myśli i poglądów, bezpośredniej oceny. Oprócz tego zaprezentowane zostaną korzyści jakie odnosi się
w procesie prowadzenia dialogu w sieci, a także bariery które utrudniają jego prowadzenie. Przedstawione zostaną
również kierunki zmian jakie będą się dokonywały w związku z dynamicznym rozwojem narzędzi i procesów komunikacyjnych w sieci.
Podatność kryzysowa wiodących branż polskiej gospodarkiDariusz Tworzydło
Perspektywa podziału na branże daje możliwość zrealizowania bardziej zaawansowanych analiz
dotyczących rodzaju oraz częstotliwości występowania kryzysów wizerunkowych. Cel: Prezentacja przykładowego sposobu wyselekcjonowania branż opresyjnych na podstawie modelu odnoszącego się do wiodących gałęzi polskiej gospodarki. Metody badań: Badania ilościowe za pomocą ankiety audytoryjnej przeprowadzone wśród specjalistów PR oraz analiza desk research, m.in. Listy 500 dziennika Rzeczpospolita. Wyniki i wnioski: Badania wykazały, że na rynku funkcjonuje
pewna grupa branż, które są szczególnie narażone na występowanie komunikacyjnych sytuacji kryzysowych. Wyniki pokazują, że przedsiębiorstwa wchodzące w ich skład (np. reprezentujące sektor publiczny, spożywczy, farmaceutyczny czy telekomunikacyjny) silniej przyciągają do siebie
kryzysy wizerunkowe i częściej są zmuszone nimi zarządzać. Dlatego działalność badanych firm
została zanalizowana na zasadzie działania magnesu kryzysowego, który przyciąga wiele niekorzystnych zjawisk z otoczenia wewnętrznego i zewnętrznego organizacji. Wartość poznawcza:
Zaprezentowane wyniki mogą stanowić wsparcie zarówno dla oceny efektów public relaions, jak i dla technik medioznawczych (np. analizy przekazu medialnego).
Political communication in local elections: a comparative analysis of France ...Dariusz Tworzydło
This article is the result of a research study aimed at comparing the degree of maturity
of political communication in local government elections between France and Poland. The authors’ objective is to reveal the specificity of the subsystems of electoral communication between these countries mainly by presenting the diversity of
the communication tools used and the degree of professionalisation of communication management by local government politicians. The undertaking of a comparative
analysis of these two countries was dictated by the countries’ similarities in terms of
the three-tier division of local government. In addition, it compares the experience
of France’s mature democracy and Poland’s democracy, which is in its early stages.
A survey conducted on a representative sample could be extrapolated from the entire
population studied in France and Poland. The scope of the study concerned local
government elections from 2015 in France, and 2014 and 2018 in Poland. The article
presents conclusions of the research that focus on the manner and scope of application
of political communication in the selected countries.
Procedura zarządzania w kryzysie wizerunkowym w mediach – przeciwdziałanie, r...Dariusz Tworzydło
Kryzys wizerunkowy jest zjawiskiem obrazującym
zmiany w firmie, zakłócającym
normalny rytm jej funkcjonowania, mającym
istotny wpływ na całokształt procesów, jakie w niej zachodzą. Jest on także ściśle powiązany ze specyficzną cechą gospodarki rynkowej, jaką jest niepewność oraz ryzyko1. Już w XIX wieku francuskie słowo oznaczające kryzys tłumaczono jako ‘sytuację trudną’, ‘rozstrzygającą’. W słowniku synonimów słowo „kryzys” znajduje się wśród najbliższych znaczeniowo haseł takich jak: przejście, zwrot, zakręt, moment zwrotny, kamień milowy, przełom, wyłom, czy przesilenie.
Zmiany w obszarze relacji, jakie zachodzą pomiędzy mediami a public relations...Dariusz Tworzydło
Zespół badawczy Exacto przeprowadził badanie, którego celem było poznanie wpływu pandemii koronawirusa na branżę PR oraz zebranie opinii w zakresie przyszłości branży PR po opanowaniu sytuacji związanej z COVID-19.
Do udziału zaproszono specjalistów zajmujących się public relations, zarówno freelancerów, pracowników agencji PR, jak i specjalistów zajmujących się public relations w przedsiębiorstwach prywatnych, państwowych czy NGO. Badanie było prowadzone z użyciem techniki CAWI.
Dobór próby miał charakter celowy i był prowadzony w oparciu o metodę kuli śniegowej. Dane były zbierane w okresie przełomu kwietnia i maja 2020 roku. W badaniu udział wzięło 242 specjalistów branży PR.
VERIFYING AN IMAGE OBJECTIVES MATRIX FOR MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF PUBLIC RELA...Dariusz Tworzydło
Summary. This article presents the results of comprehensive research on image in the
internal and external environments of an organization. During the research, the method of
measuring the effect of public relations activities, i.e. the image objectives matrix, was also
verified. The above tool is used to determine the image position of an economic entity, and
to identify possible problems the entity must address in the range of its internal and external
communications. The main conclusion is: The research project, completed in three phases
(external, internal, image assessment), enabled us to optimize the dedicated tools for subsequent image studies, making it easy to see the changes closely, taking into account their
direction. ZETO’s management board has received extensive material that, if appropriately
used, will have a direct impact on showing the direction in which the company should be headed in the coming years. The opinions of institutional clients and employees will help to
determine the strategy for future activities.
PUBLIC RELATIONS — THE TOOLS FOR UNILATERAL COMMUNICATION AND DIALOGUE ON THE...Dariusz Tworzydło
The development of technology and IT tools have brought about an extraordinary acceleration of the public relations branch around the whole world. We live in the times of revolution in communication, in which one year is whole eternity. Messages, the speed of their publication, the tools are changing. The sender and the recipient, who have become used to the dynamics of the message and the fact that it is and will be distributed without spatial and temporal limitations, are changing too. Netscape browser, wp.pl, the era of Wikipedia, Facebook, dynamically developing YouTube, or Nasza Klasa, Twitter and a whole range of other tools from the scope of social media, as well as monitoring systems — these are just chosen stages, or as others think, milestones in the pursuit of novelty and new forms of distribution of information. It is in times like these that
public relations experts have to create, send and receive messages. Back at the end of 1990's hardly anyone
expected that such changes could take place. It is also hard to predict what we will see in a few, or a dozen years. One thing is certain, namely, that changes will be taking place and will be even faster than now. As the currently modern media already have a significant impact on voting decisions, or social
transformation, the process is analysed and studied in detail. Moreover, what is subject to research is the question whether communication on the Internet should be based on mass communication, or rather on an individual approach. Private individuals make decisions based on their own needs, but companies have to analyse many factors that influence final decisions concerning the choice of tools, or the very decision concerning communication. Among these factors there are: scope, availability of tools, even the branch in which a company is active. This article includes a presentation of chosen tools used in the process of unilateral communication with
the environment, but also tools used for dialogue. Unilateral communication discussed in this article doesn't assume a response from the recipient, apart from a possible decision to take action in form of purchase, or clicking. At the same time dialogue gives the opportunity to interact, exchange thoughts and ideas, direct assessment. Moreover, the benefits from the process of conducting dialogue online, as well as the barriers hampering the dialogue will be presented. Also, the directions of changes taking place in association with the dynamic development of online communication tools and processes will be presented.
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
A.I. (artificial intelligence) platforms are popping up all the time, and many of them can and should be used to help grow your brand, increase your sales and decrease your marketing costs.In this presentation:We will review some of the best AI platforms that are available for you to use.We will interact with some of the platforms in real-time, so attendees can see how they work.We will also look at some current brands that are using AI to help them create marketing messages, saving them time and money in the process. Lastly, we will discuss the pros and cons of using AI in marketing & branding and have a lively conversation that includes comments from the audience.
Key Takeaways:
Attendees will learn about LLM platforms, like ChatGPT, and how they work, with preset examples and real time interactions with the platform. Attendees will learn about other AI platforms that are creating graphic design elements at the push of a button...pre-set examples and real-time interactions.Attendees will discuss the pros & cons of AI in marketing + branding and share their perspectives with one another. Attendees will learn about the cost savings and the time savings associated with using AI, should they choose to.
The session includes a brief history of the evolution of search before diving into the roles technology, content, and links play in developing a powerful SEO strategy in a world of Generative AI and social search. Discover how to optimize for TikTok searches, Google's Gemini, and Search Generative Experience while developing a powerful arsenal of tools and templates to help maximize the effectiveness of your SEO initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
Understand how search engines work
Be able to find out where your users search
Know what is required for each discipline of SEO
Feel confident creating an SEO Plan
Confidently measure SEO performance
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
For too many years marketing and sales have operated in silos...while in some forward thinking companies, the two organizations work together to drive new opportunity development and revenue. This session will explore the lessons learned in that beautiful dance that can occur when marketing and sales work together...to drive new opportunity development, account expansion and customer satisfaction.
No, this is not a conversation about MQLs and SQLs. Instead we will focus on a framework that allows the two organizations to drive company success together.
Videos are more engaging, more memorable, and more popular than any other type of content out there. That’s why it’s estimated that 82% of consumer traffic will come from videos by 2025.
And with videos evolving from landscape to portrait and experts promoting shorter clips, one thing remains constant – our brains LOVE videos.
So is there science behind what makes people absolutely irresistible on camera?
The answer: definitely yes.
In this jam-packed session with Stephanie Garcia, you’ll get your hands on a steal-worthy guide that uncovers the art and science to being irresistible on camera. From body language to words that convert, she’ll show you how to captivate on command so that viewers are excited and ready to take action.
The Secret to Engaging Modern Consumers: Journey Mapping and Personalization
In today's digital landscape, understanding the customer's journey and delivering personalized experiences are paramount. This masterclass delves into the art of consumer journey mapping, a powerful technique that visualizes the entire customer experience across touchpoints. Attendees will learn how to create detailed journey maps, identify pain points, and uncover opportunities for optimization. The presentation also explores personalization strategies that leverage data and technology to tailor content, products, and experiences to individual customers. From real-time personalization to predictive analytics, attendees will gain insights into cutting-edge approaches that drive engagement and loyalty.
Key Takeaways:
Current consumer landscape; Steps to mapping an effective consumer journey; Understanding the value of personalization; Integrating mapping and personalization for success; Brands that are getting It right!; Best Practices; Future Trends
Come learn how YOU can Animate and Illuminate the World with Generative AI's Explosive Power. Come sit in the driver's seat and learn to harness this great technology.
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
[Google March 2024 Update] How To Thrive: Content, Link Building & SEOSearch Engine Journal
March 2024 disrupted the SEO industry. Websites were deindexed, and manual penalties were delivered—all to produce more helpful, more trustworthy search results.
How did your website fare?
Watch us as we delve into the seismic shifts brought about by Google's March 2024 updates and explore strategies to not just survive, but thrive in this dynamic digital landscape.
You’ll learn:
- How to create content that is valuable to users (not just search engines) using E-E-A-T.
- How to build links that can boost rankings and withstand algorithm updates.
- Best practices for content creation and link building so you can thrive during algorithm updates.
With Vince Ramos, we'll examine the implications of the latest algorithm changes on content creation, link building, and SEO practices, and offer actionable insights from businesses like yours that have remained steadfast amidst the volatility.
Using real-life case studies, we’ll also show you the effectiveness of manual link building techniques and person-first content strategies.
Whether you're a seasoned SEO professional, a budding content creator, or anyone in between, this webinar will help you weather the changes in Google's algorithms and capitalize on them for sustained success.
Check out this webinar and unlock the secrets to thriving in the new Google era.
Unleash the power of UK SEO with Brand Highlighters! Our guide delves into the unique search landscape of Britain, equipping you with targeted strategies to dominate UK search engine results. Discover local SEO tactics, keyword magic for UK audiences, and mobile optimization secrets. Get your website seen by the right people and propel your brand to the top of UK searches.
To learn more: https://brandhighlighters.co.uk/blog/top-seo-agencies-uk/
THE ROLE OF CRISIS PREVENTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIGGEST POLISH COMPANIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCIES ON THE BASIS OF EXPERT RESEARCH
1. THE ROLE OF CRISIS PREVENTION
FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIGGEST
POLISH COMPANIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
AGENCIES ON THE BASIS OF EXPERT RESEARCH
Open Access
2. 1
11
10
0
www.minib.pl
THE ROLE OF CRISIS PREVENTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF THE BIGGEST POLISH COMPANIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
AGENCIES ON THE BASIS OF EXPERT RESEARCH
dr hab. Dariusz Tworzydło
University of Warsaw, Faculty of Journalism, Information and Book Studies, Department of Social
Communication and Public Relations, Poland
dariusz@tworzydlo.pl
Przemysław Szuba
Agencja Exacto, Deputy director of the department of research and strategic analysis, Rzeszów
pszuba@exacto.pl
DOI: 10.2478/minib-2019-0015
The article constitutes a presentation of the results of research devoted to the current trends in crisis PR. The authors of
the work made an attempt to diagnose crisis prevention in a cross-section of two dimensions. On the one hand the
perspective of business (survey of companies) was presented and on the other hand experts' opinions (survey of the
leaders of public relations agencies) were shown. As a result of analyses a point model of an immune system, which
takes into consideration the key instruments of crisis methodology (developed procedures in form of communication
management book, dedicated anti-crisis structures in an organization, crisis team with a fixed membership and a system
of communication trainings) was designed. Diagnosis of prevention measures of the leaders of Polish business — based
on the years 2007–2017 showed major deficiencies in the degree of companies' preparation for the risk of crisis.
Summary
Keywords: public relations, crisis management, branch oppressiveness, preventive attributes,
analytical model
3.
4. Introduction
In the contemporary world the term "crisis" is used very often in
various forms and repeated many times by company managements and
employees. The crisis affects in general all spheres of business activity,
people, local government workers, politicians. All those who act in
public encounter problems which may turn into a crisis situation.
However, crisis is not a term strictly limited to company's image. It is
very spacious. Crisis situation is a period in which due to an occurring
event, or events efficient implementation of mission and assumed goals
of an organization, brand, or public person1 is endangered. It is
necessary to note than in the first place the term is associated with
economy and more precisely, with its macroeconomic area. When the
concept of crisis comes up, it immediately brings to mind associations
with a global crisis, with market, or production collapse, with growing
unemployment, inflation, the weakening of other, less important
parameters, but of an economic character. The concept of "image crisis"
has ties to both the sphere of management and the functioning of
societies, as well as social communication. Problems of an economic
nature in companies are sources of image crises, which in turn lead to
the loss of trust of the environment. As a result, crises emerge, where
one of the components is communication with entities from this
environment2. Crisis may concern also the personal sphere and it is
associated with the professional, or personal problems of a human.
In case of companies and the structure in which they are organized it
is possible to find a few areas particularly prone to the risk of crisis
situation. These are: finances, personnel, production, research-
development works, but also image which is a kind of a bracket containing
all other areas associated with company management. Image crisis affects
a delicate matter which is image and internal relations, as well as relations
with entities outside the internal structures of organizations3.
To make it possible to understand the differences occurring between
the definitions of crisis situations, various models of classification have
been created. They consist of a series of dimensions among which there
are: internal, external, intentional (intended) and unintentional
(unintended) dimension. Internal dimension means the occurrence of a
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5. crisis within the structures of a company. At the same time external
dimension means that factors concentrated outside of an organization
led to the emergence of problems. The second dimension refers to how a
crisis situation emerged, whether it was caused deliberately, or whether
the company cannot be blamed4.
In a company there may be intended events, which involve the activity
of employees who for various reasons take actions unfavourable for a
company that they work for. This can arise directly from the will to harm
a company, or is a typically random event, which comes from an
employee's lack of knowledge or skills. Mistakes can also be attributed to
particular products without the contribution of a human factor. The public
opinion seems more willing to accept crises caused by natural forces, than
those caused by the human factor. This comes from the fact that an
organization has low control, or no control over the forces of nature5.
Image problems may also arise from the will to hide undesirable
actions, which are harmful for a company. The course of a crisis can be
particularly problematic for a company when meticulously hidden facts
come to light. To make sure that the course of a crisis situation is
correct, it is necessary to follow the adopted procedures. In such
situations, when crisis grows to an external size and goes outside the
walls of a given entity and when it arises from the fault of a company, or
its employees, a reasonable solution is to consider admitting guilt and
taking remedial measures, which will prevent the escalation of problems.
In order to efficiently manage a crisis situation, it is necessary to be
prepared well for it. However, it is obvious that it is not possible to be
always prepared and to be prepared for all crisis situations, but
nevertheless the process of preparation contributes to working out
abilities necessary for reacting as soon as a crisis situation emerges.
Preparation is a kind of insurance of a company against unfavourable
events. It gives comfort of work and secures stability even in times of
small turbulences. Preparation dressed in a set of procedures gives
stability of management, similarly as in the cockpit of an airplane
procedures contribute to appropriate approach to take-off and landing,
or to navigation during flight.
Procedures in the process of managing a crisis situation of an image-
related character can be divided into sequences, which are separated by
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6. milestones. The first sequence assumes the identification of a crisis, finding
out what has happened in a company and ends with transition to the stage of
solving a problem. Lack of procedures means lack of control over what's going
on, that's why it is so important to also take into consideration the third
sequence, which involves monitoring events and further appearing
information concerning the problem which has been generated around the
image of a company. The second sequence — problem solving — is a
transition from identification to such control over the course of events that
makes it possible to conclude that a company is taking control over particular
components of a crisis. This sequence assumes precise management with an
optimum control over what's happening around a company, but we can also
talk about imprecise management, which takes into consideration both the
option of proper control and its limited character.
Everything that's happening around a company depends on many
dependent and independent parameters, however, preparation always has
an impact on the fact that the effect may be definitely more favourable than
in case of lack of preparation and securing appropriate procedures. Another
sequence of actions in the procedures of crisis situation management
assumes extinguishing activities, which aim at returning to the rhythm
from before the start of the crisis. Finally, the last sequence assumes the
introduction of security measures which will help a company prepare for
another hard situation. Unfortunately, this is a sequence of events often
ignored by managers managing companies, who assume that if the media
are not reporting on a company, the crisis has already been solved.
The surveys presented in the article conducted on the biggest Polish
companies show that it is still needed to continuously educated Polish
business in terms of the habits concerning the utilization of the prepared
methods and techniques which can support solving further image crises. The
awareness of managers is still limited in many cases to the conviction that you
can deal with a crisis as soon as it comes. By ignoring the threat they expose
themselves to the same risk as a person who buys a new car and doesn't
purchase insurance against theft hoping that nobody will steal their car.
The results of surveys presented in this article are another of many
actions which are based on the foundations of the issues of crisis
education. The article presents the approach of companies from "Lista
500" (Top 500) of the Rzeczpospolita daily and PR agencies in the context
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7. of building a system of immunity to crisis situation in communication.
The main hypothesis assumes deficiencies in preparation of the biggest
Polish companies to image-related situations in communication.
Cyclical diagnostic surveys measuring the level
of preparation of Polish business leaders to crisis management
Over the last decade (2007–2017) three editions of quantitative surveys
on the biggest Polish companies from the top-500 ranking "Lista 500"6.
prepared by Rzeczpospolita daily were carried out. Full statistical analysis
of these projects can be found in the work titled "Zarządzanie kryzysem w
polskich przedsiębiorstwach. Podsumowanie 10 lat badań nad kryzysami"
(Crisis management in Polish companies. A summary of 10 years of
research on crises). Additionally, the data collected in 2007, 2010 and 2017
can be used to design a comprehensive crisis management model, which
relies on indicators which can be compared in time and its coverage is
limited only to "unique records". What has been recognized as one of such
records are interviews, which provide information about the most current
diagnosis of the situation in a given company, while at the same time
duplicates are rejected and data deficiencies are eliminated. For example,
if a given company took part both in the 2017 and 2010 edition, in our
model only the most up-to-date responses given in a communication audit
— edition 2017 — were taken into consideration. This way 416 fully
valuable component models were distinguished and their analysis
constitutes the subject of the methodological part of this work.
As a result of search for planes of interpretation which affect the level
of preparation for fighting image crisis, it is possible to distinguish four
factors which substantially differentiate the presence of key prevention
attributes in the surveyed sample (Picture 1):
z level of employment (number of employees in a company),
z main activity on the market (technological orientation),
z crisis experiences (whether a company experienced a serious image
crisis — a crisis seriously threatening its functioning — in the year
preceding the survey),
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8. z oppressive character of the branch8 (in the context of the potential for
emergence of crises means the risk of susceptibility to crisis and the
frequency of its occurrence).
Picture 1. Distribution of the frequencies of important factors determining the processes of crisis management
among the biggest Polish companies distinguished from 416 unique models — profile of the sample (in %)
Source: own materials prepared on the basis of quantitative data from cyclical surveys concerning crisis
management in the biggest Polish companies.
The size of a company and the kind of its business activity are
typically metric variables, which fit into the demographic area. Among
the surveyed companies big companies employing at least 250 people
were dominant (88%). This state of affairs results from the choice of the
research sample and the attempt to create an image of crisis prevention
in main companies in the Polish economy. For this reason the SME
sector was a less often represented segment of the market — 12%. The
comparably biggest groups were manufacturing companies (32%) and
service providers (29%), while traders constituted 14%.
Contact with image crises is a statistical parameter which it is
hard to measure. In our research we used the measurement of crisis
experiences looking from the perspective of the period of a year
preceding the time of interviews with the biggest Polish companies
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SME sector
Big companies
Production
Trade
Services
Mixed model
Lack of crisis-related experience
Company experienced a crisis
Non-oppressive branches
Oppressive branches
9. (2006, 2009 and 2016). If in these years these companies experienced
a crisis, they qualified for the layer with crisis experiences (40%). In
the opposite case they qualified for the referential layer (without a
serious image crisis) — 60%.
Diversification with regard to the oppressiveness of a branch was
carried out on the basis of previous qualitative-quantitative projects of
the research team of Exacto and information obtained in course of
analyses of the community of public relations professionals (e.g. expert
panels). The conglomerate of obtained data (Top of Mind research,
spontaneous and assisted awareness, tree of oppressiveness, sector
risk) makes it possible to distinguish 12 branches characterized by a
higher level of susceptibility to the occurrence of crisis situations in
communication (picture 2). Next, by rooting the list of oppressiveness
leaders in unique models we receive a new interpretation factor with
two polar categories. The surveyed companies in 60% of cases operated
in oppressive branches, while the remaining part — at least
theoretically — is to a lower degree at risk of emergence of image
crises.
Picture 2. Ranking of the leaders of oppressiveness
Source: own materials prepared on the basis of surveys on companies' susceptibility to crisis.
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12. Automotive
1. Food
2. Public sector
3. Medical/healthcare
4. Pharmaceutical
5. Banking/finance
6. Mining
Leaders of oppressiveness
7. Construction
8. Insurance
9. Energy
10. Telecommunication
11. Fuel
10. Companies functioning on the scale of oppressive branches more often
have to face public accusations coming from the Internet. Such a problem
was reported by on average every third surveyed company from the layer.
Oppressiveness also leads to greater problems with the quality of products,
or services (30%) and mistakes and crimes of employees (22%). External
crises are yet another aspect of threats which severely tests companies from
the above 12 sectors of the market. This concerns mainly conflicts with non-
governmental organizations and interest groups (15%), as well as authority
on various levels (8%). Oppressive branches also have more problems with
consumers (6%), as they are connected mainly to areas in which on the other
side there are individual clients and each of them may perceive the services
provided by business entities differently. At the same time, around non-
oppressive branches more crises associated with catastrophes, breakdowns,
or accidents (34%), as well as events caused by business partners (30%) are
generated. Precise distribution of percentages is presented in the following
table, which takes into consideration multiple answers (table 1).
Table 1. Image crises in the biggest Polish companies in 2007–2017
Kinds of crises among companies from Lista 500 Oppressive branches Non-oppressive branches
Public accusations, rumours, hate, attacks on the Internet 32.1% 23.0%
Problems with the quality of products and/or services 30.2% 23.0%
Catastrophes, breakdowns, accidents 22.6% 34.4%
Problems caused by business partners
(suppliers, dealers etc.) 22.6% 29.5%
Mistakes, or crimes of employees
and/or managers 21.7% 14.8%
Conflict with non-governmental organizations,
or other interest groups 15.1% 9.8%
Conflict with competition 14.2% 13.1%
Internal conflicts and/or bad internal communication 11.3% 11.5%
Company's bad financial situation, restructuring, recovery
programmes, organizational change 7.5% 4.9%
Unfavourable decisions, or actions of authorities
(administration, regulators, supervisors, political authorities) 7.5% 1.6%
Incorrect utilization of products and/or services by consumers 5.7% 1.6%
Crime (e.g. assaults, blackmail, terrorism) 1.9% 1.6%
Source: own materials prepared on the basis of quantitative data from cyclical surveys devoted to crisis management
in the biggest Polish companies titled: Zarządzanie kryzysem w polskich przedsiębiorstwach. Podsumowanie 10 lat
badań nad kryzysami (Crisis managent in Polish companies. A summary of 10 years of research on crises)
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11. Big companies more often declared that they have a prepared crisis
manual in form of a system of implementation procedures, than companies
from the SME sector (table 2). Analysis of the companies' business profile
shows that in terms of the presence of procedures manufacturing companies
are better prepared than service provider. What also turned out to be
important in this respect is the oppressiveness of a branch, as higher risk of
crisis generation determines the necessity to prepare a crisis book (87%,
compared to 77% in the non-oppressive group).
Among big companies running manufacturing operations with crisis
experience and operating within oppressive branches a higher percentage of
responses pointing to the presence of a crisis team with fixed members was
diagnosed. In each of the above categories over 3/5 positive responses were
recorded, which shows the level of communication competences. However,
establishing a crisis team, in comparison with the implementation aspect of
procedures, is a marginalized process in the cross-section of the whole analytical
model (59% of companies have a crisis team, while 83% have prepared
procedures). This state of affairs may be a source of concern in the context of
crisis-related security of crucial companies representing the Polish economy.
Table 2. The presence of key elements of crisis prevention depending on company's profile (n = 416)9
Procedures Crisis Trainings in
Interpretation factor team communication
% p % p % p
Company's size SME sector 72.0 0.035 46.0 0.049 34.0 0.014
Big companies 84.1 60.1 52.5
Main business activity Production 87.6 0.001 66.7 0.031 57.4 0.018
Trade 63.2 49.1 35.1
Services 87.0 53.0 53.0
Crisis experiences Lack of experience 81.5 0.352 54.2 0.013 45.4 0.008
Company experienced a crisis 85.0 66.5 58.7
Opressiveness of a branch Non-oppressive branches 77.0 0.009 52.1 0.018 44.8 0.052
Oppressive branches 86.9 63.7 54.6
Total 82.6 58.8 50.3
Source: Own materials prepared on the basis of quantitative data from cyclical research devoted to crisis
management in the biggest Polish companies titled: Zarządzanie kryzysem w polskich przedsiębiorstwach. Podsu-
mowanie 10 lat badań nad kryzysami.
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12. The results of the surveyed entities are even weaker with regard to
organization of communication trainings for managers, which means
closing yourself to efficient management of potential crisis
communication (practical aspect). Only every second company in its
prepared model invests in training mechanisms. Big companies focused
on managing production, which have negative crisis experiences
(learning from own mistakes) comparably more often take action in this
area. Each of the above three factors substantially differentiated the
frequency of organizing communication trainings (p < 0.05).
Analysis of the time of functioning of the surveyed companies on the
market reveals significant changes in the likelihood of having anti-crisis
procedures. Generally, every successive year raises the chance for the
presence of crisis documentation by 1.8% (the result of the quotient of
chances of logistic regression)10. In case of a crisis team and
communication trainings no correlation with the time of the company's
establishment was observed (r > 0.05)11.
Anti-crisis structure as a shield
protecting against an image crisis
Surveys conducted among the biggest Polish companies provide
information in the context of qualitative division of the structure of
positions, which is responsible for the communication processes of their
organizations. Crisis competences are directly linked to human capital
that a given company, or institution has. This is about the presence of
specialists who are responsible for company's communication with its
environment (dedicated manager, spokesman, or a whole public
relations unit). What is also significant in this respect is cooperation
with external experts, or with public relations agencies specialized in
crisis management. Our surveys were supposed to verify the level of the
structure of positions associated with communication among the leaders
of Polish economy.
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13. Table 3. Anti-crisis structure in the cross-section of positions, according to the profile of the company (n = 416)12
Public relations Spokes- Communication
Interpretation factors unit person manager
% p % p % p
Company's size SME's 32.0 0.077 14.0 0.033 4.0 0.129
Big companies 45.3 28.2 10.9
Main activity Production 42.6 0.583 24.0 0.141 10.9 0.875
Trade 40.4 15.8 8.8
Services 47.8 29.6 11,3
Crisis-related experiences Lack of experience 34.5 0.001 22.1 0.028 8.8 0.220
Company experienced a crisis 56.3 31.7 12.6
Oppressiveness of the branch Non-oppressive branches 36.4 0.021 20.0 0.025 8.5 0.315
Oppressive branches 47.8 29.8 11.6
Total 43.6 26.5 10.0
Source: own materials prepared on the basis of quantitative data from cyclical surveys devoted to crisis
management in the biggest Polish companies titled: Zarządzanie kryzysem w polskich
przedsiębiorstwach. Podsumowanie 10 lat badań nad kryzysami.
Analyses reveal an image of companies which approach the issue of
creating an appropriate structure of positions in a selective way at
various levels of engagement. It is worth pointing out here that this
concerns key positions, which in case of emergence of crisis situation in
communication have to play the role of a bullet-proof vest protecting
strategic organizational areas of the employer. Merely almost 4% of
companies declared they have a full set of communication positions,
while 37.5% of responses revealed companies had no such positions at all.
At the same time 62.5% of the sample has at least one of the considered
structures.
Comparably best situation has been observed in case of the dedicated
public relations unit. Such a team operated in more than 2/5 of the
surveyed companies. The factors that encourage companies to establish
such units are above all experiences related to crises (56%) and
functioning in the model of oppressive branches (48%). On average every
fourth company has a spokesperson who has knowledge from the area of
crisis management. Once again the threat of an image crisis determines
the managements' decisions to hire such people. The percentage of
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14. positive responses was the highest in the group of companies which in
the past were affected by image-related turbulences (32%) and among
oppressive branches (30%). What turned out to be an important element
in the context of possession of the resource of knowledge — such as a
spokesperson — was also the size of a company. In big companies such
positions function twice more often than in the SME sector.
The biggest Polish companies very rarely decide to cooperate with a
dedicated communication manager. On the basis of an indicator built
this way only 10% of companies can be recognized as the elite of Polish
economy in terms of crisis resistance. An expert position of this kind is a
practical and at the same time a hard piece of evidence for a systemic
approach in crisis communication management. What is also important
is the centralization of competences, which is concentrated in the hands
of a dedicated person. The work of a manager is a guarantee of
coordinated activities, which raise the efficiency of communication
processes in an organization. What needs to be emphasized is that
comparably most often managers find work in companies which have
already experienced serious image crises (13%).
Immune system model in the context of crisis management
In course of analyses four key dimensions of crisis prevention were
used. They have been combined into a collective point model (the
instruments that companies have at their disposal):
z crisis manual — 82.6%,
z anticrisis structure — 62.5%,
z crisis team — 58.8%,
z communication trainings — 50.3%.
It assumes values between 0 and 4, where for every possessed element
a company could receive a bonus in form of one point. The assumption of
interpretation is that professional preparation is reflected by higher
values. The average for the whole sample amounted to 2.55. The result
can be presented by means of a percentage value, which makes it possible
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15. to conclude that the quality of the immune system of the biggest Polish
companies is around the level of 64%. The observed deficiencies in
preparation give rationale for the confirmation of the main hypothesis,
which assumes insufficient level of preparation of the biggest companies
(flagships of the Polish economy) for crisis management. This is
particularly visible in the SME sector and in the layer of companies
specialized in trade.
Picture 3. Point model of the immune system of surveyed companies (the higher the value on a scale of 0–4,
the better the quality of prevention)
Source: Own materials prepared on the basis of quantitative data from cyclical surveys devoted to crisis
management in the biggest Polish companies.
The designed point model has been verified in terms of interpretation
factors discussed in the article. Significant statistical relationships have
been found, as better quality of crisis prevention characterized:
z big companies with at least 250 employees (p = 0.001). Additionally,
the SME sector is the only out of distinguished analytical layers,
where the value of averages dropped below 2.00;
z companies focused on production (average 2.74). A slightly worse
result was found in companies providing services (2.62), while
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16. companies dealing with trade were far from the standards present in
the remaining sectors — 2.00 (p = 0.003);
z entities which in the past had to cope with a harmful image crisis
(p < 0.001) and companies at risk of oppressiveness (p < 0.001).
In the context of a diagnosis of the preventive measures taken by the
leaders of Polish business (from the years 2007–2017) it is disturbing that
up to 7% of the surveyed companies don't have any element from a
designed immune system. At the same time 15% have only one of the
tested components of the protective shield. This means completely passive
approach in the context of basic activities aimed at creating any anti-crisis
shield. Managing a company in such a way is risky, as in the current
reality we can't ask ourselves the question whether we will experience a
crisis at all, but it is more justified to ask the question when the crisis will
arrive. That's why it is so important to appropriately prepare and predict
the potential sources and consequences of a crisis. Crisis communication
specialists agree and emphasize in unison that every business, or public
organization has already experienced, is experiencing, or will experience
an image crisis. This arises from the very nature of operations conducted
in public (Łaszyn, 2017). That's why 27% of our sample deserve praise, as
these are entities with a well-formed immune system, as suggested by the
presence of a full spectrum of instruments of prevention.
Priority elements of crisis prevention — voice of public relations agencies
The scale of activity from the area of crisis preparation among the
biggest companies, presented above, has revealed deficiencies in the
competences of Polish business from the top-500 list of the
Rzeczpospolita daily. Companies very often have appropriate
documentation and theoretical mechanisms in the manners of applying
procedures, but without the practical element they are unable to react
appropriately, when a crisis actually hits them (trainings, audits,
monitoring, specialist structure of positions). The gap between theory
and practice in the context of raising competences is too big and for this
reason it is hard to take accurate strategic decisions. Companies'
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17. activities are often the effect of bad experiences related to undergoing
crises, which is learning from own mistakes. It is necessary to remember
that "learning in combat" is the most expensive and the most painful way
of reaching anti-crisis readiness and efficiency in a company.
Surveys conducted among Polish public relations agencies13 suggest
that clients come for support in the area of crisis management too late.
Only 7% of the respondents concluded that the dominant trend is a
situation, when a company wants to cooperate with an agency to
appropriately prepare for the risk of emergence of a crisis and to work out
an optimum prevention system. In light of the above, actions following
the rule that it is better to prevent than to treat, is a rarely used strategy
of activity on the market of public relations services. Definitely more
often cooperation with entities specialized in crisis management fits in
the framework of implementation of impromptu solutions (improvised
management of an existing crisis and extinguishing a crisis) — 44%. What
is also worrying is very high percentage of responses pointing to
cooperation which has been forced by severe consequences of image
crises. Up to 32% of the surveyed agencies concluded that companies
mainly ask for help in working out a protection system under influence of
the negative effects of experienced crises (hindsight is 20/20). The
remaining 17% of respondents don't notice a common denominator in the
actions of companies looking for crisis-related support.
Leaders of public relations agencies in Poland have created a ranking
of attributes, which shows clearly that communication trainings for the
management and a prepared book of crisis communication management
are two key planes of crisis prevention. The advantage of these elements
over the rest of the instruments of crisis methodology is very clear, as
over 3/5 of observations concerned both the trainings of managers
(62.3%), as well as the presence of a crisis manual (61.8%).
Communication audit was among top three attributes (46.6%) and right
behind it there was a crisis team (43.6%). On average every third
respondent emphasized also the necessity to predict crises (monitoring,
assessment of events on the Internet, identification of symptoms) and
investing in communication trainings for lower-rank managers. At the
same time 1/5 of responses concerned cooperation with public relations
agencies and building a model of managing relations with the media.
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18. What also plays an important role is the experience from past crises —
learning from own mistakes (20%). The remaining elements were named
comparably less often (table 4).
Table 4. Priority attributes which help prepare for crisis on the basis of the experiences
of public relations agencies (multiple responses)
What in your opinion are the most important elements of the
Percent of
implementation of crisis prevention in companies which want to properly prepare
for the risk of emergence of a crisis?
observations
Crisis communication trainings for managers 62.3%
Crisis manual 61.8%
Audit of existing procedures 46.6%
Anti-crisis team with fixed members 43.6%
System of early warning about the symptoms of a crisis, e.g. media monitoring,
assessment of events on the Internet 38.2%
Communication trainings for employees 31.4%
The position of a press spokesman 28.4%
Model of handling relations with the media (holding statement, declarations, Q&A) 27.0%
Using external support, that is, agencies, or experts specialized
in crisis management 26.5%
Crisis experience (that is, when a company has already experienced an image crisis) 20.1%
Dedicated unit for public relations 17.6%
Working meetings with employees 14.2%
Dedicated manager for crisis management 13.2%
Image surveys among clients 8.3%
Surveys in the area of communication processes among employees 7.4%
Identified engaged entities (list of allies and enemies) 5.9%
Source: own materials prepared on the basis of quantitative data from a survey of public relations agencies 2018.
According to the surveyed PR experts, there is a strong correlation
between preparation, predicting and avoiding image crises (picture 4).
The distribution of answers forms a system which can serve as a good
basis for the intensification of actions in crisis PR in terms of preparation,
as it gives effects in the area of predicting threats, which leads to raising
the chance for avoiding crisis situations in communication. PR specialists
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19. Picture 4. Key dimensions of crisis management, according to the leaders of public relations agencies in Poland
(n = 204, M — symbol of average, r — symbol of the coefficient of correlation, significance p < 0.001 )
Source: own materials prepared on the basis of quantitative data from
a survey of public relations agencies 2018.
have concluded that the scope of public relations activities makes it
possible in majority of cases to prepare an organization for the risk of a
crisis threat (75%) in a complex way. What seems to be a slightly harder
task is predicting (70%) and avoiding image crises (60%).
Summary
The sum of conducted analyses has shown that it is impossible to put
an equals sign between the expected and the real state in the context of
companies' crisis prevention. Image gap results mainly from problems
with implementation and utilization of practical prevention tools by the
surveyed companies over the past decade. Marginalization of the practical
aspect brings with it a very high risk of image-related problems, reduces
competences among communication-related positions and generates
additional costs, which is particularly painful during long-lasting crises.
That's why the presented cross-section of statistical analyses gives ground
for adopting the hypothesis that preparation of the biggest Polish
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20. companies for processes associated with crisis communication
management is highly insufficient. We can recall here the fact that the
surveys reveal an image of companies with a mediocre quality of the
immune system (level of 64% on a scale of 0–100%). Comparably weakest
result was observed in the SME sector (49.5%), which also has its
representatives in the "Lista 500" ranking of the Rzeczpospolita daily.
Moreover, companies' deficiencies in practical preparation are
accurately confirmed by the opinions of the leaders of public relations
agencies. In most cases they had many reservations in the context of
the adopted strategy of activity of their clients. What constitutes a
problem is above all the focus on the implementation of short-term
goals which are associated with extinguishing already existing crises,
without taking into consideration the necessity to prepare for them in
advance. What has also been disregarded is the pursuit of stabilization
of post-crisis activities, as clients of agencies often forget that a crisis
doesn't end at the moment when the media stop writing about it.
Summing up, it is also worth drawing attention to the oppressive
branches analyzed in the article, which are defined as those which to a
greater extent than others are exposed to image crises. Branches and more
precisely, companies which function in them on the one hand have an
advantage, because they to a greater extent are exposed to crisis situations
and on the other hand they have the experience of other business entities
from a given branch, which can be obtained. Here, it is worth pointing out
that there is still much work to be done in the area of education. Apart
from typical challenges such as the formation of a crisis team, what is
becoming a necessary element are trainings, which give a broader scope of
knowledge in key areas of crisis management. The leaders of public
relations agencies emphasize in unison that communication trainings are
a priority prevention attribute of an organization (62%).
Unfortunately, surveys of companies show that in this area the analyzed
entities have a problem, as trainings are not a common activity supporting
management processes. Companies quite skeptically approach the utilization
of trainings in their operations. In further editions of research in this subject
area it is worth making an attempt to diagnose this phenomenon, along with
the identification of the sources of approach to communication trainings.
Companies should also pay attention to building teams of a durable
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The role of crisis prevention from the perspective of the biggest polish companies and public relations agencies on the basis of expert research
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21. character, which will support companies at the moment when a crisis hits,
but also in course of preparation for such situations. In Polish economic
reality situations of the lack of proper diagnosis and positioning in this
area appear. What can serve as proof of a conclusion formulated this way
is major diversification of attitudes in this area. Using both your own
resources and the resources of an external character, or combining these
approaches leads to a situation in which there is no sign of a model, which
could be called an optimum model. However, still taking advantage of
external experts during crises is a naturally recommended thing and can
support an organization (external point of view).
Crisis situations are certainly phenomena of an unfavourable character for
an entity whose structures are affected. Nevertheless, it is possible to help them
in a limited scope through preparation, education and building an immune
system within which there are such elements as cyclical trainings, or crisis
manual. However, as a result of an analysis of the state identified among the
biggest companies functioning in Poland, it is necessary to point out that there
are still many things which have to be done, especially in the area of raising the
awareness of management teams with regard to the necessity to take active
measures of preventive character. This will enable proper reacting, as soon as
a crisis emerges. This way it will be easier to accept the effects of an image crisis
and certainly an image crisis won't leave a company with experiences not
allowing it to return to the state that existed before the emergence of a problem.
References
1 M. Kaczmarek-Śliwińska, Public relations w zarządzaniu sytuacjami kryzysowymi organizacji. Sztuka komuniko-
wania się, Wydawnictwo Difin, Warszawa 2015, p. 54.
2 G. Hajduk, Specyfika kryzysów wizerunkowych w mediach społecznościowych, „Studia Medioznawcze”, 3 (70), 2017, p. 101.
3 D. Tworzydło, Public relations praktycznie, Wydawnictwo Newsline, Rzeszów 2017, p. 157–162.
4 W.T. Coombs, Choosing the Right Words — The Development of Guidelines for the Selection of the „Appropriate”
Crisis-Response Strategies, Management Communication Quarterly., 1995, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 447–476 [following:]
J. Larsson, P. Rudwall, Crisis management — Mediaś Perception of Crises in Organizations, Lulea University of
Technology, 2010.
5 Ibidem.
6 The ranking was prepared by: Public Relations Department of University of Information, Technology and
Management in Rzeszów (2007–2010), Alert Media Communications agency (2007–2017) and Agencja Exacto (2017).
7 D. Tworzydło, A. Łaszyn, P. Szuba, Zarządzanie kryzysem w polskich przedsiębiorstwach. Podsumowanie 10 lat
badań nad kryzysami, Wydawnictwo Newsline, Rzeszów 2018.
8 Surveys conducted by Exacto agency, conducted by means of various techniques, on many samples, show that
oppressive branches should have greater awareness of the threats due to belonging to this category and higher level
of competences in communication. A cross-section of main economic specialization reveals the image of 12 sectors
particularly exposed to the risk of image-related crisis situations.
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22. 9 What proves statistical significance are values p < 0,05 (U Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests).
10 B = 0.018; Wald = 6.772; p = 0.009; Exp (B) = 1.018; R2 Nagelkerkego = 0.038, % kwalifikacji = 82%.
11 Measurement based on Spearman's rho coefficient.
12 What shows statistical significance are values p < 0.05 (U Manna-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests).
13 CATI project was carried out in cooperation with ZFPR in 2018. Data was collected from 204 PR agencies, where
the respondents were people from management positions, or people responsible for crisis communication.
A publication with a collection of results and analyses will appear in 2019.
Bibliography
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Communication and Public Relations at the Faculty of Journalism, Information and Book Studies of the
University of Warsaw. The president of the management of Instytut Rozwoju Społeczeństwa
Informacyjnego and Exacto sp. z o.o. An author of over 230 scientific publications, monographs,
scripts, articles and research reports. Former president of the management of Polish PR Association,
also a member of the Council of Ethics in Public Relations. Advisor and consultant.
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he studied sociology and journalism, currently he is the deputy director of the department of research
and strategic analyses of Exacto sp. z o.o. The author of a few dozen research reports and about a
dozen scientific articles. In his professional work he concentrates mainly on the analysis of the condition
of public relations branch and surveys of the PR specialists' community in Poland.
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The role of crisis prevention from the perspective of the biggest polish companies and public relations agencies on the basis of expert research
www.minib.pl