Responding to the era of crises in
which we now live, The Crisis Manager offers wise counsel for anticipating and responding
to crises as well as taking the steps required to reduce the impact of these events.
Spotlighting the reality of crisis at levels ranging
from local to global, author Otto Lerbinger helps readers understand the approaches and
ways of thinking required for successful crisis management in today’s world. As no
organization or individual is immune from crisis, he guides managers to make good
decisions under conditions of high uncertainty, and to consider the interests not only of
stockholders but also of a wide variety of stakeholders.
With a focus on the threat of crises to an
organization’s most valuable asset – its reputation – The Crisis Manager covers:
- Preparation for crisis, including crisis
communication planning
- Physical crises – natural, biological, and
technological
- "Human climate" crises, stemming
from targeted attacks on an organization’s policies, actions, or physical holdings
- Crises due to management failure, including
mismanagement, skewed values, deception, and misconduct
New to this second edition are the use of social
media in crisis management, and chapters on image restoration strategies and crises
stemming from mismanagement, as well as a comprehensive updating of the entire work.
Real-world case studies provide examples of what worked and what did not work, and the
reasons why.
Written for present and future crisis managers in
all types of businesses and organizations, this resource will be required reading for
managers at all levels, as it prepares them for their crucial roles as decision makers.
Otto Lerbinger is professor emeritus at Boston University. He has lectured around the
globe on issues of corporate communication, management, and public relations.
Table of Contents
Preface
Pt. I Communicating in an Era of Crises
1
1 An Era of Crises 3
2 Contingency Planning: Preparing for the Worst
19
3 Communicating During and After a Crisis
31
Pt. II Managing Seven Types of Crises
55
4 Natural Crises 57
5 Technological Crises 90
6 Confrontation Crises 112
7 Crises of Malevolence 144
8 Crises of Skewed Management Values 186
9 Crises of Deception 217
10 Crises of Management Misconduct 242
Pt. III Improving Management Performance
265
11 Risk Management and Communication 267
12 Ethics: A Moral Code for Executives 292
13 Issues Management and Stakeholder Relationships
318
Pt. IV Conclusions 339
14 The Crisis Manager 341
Author Index 355
Subject Index 363
400 pages, Paperback