An integrated crisis communication framework for strategic crisis communication with the media: A case study on a financial services provider

In order for organisations to survive in an ever-changing milieu in the current business environment, sufficient crisis communication and management practices need to be in place to ensure organisational survival. Despite the latter, organisational crises are often inefficiently managed which could be ascribed to the lack of managing crises strategically (Kash & Darling 1998:180). This article explores the lack of strategic crisis communication processes to ensure effective crisis communication with the media as stakeholder group. It is argued that the media is one of the main influences of public opinion (Pollard & Hotho 2006:725), thereby emphasising the need for accurate distribution of information. Furthermore, the study will focus specifically on the financial industry, as it is believed that this industry is more sensitive and thus more prone towards media reporting as financial services providers manage people’s money (Squier 2009). A strategic crisis communication process with the media is therefore proposed, facilitated through an integrated crisis communication framework, which focuses on a combination of Integrated Communication (IC) literature with emphasis on Grunig’s theory of communication excellence to build sustainable media relationships through two-way communication; and proposing a crisis communication process that has proactive, reactive and post-evaluative crisis communication stages, thereby moving away from crisis communication as a predominant reactive function.Communication Scienc

Experiences of supporting older persons in completion of an exercise and nutrition intervention : an interview study with nursing home staff

BackgroundThe interactions between nursing home (NH) staff and their residents are crucial not only for the atmosphere at the NH but also for achieving care goals. In order to test the potential effects of daily physical activities (sit-to-stand (STS) exercises) combined with oral nutritional supplementation (ONS), a randomized intervention trial (the Older Person's Exercise and Nutrition (OPEN) Study) was performed in NH residents. One aspect of the study was to interview and report the NH staff's experiences of supporting the residents in fulfilling the intervention.MethodsIn this qualitative study, individual and focus group interviews were performed in eight NH facilities with NH staff who had assisted residents in performing the 12-week ONS/STS intervention. An interview guide developed for this study was used to assess staff experiences of the intervention and its feasibility. The transcribed interviews were analyzed inductively following a constant comparative method and with input from experts in the area, described in Grounded Theory as a reliable technique for researchers to form theory and hypothesis in unexplored areas.ResultsThree main themes relating to the health-promoting intervention emerged. These included: 1) insights into attitudes towards health in general and NH care specifically; 2) intervention-related challenges, frustrations and needs, and 3) aspects of collaboration and opportunities.The overarching hypothesis derived from the analysis reads: A health-promoting intervention such as the OPEN-concept has great potential for integration into NH life if a combined empathic and encouraging attitude, and a structure to keep it sustainable, are in place.ConclusionsNH staff experienced the health-promoting intervention as a potentially positive concept, although it was suggested that it works best if introduced as a general routine in the unit and is integrated into the daily planning of care.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govIdentifier: NCT02702037. Date of trial registration February 26, 2016. The trial was registered prospectivel

Konzepte der Integrierten Marketing- und Unternehmenskommunikation: Übersicht und kritische Würdigung

Eine systematische und aufeinander abgestimmte Kommunikation entwickelt sich zunehmend zu einem strategischen Wettbewerbsvorteil für Unternehmen. Die Notwendigkeit eines integrierten Kommunikationskonzepts ist auf vielfältige qualitative (u. a. Wertewandel und verändertes Nutzungsverhalten) sowie quantitative Veränderungen (u. a. Zunahme des Medienangebotes und Informationsüberlastung) der Kommunikations- und Medienmärkte zurückzuführen. Aufgrund einer zunehmenden Differenzierung in den unternehmensgesteuerten Kommunikationsinstrumenten und den nutzergetriebenen Medien erfordert dies zwingend eine Abstimmung zwischen den einzelnen kommunikativen Maßnahmen – im Sinne einer Integrierten Unternehmens- und Marketingkommunikation. In der Literatur existieren verschiedene Ansätze, die sich mit dem Konzept einer Integrierten Kommunikation auseinandersetzen. Der Beitrag verfolgt das Ziel, einen systematischen Überblick über diese Konzepte zu geben und sie einer kritischen Würdigung hinsichtlich ihrer Erklärungs- und Gestaltungsaufgabe zu unterziehen