1Parameters for Crisis Communication

Organizations frequently find themselves in situations we would define as a crisis. Consider but a few examples: Union Carbide’s devastating chemical release in Bhopal; Carrefour suffering from protests at its stores in China because of French attacks on the Olympic torch relay; customers experiencing E. coli at Taco Bell; rumors about designer Tommy Hilfiger’s racist comments; Tyco executives steal-ing millions from the company; and Oxfam claiming Starbucks did not support coffee growers by opposing the branding of certain African coffees. We must accept that no organization is immune from a crisis anywhere in the world even if that organization is vigilant and actively seeks to prevent crises. The reality of crises leads to the need for preparation and readiness to respond – crisis management. The critical component in crisis management is communi-cation. Over the past decade, there has been a massive increase in crisis communi-cation research. As the field of crisis communication develops, it is important to develop parameters for that growth. This chapter and the Handbook of Crisis Communication are steps towards articulating the parameters and utility of crisis communication. The focus in this book is the research used to advance our under-standing of communication’s role in the crisis management process. To properly set the stage for this collection, it is important to define key terms in crisis manage-ment and overview key research on the central theme of crisis communication. By examining these fundamental elements, the parameters of crisis communication begin to emerge. Key Definitions for Crisis Because of the diversity of crisis research, it is important to present definitions of key crisis terms early to help set boundaries. The key terms for the Handbook include crisis, crisis management, and crisis communication. The three are inex-tricably interconnected and must be considered in a progression from crisis t