Achieving Quality in Crisis Communication Management. Case: Valio Ltd.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe the basic elements of crises and analyse process of crisis communication. The study aims to evaluate organisations preparedness in crisis situations. The aim of this study is to show what procedures are relevant in crisis management. In this way, organisations can be more prepared for crises, and can be better equipped to prevent them. The research methods I have chosen consist of interviews and written documents. I interviewed 13 people in relation to the procedures in four specific crises. Parts of the written documents are public, however some are confidential and available to only a very select group of people. Without these documents it would have been impossible to find out all facts. It is justifiable to use these documents because of the important information contained in them. The written documents also complement information what is received in interviews. The theoretical part of the study is based upon a literature review, the purpose of which is to make the empirical part of the study more understandable. The case company is Valio Ltd. The theoretical framework was made based on the knowledge gained from literature review. In empirical part of the study, the process of crisis communication was analysed in 4 concrete crises and the similarities between these processes have also been identified. The process of crisis communication in Valio and a written plan have a lot in common with the theories of researchers. Therefore I did not find any major differences between the theory of crisis management and the reality in Valio. On the basis of this study it can be verified that Valio has taken crisis management very seriously and the organisation has used a lot of resources in order to create a plan of crisis communication. Furthermore skills in a crisis are tested with real exercises with the help of authorities. Even though Valio is well prepared for the crisis situations, results of the study show that internal communication has been occasionally insufficient and only few people have the knowledge of how to communicate in a crisis. Moreover, the resources are not directed to post-crisis-communication aimed at protecting the public image and at strengthening the brand. This point concerns external communication. On the other hand internal communication has been managed locally well, but within the whole organisation post-crisis-communication has often been forgotten.