Corporate Communication Recommendation

Running head: Corporate Communication Recommendation 1

Question SevenYou are a corporate communications professional for an airline that has recently been plagued

with a string of extended runway departure delays. Bad weather, overcrowded airports and other

events have caused more than a dozen boarded flights to wait for more than five hours on

runways before taking off. Knowing that the court of public opinion can impact reputation, brand

and stock price, what do you do when CNN airs passenger footage emailed from a smart phone

of an upset passenger arguing with flight attendants after waiting for more than four hours on a

runway? Within minutes of the footage airing, you get a call from CNN asking for comment and

for an interview with your CEO.

From an internal and external standpoint, what do you recommend? Be sure to use appropriate

scholarship to support your recommendations for both short and long term action. In short,

explain your reasons and support your reasons with appropriate references.

Denise Aguilar

CCOM: 9999_91

October 14, 2011

Corporate Communication Recommendation 2

Abstract

Throughout the airline industry, each airline carrier is faced with sudden, unexpected

changes on a daily basis. Whether they are internal or external factors such as weather,

government, or airport systems; communication needs to be internally and externally consistent,

in areas such as airline crew, customers, and the media. Crises, small or large, can have an affect

on an organization. The court of public opinion can influence reputation, brand, and stock price.

It is important for an organization to not ignore any potential crisis because sometimes lives

could be at risk. In times of crises, the public prefers to be informed immediately. To do so, a

company needs to be quick, honest, and transparent. For an organization to gain support of the

public, they should accept responsibility and work hard to lessen any potential damage. Overall,

a successful organization should have flexible pre, during, and post crisis plans for the

employees to refer to.


Corporate Communication Recommendation

In the corporate world, communication professionals are inundated with multitudes of

scenarios. Their job is to manage the expected and unexpected scenarios as flawlessly as

possible. In fact, crisis communication is a focus of corporate communication that professionals

will encounter. How they manage a crisis can determine the success or spiral downfall of a

company. For instance, does the corporate communication professional use extraorganizational

crisis for reference on how to handle a current crisis or does the professional create a crisis

communication plan from the ground up? According to numerous empirical studies, such as,

Nikolaev, 2010; Coombs & Holladay, 2010; and Maresh & Williams, 2010; the consensus is to

learn from other organizations and take what can be applied to a company’s current situation. As

a result, a wise communication professional would gather as much information as possible on a

specific crisis before making any decisions that will directly impact their company’s reputation

and the bottom line.

This recommendation is based on a fabricated scenario within the airline industry-

American Airline Awesome (AAA). The story proceeds as: a plane was held on the tarmac for

four hours due to bad weather and a series of unfortunate events at the airport. Passengers were

frustrated due to the wait. In particular, one frustrated passenger began to argue with one of the

flight attendants, while another passenger video recorded this interaction on a personal cell

phone. Moreover, the communication professional for this specific airline was unaware of the

situation until Cable News Network (CNN) contacted the professional about the footage airing

on the network and requested an interview with that airline’s chief executive officer (CEO).

Throughout this recommendation on how to handle an airline crisis, it will span

Corporate Communication Recommendation 4 throughout internal and external communication. Most crisis communication deals with the

external, however, there have been recent studies that support communicating with the internal

constituents is as equally important, such as, David (2011), Downing (2004), and Chong (2007).

By doing so, communication professionals are reducing the possibility of employees leaking

incorrect information to the media essentially creating inconsistent messages, which can severely

hurt a company, especially in times of crisis. In addition, the recommendation will tailor to and

differ if the airline crisis were to be a first offense or a recurring scenario. Finally, yet most

importantly, there will be a detailed crisis communication plan for short-term action and long-

term action within external and internal communication.

Crisis Communication Defined

Before any recommendations can be made, there needs to be a universally accepted

definition of crisis communication. According to W. Timothy Coombs (2010) in Parameters for

Crisis Communication, crisis communication is defined as a broad collection of processing and

dissemination of information to address a crisis situation (as cited in Coombs & Holladay, 2010,

p. 20). It is clear that to resolve and or manage a crisis, the communication professional will

need to dissect the situation and figure out the best way to approach it. For example, in pre-crisis,

the communication professional should have a collection of crisis risks that are common within

the industry and how to go about them. Meanwhile, the professional should periodically train

employees incase an event occurs. Therefore, it is imperative for a company to establish short-

term and long-term plans. In Toward a Synthesis Model for Crisis Communication in the Public

Sector, J. Suzanne Horsley and Randolph T. Barker (2002) emphasized, “Short-term and long-

term crisis plans should be developed to help assess the resources that would be needed and to

Corporate Communication Recommendation 5 provide ways to accommodate normal business needs when these resources are used up”(p.409).

In other words, a plan is necessary for a corporation to function in times of crisis, in terms of

external communications and internal operations.

Corporations, such as airlines, are faced with externalities on a daily basis. Most of these

externalities are factors that are not always in their control. As a communication professional in

an industry where events such as a crisis can happen in a split second, one needs to be prepared

by having a plan for immediate and long-term action. In Ongoing Crisis Communication:

Planning, Managing, and Responding, Coombs (1999) indicated, “Crisis managers are

encouraged to be quick, consistent, open, sympathetic, and informative” (p.114). Also, a crisis

communication plan should be in place, for when the communication professional needs it.

Coombs (2010) agreed that communication is critical during crisis management. He noted, “The

reality of crises leads to the need for preparation and readiness to respond – crisis management”

(as cited in Coombs & Holladay, 2010, p.17). As a result, a crisis communication plan is

imperative for a company to be prepared for anything that may come along the way. The plan

should not only include what the spokespeople of a corporation may say to the media but also

what the internal constituents will hear.

Within crisis communication, one of the first rules in a crisis is to have a plan to handle

the situation. According to Ian I. Mitroff, Paul Shrivastava, and Firdaus E.Udwadia (1987) in

Effective Crisis Management, stated, “it is no longer the question of whether a major disaster will

strike any organization, but only a question of when, how, what form it will take, and who and

how many will be affected” (p.291). Planning is crucial and necessary for the success of a

company. In addition, learning what other companies have done can be a useful backbone for a

Corporate Communication Recommendation 6 current crisis. As a result, the primary example that is the backbone for the fabricated scenario is

the Valentines Day Massacre.

JetBlue: Valentine’s Day Massacre

When an airline suffers through a crisis, the airline industry as a whole will be judged

equally. In extraorganizational crisis, an organization experiences a crisis and another

organization suffers through a similar experience (Elliot, 2010, as cited in Coombs & Holladay,

2010, p.206). Each crisis that occurs within an organization will always be compared to past

crises within that organization or externally. The media will display past discrepancies of the

industry for news coverage. As a result, the media and the public are attracted to the information

relating to the hard crisis. JetBlue Airways’ Valentines Day Massacre is the primary example for

the general recommendations within crisis communication.

In February of 2007, JetBlue airplanes were held on the tarmac at John Fitzgerald

Kennedy Airport (JFK) for up to nine hours due to inclement weather. As the weather worsened,

JetBlue was reluctant to cancel flights because that was not their policy. Therefore, they tried to

take flight, which was hazardous. Additionally, planes needed to be ferried back to the gates for

offloading. However, that was difficult because there were planes arriving, on runways, as well

as the gates. None of the airplanes had the option to move. Just like in the fabricated scenario,

CNN also contacted JetBlue for a statement. According to Gregory G. Efthimiou (2010) in

Regaining Altitude: A Case Analysis of the JetBlue Airways Valentine’s Day 2007 Crisis, he

stated that Dervin (Director of Corporate Communication) mentioned a phone call from the

producer of CNN as the first warning that the ground delays at JFK might be a larger issue than

expected (as cited in Coombs & Holladay, 2010, p.119). JetBlue thought this crisis would be

Corporate Communication Recommendation 7 over with quickly. However, due to the mess that occurred at JFK, the planes, passengers, and

employees were delayed and displaced.

The troubles continued on for days. Within the following seven days CEO David

Neelman, the corporate communication team, and general employees worked around the clock to

repair and protect their new reputation. How Jenny Dervin handled the communication during

and after the event is the primary origin of the recommendations. By using extraorganizational

crisis history, the results of past crises can help guide a new one. However, Efthimiou (2010)

noted that reputations are difficult to change within the airline industry because one mistake or

judgment can cause irreparable harm (as cited in Coombs and Holladay, 2010, p.128). For

example, making the decision to fly in freezing rain would have been hazardous and the worst-

case scenario was that lives could have been lost. If JetBlue did cancel their flights and had not

waited so long to involve the state authorities, perhaps the series of unfortunate events would

have not unraveled into a crisis. JetBlue was being reactive instead of proactive. As a result,

JetBlue finally decided to involve the NJ/NY Port Authority during the late afternoon when they

could have been called hours prior to help with the moving of planes and passengers. In an

industry where a bad judgment can potentially leave lives at risk, JetBlue should have not tried to

fly in undesirable conditions.

Fortunately, in terms of internal and external communication, JetBlue had been proactive

with creating a lengthy document that outlined the crisis communication plan for interacting with

internal and external stakeholders. This document, the Emergency Operations Manual (EOM),

was regularly updated and meant to prepare the airline for worst-case scenarios. Externally, for

the short-term resolutions, JetBlue issued an apology late the same day the passengers were

Corporate Communication Recommendation 8 stranded on the tarmac for hours. In addition, they offered all passengers a full refund and a free

round-trip voucher to any location. Even though it was difficult for the corporate communication

team to not blame the weather as the sole cause of the crisis, they knew to win the public opinion

they would have to take responsibility. They next tried to match aircrafts and flight crews to their

designated location because they were displaced. Scheduling became an issue and that could be

the main reason why this crisis dragged on for so long. On the second day, JetBlue activated

their Emergency Command Center (ECC) and had the marketing and legal team helping with the

phone lines. There were high volume of calls from customers and the media about flights.

Therefore, the departments had to be careful with what they said to the media because of the risk

of inconsistent messages.

On the third day, CEO David Neelman was lightly coached to speak to the media about

the Valentine’s Day massacre. He apologized about the series of mishaps through 14 different

television appearances, Emails, YouTube, and newspapers. Efthimiou (2010) mentioned that

Neelman “cited numerous internal process flaws and operational failures as contributing factors

to the crisis, including: inadequate communication protocols to direct the company’s 11,000

pilots and flight attendants on where to go and when; an overwhelmed reservation system; and

the lack of cross-trained employees who could work outside their primary area of expertise

during a crisis” (as cited in Coombs and Holladay, 2010, p.128). With his apology being so

transparent, Neelman was able to establish credibility for his company. To sum up, for the long-

term, Neelman established an industry-setting bill of rights. The JetBlue Airways Customer Bill

of Rights was the first time an airline made a covenant between themselves and the customer.

Corporate Communication Recommendation 9 Through the bill of rights, the customers of JetBlue will ultimately be fully reimbursed if the

airline faults them in any way.

Internally, short-term, JetBlue did not proactively react until the third day. Their Intranet

and public website was not updated with anything current, such as cancelled flights and news.

JetBlue could not communicate with their internal constituents because they were focusing all

their attention on external messages. According to Dervin, the director of corporate

communications, JetBlue did not realize how much trouble they were in. At the time, they could

only focus on external communication. Therefore, they were hoping that if the media coverage

changed, it would reach their crewmembers just as well as any internal memo (Efthimiou, 2010,

as cited in Coombs and Holladay, 2010, p.126). The danger with relying on media coverage to

update employees is that rumors and inconsistent messages can arise. However, by allowing the

media to communicate to the internal constituents, the corporate communication team was able

to focus solely on Blue Notes, an advantage platform, and the Intranet site with up-to-date news

and the recovery plans later that week.

Long-term, the employees will be trained to handle operations and the media if such a

crisis occurs again. In addition, the Intranet site, along with any other employee communication

platform, will be updated with accurate information. Furthermore, JetBlue plans to regularly

update their Blue print newsletter, Blue Notes Bulletins, and Intranet Messages (Efthimiou,

2010, as cited in Coombs and Holladay, 2010, p.137). The corporate communication team also

configured the Intranet so that a two-way communication is established instead of a one-way

communication.


In the end, the JetBlue communication strategies that arose from the crisis were a success.

By having the CEO issue an apology and schedule countless television/media appearances, along

with the industry setting bill of rights, JetBlue was able to sustain their credibility within the

airline industry.

External Communication

A crisis in corporate America creates different kinds of effects among its constituents.

For example, not canceling a flight due to bad weather and taking flight could potentially end the

lives on that airplane. Also, an airline with recent negative attention could drop their stock price;

therefore, stockholders will not make the return they made on their investment. Coombs (2010)

mentioned, “Harming stakeholders has to rate as the most significant ‘negative outcome’ (as

cited in Coombs and Holladay, 2010, p.19). Therefore, whether crisis small or large, someone

will be affected. In Thirty Common Basic Elements of Crisis Management Plans: Guidelines for

Handling the Acute Stage of “Hard” Emergencies at the Tactical Level, Alexander G. Nikolaev

(2010) emphasized, “Crisis is a period when the efficiency of the public relations structures of

the organization is tested under extreme circumstances” (as cited in Coombs & Holladay, 2010,

p.263). The company’s crisis management plan when applied in a crisis will show if it needs to

be adjusted or changed to resolve its issues. Pointing out the weak spots in crisis plans are

important because if the company has endured past crises, those crises will be recalled to the

current one. As a result, it is important for an organization to learn from their past crises

management mistakes so that it will not have a dire impact on their reputation. For example, if

the fabricated airline were to have a history of crises (repeated offenses) then the crisis

communication plan would be different in comparison to an airline that is enduring a crisis for

Corporate Communication Recommendation 11 the first time. The repeated offense fabricated airline would not have as much sympathy from the

public compared to the latter. In addition, the way the public perceives the crisis is dependent

upon crisis history and the organization’s reputation. When a history of crisis becomes liable to

the reputation of the organization, it is now a hazard to the organization’s current crisis. In

Helping Crisis Managers Protect Reputational Assets: Initial Tests of the Situational Crisis

Communication Theory by Coombs and Holladay (2002), the authors proposed the term “velcro

effect”, which suggests,

“A history of crisis compounds the reputational threat posed by the current crisis. A

previous history of crisis will lead people to assign greater blame (responsibility) to the

organization” (Holladay, 2010, as cited in Coombs & Holladay, 2010, p.167).

For the recommendation, the fabricated airline would encounter the crisis as a first offense.

Today, airlines need to be creative to win over the business of the public. Within the

Airline Industry, they need to be creative on how to attract new customers. Haewoon Yang

(2007) in Airlines’ Futures mentioned, “…airlines have to strive even more to provide customers

with the best quality of service because customers now have more access to a lot more

information” (p.309). Airlines should want to provide the best service because customers can

easily switch to another airline that may provide their needs and wants with additional benefits,

for example, JetBlue offers DirecTV and Virgin America offers free branded snacks. As an

industry, airlines need to be proactive with what customers may need and want to continue being

in service.


When it comes to constructing a crisis communication plan, keeping in mind that the

airline industry (at times) can be volatile, the plan needs to be flexible to adjust to any

environment (Cornelissen & Thorpe, 2001, p.420). As long as there is proactive open

communication from the start, an organization would most likely recover from the crisis and

their reputation would remain intact.

The crisis response phase is the most researched facet of crisis communication.

Therefore, proving why communication professionals place so much attention to the external

versus the internal. As mentioned in JetBlue, external communication, such as the media, is what

supplied the public with information to view the crisis.

Based off 12 steps to safeguarding and recovering reputation by Leslie Gaines-Ross

(2008), she suggested that 12 steps should take place to repair and recover from a crisis. They

are: the CEO should accept responsibility, provide information (to the public), heed your critics,

develop a sense of urgency, start asking questions (to avoid future mistakes), do a survey (for

improvement in reputation), make culture change positive, objectively assess the need for

change, work with the media, follow a clear communication plan, work everyday to rebuild a

damaged reputation, and don’t repeat past mistakes. These steps help organizations fix their

damaged image.

That being said, the suggested external short-term recommendations for when the

corporate communication professional views negative footage from the airplane and CNN is

asking for a comment, in a reactive sense, are to:

1. Apologize Immediately


a.The corporate communication professional (CCP) of AAA should take full

responsibility of the delays and why they have occurred. In addition, the CCP should

schedule the interview with the CEO later that same day. By scheduling a time to talk

instead of being impulsive, the CCP is buying time to analyze the scenario, refer to a

pre-made plan and adjust it to the current scenario, and prepare the CEO for media

interviews. Furthermore, one main rule for the CEO is to never say “no comment.”

That term will always come off as if the company is trying to hide something and in

times of crisis being transparent is the best approach.

To repair the reputation of an organization, most likely the quickest way to mend a

situation is to issue an apology. Horsley and Barker (2002) agreed, “If a company is at fault, its

spokespersons repair the company’s reputation much faster if they apologize, accept

responsibility, and show remorse”(p.409). The spokesperson could consist of a CCP, a

designated crisis communication professional, or the CEO. However, displaying the CEO as the

spokesperson is not always ideal. An organization must be flexible with their crisis

communication plan to maintain good public relations. In addition, the designated spokesperson

should always communicate openly in times of crisis to help reduce public uncertainty.

2. Never Stop Communicating

a.A press release should be released and a press conference should be held the same night

of the crisis. The CEO, as the representative, should address the video and mention a

full apology to the airline’s constituents. Moreover, the CEO of AAA needs to appear

fully sincere. If not, AAA will have no sympathy from the public. While meeting with

the media within the first 24 hours of the crisis, the interactions with the media needs to


be concise, consistent, and effective. Therefore, by communicating continuously, their

constituents are always “aware” and will not be uncertain on what the company is

doing.

In terms of communicating to the public, effective media relations can positively

influence press coverage. Organizations can frame the crisis to change the perceptions of the

public and stakeholders while protecting the organization’s reputation. As a result, appearances

in the media by the CEO or a spokesperson are important because it will demonstrate the level of

concern the organization has about the crisis. In BP’s PR Lessons by Thomas J. Roach (2010), he

said that public relations professionals should “develop crisis communication plans that call for

preparing executives and other spokespersons to act and speak appropriately if a crisis puts them

into contact with the news media and the public”(p.19). Therefore, media training is an important

aspect of crisis communications because if the spokesperson is not trained to speak to the media,

their responses can adversely affect the reputation of their organization. The spokesperson that

speaks on behalf of the organization should be calm, collective, and trustworthy, so that the

public will believe and trust what they are saying.

In addition, the spokesperson should not always be the CEO. If the CEO does not

accomplish his/her job, there is no one else to resort to but to let go of the current CEO and

replace him or her, in hopes that it will be the catalyst in repairing the organization’s reputation.

Instead, an organization should have a person specifically for public speaking in handling a

crisis. When that is not enough, then the CEO can step in to take control of the situation. As a

result, having multiple plans will enable an organization to succeed in times of crises.


Preparing for a crisis before it occurs can preserve the reputation of a corporation. Crisis

communication practitioner’s main goal is to protect the reputation of an organization. However,

in this fabricated airline scenario, the public wants the CEO instead. If the CEO does not appear

in the media, they could write it off as the CEO does not care or is not taking responsibility of

the decisions being made.

3. Be Prepared For the Media Storm

a.The negative press that may arise and most likely would spread in the Internet cannot

be taken lightly. Each critic has the potential to influence other people. Therefore,

spreading a negative view on the airline would have an impact on reputation and

ultimately hurt the bottom line.

The CCP has to be quick, accurate, and consistent with messages, especially on the

Internet where millions of people can be reached within a second. Coombs (2010) agreed,

“The Internet has only increased the need for speed. A failure to respond lets others provide

the information that will frame how the crisis will be perceived by stakeholders” (as cited in

Coombs and Holladay, 2010, p. 28). Therefore, acknowledging all forms of press and

responding in a timely manner is crucial.

4. Discover the Root of it All

a.Just like JetBlue, AAA should cancel all the flights to gain control of the crisis. Then,

they could concentrate on responding effectively to the media. Due to the delays and

airplanes being stuck on the tarmac, which led the passenger to argue with the flight

attendant. AAA should do everything in their power to not have planes waiting so long

to depart. As a result, to address the frustrated passengers, AAA airplanes needs to


restart to the origin of what caused the delays. Whether it was IT issues,

miscommunication between departments, or over booking, the airline should start over

to gain control of the crisis. If not, the crisis can continue to unfold into something far

worse.

5. Respect All Types of Journalists and Call Your Contacts

a.This is the time to call in media contacts that may not cover the crisis in such a negative

light. Horsley and Barker (2002) stated, “Ignoring public relations opportunities can

haunt organizations when they really need the support of the media and the public”

(p.408). Public relation opportunities are always present, even in times of crises. It is

the job of the CCP to find those opportunities and use them to their advantage. In

addition, never ignore media. In other words, bloggers and lesser-known journalists

should not be dismissed because, again, they are influencers as well. By contacting

well-established journalists, the CCP is increasing the chance of a favorable coverage,

or at least an unbiased one.

Being proactive during the first few hours of a crisis allows an organization to show

ownership of the situation. It is important for an organization to have a good relationship with

the media because that relationship will benefit both parties in times of crises. In Open Door

Public Relations: A New Strategy for the 1990’s, James Hoggan (1991) agreed that an

organization should not only include the media when a crisis occurs, but rather establish a

relationship in advance that can help in the event of a crisis (p.22). Therefore, establishing a

relationship with the media during pre-crisis will benefit the organization in the event a crisis

occurs. In addition, they should establish a relationship with the media because organizations do

Corporate Communication Recommendation 17 not want outsiders to speak on their behalf. When organizations do not establish a relationship

with the media, journalists would most likely take the main reports from the organization.

Journalists will still interview the general public for their opinion, but their opinions would not

be taken as the primary story. Therefore, respecting and recognizing public relation opportunities

are some of the best steps a CCP can make before, during, and after a crisis have occurred. In

Are They Practicing What We Are Preaching? An Investigation of Crisis Communication

Strategies in the Media Coverage of Chemical Accidents, Sherry J. Holladay (2007) stated that

frustrated journalists who are unable to interview management as a primary source are likely to

turn to other sources like employees or victims of a crisis (p.8). Their messages may conflict

with the organization’s message, which only heightens the severity of the crisis. As a result,

those stories will send mixed messages, and in a time of crisis, consistency in the organization's

message is imperative. Spokespersons of the organization need to provide consistent information

in an accurate and timely manner to reduce damage to the organization’s reputation.

Long-term, AAA should analyze what exactly went wrong and right throughout the crisis

and correct any mistakes that may have been made. In addition, they should work everyday to

restore their reputation. Restoring a company’s reputation is an ongoing process that takes time

and awareness. Like JetBlue, they should compensate passengers when they are held on the

tarmac for hours. Maresh and Williams (2010) noted, “Compensation is a way for an

organization to accept blame for the crisis but make a reimbursement to those who were affected,

either supply wise or monetarily”(as cited in Coombs & Holladay, 2010, p.287). When a

company puts money upfront for their mistakes, they are taking responsibility for their actions

and sustaining credibility. Also, the CEO should (just like JetBlue) communicate through all

Corporate Communication Recommendation 18 forms of media, such as, to the stakeholders through television, email, social media, (Twitter,

Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr) and place a formal statement in the newspaper. In

the end, the point is to send out the apology and any future messages from the company through

every medium as possible. Following this recommendation may appear as over-kill, but certain

stakeholders check certain media. Therefore, they need to be reached in every way possible.

A crisis management plan should be in place to combat the crisis in a smooth and timely

manner. All the messages released during times of a crisis should be positive and consistent with

the organization’s goals. Horsley and Barker (2002) provided, “Many companies have not

prepared crisis management plans and even fewer have given thought to the communication

components of those plans” (p.407). Unfortunately, most organizations do not have a crisis

management plan in place. When an organization creates a plan, combating crises should be

more feasible to control compared to not having a plan at all. Ultimately, the CEO is responsible

for the organization’s reputation. When the reputation falters, the CEO’s career and organization

will be at stake.

Internal Communication

A crisis can reveal where in the organization is the weakest. Through the resolution of the

crisis, the company can use the opportunity to change their image and repair their weak points or

allow the crisis to ruin their reputation. For internal communication, it is about creating an

informational balance externally as well as internally. According to Cees Van Woerkum (2003)

in Orality and External Communication, he noted, “A striking aspect of communication

management in our times is the stress on two-sided communication” (p.105). Internal

stakeholders need to be informed about crises. When they know what is going on, that will aid

Corporate Communication Recommendation 19 productivity, compared to working around the clock but not knowing the cause or outcome. In

Internal Communication— Essential Component of Crisis Communication by George David

(2011), he researched,

“…the lack of accurate, adequate, timely and fluent information during a crisis

dramatically affects the trust people have in their own organization, thus endangering the

commitment they should show in cooperating to crisis resolution” (p.72).

The lack of information could prompt employees to discuss the crisis with incorrect information,

thus, creating rumors. Therefore, employees need to feel as if they are a part of the solution.

The main point of internal communication is to preserve the trust and

loyalty of its own members. Moreover, if managed correctly, the organization

may exit the crisis with a better reputation than they had before. By instilling

values within the company, employees are most likely to internalize and

project those values. Service brands such as airlines rely on the employees

to deliver those values to the passengers. Therefore, engaging employees

within internal communication, employees will project those values to the

external constituents. In The Role of Internal Communication and Training in Infusing

Corporate Values and Delivering Brand Promise: Singapore Airlines’ Experience by Mark

Chong (2007), he found, “Companies that attach higher importance to internal communication

(such as setting up a separate internal communication department) are known to have higher

levels of employee engagement” (p.203). Internal communication needs to be a two-way

Corporate Communication Recommendation 20 engagement. Not like before, when information could simply trickle down from the C-suite and

everyone will receive the message. Now the Sender, Message, Receiver model has changed into

an interaction of ideas. The sending of information is now a dialogue and no longer a

monologue.

Outside theory, internal communication does not have priority over external

communication because an organization is usually bombarded first with the media and the

opinions of the external stakeholders. However, internally, an organization can use their crisis

communication plan as a predictor of how the company will manage the crisis. Downing (2004)

highlighted the importance of internal communication, which should have priority over external

factors because before any productive motions can occur, employee morale must be established

(p.40). That is the reason why internal factors come into the forefront of every crisis.

Communicating with employees within a crisis can be the lifeline for the organization, especially

in the airline industry where employees are the point of contact between the company’s internal

and external environments.

For AAA, the fabricated airline, the internal communication recommendations for short-

term are based off David’s (2011) Checklist. He suggested that, internally, an organization

should be compassionate when informing members on the crisis, update all communications with

current details, and establish a main person of contact for all inquiries. The suggested

recommendations, internally, for the fabricated scenario are:

1. Brief Employees ASAP

a. The messages that the media will receive should be the same messages that the

employees receive. Consistency of the information is crucial because the


information that is received internally does not guarantee that it will remain

internal. In addition, the initial briefing would best be face-to-face because it

will establish credibility and care for the employees. Again, making them feel

included in the resolutions.

2. All Calls Should Be Directed to the Spokesperson (most likely more than one, not including

the CEO)

a. Again, during a crisis, this is done to reduce rumors and inconsistent messages.

At the same time, the employees cannot show that they are being forced to keep

quiet, but that they also want to help the media by directing them to the correct

spokesperson. In addition, employees need to be trained on how to handle the

media during stressful times. This will enable the communication team to be

able to focus on more dire events, and the rest of the organization can work on

directing calls and go about their normal business.

3. All Forms of Communications Must Be Updated With Current Information

a. By relaying constant updates on the crisis, especially before the media receives

them, the employees will always be aware and feel included in the resolution of

the crisis.

In addition, besides having an Intranet site, employees should receive emails, newsletters,

and have a 24-hour toll-free phone line available to call for whenever they have a question or

concern. Generally, the same amenities that external stakeholders have access to during a crisis,

employees should have an equivalent or better as well. The internal stakeholders should have the

same access or more because they work for the company. In the example of the Valentines Day

Corporate Communication Recommendation 22 Massacre, JetBlue had employees displaced in different parts of the United States without a way

to fly back, the Intranet site should have offered a list of names, phone numbers and addresses so

that employees have another point-of-contact when they needed help. AAA airline should have a

directory accessible anywhere in times of crises. In the long-term, internally, if the airline has not

established a toll-free line for their constituents, then that is something to look into. Also, all

employees should be briefed on how to handle frustrated passengers. Most likely, if the

passenger were adequately supplied with the information they needed from the crew, then it

would be highly unlikely for an argument to occur if the passenger was supplied with adequate

information. Therefore, an airline passenger would have not filmed a stranger’s argument on

their smart phone while being held on the tarmac. Conclusively, the interaction had to be

eventful to be posted on the Internet and have a major news network, such as CNN, follow up

with the story. The employees who helped with the resolution of the crisis should be recognized

and appreciated for the work that they have done. By doing so, it is increasing employee moral,

loyalty, and employees will feel valued amongst the organization.

Conclusion

Organizations in times of crisis, such as an airline, need to be proactive, consistent,

transparent, and apologetic. Externally and internally, there has to be a team, a plan, and a

spokesperson to represent and communicate with the group. Both sides of crisis communication

are important and should be weighed equally. Like the roots of crisis communication, in

emergency and disaster management, they look into how the disaster occurred and how to

prevent it. In the end, airlines are in a high-risk industry due to the volatility of the weather and

other externalities. There is a lot an airline cannot control; therefore, good judgments of

Corporate Communication Recommendation 23 employees (i.e. canceling flights, delaying planes etc.) are crucial because it will directly hurt the

bottom line. As the CCP, the most important thing to remember is to learn from the company’s

mistakes and others’ within their industry and always have friends in the media. By doing so,

these proactive actions will go a long way in times of need.


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Documents

Corporate Communication Recommendation