Deck 12: Issues Management and Crisis Communication

Question 1

Which term describes the process of issues management?

A)reactive
B)anticipatory
C)circular
D)defensive

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which statement explains the Samsung Note 7 issue?

A)The issue resulted from unethical management practices.
B)The issue shifted from a corporate crisis to a product crisis.
C)The issue was initially identified by government regulators.
D)The issue shifted from a product crisis to a corporate crisis.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A company can prevent an issue from harming company's reputation by addressing the problem during which stage of the issue life cycle?

A)potential stage
B)current stage
C)dormant stage
D)crisis stage

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to Mike Paul,who is known as the Reputation Doctor,what is necessary to succeed in the area of crisis communications?

A)strong moral foundation
B)organizational experience
C)political awareness
D)collaborative spirit

Question 5

Which of the following describes issues management?

A)preparing for problems in advance
B)analyzing historical trends
C)monitoring customer needs and wants
D)reacting to unexpected situations

Question 6

Which of the following was part of Samsung's reputation building efforts?

A)relying on earned rather than owned messaging
B)holding a company-wide day for volunteering
C)forming partnerships to reduce technology costs
D)making a charitable donation for every device sold

Question 7

An organizational crisis is typically attributable to which of the following?

A)poor product designs
B)management failures
C)external forces
D)natural disasters

Question 8

The Wells Fargo cross-selling issue stemmed from which of the following?

A)poor customer service
B)reliance on earned media
C)inability to access capital
D)ineffective management oversight

Question 9

During which stage of the issue life cycle will a firm experience the most media coverage?

A)potential stage
B)current stage
C)emerging stage
D)crisis stage

Question 10

In most cases,what is the primary goal of issues management?

A)measuring digital media velocity
B)responding to customer concerns
C)protecting a company's reputation
D)avoiding extensive corporate litigation

Question 11

According to both Lukaszewski and Dexenhal,the media typically focus on which element of a crisis?

A)results
B)goals
C)victims
D)events

Question 12

In the issue life cycle,when does the triggering event occur?

A)at the beginning of the emerging stage
B)at the end of the current stage
C)at the beginning of the crisis stage
D)at the end of the dormant stage

Question 13

Which term is used by Coombs to reference a sudden,large-scale event that seriously disrupts routines of systems and poses a danger to values and social goals?

A)crisis
B)disaster
C)problem
D)issue

Question 14

According to the text,Wells Fargo focused on which of the following in the dormant stage of the issue life cycle?

A)closing some of its branches
B)encouraging media coverage
C)repairing its damaged image
D)anticipating customer reactions

Question 15

Which of the following would likely have prevented the Samsung Note 7 issue?

A)addressing the needs of key stakeholders
B)releasing a newer model more quickly
C)improving quality control during manufacturing
D)engaging in CSR activities on a regular basis

Question 16

Which of the following would be categorized as an organizational crisis?

A)short-term financial loss
B)individual workplace injury
C)ineffective PR campaign
D)nationwide product recall

Question 17

Research suggests which of the following about product crises?

A)Most product crises develop into long-term litigation crises.
B)A successful follow-up product will reduce the crisis impact.
C)A product crisis is best managed through earned media.
D)Most companies are unable to recover from product crises.

Question 18

When the cars manufactured by an automaker have faulty airbags and the cars must be recalled,which of the following situations is illustrated?

A)disaster
B)product crisis
C)problem
D)litigation crisis

Question 19

Which term refers to a situation that threatens a company and its stakeholders,seriously impacts performance,and generates negative outcomes?

A)organizational crisis
B)product crisis
C)disaster
D)problem

Question 20

Which of the following involves monitoring and responding to situations as they are identified,before they erupt?

A)measuring outcomes
B)being proactive
C)deflecting issues
D)being reactive

Question 21

The crisis phase typically begins with which of the following?

A)a trend that emerges on social media
B)an event that disrupts normal operations
C)a lawsuit filed against an organization
D)a misunderstanding with stakeholders

Question 22

Which of the following would most likely lead to a litigation crisis?

A)a company lacking financial transparency
B)customers being injured by products
C)customers receiving poor service
D)a company failing to deliver products

Question 23

The PR team at SRA Enterprises wants to develop a crisis communications plan.The team has scheduled a meeting with a representative group of SRA employees including security personnel,sales representatives,HR managers,IT specialists,and senior managers.What should occur at this initial meeting?

A)brainstorming potential crises that could impact SRA
B)establishing media monitoring and notification systems
C)creating a list of key SRA audiences and stakeholders
D)developing stand-by statements and press releases

Question 24

Which of the following describes the primary goal for a company in the precrisis phase of crisis communications?

A)searching for emerging trends
B)identifying potential crises
C)selecting key spokespeople
D)designating a crisis response team

Question 25

According to Benoit's theory,which of the following is a strategy used to evade responsibility?

A)denying any connection to a crisis
B)claiming that intentions were good
C)asserting that the crisis is a minor one
D)making restitution to any victims

Question 26

Which of the following would have helped BP America manage the PR aspect of the Deepwater Horizon crisis better?

A)correcting inaccuracies in the media
B)using Facebook to answer questions
C)posting accurate information on Twitter
D)having a stronger social media presence

Question 27

Which of the following reduces the likelihood that a company will experience a crisis?

A)encouraging two-way communication
B)providing employees with crisis training
C)engaging in issues management
D)clarifying core values and policies

Question 28

In Benoit's theory,which of the following occurs in the denial category?

A)asserting that the event was accidental
B)claiming the accuser lacks credibility
C)shifting the blame to another party
D)acting unknowledgeable about the event

Question 29

What are the stages of Coombs' crisis communication model?

A)signal detection -> damage containment -> recovery
B)prodromal -> acute -> chronic -> resolution
C)potential crisis -> current crisis -> crisis dormancy
D)precrisis -> crisis impact -> crisis recovery

Question 30

Benoit's theory is used for which purpose?

A)clarifying the benefit of issues management
B)providing steps to handle a corporate crisis
C)assessing the benefit of PR in a crisis
D)analyzing crisis communications activities

Question 31

What should be the focus during the crisis impact stage of crisis communications?

A)returning to normal business operations
B)altering the reputation of the organization
C)developing new stand-by statements
D)supporting people affected by a crisis

Question 32

Which term is used by Benoit to describe a company that admits guilt and apologizes for a problem?

A)compensation
B)mortification
C)differentiation
D)minimization

Question 33

Which of the following occurs in a postcrisis review session?

A)developing additional stand-by crisis plans
B)determining the best crisis spokesperson
C)planning a CSR activity for positive PR
D)assessing the crisis plan's effectiveness

Question 34

Which of the following enabled Taco Bell to avoid a PR disaster?

A)being transparent and aggressive
B)settling the customer lawsuit quickly
C)developing a newer,better product
D)making changes to a poor product

Question 35

Why did Wells Fargo launch an initiative in 2017 with Habitat for Humanity?

A)to meet stakeholder demands
B)to address social media complaints
C)to improve its corporate reputation
D)to widen its organizational influence

Question 36

According to a 2015 Pew Research study,which statement about social media usage is true?

A)Urban dwellers use social media more than rural residents.
B)Women use social media significantly more than men.
C)Whites use social media significantly more than Hispanics.
D)High and low income earners use social media equally.

Question 37

Which of the following is driven by the threat of a lawsuit?

A)product crisis
B)issues management
C)litigation crisis
D)disaster

Question 38

Based on Benoit's theory,a firm that uses puffery to build its image is attempting to do which of the following?

A)reduce the offensive act
B)evade responsibility
C)deny any responsibility
D)reduce the accuser's credibility

Question 39

Which of the following occurs in the precrisis stage of crisis communications?

A)categorizing customers and publics
B)developing response plans and protocols
C)responding to stakeholder concerns
D)expanding social responsibility efforts

Question 40

In relation to issues management and crisis communications,what is a positive aspect of social media?

A)A company can control the information that is circulated on social media.
B)When monitored actively,social media offers an early warning of a crisis.
C)With only a few major social media sites,a company can streamline messaging.
D)Designated company gatekeepers can verify social media posts and block trolls.

Question 41

Tracking emerging trends is a key step in the issue management process.

Question 42

In the crisis impact stage of Coombs' crisis communication model,a firm focuses on returning to business and repairing any damage to the company reputation.

Question 43

Based on information in the text,what did both Samsung and Wells Fargo do during the crisis recovery stage?

A)added social media gatekeepers to their PR teams
B)improved their customer service response times
C)expanded their social responsibility efforts
D)developed better replacement products

Question 44

Benoit's theory serves as a list of steps that companies should follow when addressing a crisis.

Question 45

Stanton Farms,a California-based company,grows strawberries and blackberries year round and delivers them to grocery stores across the country.A blizzard on the East Coast delays shipments to stores in New York and Massachusetts leading to a berry shortage.Which term describes this situation?

A)controversy
B)disaster
C)crisis
D)problem

Question 46

Differentiating between a problem and a crisis is a challenge in both issues management and crisis communications.

Question 47

Mike Paul,the Reputation Doctor,recommends which of the following tools for success in crisis communications?

A)emotional intelligence
B)organizational skills
C)theoretical knowledge
D)creativity

Question 48

Conway Computers tracks requests for warranty repairs and notices a significant increase in the number of keyboard problems on one of its laptop models.A Conway Computers team is formed to study the matter,determine if there is a keyboard defect,and recommend corrective action before a product recall is necessary.Which term best describes the actions of Conway Computers?

A)litigation risk management
B)crisis communications
C)business planning
D)issues management

Question 49

In the Samsung Note 7 situation,a minor corporate crisis transitioned into a major litigation and product crisis.

Question 50

Effective issues management relies significantly on which of the following?

A)forming a crisis response team
B)tracking emerging trends
C)managing corporate risk
D)taking corrective actions

Question 51

A passenger on North Airways was forcibly removed from an airplane by police officers.Soon afterwards,videos of the incident appeared on Facebook and YouTube,images appeared on Instagram,and hashtags showed up on Twitter.Given this information,the North Airways incident possesses which digital factor?

A)variety
B)volume
C)velocity
D)veracity

Question 52

In the precrisis stage of Coombs' crisis communication model,organizations try to eliminate or reduce the risk of a crisis by forming crisis response teams and monitoring social media.

Question 53

By engaging in issues management and preparing a litigation response protocol in advance,Taco Bell avoided permanent damage to its reputation when faced with the "seasoned beef" lawsuit.

Question 54

Research indicates that social networking has increased in the past decade and that men and women use social media at similar rates.

Question 55

Which digital factor is determined by measuring the number of media mentions or social media posts?

A)variety
B)volume
C)velocity
D)veracity

Question 56

Which of the following actions by a communications team is most useful during a crisis?

A)ignoring negative or satirical media content
B)focusing on data volume more than data variety
C)analyzing data for trends,patterns,and insights
D)relying mostly on conventional media approaches

Question 57

Company X is experiencing a major crisis,and its PR team is measuring the number of tweets per second about the situation.Which digital factor is being measured?

A)variety
B)volume
C)velocity
D)veracity

Question 58

Crises faced by firms today are fueled by the volume,velocity,and variety of digital information.

Question 59

A Super Taco customer becomes ill after eating a burrito tainted with e-coli.Super Taco pays the customer's medical bills and gives the customer $500 in food vouchers.Based on Benoit's typology,what is Super Taco trying to accomplish?

A)reduce the offensive act
B)evade responsibility
C)deny any responsibility
D)reduce the accuser's credibility

Question 60

Issues management is reactive,while crisis communication is proactive.

Question 61

In relation to an organization's issues management and crisis communication activities,what are the positive and negative aspects of social media? Illustrate your response with an example of an organization that has been either helped or harmed by social media during a crisis.

Question 62

Define issues management.

Question 63

Differentiate between a product crisis and a litigation crisis.Provide an example of each.

Question 64

Describe Benoit's image restoration theory.How can the theory be applied by PR professionals? Provide examples of corporate actions or messages for each category in the theory.

Question 65

Summarize the Taco Bell "seasoned beef" crisis.How did the company use both issues management and crisis communication to avoid a PR disaster?

Question 66

According to experts,what should be the focus for a company in the recovery stage of a crisis?

Question 67

Describe each stage of Coombs' three-stage model of crisis communications.What is the focus of each stage? Which stage do you think is most important? Why?

Question 68

When would an organization or government entity be blamed for the results of a natural disaster? Illustrate your answer with a brief real-life example of such a situation.

Question 69

How does a firm engage in issues management? What is the benefit of issues management?

Question 70

In a brief essay,contrast the handling of the Wells Fargo cross-selling issue and the Hertz corporate relocation issue.Your response should address the stages of the issue life cycle.