CRISIS
(Seri Management
Crisis)
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D
(Materi ini saya tulis juga di buku PR & Crisis
Management, 2012, Prenada Jakarta)
• Every organization is likely to experience crisis
• Crisis generally threat: the reputation & other organization
resources
• Crisis is starting point: good reputation or bad reputation
• For PR: this is the best challenge and PR can be called “The
truly PR” based on how PR deals with the crisis
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D Lecturer of Public Relations, School
of Communication, University of
Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
WHY IMPORTANT TO STUDY
CRISIS....???
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* Operational viability
* Reputation
* Credibility
* Financial stability
* Legal action
*
Devlin (2007, h.5):
“an unstable time for an organization, with a
distinct possibility for an undesirable
outcome”
 Borodzics (2005): crisis is more than
emergency situation.
 Duke & Masland (2002) & Kouzmin (2008):
 Crisis as situation that causes physical &
nonphysical damages & disrupts
organization system & the environment as a
whole, especially for the victims.

Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public Relations, School of
Communication, University of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
4
Seeger, Sellow & Ulmer (1998), cited in Smudde (2001,
h.34):
“a specific, unexpected, and non-routine event or series of
events that create high levels of uncertainty and threaten or
are perceived to threaten an organization’s high-priority
goals”.
 Burnet (in G. Harrison, 2005, h.7):
“composed of a continuum, beginning with an incident,
followed by a conflict, and ending with a crisis, the most
serious form of disruption”.

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G. Harrison (2005, h.11) :
“a crisis is a critical period following an
event that might negatively affect an
organization in which decisions have to be
made that will affect the bottom line of an
organization. It is a time of exploration
requiring rapid processing of information
and decisive action to attempt to minimize
harm to the organization and to make the
most of a potentially damaging situation”.

Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public Relations, School of
Communication, University of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
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Specific event
The cause of crisis can be identified.
Organization can experience more than one
crisis, such as employees demonstration &
product tamper.
Unexpected & happen any time
Tends to threat organization life & cause
damage.
As a part of organization process.
Unpredictable time / Low probability
Although we acknowledge that crisis may
happen, but nobody knows the exact time
when it comes (Coombs, 2007, h.136).
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public Relations, School of
Communication, University of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
7
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D Lecturer of Public Relations, School
of Communication, University of
Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
• Crisis produces information uncertainty.
- Rumours spread out at the beginning.
- Public relations must actively provide communication channel to
disseminate truth and open information (crisis communication).
• Causing panic
- As a result of uncertainty situation.
- Differential perceptions
• High impact on organization activities.
- Negative impact: profit decrease, public trust loss, media scrutiny,
public & regulator investigation, unproductive changes.
- Positive impact: new hero, new strategy, new regulation, better
changes (it depends on post crisis communication.
• Potential for conflicts
- External & internal
- Pro & contra
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Common features of a crisis:
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The situation materialises unexpectedly
Decisions are required urgently
Time is short
Specific threats are identified
Urgent demands for information are received
There is sense of loss of control
Pressures build over time
Routine business become increasingly difficult
Demands are made to identify someone to blame
Outsiders take an unaccustomed interest
Reputation suffers
Communications are increasingly difficult to manage
G. Harrison (2005) & White & Mazur
(1995):
a. Internal sources: human, managemen,
& technology
b. External: goverment regulation, natural
disaster, malevolent.

Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public Relations, School of
Communication, University of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
10
Types of sources
• Technological crisis
- Technology misconduct during organization
activities (Chernobyl, Lumpur Lapindo, Bhopal,
Exxon Valdez, Korean rocket).
• Confrontation crisis
- Bad relations between organization & public.
- Crisis happens when the public express its
anger (publik outrage)
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of
Public Relations, School of Communication,
University of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
11
malevolence
- someone/group wants to harm
organization: sabotage, terorism.
 Management crisis
- Management fails to do its resposibility:
corruption, loss of valas, change of board
of directors, take over (aquitition).
 Natural disaster crisis
 Product crisis
- Product tamper
- misproduction

Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public Relations, School of
Communication, University of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
12
CRISIS STAGES
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of
Public Relations, School of
Communication, University of Brawijaya,
Malang-Indonesia
Coombs (2010); Devlin (2007); Smudde (2001):
 Pra-krisis (pre-crisis)
- Serious situation starts & the organization
begins to aware.
- If it is ignored, it will cause the crisis worse.
Example: Union carbide Bhopal. Some staff had
anticipated gas leaking without inform
management in Bhopal. 2000 people dead.
- Issue management is crucial, as a part of crisis
plan.
- Media begins to sniff at something trouble,
then investigate it.
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Krisis (acute crisis)
- The situation can’t be managed by
organization so the situation spread out
the organization widely.
- This stage = critical stages of the issue life
cycle.
- No crisis without public outrage.
- Bad example: biscuit poisonous or
employees strike.
- Good example: Sukhoi Russia

Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public Relations, School of
Communication, University of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
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• Pascakrisis (post-crisis)
- Crisis has been accummulated
- Organization tries to maintain reputation or
lose it.
- Recovery stage: detemine success or failure
- Self-Reflexion diri agar situasi yang sama tidak
terulang.
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public Relations,
School of Communication, University of Brawijaya,
Malang-Indonesia
15

Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D
Rachmat Kriyantono, Ph.D -Lecturer of Public
Relations, School of Communication, University
of Brawijaya, Malang-Indonesia
16
References:
- Kriyantono, R.
(2012). PR & Crisis
Management.
Jakarta: Prenada
- Regester & Larkin
(2008). Risk & Issue
Management.