In the fall of 2021 Swedish news media reported a maternity care crisis in Region Stockholm. Midwives resigned in protest against deficient working conditions and Region Stockholm appointed a special coordinator to solve the situation. The study aims to examine how Region Stockholm communicatively and strategically addresses problems in maternity care during the so-called maternity care crisis in 2021 and 2022. The questions used to fulfill the purpose of the study are: What events caused the communicative measures? What is the narrative of the communication, and does it differ from medias descriptions of the situation? Which actors are given room to speak and who is attributed responsibility? What rhetorical expressions are used? To answer these questions, previous research and theories regarding crisis communication, crisis rhetoric and message strategies for crisis management are applied. The empirical material consists of eight texts and one video, all produced and published by Region Stockholm on their own website. The nine posts are examined using a qualitative text analysis method. Our results show that mass terminations, deficient working conditions and staff shortage was the most common cause of Region Stockholm’s communicative measures. The narrative of the material was mainly about Region Stockholm presenting measures for the situation within maternity care. However, we could determine a difference between Region Stockholm’s and the media’s descriptions about the situation. The most significant result shows that Region Stockholm does not mention the word crisis in their communication. The result also shows that Region Stockholm is the actor given most room in the communication, where the coordinator is the only person that gets room to express oneself. Logos is the most common rhetorical expression that is invoked by objectively informing about the measures taken and Region Stockholm appeals to ethos by their already existing position in the society and by emphasizing positive aspects of the organization. Finally, we were not able to establish that Region Stockholm attributes crisis responsibility to themselves since they refer to different external factors that can be understood as a cause for the situation.

During the last few years, Cancel culture became a significant part of the social mediaculture. The new phenomenon aims to call out people or companies that have acted in a wayt hat does not go with the values of the consumers, which leads to a canceling. Companies got canceled and had to adjust their crisis communication to the consumers in order to repair the companies image. The consumers in question are mainly Millennials and Generation Z who tend to be ethical consumers that focus on social injustice. This leads to bigger pressure on companies to act and adjust their crisis communication accordingly. The purpose of this study is to investigate what kind of crisis communication could be used during a canceling. A statement from two canceled companies, Oatly and Starbucks, will be examined based on their crisis strategies and rhetorical strategies. Both companies claim that their actions in areas, such as climate change and social injustice, are correct and they try to convince thee thical consumers that they can be trusted as an ethical company. The study revealed that both companies used established strategies in their crisis communication, which did differ from one another. Both companies claim that their actions in areas, such as climate change and social injustice, are correct and they try to convince the ethical consumers that they can be trusted as an ethical company. Oatly communicated in a transcendent way and stood firmly by their actions, whereas Starbucks promised to change their actions.

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Hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic presented a major crisis for the Olympic movement, both in Canada and around the world. The Pandemic led to an unprecedented postponement of the games and to widespread concern that the Tokyo Olympics could become a mega-spreader event. The purpose of the present study is to provide an empirical accounting of the Canadian experience prior to and during the Tokyo Games, specifically through a thematic analysis of content related to COVID-19 and the Olympic Games, as produced by major Canadian media sources and key Canadian sport organizations. Utilizing a communication centered view of crisis informed by Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and narrative management, the present study examined the crisis response of major Canadian sport organizations, most specifically the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) (Coombs, 2007; DiSanza et al., 2018; Gigliotti, 2020). A unique methodological approach was used in the present study, beginning with both database and grey literature search strategies to collect data from Canadian media sources and sport organizations. Sources included the CBC, the National Post, and the Globe and Mail as media sources, and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Own the Podium, and Sport Canada as major sport organizations. Researchers then followed a data analysis process utilizing a framework of thematic analysis from Braun and Clarke (2006), collaborative analysis following Richards and Hemphill (2018), and the use of software and visual narrative analysis based on the work of Hoeber et al. (2017). This methodology allowed the researchers to analyze a large sample of 930 documents published between March 11th, 2020 and August 22nd 2021. The results of the present study revealed a complex and changing narrative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. The decision by the COCC to withdraw from the Olympics in March 2020 was portrayed as a principled stand that influenced the IOC into postponing the Games to a year later. The COC continued to focus on promoting athletes in their public messaging and presented a strong, coherent narrative that appeared consistent with the values of key stakeholders and minimized the reputational threat posed to the organization. The IOC however received substantial negative media coverage, especially in the lead up to the Games in 2021. During the initial period of the Games themselves, media coverage focused on new COVID-19 cases and the effect of strict safety protocols. However, by August 2021 there appeared to have been a significant shift in the narrative, with the focus becoming stories and performances of Olympic athletes. The results of the present study emphasize the importance of effective narrative management in crisis communications, and the consistently of this approach with SCCT (Coombs, 2007; DiSanza et al., 2018). Furthermore, the effectiveness of the COC’s crisis response also reinforces a communication centered view of crisis, where the perceptions of stakeholders are viewed as a key element of defining organizational crisis management (Gigliotti, 2020). To minimize the reputational threat to their organizations, crisis managers should ensure that stakeholder perceptions remain central to their crisis communication decision making, and managers should also consider the importance of crafting a strong and coherent narrative.

The Volkswagen emissions scandal is one of the largest CSR crises in recent times given its scope and severity. From the outset, the manner in which Volkswagen has addressed the crisis and how it is going to be solved has been subject to public scrutiny. This study set out to examine the crisis communication in Volkswagen’s sustainability magazine Shift from 2016 featuring Volkswagen together with some of its internal and external stakeholders like the management and customers to find out what strategies were used by the company to repair its reputation and to assess the success of these strategies. Additionally, of interest was to compare the viewpoints of external stakeholders to that of Volkswagen, while also to investigate what kind of actors and opinions of the crisis that were presented. To answer these questions, a strategic selection of texts from the magazine were analysed through a qualitative text analysis. The theoretical perspectives consisted of the two crisis communication theories of image repair theory and situational crisis communication theory. The findings of the study indicate that the strategies used by Volkswagen to address the crisis do not seem very successful in general. Even if the most common strategy by Volkswagen is to discuss potential solutions to the crisis, these solutions are mainly oriented towards solving the crisis in a long-term perspective through a development of new vehicles. The biggest difference in comparison to external stakeholders is that they instead seem more concerned with solving the crisis in a shorter perspective through increased compensation to customers, for instance. Another finding is that a preference for more elitist stakeholders in the magazine could be due to a strategic choice by Volkswagen to avoid unfavourable reviews and use leaders as a tool for inspiring change. The main conclusion of the study is that work still needs to be done before Volkswagen can claim to have achieved a shift in the company’s sustainability communication. To do so, Volkswagen needs to take more responsibility for the crisis and to pay even more attention to the opinions of its different stakeholder groups.

Aim: The aim of this study is to understand what strategies are used over time by a company facing a transgressional CSR crisis, in order to regain legitimacy, and towards which stakeholder group these strategies are directed. Methods: In order to achieve our aim, Qualitative case study based on secondary data published by Volkswagen as well as news articles were used to identify what strategies the company used over time. Results: To be able to answer our aim, different theoretical lenses were used; SCCT response strategies, legitimization strategies, strategy formulation process and stakeholder theory. Therefore, four main different strategies were identified, minimize attribution, blind adaptation to strategy 2025, US differentiation and internal moral reasoning. The former two were addressed to all stakeholders while the latter two were concerned with specific stakeholder groups. Conclusions: Strategy formulation process during a transgressional CSR crisis is a complex procedure and literature on crisis management should move away from static frameworks towards a more dynamic understanding of how strategies can come to life. Coupled with the complexity of societal expectations in general, a company might have to adopt the paradoxical approach even for one stakeholder. Lastly, an addition to Situational Crisis Communication Theory is proposed.

Problem  Crisis management has never been as important as it is today. Considering that criticism is being spread in a fast pace through social media, the reputation of an organisation can quickly be damaged. Several organisations however lack internal knowledge about crisis management. The majority of the previous research about crisis management has been conducted from the organisations’ perspective. There is however relatively little research done from an external actor’s role in supporting an organisation in crisis. Purpose  This study aims to contribute in the crisis management and communication field by investigating how an external actor can support an organisation in crisis. Method  The study was conducted through a qualitative single case study of crisis management support provided to firms by one external actor, a PR-agency. Primary data for the case was collected from six semi-structured interviews. Conclusion  External actors are a suitable helping hand in crises because they possess experience and knowledge in media and crisis communication and can view the situation objectively. Crisis consultants support their clients by providing a response strategy that is built on being honest and open. Proactive and post work are not prioritised by clients but are highly important for crisis preparedness and building a strong reputation. Social media is a standard part of today’s crisis communication but is also a demanding channel that creates incentives for hiring external support.

In this study, a qualitative rhetorical analysis is done on U.S. president Donald Trump’s crisis communication on Hurricane Maria, which was an Atlantic hurricane that struck areas such as Puerto Rico and Dominica in the autumn of 2017. Given that the former is an unincorporated territory of the U.S., the need for effective relief measures by the Trump administration became of particular importance there. However, in the media, the actual response by the administration was widely criticised as being slow and inefficient by actors like the relief group Oxfam and the humanitarian organisation Refugees International. Therefore, this study critically evaluates Trump’s crisis communication strategies on the hurricane to assess their success. The material consists of statements by Trump in both traditional and social media through official remarks and tweets, which are analysed through the crisis communication theories of image repair theory and situational crisis communication theory. In doing so, of interest is also to examine whether any differences can be seen in the strategies used by Trump in these two kinds of media channels. To address the hurricane, the findings showed that Trump mainly used the crisis communication strategies of corrective action, bolstering, defeasibility and attack accuser from image repair theory and compensation, reminder, ingratiation, excuse and attack the accuser from situational crisis communication theory. Moreover, no distinctive differences were found in which strategies Trump used in the respective channels, even if the attacks on Twitter were often more aggressive. While both positive and negative evaluations could be made of how Trump used these strategies overall, the main conclusion of the study is that his crisis communication was largely ineffective due to the strategies sometimes being contradictory and inconsistent.

The BP Deepwater Horizon crisis in 2010 was one the largest catastrophes in the history of the oil industry. BP was sued over the disaster, and lost several billion dollars. This study examines the crisis response strategies and/or image repair strategies, which can be found in BP's press releases following the Deepwater Horizon crisis. In particular, the study looks closer at what established crisis communication strategies could be discerned in the material, and how they are used discursively. The theories used were the Image Repair Theory (IRT) and the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). The results show that BP utilized a number of different established crisis response strategies and/or image repair strategies in their crisis communication work in the press releases. These strategies were concern, corrective action, ingratiation, transcendence, differentiation, denial, shifting the blame/scapegoating, defeasibility, compassion and attacking the accuser. They were used discursively by the CEO by expressing sympathy, promising that a similar event will never happen again, by stating appreciation for and praising the leadership of the U.S. President and public sector. What is more, it is used by describing in detail how the solution process progresses, by stating what the causes of the crisis were, by describing other involved actors' lack of taking responsibility and by establishing a fraud hotline. The main conclusions of the study are that BP used several crisis strategies in their press release s, though rather inconsistently. Additionally, BP used the strategies in an ambiguous manner, and changed strategies over time. Lastly, one main conclusion is also that a company is prepared to utilize crisis communication strategies in their practical communications work, though not entirely in the way prescribed by the theories.

The case study ”Är det H&M eller luvtröjan?” intends to analyze the crisis communication that took place during H&Ms crisis in early 2018. The crisis situation stems from a controversial choice of letting a dark-skinned child wear the hoodie with the print “Coolest monkey in the jungle”. H&M was quickly criticized by the media for making racial remarks. To address the situation H&M published an official press release on their website and several public statements on their social media channels. With the main purpose of the case study being to analyze H&Ms official statements about the crisis situation, we intend to identify which strategies were applied to reduce eventual reputational damage to H&M. The case study focused on answering the different questions based on the crisis that occurred. The questions are “Which rhetorical appeals were used in the official statements published by H&M?”, “Which identifiable strategies from SCCT and IRT were used in the official statements published by H&M”, and “Which actions were implemented by H&M after the crisis situation, and what effect does that have on the brand?”. A rhetorical analysis was used to identify which rhetorical appeals including Ethos, Logos, and Pathos were used in the official statements by H&M, and furthermore, understand what the usage of certain appeals means to the crisis situation and its communicational part. The theories within crisis communication that were used are situational crisis communication theory and image restoration theory. These theories present strategies to use in cases of crisis. To answer the second question, the official statements were analyzed and categorized after which strategi they could identify as. The last question was not based on theories, and was answered by following research about H&Ms actions after the crisis. The results shows that H&M mostly used pathos to persuade the organization's stakeholders to show regret about the situation, and that pattern can be found in all the official statements that were analyzed. Furthermore, the theories that were most identified in the official statements were sympathy, regret, and apologetic, which overall shows regret from theorganization. To answer the last question about reputational damage. H&M has since the crisis followed by hiring a global head of diversity and inclusion, to prevent similar events from occurring.