Deck 12: Issues and Crises

Question 1

Some crises, such as natural disasters, are unavoidable, whereas other crises are not. One of the toughest jobs in public relations is being called on to help organizations navigate crises __________.

A) That come from hackers
B) That come from competitors
C) That are fabricated
D) They created themselves

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Public relations professionals must respond quickly and appropriately to challenges on social media to prevent issues from becoming __________.

A) An embarrassment
B) A point of no return
C) A situation
D) A crisis

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Missouri Professor Glen Cameron and his colleagues developed the theory that proposes that the best course of action in any situation depends on the specifics of the situation known as __________.

A) The emergency theory
B) The contingency theory
C) The predicament
D) The ground-zero theory

Answer 3

B

Question 4

__________ is an area of public relations that focuses on proactive monitoring and management to prevent crises from happening.

A) Issues management
B) Contention management
C) Deprecation management
D) Vilification management

Question 5

Jacob is the head engineer for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. As the conducting expert on a collision crash test, his team noted that the gas tank located in rear of the Chevy Vega sometimes exploded on impact, which was not previously known or expected. He alerted General Motors, who makes the Vega, of the problem. At this point, General Motors has a _____________.

A) Practical issue
B) Potential issue
C) Dormant issue
D) Current issue

Question 6

Diana is responsible for monitoring Nike's internal and external operating environments from a PR standpoint. However, a public relations crises emerged when news broke that their supply chain included child labor and sweatshops. This crisis could have been avoided by applying __________.

A) Responsible supply chain management
B) Authoritative management
C) Social media communication
D) Effective media censorship

Question 7

When investigating an active E. coli outbreak in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control released a report that linked 53 illnesses in nine states, with 47 people who said they had eaten at a Chipotle restaurant. Twenty people were hospitalized. Chipotle was then criticized by some for paying more attention to GMO (genetically modified organism) issues than the more immediate issue of restaurant food-safety procedures. A big part of the "management" in "issues management" is deciding which issues require resources and when. This tactic is known as ___________.

A) Identification
B) Analysis
C) Prioritization
D) Calculation

Question 8

Tim Coombs defines _____________ crisis as "a significant threat to organizational operations or reputations that can have negative consequences for stakeholders and/or the organization if not handled properly."

A) An original
B) An uncontrollable
C) An organizational
D) A consequential

Question 9

Janet is a PR specialist for the city of Mountain View, California. The Los Angeles Times reported that Mountain View was issuing fines to residents who used chemical weed and feed products on their lawns, which resulted in angry e-mails and calls. The story contained a factual error when it identified Mountain View instead of Mountain Home as the city issuing the fines to residents. Janet was dealing with what type of crisis?

A) Rumor crisis
B) Victim crisis
C) Accident crisis
D) Preventable crisis

Question 10

Exxon experienced an unforeseen oil rig malfunction in the Gulf of Mexico. A connection at the floor of the gulf ruptured, pouring millions of gallons of crude oil into the gulf waters and causing extensive damage to shorelines and wildlife. What type of crisis did Exxon face?

A) Corruption crisis
B) Victim crisis
C) Preventable crisis
D) Accident crisis

Question 11

Qatar Airlines suffered an airline crash. Investigators determined that an act of terrorism did not take place. They determined that a mechanical failure was the cause and was a result of improper maintenance by the ground crew or a skipped preflight inspection by the pilot. Publics would see the crisis as ________________.

A) An accident crisis
B) A preventable crisis
C) A victim crisis
D) A political crisis

Question 12

The Atlanta-area school systems received media attention for low scores on national standardized tests. They questioned the validity of the tests, claimed that the school system is under-resourced compared with that of other states, and focused on how hard teachers are working with so little compensation. This is an example of what crisis response strategy?

A) Diversion strategy
B) Strengthen strategy
C) Diminish strategy
D) Retrench strategy

Question 13

Wayne and his PR firm offered advice to Taka Incorporated about manufacturing defective airbag deployment systems for automobiles. He advised that they offer a genuine apology and a promise to make it right for their customers. This is an example of what crisis response strategy?

A) Rebuild strategy
B) Constructive strategy
C) Diversionary strategy
D) Double-apology strategy

Question 14

Reminding people of all the good things your organization has done in the past is one way to reinforce a relationship during or following a crisis. In PR, this is called __________.

A) Bolstering
B) Buttressing
C) Upholding
D) Recommending

Question 15

Bud Fox, a public relations officer for Blue Star Airlines, has learned from upper management that they are going to sell the company. He has family and friends who work at Blue Star. He is asked by the company to keep the information confidential so they will not lose their last major contract and set of work orders. In this obvious conflict-of-interest case, he follows a tenant of crisis management that states "tell it all and tell it fast." This strategy is known as __________.

A) Dropping the bomb
B) Out of whack
C) Stealing thunder
D) Walking on thin ice

Question 16

When Dave Carroll saw his $3,500 Taylor guitar being tossed around by baggage handlers at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, he spent nine months trying to reach an acceptable resolution with the airline. Carroll published a video on YouTube called "United Breaks Guitars" that earned more than 19 million views, and United coincidentally saw a $180 million drop in market valuation. This example illustrates _____________.

A) The importance of insuring baggage when flying
B) The fact that catchy YouTube videos perform better than talking heads
C) The holes in customer service at airports
D) The power of individuals to confront large powerful organizations on social media

Question 17

A famous photographer found out New York-based fashion powerhouse DKNY used one of his photos in a store without his permission. He raised the issue on Facebook and asked for restitution in the form of a charitable donation. DKNY admitted its mistake and donated to a local non-profit. This example shows that even __________ can be raised and settled on social media.

A) Artistic crises
B) Trademark violations
C) Legal issues
D) Accidents

Question 18

Employees at a local factory are going on strike to protest their wages. Paloma, a public relations manager for the factory, uses contingency theory to determine the best course of action. After evaluating all the internal and external factors in this strike, she advises the company to award the workers the higher wages they seek. According to contingency theory, this course of action can best be described as ___________.

A) Pure advocacy
B) Pure accommodation
C) Pure containment
D) Pure collaboration

Question 19

When an angry customer called Little Italy Restaurante in Anchorage, Alaska, to complain about a delivery driver, the owner chose a response strategy of "advocacy." What action best supports this response strategy?

A) Firing the employee
B) Punishing the employee
C) Firing the customer
D) Offering the customer a discount

Question 20

Public relations practitioners should use effective communication and issues management with all publics. The best public relations "crises" are ___________.

A) The ones that never happen
B) The ones where nobody loses a life
C) Hidden so publics do not know about them
D) Those affecting only one public

Question 21

In order to manage issues, public relations professionals must first _________.

A) Have a dominant coalition formed
B) Accommodate all public concerns
C) Be able to identify them
D) Wait until more people begin to notice them

Question 22

Gwendolyn received a call from a reporter wanting an official statement about the rising number of negative comments on Facebook about her company's product. Gwendolyn's company is likely in the ____________ stage of managing the issue.

A) Early/potential
B) Emerging
C) Current
D) Dormant

Question 23

In September 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency publicly accused Volkswagen of using "defeat devices" hidden in its diesel cars that manipulated the results of emissions tests. VW owners, car dealers, and employees all felt deceived by the company. This action has damaged relationships with so many key publics. Pressure builds as the impact of this issue on VW becomes clear in the ____________ stage.

A) Dormant
B) Emerging
C) Potential
D) Current/crisis

Question 24

In the life cycle of an issue, the stage when the organization has no choice but to accept the long-term consequences is known as the ___________ stage.

A) Paralyzed
B) Smoldering
C) Dormant
D) Sidelined

Question 25

Once issues have been identified and prioritized, they need to be _______ to determine how they might affect the organization and its publics. For example, Chipotle expected same-store sales would fall 8-11 % in the quarter following its E. coli outbreak. The company also had to anticipate impacts on publics such as customers, employees, and suppliers.

A) Analyzed
B) Appraised
C) Actualized
D) Archived

Question 26

Marissa is working with her company's leadership to plan a response to the rise in theft in their discount chain stores. Marissa and the executive team is considering the specific actions that should be taken as well as whom should take these actions, when, and with what resources. Marissa and the executive team are at the ____________ stage of managing the issue.

A) Emerging
B) Prioritizing
C) Monitoring
D) Strategic Planning

Question 27

In issues management, the underlying purpose of __________ is to prevent negative outcomes and encourage beneficial ones. For example, Patagonia engages in and communicates about a range of what it calls "due diligence activities" to ensure fair labor practices and environmental responsibility. Patagonia publishes and abides by a strict code of conduct for suppliers, participates in Social and Environmental Responsibility (SER) audits, and publishes a complete list of factories that make Patagonia products on its web site.

A) Communication
B) Implementation
C) Consulting
D) Social management

Question 28

According to a Cone Communications study of millennial employees (people born between the 1980s and mid 1990s), 76% said they would take a pay cut to __________. Gen Z (people born between the mid 1990s and early 2000s) will likely follow that lead, but likely with a greater focus on the diversity and inclusion practices of employers.

A) Have a flexible work schedule
B) Earn a promotion faster
C) Work for a socially responsible employer
D) Have long-term job security

Question 29

The battery in Samsung's new smartphone is reported to explode and cause serious personal injury and property damage. Addison is assigned the responsibility of repairing the damage to the brand and rebuilding Samsung's reputation to avoid a significant threat to the company's future. This is an example of the PR management of __________.

A) A communication crisis
B) An organizational crisis
C) A social media crisis
D) A share price crisis

Question 30

When people think that an organization ____________, its reputation suffers, and leads to more anger, less purchase intent, and greater likelihood of negative word of mouth about the organization. Crisis management deals with how to repair damage and rebuild reputation.

A) Is a victim of malevolence
B) Is responsible for a crisis
C) Is surprised by an accident
D) Is targeted by outsiders

Question 31

__________ are a type of victim crises. For example, New York City did not ban hot dogs in an effort to combat climate change, and U.S. Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar did not praise the destruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in a 2019 fire. Snopes.com did, however, confirm that Kim Kardashian wore mirrored glasses to a poker tournament.

A) Accidents
B) Secrets
C) Tabloids
D) Rumors

Question 32

In a mechanical failure that caused a subway delay for four hours, commuters were understandably upset with the Mass Transit Authority. However, riders labelled the source of the crisis as _________, so the amount of responsibility they attributed to the Mass Transit Authority was relatively low.

A) An accident
B) A preventable crisis
C) A failure
D) A coincidence

Question 33

When Main Street Bank closed its doors due to management's embezzlement of the bank's assets, customers were furious and frustrated. They blamed the bank's closure - and loss of access to their funds - on the bank's leaders. This was a __________________ that was caused by mismanagement and illegal activity, and is the worst kind for any organization.

A) Monetary crisis
B) Crime crisis
C) Preventable crisis
D) Victim crisis

Question 34

According to crisis communication scholar Otto Lerbinger, crisis managers in a crisis should follow the same logic as a physician treating an illness. How does that analogy apply to crisis management, according to Lerbinger?

A) Crisis managers should focus on general issues, but refer larger crises to specialists.
B) Crisis managers should track down the significance of a symptom or combination of symptoms and logically conclude what should be done.
C) Crisis managers should do a thorough history of other crises and the situation before deciding what protocol to follow.
D) Crisis managers should charge higher rates than other PR practitioners due to their specialized area of expertise.

Question 35

When New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was first charged with soliciting prostitution at a spa that was suspected of human trafficking, his representatives chose the _____________ strategy as his initial response. That changed a few weeks later, though, after evidence of his involvement became more public.

A) Deflect
B) Debunk
C) Deny
D) Discount

Question 36

Chipotle co-CEO Monty Moran turned to ________ when he blamed the CDC for the intensity of its E. coli crisis by saying that it was "fueled by the sort of unusual and even unorthodox way the CDC has chosen to announce cases related to the original outbreak."

A) The sitting duck approach
B) Pigeoning
C) Back door rumors
D) Scapegoating

Question 37

If an organization is responsible for a crisis, one of the most important communications it must issue is _________________.

A) A humanizing of the leadership
B) A public acceptance of that responsibility
C) A desire to compensate those affected by the crisis
D) An identification of the person responsible

Question 38

A video of Domino's employees "tampering" with pizzas and joking about it went viral. The video received almost 1 million views before it was taken down. Domino's CEO, Patrick Doyle, posted his own YouTube video: a formal apology stating, "We sincerely apologize for this incident." Based on its impersonal delivery, the company received mixed reviews for the apology, otherwise known as ___________.

A) The ricochet effect
B) The recoil effect
C) The bomb effect
D) The boomerang effect

Question 39

When Target experienced a credit card breach, it wrote to the owners of about 40 million credit and debit card accounts to explain the situation and to offer one year of free credit monitoring services. While the company did not apologize, it did offer _____________.

A) Compensation
B) An explanation
C) Forfeiture
D) Indemnity

Question 40

In a crisis, many of an organization's most important relationships are with the people who help to solve the crisis or aid its victims. When an organization thanks first responders, praises volunteers, and expresses appreciation to authorities involved in the crisis cleanup, it can curry favor with key publics. However, as with apology strategies, ___________ risk backfiring if they are seen as insincere.

A) Bolstering strategies
B) Appreciation strategies
C) Ingratiation strategies
D) Coaxing strategies

Question 41

Prior to the rise of social media, crisis managers talked about the importance of _________, the first few hours after a surprise crisis breaks when an organization has its best opportunity to get out ahead of crisis communication with accurate information. With social media, that opportunity has been reduced to minutes or even seconds.

A) The silent cache
B) The golden hours
C) The wonder window
D) The hidden realm

Question 42

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training manual instructs, "The need to control information released to the media and public requires that the crisis plan clearly designate the person or persons responsible for this function." Historically, these sources would operate with tactics such as periodic press conferences or conference calls. Today, however, those news media report breaking news via print, radio, and television, as well as via social media. The FEMA manual is training its public relations people to be ___________.

A) Social media followers
B) Social media inactives
C) Social media creators
D) Social media observers

Question 43

As Carly is planning communication to publics affected by her company's crisis, she is considering how her publics consume information. Carly is planning a diverse communication approach to cover those who follow the company on social media, and the ______________, who she will need to reach through traditional media and offline word of mouth.

A) Pacifists
B) Social media followers
C) Solitary consumers
D) Social media inactives

Question 44

Barry is a vice president of public relations for a leading PR and digital marketing firm. He has learned that social media have transformed the nature of crisis communications. News, and misinformation in particular, now travels at the speed of light. Through social media, organizations are able to communicate with their most important publics in real time. But more important, organizations now have an opportunity to use social media to __________ their audiences and publics in a time of crisis.

A) Manipulate
B) Listen to
C) Target
D) Ignore

Question 45

Bentley has just started a job at a PR agency where his main client is a local craft brewer. Bentley's father is the in-house PR professional at a competitor brewery. Bentley should disclose this coincidence to his supervisor to avoid _______________.

A) Being scooped by his father
B) Sharing trade secrets
C) A conflict of interest
D) Being fired when his secret is later revealed