Post-crisis: rebuilding a company, a reputation, a community

It is well recognised that when an organisation experiences a crisis caused by a natural disaster,publics are less likely to apportion responsibility to that organisation. This contrasts with crisesinvolving events such as product tampering, accidents or management transgressions where thelevel of organisational control is perceived or judged to be greater (Coombs, 2000, p. 86). In 2012,biomedical company Gambro’s manufacturing plant, based in Medolla, a small town of 6000 in theModena region of Italy, was hit by a devastating series of earthquakes. Damage to the plant hadsignificant and immediate impact for employees, customers and other key stakeholders, as operationsceased in the wake of the earthquakes.This chapter will reflect on Gambro’s crisis management response and their crisis communicationstrategies in response to the earthquakes and the ensuing rumours. An analysis ofGambro’s crisis response shows they acted to counteract stakeholder concerns and leveragewell-established stakeholder relationships. As Coombs (2000, 2006, 2007a, 2007b) makes clear,relationships are central to effective crisis management, and, although stakeholders often view anatural disaster as being removed from the organisation’s responsibility, this concession may not exist in a prolonged recovery period or where the stakeholders face a life or death outcome. Thesewere the very conditions Gambro faced. So, a relational approach can add depth to the attributionalanalysis of such a crisis (Coombs 2000, p. 86). To extend the analysis of crises caused bynatural disaster and Gambro’s crisis response, the chapter will also examine crisis communicationstrategies of similar disaster case studies.The international medical-technical company Gambro, headquartered in Sweden, has 13 productionfacilities in more than 90 countries, and employs more than 8000 people worldwide. Gambrohas operated in the Medolla region of Emilia-Romagna since the early 1960s.