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 crises involving events such as product tampering, accidents or management transgressions where the level 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 the Modena region of Italy, was hit by a devastating series of earthquakes. Damage to the plant had significant and immediate impact for employees, customers and other key stakeholders, as operations ceased in the wake of the earthquakes. This chapter will reflect on Gambro’s crisis management response and their crisis communication strategies in response to the earthquakes and the ensuing rumours. An analysis of Gambro’s crisis response shows they acted to counteract stakeholder concerns and leverage well-established stakeholder relationships. As Coombs (2000, 2006, 2007a, 2007b) makes clear, relationships are central to effective crisis management, and, although stakeholders often view a natural 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. These were the very conditions Gambro faced. So, a relational approach can add depth to the attributional analysis of such a crisis (Coombs 2000, p. 86). To extend the analysis of crises caused by natural disaster and Gambro’s crisis response, the chapter will also examine crisis communication strategies of similar disaster case studies. The international medical-technical company Gambro, headquartered in Sweden, has 13 production facilities in more than 90 countries, and employs more than 8000 people worldwide. Gambro has operated in the Medolla region of Emilia-Romagna since the early 1960s.