16. Fixing the broken link: Communication strategies for supply chain crises

Abstract

This chapter examined exemplar supply chain crises to determine what contextual factors affected the communication strategies available to organizations and the resulting impact of those strategies on stakeholder perceptions and the organization’s reputation. The factors identified included whether (1) there were multiple suppliers; (2) the supply chain was part of the brand identity; (3) market competition shared suppliers; (4) the supply chain was national or global; and (5) consumers were directly harmed by the supply chain crisis. The analysis revealed that crises that manifest from the same supply chain risk do not necessitate the same crisis response. Due to the varying perceptions of responsibility by both the stakeholders and organizations involved in supply chain crises, communication response strategies must address both perceived and actual crisis responsibility.