Hurricane Gustav: Disassociation as evidence of organizational learning

Authors

  • Nadene N. Vevea, MA
  • Robert S. Littlefield, PhD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2010.0039

Keywords:

Hurricane Gustav, crisis communication, image restoration, organizational learning, renewal

Abstract

This study explored the messages of crisis leaders and the media portrayal of those leaders during the early stages of Hurricane Gustav. A textual analysis of 105 articles drawn from the New York Times and the Times-Picayune of New Orleans dated August 29 to September 3, 2008, revealed the use of organizational learning, image restoration, and renewal strategies by crisis leaders and media use of positive terms clustered around the Hurricane Gustav crisis, with negative terms limited to comparisons with and references to Hurricane Katrina. The findings suggested that the crisis leaders’ effective management of Gustav showcased organizational learning, while the media’s comparisons of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Gustav reflected a positive media bias toward Gustav crisis leaders and the effectiveness of their crisis management strategies.

Author Biographies

Nadene N. Vevea, MA

Doctoral Fellow, NDSU Department of Communication, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.

Robert S. Littlefield, PhD

Professor, NDSU Department of Communication, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.

References

Department of Homeland Security: The first year after Hurricane Katrina: What the federal government did.Available at http://www. dhs.gov/xfoia/archives/gc_1157649340100.shtm. Accessed July 7, 2009.

Heath B: $3.9B in hurricane aid still unspent; Gulf Coast officials blame bureaucracy. USA Today. February 9, 2009: 1A.

Littlefield RS, Quenette AM: Crisis leadership and Hurricane Katrina: The portrayal of authority by the media in natural disasters. J Appl Commun Res. 2007; 35(1): 26-47.

Barnes MD, Hanson CL, Novilla LMB, et al.: Analysis of media agenda setting during and after Hurricane Katrina: Implications for emergency preparedness, disaster response and disaster policy. Am J Public Health. 2008; 98: 604-610.

Schleifstein M, Krupa M: Gustav has state on alert; evacuations could start early as Friday. Times-Picayune. August 27, 2008: 1.

Rainey R: Revised disaster plans may be tested; Jefferson residents urged to prepare. Times-Picayune. August 28, 2008: 1.

Carr S: 7 spots to guide shelter seekers; information points spread across state. Times-Picayune. August 30, 2008: 1.

Nossiter A: New Orleans sets plan for storm evacuation. NY Times. August 30, 2008: 16.

Hammer D: Officials make use of Katrina lessons; FEMA, state and city set tone of efficiency. Times-Picayune. August 31, 2008: 1.

Elie LE: Easing up on the forecast. Times-Picayune. September 3, 2008: 1.

Fink S: Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable. New York: AMACOM, 1986.

Sellnow TL, Littlefield RS: Lessons Learned About Protecting America’s Food Supply: Case Studies in Crisis Communication. Fargo, ND: ND Institute for Regional Studies, 2005.

Seeger MW, Sellnow TL, Ulmer RR: Communication and Organizational Crisis. Westport, CN: Praeger, 2003.

Agle BR, Mitchell RK, Sonnenfeld JA: Who matters to CEOs? An investigation of stakeholder attributes and salience, corporate performance and CEO values. Acad Manage J. 1999; 42(2): 507-525.

Bryson JM: What to do when stakeholders matter: Stakeholder identification analysis techniques. Public Manage Rev. 2004; 6: 21-53.

Stephens KK, Malone PC, Bailey CM: Communicating with stakeholders during a crisis: Evaluating message strategies. J Bus Commun. 2005; 42: 390-419.

Coombs WT: Choosing the right words: The development of guidelines for the selection of the “appropriate” crisis-response strategies. Manage Commun Q. 1995; 8: 447-476.

Coombs WT: The protective powers of crisis response strategies: Managing reputational assets during a crisis. J Promotion Manage. 2006; 12: 241-260.

Coombs WT: Protecting organization reputations during a crisis: The development and application of situational crisis communication theory. Corp Reputation Rev. 2007; 10(3): 163-176.

Vasi IB, Macy M: The mobilizer’s dilemma: Crisis, empowerment and collective action. Soc Forces. 2003; 81: 979-998.

Massey JE: Managing organizational images: Crisis response and legitimacy restoration. In Millar DP, Heath RL (eds.): Responding to Crisis: A Rhetorical Approach to Crisis Communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc, Inc., 2004: 233-246.

Benoit WL: Image restoration discourse and crisis communication. In Millar DP, Heath RL (eds.): Responding to Crisis: A Rhetorical Approach to Crisis Communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc, Inc., 2004: 263-280.

Veil S: Mayhem in the magic city: Rebuilding legitimacy in a communication train wreck. Public Relat Rev. 2007; 33: 337-339.

Carroll JS: Organization learning activities in high-hazard industries: The logics underlying self-analysis. J Manage Stud. 1998; 35(6): 699-717.

Premeaux SF, Breaux D: Crisis management of human resources: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Hum Resour Plann. 2007; 30(3): 39-47.

Ulmer RR, Sellnow TL, Seeger MW: Considering the future of crisis communication research: Understanding the opportunities inherent to crisis events through the discourse of renewal. In Coombs WT, Holladay SJ (eds.): The Handbook of Crisis Communication. Malden, MA:Wiley-Blackwell, 2010: 691-697.

Piotrowsky C, Armstrong TR: Mass media preferences in disaster: A study of hurricane Danny. Soc Behav Pers. 1998; 26(4): 341-346.

Sood R, Stockdale G, Rogers EM: How the news media operate in natural disasters. J Commun. 1987; 37(3): 27-41.

DeWaal E, Schonbach K, Lauf E: Online newspapers: A substitute or complement for print newspapers and other information channels? Communications. 2005; 30: 55-72.

West DM, Orr M: Race, gender, and communications in natural disasters. Policy Stud J. 2007; 35(4): 569-586.

Hester JB, Gibson R: The agenda-setting function of national versus local media: A time-series analysis for the issue of same sex marriage. Mass Commun Soc. 2007; 10: 299-317.

Dill RK,Wu HD: Coverage of Katrina in local, regional, national newspapers. Newspaper Res J. 2009; 30(1): 6-20.

Rodriguez H, Trainor J, Quarantelli EL: Rising to the challenges of a catastrophe: The emergent and prosocial behavior following Hurricane Katrina. Ann Am Acad. 2006; 604: 82-101.

McCombs M, Shaw D: The agenda-setting function of the mass media. Public Opin Q. 1973; 37: 62-75.

Birkland TA: Natural disasters as focusing events: Policy communities and political response. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters. 1986; 14(2): 221-243.

Charmaz KC: Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006.

Burke K: Attitudes Toward History. 3rd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.

Scott RT, Alpert B: Gustav might crash political parties; delegates, Jindal may alter convention plans. Times-Picayune. August 27, 2008: 2.

Moller J: Hurricane Gustav will not stop republican convention. Times-Picayune. August 30, 2008: 4.

East Jefferson Bureau: Jefferson parish hunkering down; evacuation help available today. Times-Picayune. August 30, 2008: 1.

Nossiter A, Dewan S: Mayor orders the evacuation of New Orleans. NY Times. August 31, 2008: 1.

Hammer D, Maggi L, Dungca N: Solemn memorials; across New Orleans, ceremonies offer residents a chance to remember the victims of hurricane Katrina. Times-Picayune. August 30, 2008: 1.

Pope J: Hunkering down; weaker Gustav might give metro area breathing room; Storm turns farther toward Lafourche, Terrebone parishes; City-assisted evacuation helps residents get out of harm’s way. Times-Picayune. September 1, 2008: 1.

St. Tammany Bureau: Tammany utility lines, trees fall; some sewerage, water service out. Times-Picayune. September 2, 2008: 1.

Reckdahl K, Anderson E: Massive evacuation still has its holdouts; estimated 10,000 left in New Orleans. Times-Picayune. September 1, 2008: 1.

Kider T: Planes, trains, buses get Louisiana evacuees to shelters; about 25,000 land in Miss. Times-Picayune. September 2, 2008: 6.

Gustav’s passing. Times-Picayune. September 2, 2008: 5.

Healy P, Nagourney A: 2 million flee hurricane’s path; G.O.P. cuts convention events party’s plans remain unsettled; McCain tours gulf relief center. NY Times. September 1, 2008: A1.

Bracing for a storm. Times-Picayune. August 31, 2008: 6.

Dewan S: A long and weary bus ride to anywhere, haunted by memories. NY Times. September 1, 2008: 1.

Carr S: 18,000 people get out on buses, trains; assisted evacuation goes smoothly,N.O. says. Times-Picayune. September 1, 2008: 1.

Time to prepare. Times-Picayune. August 27, 2008: 6.

Schleifstein M: West bank woes shallower than feared; revised forecast: Less storm surge. Times-Picayune. September 1, 2008: 1.

Reid M: The road out: Contraflow journey has plenty of bumps I-59 creeps; Westbound smooth. Times-Picayune. September 1, 2008: 4.

Nolan B: This time, it seems, everybody’s got a plan; locals prep for Gustav with Katrina in mind. Times-Picayune. August 31, 2008: 1.

Schleifstein M:Waves may push surge over top of some levees; flooding possible on north shore; west bank levees could be overtopped; Gustav could be deadly Katrina-Rita hybrid. Times- Picayune. August 31, 2008: 1.

The corps’ promise. Times-Picayune. August 31, 2008: 6.

Hurricane roulette. Times-Picayune. August 27, 2008: 6.

Not ready for Gustav. The New York Times. August 29, 2008: 20.

Barrow B, Scott RT: State scrambles to find buses for evacuation; original contractor reneged, Jindal says. Times-Picayune. August 30, 2008: 1.

Christen CT, Huberty KE: Media reach, media influence? The effects of local, national, and internet news on public opinion inferences. J Mass Commun Q. 2007; 84: 315-334.

Fearn-Banks K: Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach. 3rd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2007.

Published

11/01/2010

How to Cite

Vevea, MA, N. N., and R. S. Littlefield, PhD. “Hurricane Gustav: Disassociation As Evidence of Organizational Learning”. Journal of Emergency Management, vol. 8, no. 6, Nov. 2010, pp. 51-63, doi:10.5055/jem.2010.0039.