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The Blundering of Union Carbide: How One Company Refuses to Learn Public Relations   Term Paper ID:27155 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Describes the major public relations steps required for successful crisis management & details how Union Carbide violated each one in the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster.... More...

4 Pages / 900 Words 9 sources, 9 Citations, APA Format $16.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Describes the major public relations steps required for successful crisis management & details how Union Carbide violated each one in the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster. Paper Introduction: The Blundering of Union Carbide: How One Company Refuses to Learn Public Relations Breathing in methyl isocyanate gas kills within a few minutes. The gas works by breaking down red blood cells, eliminating the blood's ability to carry oxygen, and the lungs are unable to function. The resulting pressure on the vessels and arteries causes minor ruptures and the blood seeks escape from the body, usually through the eyes, ears, nose and throat (Avirook, 1994, 1). This is a part of the description that the world heard during the last days of 1984 as word filtered out from Bhopal India about a massive chemical leak that had emanated from a Union Carbide plant. Around midnight on December 2, 1984, the gas began leaking from the plant, and settled like a bright green cloud over the sleeping town. Within hours, 3,000 Indians Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. What can we learn fromthis? References Avirook S. After an on-site investigation, Anderson held a press conferencewhich he though would settle the matter. He went on to say that the American Company Union Carbide wasnot to blame, but that the Indian Company, Union Carbide was responsible.The fact that Union Carbide in India was, for all purposes, a majorsubsidiary of Union Carbide in America had perhaps escaped the Chairman ofthe Board. Journal of Managerial Issues 6(2): 195-212. Crisis management experts agree on certain step-by-step actionplans that should be implemented in case of a disaster (Blackburn, Doran, &Shrader, 1994, 198; Buchholz, 1991, 19-31). Rudolph, B. Business Horizons 34: 19-31. In The corporation, ethics, and the environment. The resultingpressure on the vessels and arteries causes minor ruptures and the bloodseeks escape from the body, usually through the eyes, ears, nose and throat(Avirook, 1994, 1). The Blundering of Union Carbide: How One Company Refuses to Learn Public Relations Breathing in methyl isocyanate gas kills within a few minutes. and Wagley, R.A. Statements along the line of "We extend our sympathiesto each and every family member who lost a loved one in this terribleaccident" can go a long way toward healing wounds. Evans, W.E. Crisis management becomes the newcorporate discipline, TIME, 53. For eventoday, 14 years after the disaster, Union Carbide still refuses to admitits error and the world courts are clogged with thousands of class actionsuits against the company from aggrieved citizens of Bhopal. Whathappened? Well, yes, it is a duplicate of a WestVirginia plant, but that one isn't approved either. It wasn't their fault, it was India's fault. Eubank, A. These will be discussed herein four main steps.Step One: Acknowledge the Incident Quickly When it was discovered that Tylenol capsules had been poisoned byterrorists and that seven people had died, Tylenol executives were makingcontact with the media within an hour of the first report of a death(Goodpaster, 199 , 27). The leak was caused bya terrorist. (1994, December 7). Can a corporation have an environmentalconscience? Aroundmidnight on December 2, 1984, the gas began leaking from the plant, andsettled like a bright green cloud over the sleeping town. The claims and counter claims are confusing and tragic, which showsa clear violation of the third essential step in crisis management.Step Three: Have Clear Sources of Information During the early months of 1985, Union Carbide officials seemed intenton shooting themselves in the foot. After Bhopal: A CMA 'war room,' newprograms, and changed habits; operating improvements are codified.Chemical Week. Such was not the case with Union Carbide. Union Carbide blames the tragedy onmishaps and oversights. Within hours,3, Indians were dead, and another 2 , hospitalized. What is fascinatingabout the Bhopal Incident, as it is now referred to in press archives, isthat Union Carbide executives not only refused to follow a solid crisismanagement plan (although it had one on the books since 1974), it refusedto handle the event in an intelligent manner (Rudolph, 1986, 53). Union Carbide saysIndia failed to regulate Union Carbide, thus bears responsibility forBhopal. Corporate responsibility and the good society:From Economics to Ecology. Within hours,also, the world press was hammering on the doors of Union Carbideexecutives around the world who answered with the then-typical response "nocomment." Thus began a classic textbook case of the many, many ways acompany should and must handle an industrial disaster. DeWitt, P.E. (1986, February 4). Management response to publicissues: Concepts and cases in strategy formation. (1991). Even more curious, the company has filed anumber of counter suits against the groups that have filed suit againstthem. Bhopal gas tragedy: Scrapping theevidence. The world's worst industrialaccident had been caused, he said, by gross violations of establishedsafety procedures: "That plant should not have been operating (DeWitt,1985, 71). (1985). Here is a sampling of the claims theymade. What could have been done differently? Goodpaster, K.E. Blackburn, V.L., Doran, M., and Shrader, C.B. Telling the truth has several major benefits for a corporation.First, it shows the company has a conscience. Thegas works by breaking down red blood cells, eliminating the blood's abilityto carry oxygen, and the lungs are unable to function. (1985, April 1). Buchholz, R.A. A disgruntledemployee caused the leak (Eubank, Montague, 1987, 2).These claims, and others, all resulted from the fact that Union Carbide hadbecome "reactive" instead of "proactive." The World Press was on thisstory, and without an official information system, Union Carbide was "onthe run." And it showed, which is the main reason for the fourth and finalstep to a good crisis management plan.Step Four: Tell the Truth In spite of what some corporate lawyers might say, the quickest way tomake ugly public relations problems go away is by attacking them with thetruth. Investigatingthe dimensions of social responsibility and the consequences for corporatefinancial performance. (199 ). 155: 32(3). Englewood Cliffs, NJ:Prentice Hall. Second, it shows the companyis not hiding anything. Among the angry questions from the press in attendance wereseveral suggesting the Union Carbide was being "insensitive" about the factthey might have murdered 3, or more humans: "We have no comment on thatat this time," said Anderson, effectively breaking the second major step.Step Two: Show your Humanity It is generally agreed that in times of a crisis of any sort, the PR-savvy company will, at the very minimum, show a great deal of regret(Begley, 1994, 35). Third, it has a tendency to silent the media.Once the truth is out, there is usually no more headline-grabbing story(Evans, Wagley, 1985). TIME, 71. Finally, world reaction became so angry that UnionCarbide Chairman Warren Anderson, on December 13, nine days after theincident, flew halfway around the world to make a dramatic appearance atthe site. RACHEL'S HAZARDOUS WASTE NEWS 11: 2. Westport, Connecticut: Quorum Books.25-38. Begley, R. 1. News India. Eds. Those are a few of the questions to be dealt with in this positionpaper. So in a way,perhaps the deaths of those 3, people might have some distant benefitfor those who are still alive. (1994, August 12). (1994). Curiously, evenfourteen years after the incident, Union Carbide has failed to make apublic statement of sympathy. Formore than a week, Union Carbide officials refused to make even a summarystatement of sympathy. It was a leak from atank, but not a tank that had been approved. (1987, February 9). Hoffman,W.M., Frederick, R., and Petry, E.S. Fortunately for American industry, even thoughUnion Carbide refused (and still refuses) to follow the basics of crisismanagement, other corporations have seen what not to do. This is a part of the description that the world heardduring the last days of 1984 as word filtered out from Bhopal India about amassive chemical leak that had emanated from a Union Carbide plant. The leak was caused by environmentalists. The Indian plant wasn't aUnion Carbide approved design. and Montague, P. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.