The following article analyses the crisis involving racial tensions at the University of Missouri in 2015 that ultimately contributed to the departure of the university president and chancellor. This case amplifies the importance of organizational vulnerabilities from both an historical context and a national‐issue context. As supported through this analysis, crises that reflect these vulnerabilities of an organization can lead to increased scrutiny and may produce greater negative consequences. Drawing upon both the public messaging surrounding this crisis and the existing literature on crisis management and crisis leadership, university leaders should have been proactive in cultivating a more inclusive racial environment and should have more effectively used communication to improve relationships with an important constituency group, particularly given the institution's core values, the history of racial tensions at the university, and the rising racial tensions following incidents in nearby Ferguson, Missouri.
A crisis not only affects the organization that engaged in the improper act, but its stakeholders as well. While there are many studies that analyse response options for the organization involved in the crisis, there is little research focusing on the strategic response of stakeholders. This article uses the crisis involving FIFA as its focus and how its sponsors, an essential stakeholder group, responded. While no companies terminated their sponsorship, sponsors did issue statements that indicated the severity of the crisis and encouraged FIFA to engage in corrective action. FIFA engaging in corrective action is the best outcome for sponsors as they can maintain their partnership and continue to accrue the promotional communication and business benefits of this sponsorship.
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