Because Crisis Happens

Abstract

At the end of 2003, the Italian dairy giant Parmalat became embroiled in a financial scandal which, in a matter of weeks, led to temporary receivership and the initiation of bankruptcy procedures. Pressured by the international media (eager, in the wake of the scandals that had hit the American market a few years earlier, to point the finger at the perpetrators of financial crimes), as well as by investors and other stakeholders, Parmalat issued a series of press releases which document the unfolding of the crisis and illustrate the approach to crisis communication chosen by the company. This paper analyses the press releases in English (aimed, therefore, at the international public) issued by Parmalat between November 2003 and August 2004. The press releases are analysed both qualitatively, in a discourse-analytical perspective, and quantitatively, with the help of computerised routines (Wordsmiths Tools 4.0), with a view to identifying the main features of Parmalat's crisis communication strategy. The findings suggest that Parmalat did not have a clear communication strategy, and that textual (genre-related), lexical and syntactic choices conveyed implicitly the image of a company unwilling to engage dialogically with its stakeholders and unable to control the course of the events. RÉSUMÉ À la fin de 2003, le géant agroalimentaire italien Parmalt, se trouve entraîné dans un scandale financier qui, en quelques semaines, conduit à sa mise sous administration judiciaire et l'engagement des procédures de faillite. Assailli par la presse internationale (impatient, dans le sillage des scandales qui ont frappé le marche américain quelques années auparavant, de débusquer les instigateurs des délits financiers), ainsi que par les investisseurs et d'autres parties prenantes, Parmalat publie une série de communiqués de presse qui documente le déroulement de la crise et illustre l'approche adoptée par la société en matière de communication en situation de crise. Cet article analyse les communiqués de presse en anglais (destiné donc, à un public international) publiés par Parmlat entre novembre 2003 et août 2004. Ils font l'objet d'une analyse à la fois qualitative relevant de l'analyse du discours, et quantitative, à l'aide du concordancier Wordsmiths Tools 4.0, dans le but d'identifier les principales caractéristiques de la stratégie de communication de crise adoptée par Parmalat. L'analyse indique que l'entreprise n'a pas adopté une stratégie de communication claire et les choix textuels (en rapport avec le genre), lexicaux et syntaxiques véhiculent, de manière implicite, l'image d'une entreprise incapable de maîtriser le cours des événements et peu disposée à engager le dialogue avec les parties prenantes.

“We Are Strong Believers in the Power of the Avon Brand”: Genre Features of International Cosmetics Companies’ E-Releases

“…All of the above authors (Catenaccio, 2008;Jacobs, 1999a;McLaren & Gurǎu, 2005) refer to the press release as a hybrid genre -the result of blurring the boundaries between discourses, as it seeks "both to inform and to persuade" (McLaren & Gurǎu, 2005: 12). Catenaccio (2007a) examined press releases issued by an Italian dairy company. The collected data were analyzed from a discourse perspective, and the salient features of the crisis communication strategy this company chose to use were revealed.…”

“…As researchers of press releases indicate, they are pseudoquotes, because they are invented, attributed to important figures in the company's management or other relevant persons (e.g. partners), and then presented as real ones (Catenaccio, 2007a;Sleurs & Jacobs, 2005;Sleurs et al, 2003). The main function of these fictional quotations is to Vol.…”