How to manage organizational reputation when under attack: learnings from the child and adult protection authorities
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Author (Corporation)
Publication date
2022
Type of student thesis
Course of study
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
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Parent work
Swiss Yearbook of Administrative Sciences
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Series
Series number
Volume
13
Issue / Number
1
Pages / Duration
51-62
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
Ubiquity Press
Place of publication / Event location
Edition
Version
Programming language
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Abstract
What does the reputation management of a public authority look like under extreme conditions? The present article studies the Swiss Child and Adult Protection Authorities (CAPA), which experienced a major reputational crisis after a mother killed her two children in 2015 and accused the CAPA of bearing responsibility. We use the CAPA as one of the most contested public organizations in Switzerland to study reputation management when a public authority is under severe attack and draw learnings for public organizations in similar situations in the future. Applying the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) in a content analysis to newspaper articles from the German-speaking part of Switzerland, we examine narratives uttered by CAPA representatives. Furthermore, by comparing the CAPA’s communication with a similar case in the Romandie, we draw general lessons for public organizations that want to improve their reputation management and crisis communication. The results show how in German-speaking Switzerland, negative media reports increased sharply and caused lasting damage to the CAPA’s reputation. By contrast, the scandal in French-speaking Switzerland did not lead to a full-blown crisis. Our findings underscore the need for public organizations to speak up when under attack, to build up the respective communication skills and resources and to employ positive narratives with shiny hero characters rather than negative narratives emphasizing villains.
Keywords
Child and Adult Protection Authorities, Narrative Policy Framework, Crisis Communication, Crisis Communication
Subject (DDC)
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ISBN
ISSN
2296-8725
2296-8717
2296-8717
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
No
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Diamond
License
Citation
Künzler, J., Stauffer, B., & Sager, F. (2022). How to manage organizational reputation when under attack: learnings from the child and adult protection authorities. Swiss Yearbook of Administrative Sciences, 13(1), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.5334/ssas.169