Using Student-Constructed Cases to Investigate Crises

Abstract

This article outlines the development and application of a student-constructed and -evaluated crisis case study created for a master’s-level course in issues and crisis management. Its five learning objectives were that students (a) demonstrate an understanding of the theories of crisis management, establishing theory–practice linkages; (b) assess the effectiveness of an organization’s management of a crisis against industry best practice; (c) evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s crisis communication strategies with diverse stakeholders; (d) discuss the organization’s ethical standards of practice during the crisis phases; and (e) make recommendations for improvement to the organization’s crisis management strategy. This exercise enables students to apply scholarship to examine crisis management, communication, and ethics in a student-selected crisis case in order to develop critical insights into thinking about and responding to crises.