Operational dilemmas in safety-critical industries: the tension between organizational reputational concerns and the effective communication of risk

Ambisisi Ambituuni; Chibuzo Ejiogu; Amanze Ejiogu; Maktoba Omar

doi:10.1017/jmo.2019.27

Operational dilemmas in safety-critical industries: the tension between organizational reputational concerns and the effective communication of risk

Ambisisi Ambituuni, Chibuzo Ejiogu, Amanze Ejiogu, Maktoba Omar

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

185 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Organizations involved in safety-critical operations often deal with operational tensions, especially when involved in safety-critical incidents that is likely to violate safety. In this paper, we set out to understand how the disclosures of safety-critical incidents take place in the face of reputational tension. Based on the case of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), we draw on image repair theory and information manipulation theory and adopt discourse analysis as a method of analyzing safety-critical incident press releases and reports from the NNPC. We found NNPC deploying image repair as part of incident disclosures to deflect attention, evade blame and avoid issuing apologies. This is supported by the violation of the conversational maxims. The paper provides a theoretical model for discursively assessing the practices of incident information disclosure by an organization in the face of reputational tension, and further assesses the risk communication implications of such practices.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	(In-press)
Journal	Journal of Management & Organization
Volume	(In-press)
Early online date	8 May 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2019.27
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 8 May 2019

Bibliographical note

Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright
owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study,
without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

Keywords

Organisational communication
safety critical incidents
image repair
reputational concern
risk and safety communication;
NNPC
risk and safety communication
safety-critical incidents

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Business and International Management
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

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10.1017/jmo.2019.27

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abstract = "Organizations involved in safety-critical operations often deal with operational tensions, especially when involved in safety-critical incidents that is likely to violate safety. In this paper, we set out to understand how the disclosures of safety-critical incidents take place in the face of reputational tension. Based on the case of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), we draw on image repair theory and information manipulation theory and adopt discourse analysis as a method of analyzing safety-critical incident press releases and reports from the NNPC. We found NNPC deploying image repair as part of incident disclosures to deflect attention, evade blame and avoid issuing apologies. This is supported by the violation of the conversational maxims. The paper provides a theoretical model for discursively assessing the practices of incident information disclosure by an organization in the face of reputational tension, and further assesses the risk communication implications of such practices.",

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AU - Omar, Maktoba

N1 - Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

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ER -

Operational dilemmas in safety-critical industries: the tension between organizational reputational concerns and the effective communication of risk

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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