Assignment #2

Instructions: Read the following case vignette. Afterward, please answer the questions provided.

You are permitted to type a maximum of two single-spaced pages with 12 point font and regular margins.

Please use point form under each heading (but provide enough information so that the points you are making are clear).

What was the crisis that occurred? (In a couple of sentences, summarize the crux of the crisis).

Does this situation reflect the characteristics of an organizational crisis identified in class (as well as in the attached article i.e. page 181 understanding the organizational crisis)? How so?

Assess the situation using the 4 Ps framework discussed in class (and in the attached article i.e., page 185, point #2, assess the crisis using the 4 P framework). Please use point form to complete this analysis. Be thorough and succinct.

Within the levels of prevention framework discussed in class (and in the attached article i.e., starting on page 182 and summarized in Table 1), what level is the situation currently at?

What should Lina Maki do in response to this situation?

For the last seven years, Lina Maki has been a senior executive for an exclusive set of hotels found in a select number of wealthy U.S. cities. During this time, she has drawn upon her substantial industry experience and connections in order to divest the company of three of its hotels located in less desirable areas; streamline operations; and, enhance the customer experience. Enhancements to customer experience occurred through increasing the sophistication and range of concierge services; as well as the sophistication of customer safety and security. Given a range of retirements among experienced and long term managers, all of these enhancements involved the hiring of new staff, and provision of virtual training, coupled with three in-person training programs over the next 18 months, occurring at three different hotels. However, these changes, coupled with Linas marketing savvy have also resulted in substantially increased market penetration, as well as increased average length of stay, and revenue per available room. Though new staff training was still in progress, the financials were all continuing to move in the right direction.

As she arrives at work one morning, Lina receives a visit from a senior night manager. Reportedly, a customer had been forcibly removed from the hotels dining room early the previous evening by a newly hired member of the security team. The customer had been perceived as being under the influence of alcohol or some other substance. He had been unsteady on his feet and been slurring his words. Given that there were a number of other customers enjoying their evening meal in the same dining room, a member of the security team first attempted to ask the seemingly intoxicated customer to leave the dining room. When the man did not leave right away, the security guard helped the man from his seat by firmly grasping his shoulders and pulling him to his feet. The customer fell to the ground and began flailing around, which the security guard perceived as resistance and aggression. The security guard called for assistance, and, along with a second member of the security team, dragged the man from the dining room. Unfortunately, the man sustained several injuries, including a dislocated shoulder. As the man was being dragged out of the dining room, some of the other customers were visibly surprised and shaken. Then, a young woman arrived and started crying. She told the security guards to let go of her father, that he suffered from a medical condition, multiple sclerosis. This was what had caused him to seem unsteady and to slur his words. The security team told her that she should have notified them of this upon check-in, as knowledge of this condition could have prevented the situation. When she requested a physician to be called to attend to her father, she learned that there was no physician on call that evening and since it was rush hour it was probably best for him to wait until the next morning to go to the hospital. At some point during this situation, an unknown person had made a video of the client being dragged from the dining room. A large number of poor reviews and concerning comments were now popping up online, with a link to the video. Staff had been taking calls from a national media outlet throughout this morning and answering questions as well as they could. As it turned out, the daughter of the man who had been dragged out of the dining room was the host of a very high profile podcast.