Business Continuity Forum crisis management
Over the past six months there have been a number of headline stories that have affected some of the most trusted names in business.
BP is currently battling an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, for which their Chief Executive immediately accepted all blame and responsibility (even though BP themselves were not directly responsible) and promised to cover all the costs associated with the cleanup.
Toyota has been struggling with the difficulties surrounding recalls to a number of models due to defects reported extensively in the media, and now Johnson & Johnson is facing potential damage to its reputation following the findings of the US Food and Drug Administration. The report from the FDA this week states inspectors found thick dust and grime and contaminated ingredients at the Johnson & Johnson plant that produces children's Tylenol and dozens of other products which J&J recalled last week.
Back in 1943 Johnson & Johnson's chairman, John Wood Johnson who served for more than 30 years wrote their company credo, the forerunner of a modern Mission statement. He wrote that the company's first responsibility is "to the doctors, nurses, patients and parents who use its products and ensuring that consequently everything the company does must be of high quality"
The Cabinet Office and the British Standards Institution are today launching a new crisis management standard to help businesses cope with unexpected emergencies like civil unrest, employee deaths, corporate espionage or natural disaster.
