LECTURE 10 ISSUE AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT

• A faux pas is an unintentional action that an external agent (e.g.,
NGO) unintentionally transforms into a crisis. A faux pas often
begins as an issue between an organization and a particular
external agent who challenges the appropriateness of the
organization’s actions.
• When an organization does not engage in debate with this
external agent or when public opinion and stakeholder
expectations move against the organization, the issue may turn
into a crisis. Social responsibility tends to be the focal point of
most faux pas. The term faux pas comes from French and literally
means ‘false step’. It generally refers to a violation of accepted,
although unwritten, social rules and expectations.