Crisis Rebuilding Strategies of a Nigerian Airline’s Reputation After a Plane Crash

An organisation’s reputation is an intangible asset that could be badly damaged, or even destroyed, by a crisis. African countries have been plagued with different crises, ranging from bad leadership, child trafficking and abductions to the increased spread of infectious diseases and plane crashes, among others. Therefore, responding to a crisis becomes necessary as crises can affect organisations’ high-priority goals. The vulnerability to crisis of the aviation industry requires prompt preparedness to handle a crash at a moment’s notice, especially by providing appropriate and effective communication responses. Previous studies on aviation accidents in Africa have focused on the strategies employed in the management of crises. However, less attention is paid to how these strategies assisted in rebuilding the organisation’s reputation. This study, therefore, explores the crisis-rebuilding strategies of a Nigerian airline—Dana Air—after a plane crash in 2012 in which all passengers lost their lives. The focus on Dana Air’s rebuilding strategies is important as it is the only airline organisation in Nigeria that has survived and recovered from a plane crash crisis and is still in operation today. The findings of the study revealed that compensation, apology and constant communication with stakeholders were the major rebuilding strategies employed by Dana Air. The study concludes that organisations that have strong pre-crisis communication with stakeholders will likely enjoy their support during crises.