because the events are usually the result of faults or misdeeds. In contrast to
accidents, the victims of scandals are often more difficult to identify, thus
making damage control a more challenging task. Finally, unlike accidents, a
unique or one-time product safety or health event does not create mass suffering. Rather, it is the recurrence of the issue over an extended time that damages a firm’s reputation, brand, and possible financial security. We add a fourth crisis type to Marcus and Goodman’s (1991) categorical descriptions: employee-centered crises. As described by James and Wooten(2006), employee-centered crises usually develop over time and result from faulty or poorly administered human resource management practices that
result in perceptions of inequity or unfair treatment. Coombs’s research (2004)
described a related form of crisis as a preventable negative event that is
incurred by organizational members and puts stakeholders at risk or violates
the law. Likewise, Pearson and Clair (1998) listed employee-centered crises as
ones that result from a collapse of sociopolitical systems or a violation of formal management procedures, policies, and practices. Examples of employeecentered crises include discrimination lawsuits and employee