According to a survey conducted between March 12 and 20, that is, before the explosion in the number of COVID-19 cases, 65% of managers of medium and large companies in Quebec were not ready to face a major crisis .
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This study, conducted online on behalf of Fernandez public relations by the Léger polling firm, shows that executives believed little (61%) or not at all (4%) that their company finds itself once again in a management situation. public crisis. However, about half of the respondents said they had had to deal with a crisis before.
“This survey clearly shows a tendency for business owners and managers to minimize the risks linked to communication crises. It’s a safe bet that some people have had an awareness since the start of the health crisis, that they have seen the impact of communications with customers, suppliers, partners and of course, employees, ”said indicated by press release Annie Fernandez, founding president of the agency Fernandez public relations.
In addition, the pollster noticed “a mixture of optimism and denial” among the leaders when carrying out this survey. “The majority felt that they were well equipped and / or considered it unlikely that such a crisis would occur […]Commented Cyntia Darisse, vice-president at Léger.
“It is not unrelated to the fact that the respondents demonstrate a strong desire to fend for themselves with their internal resources (54%), although they are not always specialized in crisis management, internal or external, and that the image of the company may suffer from inadequate management, ”she added.
Note that 56% of companies whose managers said they were less prepared have their head office in Quebec.
A total of 300 managers or business owners with more than 30 employees responded to the survey.
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