Penn State University’s administration failed in its efforts to foster trust because it prioritized the football team’s needs over the security of the students. The governing board lacked the guts to put PSU’s prestigious football program under scrutiny and failed to demand responsibility at all levels. Remarkably, they could not create a friendly atmosphere conducive to open discussion and conversation (PBS NewsHour, 2011). The child molestation crisis involving their former coach Jerry Sandusky is seen to have caught the public off guard.
Joe Paterno was responsible for looking out for those under his care as the head of the football program and perhaps the most powerful man on campus. Leaders who develop trust pose challenging queries, look for the truth and then take a position. Paterno, however, just passed the message to his athletic director and took no more action about the accusations. This gave an alleged sexual predator nine more years without being the subject of an investigation. The board of trustees at PSU neglected to provide secure spaces where staff members could voice their worries and anxieties. For example, janitors who saw Sandusky’s attackers chose not to report them for fear of losing their jobs (PBS NewsHour, 2011). The school’s board of trustees should have announced this story at a press conference so that the storyline could have been more carefully managed rather than hoping things would remain hidden.
The media and the trustees would have worked well together and developed mutual trust. In actuality, PSU leadership chose to remain silent and take no action in response to media inquiries rather than communicate openly and proactively (PBS NewsHour, 2011). Openness would have lessened the public’s anger during the crisis. They lacked a crisis communication strategy and a designated spokesman who could have given a strong, unifying message. For instance, PSU President Graham Spanier made a statement expressing his “unconditional support” for the charged individuals without informing the entire board (PBS NewsHour, 2011). PSU should have established a reporting system to get direct feedback from all stakeholders. Additionally, rather than remaining mute and drawing more attention to themselves, social media might have been used to foster an engaging environment to contact the kids and respond to their questions and opinions.
Reference
PBS NewsHour. (2011). Penn State’s storied football program rocked by sexual abuse scandal [Video]. YouTube. Web.