Contaminated Communication: TEPCO and Organizational Renewal at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

This case study examines the postcrisis discourse of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and its executives following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant crisis of Spring 2011 Tokyo Electric Power Company . ( 2011 , March 31) Establishment of “Fukushima Nuclear Influence Response Division” [Press Release]. Retrieved from http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11033107-e.html [Google Scholar]. Using organizational renewal as a framework, we argue TEPCO communicated a desire to rebuild its reputation by being prospective and focusing on the future, emphasizing rebuilding and growth, providing an optimistic message, and communicating information through its leaders. Although TEPCO's postcrisis communication adhered to the tenets of renewal, stakeholders remained skeptical of the organization—likely the result of an inability to foster a strong precrisis relationship with the Japanese public and its government. This study shows how a company can fail to establish renewal among its stakeholders when renewal discourse is not framed successfully.