Respond by Day 5 to two colleagues by suggesting other steps to improve department- wide communication. Respond to Darrel as if you are having a conversation. Ask a question
Communicationamong leaders and teams is vital in successful goals and achievements.This was not the case in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Theorganizational influence was birth through the Washburne-Doaneexpedition of 1870 according to Kurtz. The attitude was one of a can-dospirit, integrity that was beyond the self-serving ideas of privatizedownership. The National Park Service (NPS) began with the culture ofthe patrolling U.S. Calvary Troops of Yellowstone and other parks.These hardy troopers and their ranger successors brought with themtraditions of independent action and initiative that, in turn, fostered aPark Service culture of decentralized management (Kurtz, 2003). TheNPS encouraged independence with the use of on-site resources to protectand preserve wildlife and bring enjoyment to park visitors.
Thetype of mandate of individualism with Park Rangers was evident withineach park with care for and treated separately instead of as a set ofparks within NPS. According to Kurtz, Rangers referred to the park theymanaged as “My Park.” The influence a separate process from otherorganizations and park rangers. Park superintendents have traditionallytended to define issues and make decisions regarding the implicationsfor their parks (Kurtz, 2003). The NPS could have problems withprocesses, not only within their organization but also with otherorganizations when a more significant the problem arises; such as the10.8 million gallons of oil into the Prince William Sound. However, theNPS was more than enough with handling fires as the processes withinthe organization are sound moreover, finessed individually with theRangers, superintendents, lower level employees, and throughout the NPSas a whole, but the NPS agency could not handle anything other than anissue with fires, and they proved that their organization would make baddecisions about the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Communicationwith leaders of other organizations, a sense of urgency with clean up,and the underestimated damage of natural resources are important issuesthe NPS faced. Since there were not any new emergency processes inplace to handle the problems that require input and action of otherorganizational involvement. The NPS was unable to properly take on theoil spill, communicate, follow the current federal process, foresee thatthe spill could be more extensive than the first estimation, and takecontrol of the problem without wasting resources. On March 24, 1989, at12:04 A.M., The 987-foot tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef,25 miles out of Valdez, Alaska, on a heading for Long Beach. California(Kurtz, 2003). By April, the NPS discovered the estimated 10.8 milliongallons of crude oil would spill out to other areas and parks coveredand maintained by the NPS. The U.S. Coast Guard was the FOSC, orfederal on-scene coordinator overseeing the oil spill. Critics accusedthe NPS of squandering precious resources. It replied that since neitherExxon nor the Coast Guard was “on-scene,” it was up to the Park Serviceto assume a leader hip role (D. Ames, personal communication, June 9,1989; A. Castellina, personal communication, June 15, 1989; Kurtz1994). The agency was more mindful of maintaining and caring forresources than working with a sense of urgency.
Communicationwas secure when kept within the NPS, but difficult for the service tokeep up with other organizations. The NPS was not in their comfortzone, except using a centralized communication system. The ICS is anationally recognized crisis-management system first developed forwildland fire-fighting in California (Kurtz, 2003). The use of thiscommunication system did not work well with the NPS maintaining control,comfort zone, and accessibility during the cleanup and inspection ofthe parks and wildlife in Alaska. The flow of communications betweenpark superintendents, the NPS Alaska Regional Office, and ICTs was oftenunclear (Kurtz, 2003). The teams working on site felt left out of theloop with others unsure of how to use the communications system and alsorestricted the cleanup process of the natural resources. The NPSpushed for the more natural cleansing of resources and more intensecleansing methods to save spawning areas and bird nests. The contrastbetween the NPS and other organizations on cleansing oil spilled areascaused a significant issue with safely cleaning resources. Thedisagreement between organizations meant the NPS was giving up controland their “can do” attitude. The delays and constant monitoring ofpreserving resources causes a media frenzy and public outcry that notenough was being done to resolve the issues that the NPS face with thenational parks. The NPS has to learn how to protect and clean thenatural resources of the parks. The Valdez spill is a unique textbookprocess of what to do and how much control should be shared by allorganizations involved.
Themistakes made by the NPS education provides that more thought intoethical issues that can be possible issues should be taken into accountno matter what the organization is about or protects. There are alwaysgoing to be outside problems that arise and can handle bettercommunication, systems and a hierarchy that is knowledgeable in allpolicies and protocols. Much of what the NPS worked with was fromwithin, which did not allow other organizations included in potentialhazards.
Kurtz,R. S. (2003). Organizational culture, decision-making, and integrity:The National Park Service and the Exxon Valdez. Public Integrity, 5(4),305317
