Risk Management and Crisis Response in eSports Organizations

Appropriate Response During Crisis Situations

When an issue arises within an eSports organization, the appropriateness of the initial response can significantly influence subsequent developments. Organizations must swiftly implement a phased response to minimize damage and prevent recurrence.

First, it is crucial to quickly grasp the full scope of the issue and promptly decide on a response strategy. By conducting interviews with stakeholders and thoroughly examining related documents, the organization can accurately understand the facts and analyze the causes. Information gathering at this stage serves as a vital foundation for formulating subsequent countermeasures and considering preventive measures.

In cases where there is a risk of damage expanding, such as inappropriate posts on social media or leaks of personal information, it is necessary to immediately take measures to prevent further spread. Simultaneously, attention must be paid to preventing reputational damage and the dissemination of incorrect information. Particularly, since the spread on social media can occur rapidly, swift action is required.

Diversity of Risk Factors and the Necessity of Countermeasures

The importance of crisis management is evident from the wide range of inappropriate actions that can occur within Japanese e-sports organizations. Specifically, these include various forms of harassment by players and staff, violent acts, antisocial behavior, doping violations, internal conflicts among organizational leaders, fraudulent accounting practices, arbitrary sanctions, organizational cover-ups, use of illegal substances, criminal acts such as theft, inappropriate posts on social media, and discriminatory remarks. The causes of these incidents are also complex and varied.

If these issues become public through media reports, the social trust in the respective sport can rapidly decline, potentially leading to a decrease in participants and a reduction in the scale of events, thereby severely impacting the sustainable development of the sport. Particularly, as e-sports is an emerging field, it is in the process of establishing social recognition and trust, making it extremely important to address these issues.

Maintaining Trust in eSports from an Organizational Governance Perspective

In today’s eSports industry, maintaining organizational trust is a critical issue directly linked to the development of the competition. Inappropriate actions by organizations or their members, whether it be internal financial misconduct, illegal activities by members, or organizational cover-ups, can severely damage the credibility of the entire competition.

Furthermore, from the perspective of maintaining organizational trust, it is crucial to disclose necessary information at the appropriate time. Careful judgment is required regarding the necessity and scope of disclosure, as releasing uncertain information can lead to confusion. In particular, when the facts have not been fully clarified, it is essential to carefully consider the content and timing of information disclosure.

Building an Effective Crisis Management System

To address such situations, many eSports organizations are advancing the development of their crisis management systems.
However, due to constraints in human and material resources, it is often challenging to implement crisis management systems equivalent to those of large corporations.
Additionally, the risks anticipated vary depending on the nature of activities and organizational structure of each organization.
Therefore, it is necessary to design specific preventive measures individually, based on a comprehensive analysis of the organization’s size, business content, and anticipated risks.

Regarding the implementation of crisis management, it is crucial to assign a dedicated department or personnel and clearly define their authority and responsibilities.
In the case of smaller organizations, having a compliance officer take on dual roles can be a practical option.
It is essential to select the optimal system according to the size and personalityistics of the organization.

Furthermore, after analyzing and evaluating the anticipated risks, it is required to document specific procedures for prevention and response in a manual and disseminate it within the organization.
This manual should encompass a wide range of content, from routine preventive measures to emergency response procedures.
Particularly for risks unique to eSports, such as cheating in online tournaments, game software modifications, and streaming issues, it is important to establish detailed response procedures.

To ensure the effectiveness of the manual, specific measures such as regular review processes and the establishment of an emergency contact network are necessary.
Creating checklists and logs, along with regular reviews and updates, are also important elements.
These measures need to be designed in a feasible manner according to the organization’s size and activities.

Moreover, it is important to deepen the understanding of the importance of crisis management and specific responses through regular training for executives and players.
For instance, in an SNS usage seminar for a player with a monthly salary of 300,000 yen, it is effective to explain the appropriateness of post content and response procedures during a crisis using specific examples.
Additionally, harassment prevention training and compliance training should also be conducted regularly.

In addition, establishing a collaborative system with external experts such as Japanese lawyers and the police, and securing consultation routes for emergencies is indispensable.
Especially for cases requiring legal action or those that may develop into criminal cases, it is important to set up a system to obtain expert advice from an early stage.

Investigation and Prevention of Recurrence

To ensure the objectivity and fairness of investigations, it is advisable to involve external experts from the initial stages. Particularly in serious cases, establishing a third-party committee to conduct the investigation can be effective. Incorporating external perspectives can enhance the credibility of the investigation results.

Regarding the disciplinary actions for those involved, it is necessary to follow appropriate procedures that correspond to the nature of the conduct. The content of the disciplinary actions must align with the severity and social impact of the conduct, while also considering the protection of the rights of the individuals subject to the actions.

Furthermore, it is crucial to develop specific measures to prevent recurrence based on cause analysis and to implement them thoroughly across the organization. These preventive measures should include a comprehensive approach, such as revising systems and rules, strengthening monitoring systems, and enhancing educational training.

In conclusion, inadequate responses to inappropriate conduct can lead to severe situations that threaten the very existence of the organization, beyond the incident itself. Particularly, failures in initial responses can result in irreversible consequences. Therefore, e-sports organizations must be prepared for both appropriate responses when issues arise and comprehensive readiness during normal times. This is an essential element for the sustainable development of the organization and the healthy growth of the e-sports industry as a whole.