Nintendo responds questionably in firing crisis
High-profile employee exists can hurt an organization’s reputation, especially if the employee doesn’t go quietly. A recent situation questions the gaming giant’s intentions.
On its surface, this story exemplifies straightforward crisis management: Nintendo fires spokeswoman Alison Rapp because she reportedly had another job—moonlighting is against Nintendo’s corporate policy.
Despite the organization’s attempt to manage its reputation, additional factors appear to be at play.
The controversy entered the wider public consciousness with Rapp’s recent tweet:
Today, the decision was made: I am no longer a good, safe representative of Nintendo, and my employment has been terminated.
— smol pterodactyl (@alisonrapp) March 30, 2016
Rapp is a self-proclaimed, outspoken feminist, especially as it pertains to male-dominated video game culture. By her own account, a group of gamers harassed her so intensely, she felt she was in danger. She identified the group as “GamerGate.”
In the middle of this harassment, Kotaku reports that Rapp was stripped of her title and moved away from product management.
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