ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to analyze the 2015 product contamination crisis at Blue Bell Creameries, a crisis that was caused by the shipment and consumption of listeria-tainted ice cream products. We focus on two key questions – why do organizations (in this case family firms) take production risks after receiving signals of problems? And how do these organizations respond and recover from the resulting crises and prevent future events? As an introduction to the case study, we review Blue Bell and its managers, employees, and customers in the context of the focal event.
