Surviving a Crisis: How Crisis Type and Psychological Distance Can Inform Corporate Crisis Responses

So Young Lee, Yoon Hi Sung, Dongwon Choi, Dong Hoo Kim

Journal of Business Ethics · 2021 · Volume 168 · Issue 4

Abstract

This research examines how one’s construal level of a crisis differs by crisis type, and how the interplay of crisis type (self-threatening vs. society-threatening) and apology appeal type (emotional vs. informational) impacts the effectiveness of apology messages in a corporate crisis context. Findings indicate that one’s mental construal toward a crisis varies by crisis type, with a self-threatening crisis leading to a lower level of construal than a society-threatening one. Findings further suggest that in a society-threatening crisis condition, an informational apology was more effective than an emotional one. However, in a self-threatening crisis condition, there was no significant difference between two different message types. These findings offer valuable guidelines for developing effective crisis response strategy.

Keywords

Construal level theory, Crisis type, Apology message appeal, Crisis management communication

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