Testing the effects of apology and compassion response in product-harm crises in Situational Crisis Communication Theory.

摘要

This study examines the effects of apology and compassion crisis responses on crisis outcomes in product-harm crises in the context of Situational Crisis Communication Theory. A one-way between subject experiment (crisis response: correction (control), correction + compassion, correction + apology, and correction + compassion + apology) was conducted to test the main effect of crisis response on crisis outcomes. This study found no significant difference in the effects of apology and compassion responses on crisis outcomes. Also, there was no significant difference in the scores of perceived apology and perceived compassion. The perceptions of apology and compassion were found to mediate the effect of crisis response on crisis outcomes, such that strategies generating a stronger perceived compassion produce positive effects (e.g., higher external crisis responsibility, more sympathy, positive reputation, and higher behavioral intentions), whereas strategies producing a stronger perceived apology have both positive effects (e.g., less anger) and negative effects (e.g., higher internal crisis responsibility, high level of anger). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.