Impression Management in Times of Crisis: Organizational Images and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

• In Event: 1568 - Culture and Organizations

Abstract

Compared to organizational identity and reputation, organizational image has received less attention from researchers. We ask the questions: to what extent do firms employ different impression management tactics to manage their image, and how do firms’ projected images affect perceived images by specific audiences? We make an important contribution to the literature on impression management by proposing a typology of three strategies (transactional, prosocial, and damage control) for managing images that is based on the extent to which top managers attempt to address either current or past crises. We examine the degree to which firms’ strategies influence how one particularly important audience (mass media) perceives these images. We investigate the impression management strategies used by oil companies to respond to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill using automated text analysis to create innovative measures of desired and perceived images. Preliminary analyses support our propositions and suggest a number of promising directions for future research.

Authors

• Ion Bogdan Vasi, University of Iowa

• Edward T. Walker, University of California-Los Angeles

• Inga Popovaite, University of Iowa