CSR Communication as a Bolstering Crisis Response Strategy: Public Inferences of CSR Attributions and Leadership Styles

• In Event: CSR: Interventions in Research and Practice (High-Density)

Abstract

Despite numerous research on public attributions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and subsequent responses, the question of how publics perceive CSR communications as a bolstering crisis response strategy remains partially unaddressed. Based on the integration of Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) with the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), we conduct an experiment with a 2 (topic knowledge - crisis type: accidental vs. preventable) x 2 (persuasion knowledge - CSR attributions: values-driven vs. strategic-driven) x 2 (agent knowledge – leadership styles: transformational vs. transactional) design. Results show main and interaction effects on dependent variables such as crisis responsibility perceptions, attitudes toward the company, and behavioral intentions. We highlight a significant role of public inferences of CSR attributions and leadership styles in responding to a company’s crisis response strategy. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Jeesun Kim, Incheon National U

• Hyun Jee Oh, Hong Kong Baptist U