Dealing with a crisis
Dr Tom van Laer
Email: tvanlaer@city.ac.uk
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/tvanlaer
Twitter: @tvanlaer
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Once there was an integrity-violating advert…
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Enter social media
www.cass.city.ac.uk
a car dealership (2)
a hospital (1)
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Takeaways
1. What responses
restore integrity?
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Integrity restoration
Apologizing content
I’m guilty and
I’m sorry
Denying content
it wasn’t me
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(Kim, Ferrin, Cooper, & Dirks, 2004)
Integrity restoration
Narrative format
Analytical format
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Yada
Yada
Yada
Yada
Yada
www.cass.city.ac.uk
(van Laer, et al., 2014)
Intention to switch
Integrity
perception
Intention to
switch
www.cass.city.ac.uk
(Morgan & Hunt, 1994)
Method
• 153 social media users
• Material
• Customer social media message
• Problematic childbirth
• Laura Klein accuses Dr Jacobs
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Customer social media message
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Method
• 153 social media users
• Material
• Customer social media message
• Problematic childbirth
• Laura Klein accuses Dr Jacobs
• Manipulation
• Employee response
• Narrative apology
• Narrative denial
• Analytical apology
• Analytical denial
• No response control
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Employee response
Narrative apology
Analytical apology
I apologize
I apologize
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Measures
• Integrity perception
• 4 Likert-items
• Sound principles seem to guide Dr Jacobs’ behaviour
• Intention to switch
• 6 Likert-items
• If I or my partner had to see an obstetrician, I would rather go to
another doctor than to Dr Jacobs
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(Mayer & Davis, 1999)
Procedure
• Social media message
Phase 1
Phase 2
• Employee response
• Integrity perception
Phase 3 • Intention to switch
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Integrity perception
Results
Apology
Denial
3.95
3.64
3.08
Narrative
www.cass.city.ac.uk
2.74
Analytical
2.38
No response
Intention to switch
Results
4.44
3.60
Narrative
www.cass.city.ac.uk
4.67
4.38
3.73
Analytical
No response
Apology
Denial
Takeaways
1. What responses
restore integrity?
2. Who should issue the
narrative apology?
www.cass.city.ac.uk
1. Narrative apologies
(and analytical denials)
Integrity restoration
Narrative apology
I’m guilty
and
I’m sorry
Involved sales rep
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Narrative apology
I’m guilty
and
I’m sorry
Company spokesperson
Method
• 95 social media users
• Material
• Announcement
• Dishonest behaviour
• Sales representative accused of shady dealings
• Manipulation
• Employee response
• Narrative apology by involved sales representative
• Narrative apology by company spokesperson
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Employee response
Narrative apology
by involved sales rep
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Narrative apology
by company spokesperson
Measures
• Integrity perception
• 4 Likert-items
• I like Adam Klein’s values
• Narrative transportation
• 12 Likert-items
• I could easily picture myself in the scene of the events described in
the social media message
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(Mayer & Davis, 1999; Green & Brock, 2000)
Procedure
• Announcement
Phase 1
Phase 2
• Employee response
• Narrative transportation
Phase 3 • Integrity perception
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Integrity perception
Results
www.cass.city.ac.uk
4.40
3.82
Involved sales
representative
Company
spokesperson
Takeaways
1. What responses
restore integrity?
1. Narrative apologies
(and analytical denials)
2. Who should issue the
narrative apology?
2. The involved employee
3. How do narrative
apologies restore
integrity?
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Narrative transportation
empathy
mental
imagery
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(van Laer, et al., 2014)
Results
Narrative
transportation
Narrative apology
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Integrity perception
Takeaways
1. What responses
restore integrity?
1. Narrative apologies
(and analytical denials)
2. Who should issue the
narrative apology?
2. The involved employee
3. How do narrative
apologies restore
integrity?
3. Narrative transportation
mediates
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In sum, in stories we trust
Narrative apology
I’m guilty
and
I’m sorry
Involved sales rep
www.cass.city.ac.uk
Integrity restoration
Narrative
transportation
Thank you
Dr Tom van Laer
Email: tvanlaer@city.ac.uk
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/tvanlaer
Twitter: @tvanlaer
www.cass.city.ac.uk