The Effect of Communicated Emotion and Crisis Response Strategies on Consumers’ Intention to Forgive and Emotional Forgiveness

Yıl 2023, , 94 - 116, 30.12.2023

Dilek Meriç , Mesude Canan Ozturk

https://doi.org/10.31123/akil.1369353

Öz

In crisis communication, besides what is said, how it is said has gained importance in getting positive reactions from the stakeholders. In addition, the phenomenon of forgiveness, which forms the basis for institutions to maintain their long-term relationships with their stakeholders and which may affect the institution’s post-crisis financial performance and reputation, has also been researched in crisis communication for the past decade. The purpose of this study is to research the effect of the communicated emotion and crisis response strategies on consumers’ intention to forgive and emotional forgiveness. In this context, 2x2 between-subjects factorial design (crisis response strategy: apology vs. justification, emotion: sadness vs. no emotion) was conducted via online survey tools (n=140). As a result of the experiment, corporate crisis in which crisis responsibility is attributed to the institution, there is a significant difference between crisis response strategies on harmed consumers’ intention to forgive. Participants exposed to apology strategy have a higher prosocial intention, which is one of the indicators of their intention to forgive, than those exposed to justification strategy. Another important finding of the research is that whether to communicate emotion, “sadness”, in crisis messages has no effect on consumers’ intention to forgive and emotional forgiveness. The expression of sadness does not affect the negative emotions of consumers such as anger, does not cause an increase in their positive emotions towards the institution, does not make a difference in their feelings of revenge, does not lead to a prosocial behavioral intention to improve the relational harm between them.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Crisis Communication, Apology, Justification, Sadness, Consumers’ Intention to Forgive

Kriz Mesaj Stratejileri ile İletilen Duygunun Tüketicilerin Affetme Niyeti ve Duygusal Affı Üzerindeki Etkisi

Öz

Kriz iletişiminde paydaşların olumlu tepkilerini almada ne söylendiğinin yanı sıra nasıl söylendiği de önem kazanmıştır. Bununla birlikte kurumlara paydaşlarıyla uzun dönemli ilişkilerini sürdürmede temel oluşturan, kurumun kriz sonrası finansal performansını ve itibarını etkileyebilecek bir tepki olan affetme olgusu da son on yıldır kriz iletişimi alanında araştırılmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı kriz tepki stratejileri ile iletilen duygunun tüketicilerin affetme niyeti ve duygusal affı üzerindeki etkisini araştırmaktır. Bu kapsamda özür ve gerekçelendirme kriz tepki stratejilerinin üzüntü duygusunu ilettiği ve iletmediği bir deney tasarlanmıştır. Araştırma gruplar-arası faktöryel desen benimsenerek yürütülmüştür. Araştırmaya ilişkin veriler çevrim içi anket aracılığıyla toplanmıştır (n=140). Araştırma sonucuna göre kriz sorumluluğunun kuruma atfedildiği krizlerde kriz tepki stratejisine göre zarar gören tüketicilerin affetme niyetinde anlamlı bir fark vardır. Özür mesajı alanların gerekçelendirme mesajı alanlara göre affetme niyetinin göstergelerinden biri olan toplum yanlısı niyeti daha fazladır. Araştırmanın diğer önemli bulgusu kriz mesajlarında “üzüntü” duygusunu iletip iletmemenin affetme niyeti ve duygusal affetme üzerinde etkisinin bulunmamasıdır. İletilen üzüntü duygusu kızgınlık gibi olumsuz duyguları etkilememekte, kuruma yönelik olumlu duygularında artışa neden olmamakta, intikam duygularında fark yaratmamakta, aralarındaki ilişkisel zararı iyileştirmek için toplum yanlısı bir davranışsal niyete yol açmamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kriz İletişimi, Özür, Gerekçelendirme, Üzüntü, Tüketicilerin Affetme Niyeti

Kaynakça

• Avery, E. J., Lariscy, R. W., Kim, S., & Hocke, T. (2010). A quantitative review of crisis communication research in public relations from 1991 to 2009. Public Relations Review, 36(2), 190-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.01.001
• Brown, K. A., & White, C. L. (2010). Organization-public relationships and crisis response strategies: Impact on attribution of responsibility. Journal of Public Relations Research, 23(1), 75-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2010.504792
• Christensen, L. B., Johnson, R. B., & Turner, L. A. (2015). Researh Methods, Design, and Analysis (12. bs). Pearson.
• Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences Second Edition.
• Coombs, W. T. (1995). Choosing the Right Words. Management Communication Quarterly, 8(4), 447-476. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318995008004003
• Coombs, W. T. (2007a). Attribution Theory as a guide for post-crisis communication research. Public Relations Review, 33(2), 135-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.11.016
• Coombs, W. T. (2007b). Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory. Corporate Reputation Review, 10(3), 163-176. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.crr.1550049
• Coombs, W. T. (2015). Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding (W. T. Coombs, Ed.; 4. bs). Sage Publications .
• Coombs, W. T. (2016). Reflections on a meta-analysis: Crystallizing thinking about SCCT. Içinde Journal of Public Relations Research (C. 28, Sayı 2, ss. 120-122). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2016.1167479
• Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (1996). Communication and Attributions in a Crisis: An Experimental Study in Crisis Communication. İçinde Journal Of Public Relations Research (C. 8, Sayı 4).
• Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (2004). Reasoned Action in Crisis Communication: An Attribution Theory– Based Approach to Crisis Management. Içinde D. P. Millar & R. L. Heath (Ed.), Responding to Crisis: A Rhetorical Approach to Crisis Communication (ss. 95-117). Routledge.
• Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (2008). Comparing apology to equivalent crisis response strategies: Clarifying apology’s role and value in crisis communication. Public Relations Review, 34(3), 252-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2008.04.001
• Coombs, W. T., & Tachkova, E. R. (2019). Scansis as a unique crisis type: theoretical and practical implications. Journal of Communication Management, 23(1), 72-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-08-2018-0078
• DiBlasio, F. A. (1998). The use of a decision-based forgiveness intervention within intergenerational family therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 20(1), 77-96. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.00069
• Erdoğan, İ. (2012). Pozitivist Metodoloji ve Ötesi: Araştırma Tasarımları, Niteliksel ve İstatistiksel Yöntemler (3. bs). Erk Yayınları.
• Fitzgibbons, R. P. (1986). The cognitive and emotive uses of forgiveness in the treatment of anger. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 23(4), 629-633. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0085667
• Frandsen, F., & Johansen, W. (2020). A brief history of crisis management and crisis communication: From organizational practice to academic discipline. Içinde F. Frandsen & W. Johansen (Ed.), Crisis Communication (ss. 17-59). De Gruyter.
• George, D., & Mallery, P. (2020). IBM SPSS Statistics 26 Step by Step: A Simple Guide and Reference.
• Grappi, S., & Romani, S. (2015). Company Post-Crisis Communication Strategies and the Psychological Mechanism Underlying Consumer Reactions. Journal of Public Relations Research, 27(1), 22-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2014.924839
• Gürbüz, S. (2020). Kriz iletişiminde kurumsal özür yanıtlarının kamu öfkesi üzerinde etkisi: Deneysel bir çalışma. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi, 8(1), 21-44. https://doi.org/10.19145/e-gifder.639219
• İslamoğlu, A. H., & Alnıaçık, Ü. (2014). Sosyal Bilimlerde Araştırma Yöntemleri (A. H. İslamoğlu & Ü. Alnıaçık, Ed.; 4. bs). Beta.
• Kalaycı, Ş. (2018). Faktör Analizi. Içinde Ş. Kalaycı (Ed.), SPSS Uygulamalı Çok Değişkenli İstatistik Teknikleri (ss. 321-331). Dinamik Akademi.
• Kayış, A. (2018). Güvenilirlik Analizi. Içinde Ş. Kalaycı (Ed.), SPSS Uygulamalı Çok Değişkenli İstatistik Teknikleri (9. bs, ss. 403-419). Dinamik Akademi.
• Kılınç, Ö. (2018). Kriz İletişiminde Duygular, Satın Alma Niyeti ve Kültür: Kriz Türleri ve Tepki Stratejileri Üzerine Bir Araştırma [Yayımlanmış doktora tezi]. Anadolu Üniversitesi.
• Kim, S., Avery, E. J., & Lariscy, R. W. (2009). Are crisis communicators practicing what we preach?: An evaluation of crisis response strategy analyzed in public relations research from 1991 to 2009. Public Relations Review, 35(4), 446-448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2009.08.002
• Kim, S., & Sung, K. H. (2014). Revisiting the Effectiveness of Base Crisis Response Strategies in Comparison of Reputation Management Crisis Responses. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(1), 62-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2013.795867
• Lee, S. Y., Sung, Y. H., Choi, D., & Kim, D. H. (2021). Surviving a Crisis: How Crisis Type and Psychological Distance Can Inform Corporate Crisis Responses. Journal of Business Ethics, 168(4), 795-811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04233-5
• Lee, Y. (2022). An Examination of the Effects of Employee Words in Organizational Crisis: Public Forgiveness and Behavioral Intentions. International Journal of Business Communication, 59(4), 598-620. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488419877236
• Mccullough, M. E., Rachal, K. C., Sandage, S. J., Worthington, E. L., Wade, S., Rancho, B., Verdes, P., Terry, C., & Hight, L. (1998). Interpersonal Forgiving in Close Relationships: II. Theoretical Elaboration and Measurement. Içinde Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (C. 75, Sayı 6).
• McDonald, L. M., Sparks, B., & Glendon, A. I. (2010). Stakeholder reactions to company crisis communication and causes. Public Relations Review, 36(3), 263-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.04.004
• Moon, B. B., & Rhee, Y. (2012). Message strategies and forgiveness during crises: Effects of causal attributions and apology appeal types on forgiveness. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 89(4), 677-694. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699012455388
• Nabi, R. L. (1999). A Cognitive-Functional Model for the Effects of Discrete Negative Emotions on Information Processing, Attitude Change, and Recall. Communication Theory, 9(3), 292-320.
• Nabi, R. L. (2003). Exploring the Framing Effects of Emotion. Communication Research, 30(2), 224-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650202250881
• Pallant, J. (2016). SPSS Survival Manual. www.allenandunwin.com/spss
• PwC. (2019). https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/crisis-solutions/global-crisis-survey.html.
• Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. R. (2014). Research Methods for Social Work (A. Rubin & E. R. Babbie, Ed.; 8. bs). Cengage Learning.
• Rye, M. S., Loiacono, D. M., Folck, C. D., Olszewski, B. T., Heim, T. A., & Madia, B. P. (2001). Evaluation of the psychometric properties of two forgiveness scales. Current Psychology, 20(3), 260-277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-001-1011-6
• Takaku, S. (2001). The Effects of Apology and Perspective Taking on Interpersonal Forgiveness: A Dissonance-Attribution Model of Interpersonal Forgiveness. The Journal of Social Psychology, 141(4), 494-508. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224540109600567
• van der Meer, T. G. L. A., & Verhoeven, J. W. M. (2014). Emotional crisis communication. Public Relations Review, 40(3), 526-536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.03.004
• Worthington, E. L. (2005). More Questions About Forgiveness: Research Agenda for 2005–2015. Içinde E. L. Worthington (Ed.), Handbook of Forgiveness (ss. 557-573). Routledge.
• Worthington, E. L. (2006). Biopsychosocial Stress and Coping Theory of Forgiveness. Içinde E. L. Worthington (Ed.), Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Theory and Application (ss. 29-60). Routledge.
• Worthington, E. L. (2020). Handbook of Forgiveness (E. L. Worthington & N. G. Wade, Ed.; 2. bs). Roudledge.
• Worthington, E. L., Lavelock, C., vanOyen Witvliet, C., Rye, M. S., Tsang, J.-A., & Toussaint, L. (2015). Measures of Forgiveness. Içinde Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs (ss. 474-502). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-386915-9.00017-6
• Worthington, E. L., Witvliet, C. V. O., Pietrini, P., & Miller, A. J. (2007). Forgiveness, Health, and Well-Being: A Review of Evidence for Emotional Versus Decisional Forgiveness, Dispositional Forgivingness, and Reduced Unforgiveness. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30(4), 291-302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-007-9105-8
• Wu. (2016). Making Peace or Holding a Grudge? The Role of Publics’ Forgiveness in Crisis Communication.
• Wu, F., & Cui, D. (2019). Making Peace or Holding a Grudge? The Role of Publics’ Forgiveness in Crisis Communication. Içinde International Journal of Communication (C. 13). http://ijoc.org.
• Xie, Y., & Peng, S. (2009). How to repair customer trust after negative publicity: The roles of competence, integrity, benevolence, and forgiveness. Psychology & Marketing, 26(7), 572-589. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20289
• Yaşlıoğlu, M. M. (2017). Sosyal Bilimlerde Faktör Analizi ve Geçerlilik: Keşfedici ve Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizlerinin Kullanılması. İstanbul Üniversitesi İşletme Fakültesi Dergisi, 46, 74-85.