The role of emotions in crisis responses: Inaugural test of the integrated crisis mapping (ICM) model

• Main Authors: JIN, Yan, PANG, Augustine, CAMERON, Glen T.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2010
• Subjects: Corporate communications; Communication management; Emotional intelligence; Public relations; United States of America; Business and Corporate Communications; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6031; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7030/viewcontent/Emotions_crisis_2010_av.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to extend current theories in crisis communication, by developing a more systemic approach to understanding the role of emotions in crises and the strategies organizations can use to respond. The authors' integrated crisis mapping (ICM) model is premised on a public-based, emotion-driven perspective where different crises are mapped on two continua, the organization's engagement in the crisis and primary public's coping strategy. Design/methodology/approach: Content analysis was used to analyze 259 stories in US mainstream newspaper covering five different crisis cases. Findings: The initial test suggests theoretical rigor. It found that publics involved in crises pertaining to reputational damage, technological breakdown, industrial matters, labor unrest, and regulation/legislation, are likely to feel anxious, angry, and sad. At the same time, they are likely to engage in conative coping. Originality/value: Understanding publics' emotions in crisis is a rarely studied area. This model is arguably the first to suggest a framework of emotions. This study is the first of a series of tests to generate what Yin termed "analytic generalization" for the ICM model.