The role of emotions in crisis responses: Inaugural test of the integrated crisis mapping (ICM) model
Corporate Communications: An International Journal
ISSN: 1356-3289
Article publication date: 12 October 2010
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Citation
Jin, Y., Pang, A. and Cameron, G.T. (2010), "The role of emotions in crisis responses: Inaugural test of the integrated crisis mapping (ICM) model", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 428-452. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563281011085529
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited