Working too much in China's tech industry

Corporate social advocacy as a crisis response strategy to issue-based opinion polarization

Bibliographic Data

ID12420975
AuthorsYingru Ji (0000-0003-2969-2947, Zhejiang University, corresponding author), Chang Wan (0000-0002-8841-7403, Zhejiang University)
Year2023
Volume34
Issue2
Pages320-342
Publication date2023-01-16
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternet Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1066-2243 • E-ISSN: 2054-5657
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/intr-12-2021-0878
OpenAlexW4316369050
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited58

Purpose Once a corporate crisis is entangled with a social issue, how consumers make sense of the crisis can be impacted by issue-based opinion polarization. This study investigates the underlying mechanisms as consumers go through this process. This study also examines whether corporate social advocacy (CSA) can be an effective crisis-response strategy for mitigating reputational loss. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical inquiries were empirically tested using an online experiment ( N = 792). The experiment set the context in China, in a working-overtime-issue-related crisis. It had a 2 (online exposure: anti-issue opinion vs. pro-issue opinion) × 2 (CSA: absence vs. presence) between-subject design with a continuous variable (pre-existing issue attitudes) measured before the manipulation. Findings This study found that pre-existing issue attitudes can be directly and indirectly associated with corporate reputation, for the issue attitudes influence how consumers attribute crisis blame. Such a direct effect of pre-existing issue attitudes varies depending on which polarized opinion consumers were exposed to on social media. This study also found CSA to be a robust crisis response strategy, through multiple mechanisms, in protecting the corporate reputation. Originality/value Scholars are scarcely aware of the threats that issue-based opinion polarization poses to corporate reputation. This study serves as an early attempt to provide theoretical explanations. In addition to this, this study extends the current conceptual understandings of CSA during corporate crises that involve social issues while adding fresh insights into the established typology of crisis-response strategies

Blame · Business · Corporate communication · Corporate social responsibility · Crisis communication · Crisis response · Originality · Polarization (electrochemistry · Political science · Public relations · Reputation · Social media · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology

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