Journal Review

Aazarah Ayu Anggraini

135120207121007

Journal Review:

Understanding Image Restoration Strategies

From a Stakeholder Approach

Chutima Kessadayurat

It is impossible to be said that every public or private organization never confront with a crisis, in case they always do. The journal focus on image restoration strategies as the way to clarify a crisis and indicate two major theoretical framework, theory of social construction of reality and stakeholder analysis approach. The author mention that most of the image restoration studies are based on western theory which may not be utterly applicable to eastern context, Thai context. It is the part of important thing because differences influence how the application of image restoration theory in different beliefs, values, attitudes, and different expectation among stakeholders. Therefore, the author implicate theory of social construction of reality to give understanding the image restoration message.

At the first, author explain specifically regarding crisis, that crisis is a specific, unexpected and non-routine event or series of events that create high levels of uncertainty and threaten or are perceived to threaten an organization’s high-priority goal (Seeger, Sellnow & Ulmer, 1998, 233). Hermann (1963) mention there are three variables that indicate crisis; threat, short response time, and surprise. Crisis classify in term of public perception, marketing shift, product failure, top management succession and financial crisis.

Then, the author explain about image restoration strategies. Image restoration is a strategic communication crisis to restore organization’s image. Communication is a substantial matter which is able to restore organization’s image after the crisis. Image restoration strategies focus on a message which delivered through communication process. There are four five image restoration strategies to understand the image repair message; denial, evasion of responsibility, reduce the offensiveness of act, corrective action, and mortification. Theory of social construction of reality is way to understand the image restoration message as communication process. Reality not formed naturally but socially constructed by social interaction (communication process). Three principle of social constructionism are; conceptions of reality (including of ourselves) are created through social interaction, human institutions are created through social interactions and cannot exist independently of human agreement, and the constructed world of everyday life is itself an important element in the maintenance and reconstruction. The relationship between social construction and image restoration is image formed through communication, in restoring image it needs communication to adjust the differences group of stakeholders. Therefore, construction of reality give understanding on how compile image restoration strategic message to be communicated to different groups of stakeholders.

Stakeholder assign as employees, shareholders, communities, consumers and suppliers, investors, stockholders, creditors, trade associations, government, and public. Stakeholder theory is dividing three perspective; broad, narrow priori, and narrow situational approach. They divided based on the situation.

Ultimately, the author greatly clear in explaining about theories that used in this journal, however the author is little bit unclear in explaining about the discussion of image restoration strategies from stakeholders approach, point from this journal is the link between image restoration strategies and stakeholders approach. It will be better if the author put the example or the case about the topic.

Journal Review:

Impact of Past Crises on Current Crisis Communication

W. Timothy Coombs

This journal, author want to test communication theory whether the history of similar crises affect the organization’s reputation. The case that author applied as the object of the research is Philips Petroleum Company in Pasadena, Texas. SCCT theory argues that past or history experience influences public perception towards current crisis. The discussion also contain attribution theory which people will make a judgement about the cause of the crisis. When making attribution, commonly people use three dimensions; stability, external control, and personal control/locus to help them determine the cause of the crisis. The author contend four hypothesis based on the type of crisis based on attribution of crisis responsibility.

               The methodology used by author is taking respondents 321 undergraduate students and community members who live in Midwestern City, United States. A community members at least 24 years old and not attending school. The focus of respondent in this research is non-victim, people who not injured by the crisis but pursue the crisis information in news media, then students and community members are suitable with the parameter of non-victim.

            Result of the research shows that crisis history have direct and indirect effect on organizational reputation, in indirect effect found in hypothesis 1 and 2, crisis history and perception of crisis responsibility;

Hypothesis 1: In the victim cluster, a history of crises will produce stronger attributions of crisis responsibility than either information indicating no past crises or no presentation of information about past crises.
Hypothesis 2: In the accident cluster, a history of crises will produce stronger attributions of crisis responsibility than either information indicating no past crises or no presentation of information about past crises.

Then, direct effect found in hypothesis 3 and 4, that there is relationship between crisis history and organizational reputation;

Hypothesis 3: In the victim cluster, a history of crises will produce less positive perceptions of organizational reputation than either information indicating no past crises or no presentation of information about past crises.

Hypothesis 4: In the accident cluster, a history of crises will produce less positive perceptions of organizational reputation than either information indicating no past crises or no presentation of information about past crises.

               Overall, this journal is easily to be read because it is really structured by providing literature review, methodology and hypothesis, discussion, conclusion, limitation. Besides that, the content of the journal is greatly to be understand, all of the component is related to each other.  

References:

Coombs, W.T. (2004). Impact of past crises on current crisis communication: cnsights from situational crisis communication theory. Journal Of Business Communication, 41 (3), 265-289. DOI: 10.1177/0021943604265607

Kessadayurat, C. (2011). Understanding image restoration strategies from a stakeholder approach. BU Academic Review, 10 (1), 282-287