Apologies combined with other crisis response strategies: Do the fulfillment of individuals' needs to be heard and the timing of response message affect apology appropriateness?

Abstract

Combining different crisis response strategies of situational crisis communication theory, two studies examined the components of an appropriate crisis response strategy that includes an apology. Regarding the content of crisis responses, apologies that are combined with compensation were perceived to be more appropriate than those with scapegoating. In terms of the context of crisis responses, the two studies examined the timing of announcing the responses. In study 1, the appropriateness of an apology that was coupled with compensation decreased over time, while the appropriateness of the responses, in general, fluctuated over time in study 2. To further comprehend the mechanisms behind the appropriateness of the crisis responses, this research utilizes how well the organization responded to individuals’ dispositional needs to be heard. How well a response fulfilled the stakeholders’ needs to be heard explained 66 % of the variance of its appropriateness; the more the response was perceived to fulfill their desires to be heard, the more appropriate it was.