The power of empathy: the dual impacts of an emotional voice in organizational crisis communication

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines how sadness, expressed through the voice of a CEO of an organization in crisis, affects the public's perceptions in times of crisis. A first experiment shows that a sad voice increases the public's empathy toward the CEO, which results in positive attitudes toward the organization. However, at the same time, that sad voice results in negative attitudes toward the organization because it makes the CEO appear less powerful. A second experiment examined if the impact of an emotional voice depends on the crisis stage. The negative effect of vocal emotions due to reduced perceptions of powerfulness only occurs during the trigger event of the crisis. The positive effect of vocal expressions of sadness through increased empathy occurs throughout all stages of the crisis life cycle. These findings indicate that organizational spokespersons should not be afraid to express genuine emotions in their voices in times of crisis.