Corporate Reputation Review

TABLE 1

FROM:

Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory

W Timothy Coombs

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Table 1. SCCT crisis types by crisis clusters

Figure and tables index
Victim cluster: In these crisis types, the organization is also a victim of the crisis.
(Weak attributions of crisis responsibility = Mild reputational threat)
  Natural disaster: Acts of nature damage an organization such as an earthquake.
  Rumor: False and damaging information about an organization is being circulated.
  Workplace violence: Current or former employee attacks current employees onsite.
  Product tampering/Malevolence: External agent causes damage to an organization.
 
Accidental cluster: In these crisis types, the organizational actions leading to the crisis were unintentional.
(Minimal attributions of crisis responsibility = Moderate reputational threat)
  Challenges: Stakeholders claim an organization is operating in an inappropriate manner.
  Technical-error accidents: A technology or equipment failure causes an industrial accident.
  Technical-error product harm: A technology or equipment failure causes a product to be recalled.
 
Preventable cluster: In these crisis types, the organization knowingly placed people at risk, took inappropriate actions or violated a law/regulation.
(Strong attributions of crisis responsibility = Severe reputational threat)
  Human-error accidents: Human error causes an industrial accident.
  Human-error product harm: Human error causes a product to be recalled.
  Organizational misdeed with no injuries: Stakeholders are deceived without injury.
  Organizational misdeed management misconduct: Laws or regulations are violated by management.
  Organizational misdeed with injuries: Stakeholders are placed at risk by management and injuries occur.
Figure and tables index
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