Reasoned Action in Crisis Communication: An Attribution Theory—Based Approach to Crisis Management

Abstract

A consistent theme in communication research is that situations are an important influence on the selection of communication strategies (Bitzer, 1968; Black, 1965; Metts & Cupach, 1989; Ware & Linkugel, 1973; Wilson, Cruz, Marshall, & Rao, 1993). It is reasonable, therefore, to assume crisis communication should be affected by the crisis situation. Such a connection can produce valuable insights for practitioners. By understanding how crisis situations recommend or restrict crisis communication options, a crisis manager can plan ahead. By knowing which crisis response strategies fit with which crisis situations, a manager can assess the potential utility of his or her communication options. A crisis manager is better prepared for crisis communication when she or he knows which response fits best with a given crisis situation. Three points must be addressed to understand how to match crisis response strategies with crisis situations: development of a list of crisis response strategies; identification of crisis types; and creation of a link between the crisis response strategies and crisis types.

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