2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

Testing Crisis Response Strategies: A Comparative Quantitative Investigation of the
Impact of Reputational Bolstering on Perceptions of Wrongdoing and Trust During
Organizational Crises
Dean Kazoleas
California State University Fullerton
dkazoleas@fullerton.edu
Abstract
This empirical investigation seeks to build on past public relations research in the area of crisis
response by offering a comparative analysis of crisis response/image restoration strategy
effectiveness. This research presents the results of an investigation that compared the
effectiveness of “bolstering”/”diminishing” image restoration strategies against other direct and
indirect strategies. An experimental design had 269 participants read an article stimulus which
operationalized response strategies such as bolstering, transcendence, and denial in the face of
allegations of sexual harassment. The results found that use of bolstering as a strategy led to
decreased perceptions of guilt and wrongdoing, increased perceptions of trust/truthfulness, and
increased perceptions regarding a “non-hostile” work environment. Moreover, it was found to be
more effective than strategies such as transcendence and denial. These differences were
statistically significant and were not attributable to chance. These findings have significant
meaning for researchers examining crisis and image restoration strategies in that they provide
systematic empirical and comparative theoretical results, and also provide valuable insight for
practitioners seeking comparative data that will aid strategy selection in the face of an impending
crisis.
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the purpose is to advance the body of
knowledge surrounding theoretical public relations research in the area of crisis response and
image restoration. Second, this investigation was also designed to provide public relations
practitioners with quantitatively based results that provide guidance when choosing among
competing strategies in the face an emerging crisis. This manuscript focuses on the effectiveness
of an organization’s response against litigation based charges, in this case sexual harassment.
Given the aggressive legalistic environment that today’s organizations must cope with, this
investigation examines the effectiveness of using media response strategies which focus on
organizational past positive proactive practices and the legalistic nature of the business
environment. This investigation tested the effectiveness of a strategy which attempts to minimize
perceptions of the offensiveness of an act and diminish perceptions of wrongdoing, by
commenting on positive past practices taken to address threatening issues by taking positive
action, a strategy commonly referred to as “bolstering”. Specifically, this research performs a
comparative test of crisis response/media strategies such as bolstering against other more direct
and indirect strategies that can be used to minimize damage and/or an organization’s image.
Finally, in addition to theoretical contributions this research hopes to add to a body of knowledge
that allows the public relations practitioner to minimize the damage to the organization’s
reputation in the face of crises by providing a comparative quantitative analysis of competing
strategic choices.
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