Information and Compassion in Crisis Responses: A Test of Their Effects

This article reports the results of an experimental study that tested the effect of compassion and instructing information in crisis response strategies on organizational reputation, honoring accounts, and intended potential supportive behavior. The study used a pool of 1 14 crisis managers, overcoming the limitation of using only student populations. The literature analysis sets up the rationale of examining compassion and instructing information in accident crises. The results found a significant, positive effect for compassion on organizational reputation, honoring accounts, and intended potential supportive behavior. No such effect was found for instructing information. In general, experimental studies like this one help to advance our understanding of crisis communication strategies and the crisis management process. The specific implications of the study for crisis management are discussed at the end of the article.