This experimental study found that employing reputation management crisis-response strategies was no better than adopting only the base crisis-response strategy (i.e., instructing and adjusting information) in terms of generating positive responses from the public. Two-sided messages (i.e., sharing both positive and negative information) in crisis communication were found to be more effective than one-sided messages in a victim crisis. In addition, even in a preventable crisis, one-sided messages (i.e., sharing only positive information) were not more effective than two-sided messages. Finally, the study found little support for Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)'s recommendations for the best crisis response strategy selections.No organizations are free from crises. A company's reputation can be destroyed in seconds by a single incident. Mishandled and sluggish corporate crisis responses often allow a single trigger event to result in a full-blown crisis, tarnishing a sterling reputation built by stellar performance and hard work. For instance, Toyota had enjoyed a positive reputation before the recall crisis in 2010. Toyota spent decades working to earn the respect of US customers through quality control and continuous improvement of its products (Goodman, 2010). However, the company confronted the biggest reputational implosion in its history after the crisis, despite its enormous reputation-repair efforts. Due to the tremendous reputational threat associated with a crisis, corporations tend to emphasize reputation repair as a main goal for their crisis responses (Kim, Avery, & Lariscy, 2011), often resulting in negligence in providing base crisis responses (i.e., instructing and adjusting information). This predominant emphasis on reputation management also drives the crisis communication of organizations reluctant to share negative information about themselves. This is why the most common reputation management strategies adopted by organizations in crises are denial (i.e., denying any responsibility for the crisis) and bolstering (i.e., emphasizing the company's previous good deeds) strategies (Kim, Avery, & Lariscy, 2009).

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how Fortune 100 companies are using Facebook (FB) in terms of employing corporate ability (CA), corporate social responsibility (CSR), and hybrid communication strategies, meeting different stakeholders’ expectations, and incorporating interactivity components into social media. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative content analysis was used to examine a total of 1,486 corporate FB postings. Findings –Fortune 100 companies predominantly employed a CA strategy over a CSR strategy or a hybrid strategy. They prioritize customers’ needs over other stakeholders’ (e.g. stockholders and community members) on FB. FB fans are more likely to post “like” when companies personalize their FB messages. Seeking specific action-oriented participation on FB increased the frequencies of “like” and “comment,” whereas using the generic terms like “try” or “learn” decreased such frequencies. Finally, the frequencies of fans posting “like” and “comment” are affected by how often companies responded to fans’ postings and not influenced by how often companies feed new FB updates to fans. Originality/value – This study provides a benchmark case of how corporations are using a mainstream social media outlet to engage different stakeholders. It helps to assess the current status of public relations communication strategies on the mainstream social networking site. Companies can increase public engagement and response on social media through more personalized messages and techniques to encourage active participation and dialogue.

The authors investigated the effects of reading different types of online comments about a company on people's attitude change based on individual's prior attitude toward the company. Based on Social Judgment Theory, several hypotheses were tested. The results showed that the effects of online comments interact with individuals' prior attitudes toward a corporation. People with a strong negative attitude toward a corporation were less influenced by other's online comments than people with a neutral attitude in general. However, people with a prior negative attitude were more affected by refutational two-sided comments than one-sided comments. The results suggest that the effects of user generated content should be studied in a holistic manner, not only by investigating the effects of online content itself, but also by examining how others' responses to the content shape or change individuals' attitudes based on their prior attitudes.

The current study reveals that an organization can increase its personification and personality dimensions on social networking sites by adopting an interpersonal approach of communication (i.e., increased interaction, conversational tone). This personification of the organization led to an increased perceived relationship investment, eventually leading to an increased perceived relationship quality toward the organization. Five personality dimensions were examined, and of these the sincerity dimension mediated the influence of personification on perceived relationship investment. This finding suggests that sincerity might be an important dimension for organization-public relationship building.

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Through a quantitative content analysis, this study examines how varying online communicative behaviors are connected to news characteristics of focus, tone, and media framing of crisis communication during the South Korean Candlelight Revolution that led to the ouster of former President Park in 2017. This work suggests that, when the news stance was positive toward or the focus was on Park, Koreans were more active in showing disapproval through comments posted and anger expressed; when the news stance was negative toward Park or the focus was anti-Park, Koreans were more tacitly supportive, clicking likes more. This work also suggests that news media performed active frame-setting of Park’s crisis-response strategies by presenting more defensive strategies than accommodative ones. Publics’ news consumption of media-framed defensive crisis-response strategies tended to elicit more active online public engagement than when such media framing was absent.

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