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Contextual Factors and Crisis Attribution in Social Media Crisis : Revisiting Situational Crisis Communication Theory in the Chinese Context

Zhao, Hui LU (2016) 9th International Forum on Public Relations & Advertising and The 3th Strategic Communication & The 1st Annual Conference of the Public Relations Society of China
Abstract
The neglect of broader social and cultural contexts in crisis communication research raises the question of the applicability of Western originated theories in nonwestern contexts. To address the issue, this study revisits Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) in Chinese contexts by taking an online discussion on Weibo about a high-profile homicide in a McDonald’s restaurant as the case. Built on framing theory and categorization of national contexts, an inductive framing analysis of 100 top forwarded posts demonstrates the complex negotiation process of context-embedded frames and its significant impacts on crisis attribution. Based on the empirical results, this study takes an initial step towards a contextually sensitive... (More)
The neglect of broader social and cultural contexts in crisis communication research raises the question of the applicability of Western originated theories in nonwestern contexts. To address the issue, this study revisits Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) in Chinese contexts by taking an online discussion on Weibo about a high-profile homicide in a McDonald’s restaurant as the case. Built on framing theory and categorization of national contexts, an inductive framing analysis of 100 top forwarded posts demonstrates the complex negotiation process of context-embedded frames and its significant impacts on crisis attribution. Based on the empirical results, this study takes an initial step towards a contextually sensitive perspective in the field of crisis communication by refining the model of SCCT: first, the consideration of modifier should integrate contextual factors; second, the determination of crisis type should rely on crisis framing. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
unpublished
subject
keywords
organizational-crisis, crisis communication, context, China, Weibo
conference name
9th International Forum on Public Relations & Advertising and The 3th Strategic Communication & The 1st Annual Conference of the Public Relations Society of China
conference location
HongKong, China
conference dates
2016-11-02 - 2016-11-04
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Best student paper award
id
257b628b-1e38-4e77-bc8c-0503f563b7f9
date added to LUP
2016-11-14 23:05:01
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:27:23
@misc{257b628b-1e38-4e77-bc8c-0503f563b7f9,
  abstract     = {{The neglect of broader social and cultural contexts in crisis communication research raises the question of the applicability of Western originated theories in nonwestern contexts. To address the issue, this study revisits Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) in Chinese contexts by taking an online discussion on Weibo about a high-profile homicide in a McDonald’s restaurant as the case. Built on framing theory and categorization of national contexts, an inductive framing analysis of 100 top forwarded posts demonstrates the complex negotiation process of context-embedded frames and its significant impacts on crisis attribution. Based on the empirical results, this study takes an initial step towards a contextually sensitive perspective in the field of crisis communication by refining the model of SCCT: first, the consideration of modifier should integrate contextual factors; second, the determination of crisis type should rely on crisis framing.}},
  author       = {{Zhao, Hui}},
  keywords     = {{organizational-crisis; crisis communication; context; China; Weibo}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{Contextual Factors and Crisis Attribution in Social Media Crisis : Revisiting Situational Crisis Communication Theory in the Chinese Context}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}