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A Victim or Not? A quantitative experimental study of a cyber attack crisis’ effect on public attitudes toward an organization and on the organization’s reputation

Ryan, Ella LU and Söderberg, Märta LU (2024) SKDK11 20241
Department of Strategic Communication
Abstract
This study aims to examine how a cyber attack crisis affects public attitudes toward an organization and the organization’s reputation. The study explores the Situational Crisis Communication Theory’s (SCCT) victim categorization of a cyber attack crisis in a Swedish context. Further, it examines how individuals’ knowledge about cyber attacks, attribution of crisis responsibility, and response strategies affect the public’s attitudes and the organization’s reputation. By conducting a quantitative experimental survey study, we found that the response strategies scapegoat and victimage are ineffective in protecting an organization’s reputation during a cyber attack crisis and result in worsened attitudes toward the organization. Further, the... (More)
This study aims to examine how a cyber attack crisis affects public attitudes toward an organization and the organization’s reputation. The study explores the Situational Crisis Communication Theory’s (SCCT) victim categorization of a cyber attack crisis in a Swedish context. Further, it examines how individuals’ knowledge about cyber attacks, attribution of crisis responsibility, and response strategies affect the public’s attitudes and the organization’s reputation. By conducting a quantitative experimental survey study, we found that the response strategies scapegoat and victimage are ineffective in protecting an organization’s reputation during a cyber attack crisis and result in worsened attitudes toward the organization. Further, the response strategies excuse, apology, ingratiation, and compensation were found to have statistically significant positive effects on attitudes toward the organization. These findings contradict the SCCT’s framework for crises in the victim cluster. Furthermore, individuals’ knowledge about cyber attacks showed minimal impact on public attitudes and the organization’s reputation. Attribution of crisis responsibility was found to negatively affect public attitudes toward the organization but has less pronounced effects on the reputation. The study contributes to knowledge in the field of strategic communication and crisis management. Due to the study’s findings, we encourage future research to continue exploring the phenomenon of cyber attack crises to contribute with knowledge of how to effectively manage such crises and protect the organization’s reputation. (Less)
Popular Abstract (Swedish)
Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur en cyberattackkris påverkar allmänhetens attityder gentemot en organisation samt organisationens rykte. Studien utforskar teorin Situational Crisis Communication Theorys (SCCT) offerkategorisering av en cyberattackkris i en svensk kontext. Vidare undersöks hur individers kunskap om cyberattacker, tillskrivning av krisansvar och nyttjande av olika responsstrategier påverkar allmänhetens attityder och organisationens rykte. Genom att genomföra en kvantitativ experimentell enkätstudie fann vi att responsstrategierna scapegoat och victimage var ineffektiva för att skydda organisationens rykte under en cyberattackkris och resulterade i försämrade attityder gentemot organisationen. Därtill visade sig... (More)
Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur en cyberattackkris påverkar allmänhetens attityder gentemot en organisation samt organisationens rykte. Studien utforskar teorin Situational Crisis Communication Theorys (SCCT) offerkategorisering av en cyberattackkris i en svensk kontext. Vidare undersöks hur individers kunskap om cyberattacker, tillskrivning av krisansvar och nyttjande av olika responsstrategier påverkar allmänhetens attityder och organisationens rykte. Genom att genomföra en kvantitativ experimentell enkätstudie fann vi att responsstrategierna scapegoat och victimage var ineffektiva för att skydda organisationens rykte under en cyberattackkris och resulterade i försämrade attityder gentemot organisationen. Därtill visade sig responsstrategierna excuse, apology, ingratiation och compensation ha statistiskt signifikanta positiva effekter på allmänhetens attityd gentemot organisationen. Dessa resultat står i motsats och skiljer sig från SCCTs ramverk för kriser i offerkategorin. Dessutom visade individers kunskap om cyberattacker ha en minimal påverkan på attityden mot organisationen såväl som dess rykte. Tillskrivningen av krisansvar visa sig påverka allmänhetens attityder gentemot organisationen negativ men inte organisationens rykte. Studien bidrar med kunskap inom forskningsfälten strategisk kommunikation och crisis management. Med studiens resultat i åtanke uppmanar vi framtida forskning att fortsätta utforska fenomenet cyberattackskriser för att bidra med kunskap om hur man effektivt hanterar en sådan kris har för att skydda organisationens rykte. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ryan, Ella LU and Söderberg, Märta LU
supervisor
organization
course
SKDK11 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
crisis communication, SCCT, response strategies, cyber attack, survey experiment
language
English
id
9154741
date added to LUP
2024-08-27 10:31:22
date last changed
2024-08-27 10:31:22
@misc{9154741,
  abstract     = {{This study aims to examine how a cyber attack crisis affects public attitudes toward an organization and the organization’s reputation. The study explores the Situational Crisis Communication Theory’s (SCCT) victim categorization of a cyber attack crisis in a Swedish context. Further, it examines how individuals’ knowledge about cyber attacks, attribution of crisis responsibility, and response strategies affect the public’s attitudes and the organization’s reputation. By conducting a quantitative experimental survey study, we found that the response strategies scapegoat and victimage are ineffective in protecting an organization’s reputation during a cyber attack crisis and result in worsened attitudes toward the organization. Further, the response strategies excuse, apology, ingratiation, and compensation were found to have statistically significant positive effects on attitudes toward the organization. These findings contradict the SCCT’s framework for crises in the victim cluster. Furthermore, individuals’ knowledge about cyber attacks showed minimal impact on public attitudes and the organization’s reputation. Attribution of crisis responsibility was found to negatively affect public attitudes toward the organization but has less pronounced effects on the reputation. The study contributes to knowledge in the field of strategic communication and crisis management. Due to the study’s findings, we encourage future research to continue exploring the phenomenon of cyber attack crises to contribute with knowledge of how to effectively manage such crises and protect the organization’s reputation.}},
  author       = {{Ryan, Ella and Söderberg, Märta}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{A Victim or Not? A quantitative experimental study of a cyber attack crisis’ effect on public attitudes toward an organization and on the organization’s reputation}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}