Good for Samsung is Good for Korea: Image Restoration Strategies Used by Samsung After a Whistle-Blowing Corruption Scandal

Abstract

This study sought to examine the image restoration and renewal strategies a prestigious South Korean company (Samsung) employed in responding to the allegations of wrongdoing made by a whistler-blower. Review of official comments and documents found that the organization used defensive strategies (e.g., transcendence, denial, attack the accuser, bolstering) in order to protect its image. Among defensive strategies, the "transcendence" image restoration strategy was the most effective one and successfully made the South Korean public to believe that a few misconducts done by Samsung should be justified to protect the national economy from fierce global economic competitions. Even though crises can be used as a chance for image restoration and organization renewal, Samsung did not carry meaningful and observable actions that essentially renew or correct the problems.