{"title":"Examining Tension Management of Coastal Residents' Decisions to Stay or Leave During Hurricane Florence","authors":"Andrew S. Pyle, Ryan P. Fuller, Hillary Smith","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examines how coastal residents in the path of a hurricane manage the tension to evacuate or stay. In interviews with 17 coastal residents, we found evidence of tension management through account giving. Stayers justified their choices as keeping close to loved ones and animals, reducing difficulties in returning, and benchmarking prior storms to guide their actions over other sources of information. Evacuees framed the tension as either the <i>only</i> choice or the better of two poor choices. Our analysis also revealed contradictions in evacuating: a case of haves (have resources to evacuate but do not) and have nots (want to evacuate, but do not have the resources) and the perception that shelters were not a viable option. Lastly, stayers extracted lessons learned that reinforced their action and would likely guide future behaviours through benchmarking. Implications of these findings are offered for emergency managers, including speaking to residents' tension management, addressing contradictions, and acknowledging lesson learned, are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.70036","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143581785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Conditions for Successful Collaboration in Emergency Response: Evidence From a Survey Experiment of Organized Search and Rescue Volunteers in Norway","authors":"Dag Wollebæk, Vibeke Wøien Hansen","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70034","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Trust, previous collaboration history, power asymmetry, and shifts from horizontal to hierarchical governance are factors that have been argued and, to some extent, shown to impact the success of collaboration. However, we know little about how these factors play out in the context of emergency response collaboration, particularly between public authorities and organized search and rescue (SAR) volunteers. Using a conjoint experiment with organized SAR volunteers in Norway, we examine how collaboration that blends hierarchical command and horizontal network coordination works in practice by randomly varying multiple features of a hypothetical mission. Our exploratory study confirms that the shift from horizontal to vertical modes of governance poses a challenge for collaborative emergency response. Furthermore, the findings highlight that trust, as social capital built through repeated interactions, is a key resource in multi-actor emergency management, both as an initial condition and during the response phase.</p>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.70034","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143513859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adept or Inept? Examining the Chinese Government's Social Media Crisis Response During the Zhengzhou Rainstorm","authors":"Jintao Zhang, Suying Sun","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70033","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Effective crisis communication is important for governments to mitigate the impact of disasters and maintain public trust. This study examines the Chinese government's social media crisis response during the 2021 Zhengzhou rainstorm, developing a government crisis frame model to analyze 10,036 Weibo posts across 73 government accounts. The findings reveal three dominant framing strategies: Disaster Reporting and Information Updates, Leadership and Disaster Relief, and Achievement, which collectively highlight institutional competence and phased progress to cultivate public confidence. Additionally, the government strategically amplified emotional appeals through the Human Interest and Encouragement frame, fostering collective political emotions and social cohesion, while the Severity frame appeared far less frequently. Notably, while the Inviting the Public frame had the strongest communication effect, it was the least utilized. The association between the government sector and effect is relatively weak and becomes insignificant after controlling for follower count and crisis stage. While the government level significantly and positively influences the communication effect, provincial-municipal differences were marginal, reflecting that high economic capital enables municipal media to achieve autonomy comparable to provincial actors. These results reveal the Chinese government's strategic use of social media to achieve integrative consensus and collective resilience. This research provides empirical evidence of the Chinese government's crisis communication strategies on social media and offers a methodological framework for analyzing government crisis responses in the digital era, contributing to the broader discourse on political communication.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143513647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Does Crisis Learning Contribute to Disaster Resilience?—A Case of Two Flood Disasters Caused by Rainstorms in Shouguang County on the North China Plain of China","authors":"Haifeng Zhang, Feng Kong","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70035","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>As an important branch of organisational learning, crisis learning can play a unique function in enhancing resilience in the field of disasters. However, the current knowledge and research on the relationship between crisis learning and disaster resilience are very limited. By establishing the research framework of the “Subject-Process-Resilience Capacity” of crisis learning, this paper indicates that resilience in the disaster field can be improved by the multiple subjects of the social system through crisis learning behaviour in the whole process of responding to disasters. Through the longitudinal comparative analysis of a case of two flood disasters caused by rainstorms in Shouguang County, this study found that the subjects of crisis learning are not only public departments and governments, but also market subjects, social organisations and individuals. These multiple subjects can adopt different crisis learning behaviours before, during and after disasters, so as to improve the preventive, response and recovery capabilities of disaster resilience. In addition, the causal relationship between crisis learning and disaster resilience explored in this paper can also help enrich the connotation of resilience in the field of disaster research and provide reference value for social systems to enhance their resilience to natural disasters.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143513621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Evolution of Emergency Planning at Kent State University, 1970–2020","authors":"Erica Eckert","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70032","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The shootings at Kent State on May 4, 1970, shocked people all over the world and were a disaster for the university. To resume operations and rebuild its reputation, Kent State University turned to emergency planning decades before it was standard practice in higher education. Scholars of emergency management assert that innovation in the field often arises in response to disasters (Rubin, 2020) and that examining its history offers valuable insights (Butler, 2020; Phillips et al. 2012). The Kent State shootings served as a focusing event (Rubin, 2020) that opened a policy window (Kingdon, 1995) within the institution. Drawing on archival documents and oral histories, this historical case study examines how Kent State created their emergency plan through the lens of Kingdon's multiple streams framework. It presents a rare glimpse of an early example of emergency planning in higher education. This paper situates Kent State's actions within the broader context of emergency planning in higher education, explains how its first plan was developed and what it contained, and concludes with a brief description of recent emergency planning at Kent State.</p>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.70032","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wenqing Zhao, Anna Rachwalski, Maranda Berndt-Goke, Yan Jin
{"title":"An Examination of Management of AI-Triggered Organisational Threats From Communication Practitioners' Perspective","authors":"Wenqing Zhao, Anna Rachwalski, Maranda Berndt-Goke, Yan Jin","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70031","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The growing demand for using AI in day-to-day work in the communication industry brings ethical threats to organisations (i.e., misinformation, discrimination and bias, lack of transparency and disclosure, privacy violation and infringement, and copyright infringement). Meanwhile, organisational communication management also faces threats posed by external AI-driven disinformation. The internal and external threats boost the urgency of strategy development for effective organisational crisis management. This study, based on an online survey of communication professionals in the US (<i>N</i> = 407), provides timely input to organisations on how to manage AI-related ethical threats from inside and outside by understanding the perspective of communication practitioners. Building upon extant ethical AI challenges and the theoretical framework of the problem of many hands, this study examines communication professionals' attitudes and perceptions toward both AI ethical threats and strategies proposed to manage those threats, and the predictors of their behavioural intentions regarding threat management. We found that communication practitioners have reservations about being fully transparent about AI use to their clients. To effectively address AI ethical threats, organisations need to consider building a culture of active responsibility to prevent responsibility evasion and impunity, enhancing communication practitioners' awareness and knowledge about the pitfalls of technical systems, and improving practitioners' perceived efficacy of strategies for managing AI ethical threats.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"We Feel, We Understand: Examining the Moderating Effects of Publics' Empathy on Crisis Outcomes Across Crisis Types and Response Strategies","authors":"James Ndone","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70029","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examines how empathy, operationalized into affective and cognitive dimensions, influences stakeholders' perceptions during organisational crises. Also, the study explores the mediating role of account acceptance in the relationship between crisis response strategies and organisational outcomes. An online three (crisis type: victim vs. accidental vs. preventable) × two (crisis response strategy: apology vs. denial) between-subjects experimental design with 686 participants randomly assigned to different crises (victim, accidental, preventable) and response strategy (apology, denial) was conducted. The findings reveal that account acceptance mediates the relationship between crisis response strategies and key organisational outcomes such as reputation, forgiveness, and purchase intention. Moreover, affective and cognitive empathy serve as moderators, amplifying or diminishing the effectiveness of these strategies. This research provides both theoretical insights and practical guidance on leveraging empathy to enhance crisis communication.</p>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.70029","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Public Information-Seeking Intentions on COVID-19 Risks: Considering the Role of Affective and Cognitive States","authors":"Xiaoli Hu, Weiwei Zhu, Baohuan Zhou, Liang Liang","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70030","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Risk information represented by the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has garnered significant attention as a foundation for individuals to appraise threats and engage in protective actions. Although many opportunities exist to provide risk information to the public in a permanent form, little attention has been paid to active information-seeking behaviour. This study investigates the primary factors influencing the intent to seek information within the context of COVID-19 and delves into the mechanisms of the information-seeking process. We utilize a snowball sampling method to collect data. A total of 1300 people were selected from three universities, five companies, one hospital, and the local government as respondents. Based on a prior risk information-seeking model, a hypothetical model was developed that accentuates the pivotal role of affective states and cognitive conditions (encompassing perceived risk and perceived knowledge). The empirical results underscore the significance of cognitive states in forecasting affective and informational responses. Surprisingly, the intent to seek information is directly influenced by perceived knowledge but not by perceived risk. Additionally, information needs play a mediating role in the information-seeking process, underscoring the complex dynamics of seeking information in the context of COVID-19.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143380783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LaTonya J. Taylor, Courtney D. Boman, Laura L. Lemon
{"title":"Exploring Post-Crisis Sensemaking Among Public Relations Professionals in Higher Education","authors":"LaTonya J. Taylor, Courtney D. Boman, Laura L. Lemon","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70028","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Public relations professionals in higher education face a myriad of challenges, including managing crises that range from tragic losses to reputational threats. Despite the critical role these professionals play, little attention has been given to their experiences within this sector. This qualitative study examines how public relations professionals in higher education experience resilience sensemaking following a crisis. Using a critical event narrative inquiry approach, focusing on resilience and participants’ retrospective narratives of crisis experiences, this study reveals the complexity of working in higher education, characterized by a profound dedication to institutional mission amid demanding crisis scenarios. Professionals demonstrate a dichotomous resilience, balancing institutional recovery efforts with personal well-being considerations. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of fostering a culture of resilience anchored in the ethics of care framework, which prioritizes relationships, open communication, and mutual support. Practical implications include the integration of empathetic understanding and ongoing dialog into organizational culture to enhance resilience.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143110887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Building Trust and Inclusivity: Navigating Layered Stigma and Risk Communication for LGBTQ+ Individuals During COVID-19 Outbreaks","authors":"JungKyu Rhys Lim, Hyoyeun Jun, Victoria Ledford","doi":"10.1111/1468-5973.70026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70026","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Stigmatised groups, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer-identifying (LGBTQ+) individuals, face increased vulnerability to infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and mpox (monkeypox). Layered and intersectional stigma limits healthcare access and public health participation, making trust and inclusivity essential in crisis management and risk communication. This study examines the impact of risk communication on LGBTQ+ communities during the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea, where detailed personal information shared for contact tracing led to further stigmatisation. Through in-depth interviews (<i>N</i> = 21), the research investigates (1) the intersectional and layered stigma and discrimination LGBTQ+ individuals faced; (2) factors that increased stigmatisation, eroded trust, and discouraged public health engagement, such as COVID-19 testing; and (3) strategies that reduced stigma, fostered inclusivity, and encouraged protective health behaviours. Findings reveal that health authorities' insensitivity, the disclosure of identifiable contact tracing data, and the negative portrayals of LGBTQ+ community spaces collectively exacerbated stigma and public health barriers, particularly in culturally homogeneous and structurally inequitable contexts. Conversely, confidentiality, inclusive messaging, and community-driven support were key to fostering trust and participation. The study underscores the urgent need for crisis management strategies that safeguard marginalised groups' rights, dismantle stigma, and prioritise equitable public health outcomes. These insights offer actionable lessons for policymakers and crisis managers navigating public health emergencies in high-stigma contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":47674,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.70026","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143110890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}