Exploring Negative Spillover Effects on Stakeholders: A Case Study on Social Media Talk about Crisis in the Food Industry Using Data Mining

Sustainability

Eyal Eckhaus¹  Shalom Levy¹  Dorit Zimand-Sheiner² 

[1] Department of Economics and Business Administration, Ariel University, Science Park, POB 3, Ariel 40700, Israel;School of Communication, Ariel University, Science Park, POB 3, Ariel 40700, Israel;

关键词: corporate sustainability;    stakeholders;    crisis management;    social media;    situational crisis communication theory;    data mining;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su131910845

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Focusing on public-centered, social-mediated crisis communication, the current exploratory study drew on situational crisis communication theory to formulate a comprehensive view of consumer reactions to crisis. Data mining and automated content analysis techniques were utilized to analyze social media posts by the public during a crisis in the cereals industry. Two path analyses showed that: (a) crisis-related social media posts tended to skip over competitor brand products, followed by two major reaction paths—(1) a rational path based on guilt attribution that justifies implications for the company and (2) an emotional path associated with public distrust; and (b) public self-blame spilled over to other stakeholders such as the government and economic system. The results give voice to issues that concern the public during crises, both as individuals and as a community. They highlight the fact that sustainable crisis management should involve additional stakeholders. Conclusions and implications for society and practice are suggested.

【 授权许可】

Unknown