Marela Lucero, Alywin Tan Teng Kwang and Augustine Pang
One explicit leadership role the chief executive officer (CEO) can play during crisis is to assume the role of being the organization's spokesperson. What remains unclear is at…
Abstract
Purpose
One explicit leadership role the chief executive officer (CEO) can play during crisis is to assume the role of being the organization's spokesperson. What remains unclear is at what point of the crisis should the CEO step up and how does that impact crisis communication? The purpose of this paper is to examine this question.
Design/methodology/approach
The meta‐analysis method is used to combine different data in various studies of one topic into one comprehensive study. More than 30 crises are meta‐analyzed.
Findings
The CEO needs to step up to revise earlier statements or when the integrity of the organization is questioned. Additionally, the CEO should step up at the beginning of the crisis if the crisis pertains to organizational transgression or when the crisis becomes unbearable to organizational reputation. As counter‐intuitive as it may, CEOs should refrain from stepping up at the height of the crisis.
Research limitations/implications
It is an exploratory study. Some cases have lesser information to analyze than others.
Practical implications
Instructive for both corporate communications practitioners and CEOs as they have a framework to guide them on when the CEOs should step up, and when the presence of corporate communications would suffice.
Originality/value
Little has been studied to clarify the exact nature, role, and impact of the CEO as organization spokesperson in crises. This paper provides the initial template.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges facing corporate communication professionals and researchers, and to introduce the issues presented in the papers from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges facing corporate communication professionals and researchers, and to introduce the issues presented in the papers from the CCI Conference on Corporate Communication 2008 published in this special issue.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a discussion of the issues raised in the special issue papers.
Findings
Discussion of the future of the corporate communication profession in the wake of the global fiscal crisis.
Research limitations/implications
This paper implies several areas for further research.
Practical implications
This paper implies strategic knowledge of business processes and practice for effective corporate communication.
Originality/value
This paper articulates complex challenges facing corporate communicators.