A CEO but Also A Parent: How Strategic Communication of Private Information about the CEO Affects Perceptions of an Organization during A Crisis

ABSTRACT In strategic communication, there is a plethora of studies dealing with effective crisis communication. CEO communication is an important building block in strategic crisis communication because in times of organizational crisis, the CEO often becomes an organization’s most important spokesperson. In this role, the leader of the organization has the opportunity to frame the organization’s crisis response in a certain way. The present study examines whether sharing private information about the CEO with stakeholders in a crisis response is beneficial for the perception of the organization. We experimentally analyze the effects of including such private information in a crisis response and test whether crisis type (accidental vs. preventable crisis) moderates these effects. The results show that organizational image is assessed more positively when the CEO includes private information in their crisis response. This effect is due to an increased identification with the CEO that, in turn, increases empathy for and trust in the CEO.