“We Are Deeply Sorry”: Chinese Corporate Apologies Posted on Weibo

The present study focuses on the components of Chinese corporate apologies by adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods. The investigation is based on 25 corporate apology statements posted on Weibo, one of the most popular social media platforms in China. The results indicate that two apology components, namely explicit apology and offer of repair, are more salient than others, and more than half of the apology statements contain the components of explanation and taking on responsibility, while the use of another two components which include promise for forbearance and expression of sorrow depends on the severity of the offensive act. In addition, apologies made by Chinese companies via Weibo are realized through various linguistic means, such as IFIDs, intensifiers, commissives, appraisal resources, presupposition and metadiscourse (attitude markers, boosters and code glosses). Hopefully, this study might provide insight into future research on corporate apologies and how to restore corporate images in crisis communication.