Risk and Crisis Communication (eBook)

This book applies relational dialects to risk and crisis communication in order to explain how agencies and organizations navigate tensions with stakeholders and the public during high-stress situations. Littlefield and Sellnow’s novel use of this interpersonal theory, which conceptually describes how couples negotiate tensions as they maintain their relationship, is exemplified through seven case studies that each focus on one common tension.

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Risk and Crisis Communication addresses how the interaction between organizations and their stakeholders manifests during a risk or crisis situation.Littlefield and Sellnow contend that when best practices are considered, there are certain tensions to which an organization responds. These tensions are similar to those experienced among individuals when managing their relationships. As such, Littlefield and Sellnow apply an interpersonal theory, known as relational dialectics (RDT), to risk and crisis communication and examine the outcome from the vantage point of the officials and the public. Previous research has focused on top-down, sender-oriented communication to evaluate the effectiveness of particular strategies used by spokespeople to repair public image or relay an apology. In contrast, Littlefield and Sellnow's approach relies on culture-centeredness and suggests how cultural elements may have influenced the kinds of tensions each organization faced. Risk and Crisis Communication exemplifies the use of RDT through seven case studies, each focusing on one of the tensions, making it of interest to both scholars and organizational leaders.