COMM THEORY - ATTRIBUTION THEORY/CRISIS/COVID - RESEARCH ESSAY

Running head: ATTRIBUTION THEORY: CRISIS MANAGEMENT LITERATURE REVIEW 1

Attribution Theory: Crisis Management Literature Review

Kyami Clarke

University of Maryland Global Campus

Dr. Ellen Klein

COMM 300 6380 Communication Theory (2208)

Fall 2020

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: CRISIS MANAGEMENT LITERATURE REVIEW 2

Attribution Theory: Crisis Management Literature Review

Introduction

Communication theory is a broad concept that explains the production of information on

how it is transmitted and how the message is conveyed. The theory views communication as an

integral part of the modern age activities and businesses (McDermott, 2009). In an organization's

decision-making process, the formulation of laws and regulations require effective

communication (Sherry, 2019). Attribution theory is a concept concerned with how to explain

courses of events and behavior. It also examines gathered information and how it is combined to

form a casual judgment and explanation events. Attribution theory is a significant factor in

workplaces concerned with perceived causes of failure and success. This theory intends to help

people know the reasons for their actions and attribute causes of behavior (McDermott, 2020).

This literature review aims to analyze how communication and attribution theory help in dealing

with workplace crisis management.

Discussion

When an emergency occurs in the workplace, effective planning and a quick reaction are

required. A crisis leads to a non-conducive environment to perform effectively. Crisis

management is a complicated factor requiring intervention from the employees and the

leadership structure (Honigmann, Mendy, & Spratt, 2020). There are various types of crises that

can occur in an organization. They include terror attacks, technological emergencies, natural

disasters, violence, confrontation, organization misdeeds, and disease outbreaks (Coombs, 2007).

These crises are a threat to the organization's operations and management, and therefore, prompt

measures should be introduced. This paper reviews the implementation of communication and

attribution theory in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: CRISIS MANAGEMENT LITERATURE REVIEW 3

The COVID-19 pandemic has set an unprecedented nature that has caused one of the

most abrupt disruptions of the decade. Workplaces are the most affected, reeling with fear and

uncertainty due to its tremendous effects (Honigmann et al., 2020). Furthermore, the disease

could represent the ultimate test of resiliency for companies. Dealing with a crisis requires

strategic planning coupled with effective policies to mitigate its impact. In tackling the COVID-

19 crisis, both internal and external communication is a vital factor. COVID-19 is an infection

that quickly spreads from one person to another, causing strained health conditions and death.

This is a threat to the work employees and brutal to the economy. Strategic planning should be

done before the crisis to facilitate ease of crisis mitigation. When a disaster occurs,

communication should be well established in the work environment (Coombs, 2017). An

organization can publicize the plight in websites to attract support from the external

environment. In the internal environment, intranet sites can be used to ensure a smooth flow of

information. COVID-19 is transmitted faster because of its capability to thrive on a surface for a

long time (Charoensukmongkol & Phungsoonthorn, 2020). If a COVID-19 case is reported in the

workplace, the sites will enable direct access of the information, and preventive measures are

taken to prevent further transmission.

Attribution theory is a concept that is very effective in dealing with COVID-19 in the

workplace. The approach provides the validity of the question "why," which helps develop a

course of action (McDermott, 2009). The facets of the crisis influence the attributions and

reputations held by stakeholders. Understanding the stakeholders in the workplace, therefore,

improves post-crisis communication. When COVID-19 is reported in a workplace, crisis

management is likely to perceive the event's cause is internal. Through the attribution theory, the

employees can explain the cause of the crisis relating to some factors that can be mitigated.

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: CRISIS MANAGEMENT LITERATURE REVIEW 4

Conclusion

In conclusion, human beings are prone to assigning causes of actions depending on the

situation. This is a significant factor in crisis management as it facilitates developing an effective

mitigation plan. Through communication theory, a crisis can be evaluated and appropriately

managed. Therefore, it is safe to say that communication and attribution theory intervention

effectively deal with a severe situation like COVID-19 in the workplace.

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: CRISIS MANAGEMENT LITERATURE REVIEW 5

References

Charoensukmongkol, P., & Phungsoonthorn, T. (2020, July 21). The effectiveness of supervisor

support in lessening perceived uncertainties and emotional exhaustion of university

employees during the COVID-19 crisis: the constraining role of organizational

intransigence. The Journal of General Psychology. DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1080/00221309.2020.1795613

Coombs, T. (2017). Crisis communication. In M. Allen (Ed.), The sage encyclopedia of

communication research methods (Vol. 1, pp. 291-293). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

Publications, Inc DOI: 10.4135/9781483381411.n108

Coombs, W. T. (2007). Attribution Theory as a guide for post-crisis communication research.

Public Relations Review, 33(2), 135–139. https://doi-

org.ezproxy.umgc.edu/10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.11.016

McDermott, V. (2009). Attribution theory. In S. W. Littlejohn & K. A. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia

of communication theory (Vol. 1, pp. 61-63). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications,

Inc. DOI: 10.4135/9781412959384.n23

Honigmann, D., Mendy, A., & Spratt, J. (2020, June 26). Communications get personal: How

leaders can engage employees during a return to work. Retrieved August 21, 2020, from

McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-

insights/communications-get-personal-how-leaders-can-engage-employees-during-a-

return-to-work

Thompson, S. (2019). Attribution Theory. Salem Press Encyclopedia. Retrieved from:

https://search-ebscohost-

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: CRISIS MANAGEMENT LITERATURE REVIEW 6

com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89164082&site=eds-

live&scope=site.

Running head: ATTRIBUTION THEORY: ANALYTICAL ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Attribution Theory: Analytical Annotated Bibliography

Kyami Clarke

University of Maryland Global Campus

Dr. Ellen Klein

COMM 300 6380 Communication Theory (2208)

Fall 2020

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: ANALYTICAL ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2

Attribution Theory: Analytical Annotated Bibliography

The research goal is to bridge the workplace communication gap as it relates to crisis

management. Through the implementation of situational crisis communication and applying

attribution theory, the organization can persuade employees to follow workplace safety protocols

and change their behavior towards workplace safety.

Coombs, W. T. (2004, July). Impact of past crises on current crisis communication: insights from

Situational Crisis Communication Theory. The Journal of Business Communication,

41(3), 265+. https://link-gale-

com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/apps/doc/A118890605/PPCM?u=umd_umuc&sid=PPCM&xid=0

45ce0c

Coombs was a professor at Texas A & M University in the department of

communication. This paper is based on Situational Crisis Communication Theory

(SCCT), and Coombs (2004) argues that the organization's workplace crisis history has

impacts on reputation threat that can be caused by the current crises if it originates from

deliberate of the employees of the organization. This research offers a broader test of five

roles played by crisis history in crisis communication. The contemporaneous study's

findings disclosed that past related crises deepened the organizational threat of a present

crisis as the event may be caused by mal-treatment of employees or accidentally aroused,

rather than from the business's deliberate actions. The study showed a slight variance in

the perceptions of companies recognized with a record of the history of comparable crises

and those identified with no data about the history of past situations.

To conclude, the perception of the company's responsibility was adversely

associated with the perceived effect on the organization's image. The research discusses

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: ANALYTICAL ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 3

the consequences of situational communication during times of crisis to change people's

attitudes to observe workplace safety protocols.

Denner, N., Viererbl, B., & Koch, T. (2019). A Matter for the Boss? How Personalized

Communication Affects Recipients' Perceptions of an Organization During a Crisis.

International journal of communication [Online], 2026+. https://link-gale-

com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/apps/doc/A610250305/PPCM?u=umd_umuc&sid=PPCM&xid=4

c7c55da

Denner, Vierebl, and Koch (2019) suggests a two-step process for selecting an

appropriate crisis management strategy. The first step is to determine to what extent

employees believe the organization accountable for the crisis. The second is to study the

crisis history of the organization, and as a result the reputation. Due to these two factors,

what is the impact on how the responsibility is attributed. The attribution of responsibility

can play a crucial role in shaping perceptions of a business reputation and employees’

attitude and, indirectly, their behavior. An effective crisis management strategy will alter

the public and employee perceptions positively towards the organization and offset any

adverse effects.

The research explains how business entities strategically attempt to defend their

reputation in periods of crisis. Employees are expected to communicate positively to

crisis managers about their feelings and views to ensure workplace safety and avoid a

crisis in the work setting. However, some employee's statements may show serious

concern for workplace safety, especially during this time of COVID-19, and promote the

organization's reputation as they may be perceived by the public positively.

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: ANALYTICAL ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 4

Martinko, M., Harvey, P., & Dasborough, M. (2011, January). Attribution Theory in the

Organizational Sciences: A Case of Unrealized Potential. Journal of Organizational

Behavior, 32(1), 144-149. Retrieved from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230081321_Attribution_Theory_in_the_Organi

zational_Sciences_A_Case_of_Unrealized_Potential

According to Martinko, Harvey, and Dasborough, 2011 argued that after

individuals are exposed to repetitive punishment and failures, they usually become

unreceptive and unenthusiastic. Individuals tend to stay regardless of the changes to their

environment, as long as it provides a person professional achievement. Studies have

shown, as a result of feeling helpless there are two ways individuals react. The first way

is, when a person sees certain behavior, which result in positive results, they are driven

and mirror that behavior (Martinko, Harvey, & Dasborough, 2011). However, when

negative consequences result from particular behaviors, individuals become

unenthusiastic to display the same attitude. They argue that people in the workplace

believe putting effort will be helpless as the end result is failure; therefore, they remain

inactive, and changing their attitudes is the problem. These inert behaviors are revealed

by personnel whenever they are allocated responsibilities in workplace settings.

Martinko, Harvey, and Dasborough (2011) suggest that Situational communication theory

can assist an organization in dealing with this kind of employee being inactive to deal

with crises when it arises in the workplace.

The study shows that attribution theory plays a vital part in explaining the

manifestation of diverse behaviors in workplace settings. However, various behaviors

originate from different causes and help understand different attitudes of different

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: ANALYTICAL ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 5

employees in the organization to come up with proper strategies to persuade them to

incline the attitudes to ensure workplace safety protocols are observed and adhered to.

Attributions may either elicit negative or positive retorts. Motivation and empowerment

are positive reactions that may result from attributions that may lead to positive changes

in employees' behavior to ensure workplace safety protocols.