EXTENDING CRISIS COMMUNICATION THEORY: DEVELOPING THE IDENTITY-BASED CRISIS COMMUNICATION APPROACH (IBCCA)
Author
Mørch-Madsen, Christian Falk
Term
4. term
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-05-31
Abstract
This thesis explores how existing crisis communication theories can be extended to better explain identity-based corporate crises involving the LGBTQ+ community. Established frameworks such as Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and Image Repair Theory (IRT) were primarily developed for crises rooted in clear mistakes, accidents or direct organizational responsibility, and are less suited to situations where crises arise from value conflicts and from how corporate actions or silence are interpreted by different stakeholders. Drawing on a social constructivist perspective, the thesis develops the Identity-Based Crisis Communication Approach (IBCCA), which builds on SCCT and IRT by adding three key dimensions: (1) identity and value alignment, (2) emotional reactions and crisis escalation, and (3) stakeholders’ co-construction of crises through public discourse. Methodologically, the study applies a qualitative, comparative case study design supported by Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of critical discourse analysis. The empirical analysis focuses on two controversies: Disney’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill in 2022 and Bud Light’s collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023, using corporate statements, public stakeholder responses, video material and selected YouTube comments. The analysis shows that identity-based crises cannot be understood solely in terms of levels of responsibility and choice of response strategies, but must be seen as dynamic processes in which both action and inaction take on symbolic meaning and are continually negotiated between companies and diverse stakeholder groups. The thesis concludes that IBCCA offers a more nuanced understanding of LGBTQ+-related corporate crises, while serving as a theoretical lens rather than a fixed practical toolkit, and thus as a basis for further research on identity-based crisis communication.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan eksisterende teorier om krisekommunikation kan videreudvikles, så de bedre forklarer identitetsbaserede virksomhedskriser, der involverer LGBTQ+-miljøet. Traditionelle rammer som Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) og Image Repair Theory (IRT) er primært udviklet til kriser med tydelige fejl, ulykker eller klart organisatorisk ansvar, men er mindre velegnede til situationer, hvor kriser udspringer af værdikonflikter og fortolkninger af virksomheders handlinger eller tavshed. Med udgangspunkt i et socialkonstruktivistisk perspektiv udvikler afhandlingen Identity-Based Crisis Communication Approach (IBCCA), som udvider SCCT og IRT med tre centrale dimensioner: (1) identitet og værdimæssig overensstemmelse, (2) følelsesmæssige reaktioner og kriseeskalation og (3) stakeholderes medskabelse af kriser gennem offentlig diskurs. Metodisk anvendes en kvalitativ, komparativ casestudie-tilgang med kritisk diskursanalyse efter Norman Faircloughs tredimensionelle model. Empirien omfatter to sager: Disneys håndtering af Floridas “Don’t Say Gay”-lovforslag i 2022 og Bud Lights samarbejde med den transkønnede influencer Dylan Mulvaney i 2023, analyseret gennem virksomhedsudtalelser, offentlige reaktioner, videomateriale og YouTube-kommentarer. Analysen viser, at identitetsbaserede kriser ikke kan forstås alene ud fra grad af ansvar og valg af responsstrategi, men må ses som dynamiske processer, hvor både handling og passivitet får symbolsk betydning og forhandles mellem virksomheder og forskellige stakeholdergrupper. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at IBCCA giver en mere nuanceret forståelse af LGBTQ+-relaterede virksomhedskriser, men bør opfattes som en teoretisk tilgang frem for et fast praktisk værktøj og dermed som et grundlag for videre forskning i identitetsbaseret krisekommunikation.
[This abstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]