The 2013 Horsemeat Scandal: Comparative Analysis of Tesco Image Restoration Strategies and Customer Reactions in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic
Author
Hudakova, Lenka
Term
10. term
Publication year
2013
Submitted on
2013-05-31
Pages
48
Abstract
Specialet undersøger Tescos eksterne krisekommunikation under hestekødskandalen i 2013 i to lande: Storbritannien og Tjekkiet. Det ser også på, hvordan forbrugere reagerede i kommentarfelter under online avisartikler. Med udgangspunkt i William Benoits teori om imagegenoprettelse (et rammeværk for, hvordan organisationer forsøger at reparere deres omdømme) sammenlignes de budskaber, Tesco brugte i de to lande. Undersøgelsen finder tydelige forskelle: I Storbritannien kommunikerede Tesco meget omfattende, mens virksomheden i Tjekkiet var mere tilbageholdende. På trods af de forskellige tilgange udtrykte kommentatorer i begge lande mistillid, hvilket peger på, at Tescos eksterne kommunikation havde begrænset effekt. Analysen peger også på kulturelle forhold, der prægede, hvordan krisen og reaktionerne blev forstået i de to nationale kontekster.
This thesis examines Tesco's external crisis communication during the 2013 horsemeat scandal in two countries: the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. It also studies how consumers responded in the comments sections of online newspaper articles. Using William Benoit's image restoration theory (a framework for how organizations try to repair their reputation), the analysis compares the messages Tesco used in each country. The study finds clear differences: in the UK, Tesco communicated very extensively, while in the Czech Republic the company was more reserved. Despite these contrasting approaches, commenters in both countries expressed distrust, suggesting that Tesco's external communication had only a limited effect. The analysis also points to cultural factors that shaped how the crisis and the responses were understood in each national context.
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