Repairing Charity Trust in Times of Accidental Crisis: The Role of Crisis History and Crisis Response Strategy.

PURPOSE

Since it is practically significant to explore how to repair the public's trust in charities during accidental crisis, this study explored the crisis response strategies that charitable organizations with and without crisis histories could adopt when facing a current accidental crisis.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

Study 1 (N = 177) used a 2 × 2 between-subjects design to examine the effects of crisis history (no crisis history vs. crisis history) and crisis response strategies ( vs. ) on charity trust repair during an accidental crisis. Study 2 adopting a 3 × 2 between-subjects design examined the effects of crisis history (victim crisis history vs. accidental crisis history vs. preventable crisis history) and crisis response strategies ( vs. ) on charity trust repair during an accidental crisis.

RESULTS

The results of Study 1 showed that the strategy adopted by charities in an accidental crisis can enhance public trust. However, if the charity has a crisis history, the strategy will enhance public trust. The results of Study 2 showed that, under the victim crisis history condition, participants' charity trust was borderline significantly higher than their pre-test charity trust when the strategy was used. However, strategies did not significantly increase trust. Under the accidental crisis history condition, strategies improved trust after the accidental crisis, while strategies did not. Under the preventable crisis history condition, strategies did not improve trust after an accidental crisis, while strategies did.

CONCLUSION

Charities should adopt a strategy when experiencing their first accidental crisis. Charities with a victim or accidental crisis history should adopt a strategy when facing a current accidental crisis. However, if a charity has a preventable crisis history, strategies are the most appropriate response to a current accidental crisis.