Researchers are increasingly examining how integrity can both shield organizations from crisis damage and magnify stakeholder backlash when organizations violate their own values. To understand this growing field of research, the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Penn State is seeking proposals for research projects that examine the interplay of integrity and crisis communication.
The call is part of the center's Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant program, which annually supports scholars and professionals whose research contributes to academic literature and builds professional understanding of key issues. The Page Center is part of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State.
The senior research fellows leading this call are Tim Coombs, senior partner at the Center for Risk Communication, and Yan Jin, C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership and director of the University of Georgia's Crisis Communication Think Tank. Both senior research fellows are internationally recognized for their contributions to crisis communication research and practice.
"The opportunity to blend integrity with crisis communication offered in this year's grants is thrilling," Coombs said. "The Page Center is giving integrity a chance to move from the shadows to the spotlight in crisis communication. The potential for new insights is incredible."
Scholars interested in submitting a proposal can learn more about the submission process on the Page Center website. Potential research topics include, but are not limited to: whether a reputation for integrity can help organizations withstand crises, how integrity-based crises differ from those caused by mistakes or accidents, and what strategies can help rebuild trust after a crisis.
Other potential research areas include the role of integrity in crisis preparedness, organizational resilience and stakeholder well-being.
"Integrity defines an organization's character and determines how its true colors show, especially under high pressure," Jin said. "We look forward to our collective work advancing the knowledge of integrity across academia and industry."
