The Effects of Attribution Style and Stakeholder Role on Blame for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Issue 8 (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kessler, Stacey R.; Mahoney, Kevin T.; Randolph-Seng, Brandon; Martinko, Mark J.; Spector, Paul E.
• Is Part Of: Business and society. Volume 58:Issue 8(2019)
• Page Start: 1572
• Page End: 1598
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: attribution theory -- Deepwater Horizon oil spill -- reputation management -- stakeholder theory; Industries -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Industrial sociology -- Periodicals; Business ethics -- Periodicals; 306.3
• DOI: 10.1177/0007650317717495
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-6503

Abstract

We extend attribution and stakeholder theory in the context of crisis reputation management by examining differences in stakeholder perceptions in the form of organization-related blame. We presented eight stakeholder groups with factual information surrounding the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and asked them to indicate the extent to which they blamed the leaders and organizations associated with the event. Stakeholders also completed a survey assessing their attribution styles. Results indicated that perceptions of blame were affected by the interaction of stakeholder role (i.e., active vs. passive) with attribution style (i.e., optimistic vs. pessimistic). Our results suggest that organizational leaders' understanding of their stakeholders may be an important aspect in managing stakeholders' sensemaking during crises.