ABSTRACT Based on the perspectives of strategic ambiguity and organizational reputation, the current study examines the effects of mixed crisis response strategies, which adopt seemingly contradictory messages (i.e., apology and denial), through experiments. Consistent with the scope of strategic communication research, this study incorporates theoretical aspects of distinct areas of organizational communication to examine audience response to strategic messages, and makes recommendations for organizational communication strategies during crisis situations. The findings demonstrate that, instead of taking messages straightforwardly, people interpret the same messages divergently in their own ways, and these interpretations accordingly affect their attitudes and behavioral intentions. Findings indicate participants choose a dominant interpretation when given mixed messages, and subsequent responses are based on the initial interpretation, such that evaluating a mixed message as an apology yielded more positive outcomes than those who interpreted the message in other ways. In addition to people’s diverse interpretations, organizations’ crisis communication strategies and the business type also significantly influenced the outcomes. The apology-interpreters showed more positive outcomes than those who were exposed only to apology for an automaker’s crisis. On the other hand, for a nonprofit organization’s crisis, those who were exposed to a simple denial message showed more positive outcomes than those who perceived the mixed message as a denial. Based on these findings, this study offers practical recommendations on when to use single messages versus mixed messages, along with the explanation of how these divergent strategies work.

中文翻译：

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战略歧义和危机恐惧症：听众对混合信息的解释的影响

摘要基于战略模糊性和组织声誉的观点，本研究通过实验研究了混合危机应对策略的效果，这些策略采用看似矛盾的信息（如道歉和拒绝）。与战略沟通研究的范围一致，本研究结合了组织沟通各个领域的理论方面，以研究受众对战略信息的反应，并为危机情况下的组织沟通策略提出建议。研究结果表明，人们不是直接接受信息，而是以自己的方式不同地解释同一条信息，这些解释相应地影响了他们的态度和行为意图。研究结果表明，参与者在给出混合信息时会选择一种占主导地位的解释，随后的回应则基于初始解释，因此，将混合信息作为道歉进行评估所产生的积极结果要比那些以其他方式解释该信息的人更为积极。除了人们的不同解释外，组织的危机沟通策略和业务类型也显着影响结果。与那些只因汽车制造商的危机而接受道歉的人相比，道歉解释者显示出更多的积极结果。另一方面，对于非营利组织的危机，那些暴露于简单拒绝信息的人比那些认为混合信息是拒绝的人显示出更多积极的结果。根据这些发现，