The importance of factors influencing product-harm crisis management across different crisis extent levels: A conjoint analysis

Abstract

Product-harm crises can seriously impact the viability of a company. By considering the factors that affect the outcome of a crisis, organisations could manage crisis situations to minimise negative consequences. The aims of this paper are to (a) examine the importance of each factor of product-harm crises (that is, corporate social responsibility, organisational response, time and external effects) influencing consumer purchase intentions and (b) study variations in the purchase intentions across three different crisis extent levels. In order to investigate trade-offs and the relative importance of the above factors, conjoint analysis is used. The results reveal that organisational response and time are the most important factors in high- and medium-extent product-harm crises, whereas social responsibility and external effects mostly influence consumer purchase intentions in severe crises. Based on the importance of the factors, managerial implications are discussed. © 2009 Palgrave Macmillan.