• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1991 A Quest for Legitimacy: Impression Management Strategies Used by an Organization in Crisis. Rachel Harris Caillouet Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Caillouet, Rachel Harris, "A Quest for Legitimacy: Impression Management Strategies Used by an Organization in Crisis." (1991). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 5110. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/5110 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left toright inequal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Beil & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 9200053 A quest for legitimacy: Impression management strategies used by an organization in crisis Caillouet, Rachel Harris, Ph.D. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col., 1991 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 A QUEST FOR LEGITIMACY: IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES USED BY AN ORGANIZATION IN CRISIS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech Communication, Theatre, and Communication Disorders by Rachel H. Caillouet B. A., Angelo State University, 1972 M. A., Louisiana State University, 1987 May, 1991 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS How incredibly fortunate I am to have such wonderful friends, associates and family. Without all of you, I would never have completed this dissertation. My first special thanks go to Dr. Myria Watkins Allen who inherited me in mid-stream, yet you always made this dream seem possible. As a chairperson, you were especially my friend and always my respected leader. Special thanks go to Jack Kent, Sr. who allowed me the opportunity to explore freely a challening organization from many perspectives. You opened my eyes to the world of environmental issues. I shall always be grateful. For my constant teacher and dear friend, Maxine Domino, I thank you for always providing the hallmark of excellence. You inspired me more than twenty years ago to excel beyond boundaries others established. For the many, many hours of assistance and support, I extend a particular thank you to Dr. Terry Watkins who introduced me to the world of log-linear analysis. You have such a special way of making statistics seem manageable. My most heartfelt thanks go to my family who encouraged me every step of the way. James, you always said I could pursue this goal even when I felt at times it was only a dream. You are the best coder ever. Without you, I would never have completed this dissertation. Mom, I thank you for believing in me through this assignment as you always ii have in all of my endeavors. Sam, thank you for patiently devoting so many summers in libraries and classrooms. I dedicate this dissertation to my husband, James Hamilton Caillouet, my mother, Claudine Watkins Harris, and to my son, Samuel Durward Wells. To you all, I say thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments............................................ ii List of Tables.............................................. v List of Illustrations..................................... vii Abstract..................................................viii Chapter I: Accountability: A Requirement for Survival..................................... 1 Chapter II: An Exploration of Multiple Literatures: Crisis, Stakeholder, Legitimacy, and Impression Management................ 13 Chapter III: Marine Shale Processors: A History Filled with Crises........................ 32 Chapter IV: Methods and Procedures...... ................ 65 Chapter V: Results of Analysis Testing Research Questions of Impresion Management Strategies..................................81 Chapter VI: Discussion and Conclusion.................. Ill References..................... ............ 134 Appendix A: Emergence of Environmental Awareness........171 Appendix B: Sample Interview Questions................. 176 Appendix C: Meetings Attended Between May, 1988 - March, 1989...................177 Appendix D: Coding Guide................................ 180 Appendix E: Coding Rules............... ................. 181 Appendix F: Impression Management Strategies........... 186 Appendix G: Chronology of Events........................200 Vita.................................... 222 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Interviews with MSP Personnel.............. .___ 68 Table 2: MSP Messages Analyzed...................... Table 3: Crosstabulations of Impression Management Strategies by Stakeholders.......... Table 4: Crosstabulations of Impression Management Strategies by Regulators................. Table 5: Log-linear Analysis of Excuse with Stakeholders.... ......................................................... Table 6: Crosstabulations of Excuse by Regulators.... Table 7: Log-linear Analysis of Justification by Stakeholders........................................ ................... Table 8: Crosstabulations of Justification by Regulators................................................................... Table 9: Log-linear Analysis of Ingratiation by Stakeholders...........................___ 93 Table 10: Crosstabulations of Ingratiation by Regulators............................. Table 11: Log-linear Analysis of Intimidation by Stakeholders...................................................... Table 12: Log-linear Analysis of Condemnation of the Condemner by Stakeholders........ ___99 Table 13: Log-linear Analysis of Negative Events Misrepresented by Stakeholders.......... , ..100 Table 14: Log-linear Analysis of Other by Stakeholders..........................___ 102 Table 15: Crosstabulations of Impression Management Strategies by Spokespersons..............................___ 104 Table 16: Crosstabulations of Justification by Spokespersons......................................................... ..105 Table 17: Crosstabulations of Impression Management Strategies by Proactive/Reactive Responses............................................................................. V Table 18: Log-linear Analysis of Responses (Proactive/ Reactive) by Condemnation of the Condemner.................................... 108 Table 19: Log-linear analysis of Responses (Proactive/ Reactive) by Ingratiation...................110 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Illustration 1: Stakeholder Model of Marine Shale Processors..................... vii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate impression management strategies used by an organization in crisis and to develop a typology of impression management strategies used by an organization. The focus of the study was Marine Shale Processors (MSP), an environmental company located in Amelia, Louisiana, which recycles hazardous and non- hazardous materials into a non-toxic aggregate. Impression management strategies used by MSP in statements to stakeholders were examined using multiple methods. Also, the study examined whether or not different strategies were utilized with different stakeholders, whether or not management and non-management relied on the same strategies with stakeholders, and whether or not the strategies tended to be proactive or reactive. Data were gathered over a 16-month period from interviews; newspaper, magazine, and journal articles; brochures; Congressional/Legislative hearing transcriptions; handouts from special events; press releases, correspondence, and transcriptions of meetings attended by the researcher. Data were analyzed using log-linear analysis and the chi- square test. Results suggested that ingratiation was the primary impression management strategy used by MSP with

Load more

  238

Copy Link