The Interplay of Organization Type, Organization Size, and Practitioner Role on Perceived Crisis Preparedness: A Cognitive Appraisal Approach.

This study proposed and tested a theoretical model of perceived crisis preparedness as a result of practitioner' assessment of crisis situation and their perception of the organization's crisis resources. An online experiment was conducted among 144 public relations practitioners. Three enactments emerged as indicators of crisis preparedness: danger of the situation, uncertainty of the crisis, and the organization's crisis resources. The main effects of organization size and practitioner role were evident on practitioner's perceived crisis preparedness in different crisis situations. Organization type was found to be effective only when it interplayed with either practitioner role or organization size. Organizations engaging in strategic communication in crisis should take these considerations into their practice and tailor their resource maneuvering and resource application to the situational demands for possible optimal crisis positioning and outcome. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]