Crisis Communication in Sports Management: Image Repair Theory and Situational Crisis Communication Theory

Crises are threats to corporate reputation, which are widely accepted as a valuable resource by organisations. Since corporate reputation is shaped by stakeholders and their perceptions and attributions, the importance of communication activities to be carried out in crisis management are vital. In this context, the aim of the study is to discuss frequently used Image Repair Theory and Situational Crisis Communication Theory within the field of sports crisis management. Firstly, the concepts related to crisis management and communication are given; and the related theories and their assumptions are explained with their contributions to the literature. Then, the studies carried out in the international and national sports literature are evaluated. As a result, it is seen that the studies carried out within these theoretical frameworks in the literature are very limited; and it is foreseen that both case analysis and experimental design studies would contribute to the field.