Communicating Under Moral Transgression: Extending SCCT With Moral Emotions

Abstract

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study extends Situational Crisis Communication Theory by integrating stakeholders' moral evaluation into SCCT's responsibility‐based logic and examining two outcomes central to ethically charged crises: value incongruence and third‐party punishment intention. In a 2 (moral transgression severity: high vs. low) × 2 (response strategy: optimal vs. suboptimal) online experiment, 992 Chinese adults read an autonomous vehicle accident scenario and a corporate statement. Greater moral transgression severity increased both outcomes mainly through moral outrage, whereas compassion toward victims mattered chiefly under a suboptimal response. Response strategy reduced outrage's translation into third‐party punishment intention but did not remove moral judgements once outrage had formed. The findings show that ethically charged crises activate moral emotions, value incongruence captures a deeper relational rupture than reputation alone, and post‐crisis communication can reduce punishment support. The study underscores the need for justice‐ and care‐oriented communication in ethically charged crises.