New research call will examine integrity during crises

The Crisis Communication Think Tank (CCTT) at the University of Georgia and the Arthur W. Page Center at Penn State University are seeking proposals for research projects that examine the interplay of integrity and crisis communication.

Scholars interested in submitting a proposal can learn more about the submission process on the Page Center website. Potential research topics include, but are not limited to, whether a reputation for integrity can help organizations withstand crises, how integrity-based crises differ from those caused by mistakes or accidents, and what strategies can help rebuild trust after a crisis. Other potential research areas include the role of integrity in crisis preparedness, organizational resilience and stakeholder well-being.

The senior research fellows leading this call are Yan Jin, the C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership at Grady College and director of the University of Georgia’s Crisis Communication Think Tank, and Timothy Coombs, senior partner at the Center for Risk Communication and CCTT member. Both senior research fellows are internationally recognized for their contributions to crisis communication research and practice.

“Integrity defines an organization’s character and determines how its true colors show, especially under high pressure,” Jin said. “We look forward to our collective work advancing the knowledge of integrity across academia and industry.”

Jin is recognized as the most prolific author in crisis communication articles published in Public Relations Review (PRR) (2000-2023), according to meta-research on 24 years of crisis communication research published in the journal.

“The opportunity to blend integrity with crisis communication offered in this year’s grants is thrilling,” Coombs said.

Coombs has developed the situational crisis communication theory and published numerous works, including the award-winning book “Ongoing Crisis Communication,” that advances the field of research and practice.

The CCTT is a leadership entity created to build collaborations among crisis scholars and practitioners globally, through dialogue on emerging topics and co-creation of evidence-based advice for next-generation crisis research and practice. Through its GRAIL program — an acronym for Governance, Readiness, Alignment, Integrity and Legitimacy — partners from Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Terry College of Business and the UGA School of Law advance research collaboration and strategic innovation addressing risks and crisis issues essential to health, security and resilience.

“Integrity is a keystone for the new architecture of ‘Managing for Tomorrow’ and the rock for public communication in times of disruption and uncertainty,” Jin continued. “It requires leadership thinking and action grounded in the mindset of readiness.”

The Page Center is located at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State and is dedicated to the study and advancement of ethics and responsibility in all forms of public communication.

“During times of crisis, trust is absolutely vital when engaging stakeholders, and it’s ultimately how stakeholders will evaluate the organization when the crisis is over,” said Holly Overton, Page Center research director. “Supporting research that examines how integrity can strengthen an organization during challenging times but can also reveal vulnerabilities is a tremendously timely opportunity for scholars in this field.”

Funded researchers will have their work presented and promoted in many areas, including the Page Center website and at the Center’s Research Roundtables, which are twice-annual sessions with the Center’s advisory board and senior research fellows. Funded research teams can also submit manuscripts for consideration as part of a special issue of the journal Business Horizons.

Visit the Page Center website for a full description of the call and the proposal process.

All application materials must be submitted through Scholastica by Jan. 15, 2027.

Author: Jonathan McVerry, jmac@psu.edu

Editor: Sarah Freeman, FreemanS@uga.edu