5. Conclusion
The present study revealed differences in the communication styles enacted by GM’s and Toyota’s executives, differences that, based on the genderlect theory, can be classified as female and male-specific communication strategies. Further, the analysis assessed the valence of the media coverage and revealed that GM, whose crisis communication response was female-specific received more positive coverage than Toyota, whose crisis communication was male-specific. Yet, the direct correlation between gender-specific communication styles and media coverage cannot be determined through the present study and needs to be further investigated via statistical analyses. The sample of analysis for the current study was small because it comprised of newspaper articles that entailed direct quotes from the executives and, hence, did not allow for a statistical analysis. Nonetheless, the analysis represents a first attempt to apply the genderlect theory to crisis communication and to inform future research studies that can enlarge the sample to ascertain via quantitative research methods the extent to which gender-specific communication exerts influence on media coverage. Such studies are important to inform best practices of crisis communication that combine female- and male-communication styles with the ultimate purpose of rebuilding trust with a company’s stakeholders and reducing further reputational damage.
