Warmth and Competence: An Empirical Investigation of the Dual Impact of Corporate Apologies on Repairing Brand Trust

Brand Crisis Stereotype Content Model Apology Perceived Warmth Perceived Competence Brand Trust.

Authors

  • Mei-Ru Yang 1) School of Accountancy and Finance, Walailak University 222 Thai Buri, Tha Sala, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand. 2) Business School, Jiangxi Institute of Fashion Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330020, China.
  • Shubham Pathak
    shubhampathak@gmail.com
    School of Accountancy and Finance, Center of Excellence in Sustainable Disaster Management (CESDM), Walailak University, Thai Buri, Tha Sala and 80160,, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2750-8483
  • Shi-Zheng Huang School of Economics and Management, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530000,, China

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Brand crises frequently lead to the erosion of consumer trust, with corporate apologies serving as a widely utilised strategy for trust repair. While existing research supports the effectiveness of apologies in repairing brand trust, limited attention has been given to the underlying psychological mechanisms from the consumer perspective. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), a dual-path trust repair mechanism was proposed to systematically examine how corporate apologies influence brand trust repair through perceived warmth and perceived competence. Unlike previous studies, the SCM framework was employed to provide a more comprehensive explanation, demonstrating how corporate apologies in brand crisis contexts impact trust recovery via both emotional (perceived warmth) and cognitive (perceived competence) dimensions. Utilising structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse questionnaire data from consumers of new energy vehicles (n=412), the findings indicate that corporate apologies not only directly enhance brand trust but also indirectly facilitate trust repair by increasing perceived warmth and perceived competence, which function as mediating variables in the repair process. These insights extend the theoretical framework of brand crisis management and trust repair research while offering empirical support for optimising corporate apology strategies.

 

Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2025-06-01-07

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