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Article published In:
Reconsidering Language and Gender in Contemporary Japan and among the Japanese Diaspora amid the #MeToo Movement
Edited by Kikuko Omori and Hiroshi Ota
[Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 33:1] 2023
► pp. 38–60

Breaking the mold

The influence of CEO gender and ethnicity on crisis communication effectiveness in Japan

| Seinan Gakuin University
| Osaka University

This study investigated the potential effects of CEO gender and ethnicity on crisis communication efforts in Japan. Literature on how Japanese perceive male/female and Japanese/non-Japanese leaders was examined, followed by a discussion of three major mechanisms through which gender and ethnicity can influence audience perceptions: (1) ingroup bias, (2) role congruity considerations, and (3) shifting standards and expectations. A 2 (crisis response) × 2 (CEO gender) × 2 (CEO ethnicity) between-subjects experimental design was employed to assess the impact of CEO gender and ethnicity on audience perceptions of the CEO and the organization in crisis. Results showed no negative effects of deviating from the stereotypical image of a male Japanese CEO. Rather, both being female and non-Japanese positively influenced perceptions of the CEO. However, only the effect of CEO ethnicity was reflected in judgements of organizational reputation.

Keywords: crisis communication, Japan, gender, ethnicity, company reputation
Article outline
  • Literature review
    • Crisis communication
    • Gender
    • Ethnicity
    • The ingroup bias
    • Role congruity theory
    • Shifting standards and expectations
  • Method
    • Design and stimulus materials
    • Participants
    • Measures
  • Results
    • Perceptions of the CEO
    • The impact of gender match
    • Perceptions of the company in crisis
    • Gender and racial bias
  • Discussion
  • Limitations and future research
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 22 March 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.00076.bar
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