The Relationship Between Communicative Actions, Behavioral Intentions, and Corporate Reputation in the Framework of Situational Theory of Problem Solving in a Public Health Crisis

Objectives: This study aims to determine the individuals’ communicative actions based on the basic assumptions of the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) and the effect of these actions on people’s willingness to follow WHO’s instructions in the event of an epidemic. It also seeks to determine the impact of corporate reputation on people’s communicative actions and intention to follow instructions. Methods: Data were collected digitally from 261 graduate students enrolled at a state university in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. A structural equation model (SEM) was employed for data analysis. Results: Perceptual antecedents affected situational motivation, and situational motivation affected communicative actions. Communicative actions were a determining factor in individuals’ willingness to follow instructions. The perception of corporate reputation influenced both communicative actions and people’s willingness to follow instructions. Conclusion: The study revealed that STOPS can provide an important theoretical framework for more effective risk communication practices in public health crises such as epidemics. It also displayed the relationship between the individuals’ communicative actions and their willingness to follow instructions and the determining effect of corporate reputation on both of these factors.