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How does it depend?: A systematic review of the contingency theory of accommodation in communication scholarship
Journal article   Peer reviewed

How does it depend?: A systematic review of the contingency theory of accommodation in communication scholarship

Hyunmin Lee, Seoyeon Hong, Bokyung Kim and Janna MacPherson
Public relations review, v 48(1), 102148
Mar 2022

Abstract

Content analysis Contingency theory Systematic review Trend study
•This study conducted a systematic content analysis to examine patterns in Contingency Theory research from 1997 to 2020.•Empirical findings confirm anecdotal results that Contingency Theory is a dominant framework in crisis communication.•There is a clear pattern of epistemological advancement, moving from qualitative inquires to quantitative testing.•Future research should attempt to adopt the theory as the dominant framework.•Future research should focus on methodological development through advanced methodological approachs.•Lastly, future research should expand and embrace the theory’s application to more diverse research contexts. This study conducted a systematic review of the ways in which Contingency Theory of Accommodation has been developed over the past two decades. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we analyzed the trends (e.g., journal, publication volume, research contexts) as well as the theoretical and methodological approaches utilized in Contingency Theory studies. Findings from a content analysis (N = 223) conclude that the theory has established itself as a dominant framework for crisis communication scholarship and shows clear patterns of epistemological advancement. However, the most pressing challenge for future scholarship is the need to revitalize the theory by incorporating more diverse conceptual approaches and further methodological sophistication in measurement for the 86 contingency factors.

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Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Business
Communication
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