Damage control: an experimental study on the impact of regulatory communication strategies on citizen trust after regulatory failure

Abstract

This paper examines how communication strategies shape citizen trust in regulatory a; gencies following different types of regulatory failure. Using a survey experiment on a representative sample of 1568 Danish citizens, it tests the effects of five communicative strategies. The results indicate that the effectiveness of communicative responses in promoting citizen trust is highly context-sensitive. Overall, the results support earlier studies indicating that 'silence' is less effective than active communication. In addition, admitting responsibility does not appear crucial for fostering citizen trust, while active strategies involving a justification or a plan for remedial action seem to be the most effective.