중국 공중의 후쿠시마 원전 오염수 방류 사건에 대한 인식이 일본 국가 이미지에 미치는 영향: SCCT의 확장 모델을 중심으로

초록

This study aims to examine the relationships among crisis responsibility, emotional responses, and national image toward the Japanese government among the Chinese public based on the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). Using the Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge incident as the research context, this study investigates the impact of perceived crisis responsibility attributed to the Japanese government on Japan’s national image, with emotional responses serving as a mediating variable. In addition, crisis history, organizational reputation, and prior national image were incorporated as exogenous variables to examine their effects on perceptions of crisis responsibility. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The major findings are as follows. First, perceived crisis responsibility attributed to the Japanese government had a significant positive effect on emotional responses. Second, emotional responses had a significant negative effect on Japan’s national image. Third, emotional responses partially mediated the relationship between crisis responsibility and national image. Fourth, the crisis history of the Japanese government had a significant positive effect on perceived crisis responsibility. Fifth, the organizational reputation of the Japanese government had a significant negative effect on perceived crisis responsibility. Sixth, a more positive prior national image of Japan was associated with lower levels of perceived crisis responsibility attributed to the Japanese government. These findings suggest that public attributions of responsibility and emotional responses play critical roles in shaping national image during crisis situations. Furthermore, crisis history serves as a factor that strengthens responsibility attribution, whereas organizational reputation functions as a mitigating factor. The results contribute to the extension of SCCT by demonstrating the importance of emotional and reputational factors in understanding how crisis perceptions influence national image in the context of an international environmental crisis.

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