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KEY CONCEPTS Image restoration, corporate apoligy, rhetorical theory, social leviathans
In 1995, Benoit proposed a theory of image restoration strategies, based on the premise "that human beings engage in recurrent patterns of communicative behavior designed to reduce, redress, or avoid damage to their reputation (or face or image) from perceived wrong-doing" (1995a, p. vii). Benoit also invited dialogue about the theory:
Although I characterize this as a "general theory" of image restoration, I don't intend this label to imply that I have articulated an exhaustive discussion of everything of interest concerning excuses, apologies, and accounts .... The theory of image restoration discourse has room for further development (1995a, pp. viii-ix and 164).
This essay argues that the theory at certain points is constrained by its current language and mental representations and even invites misinterpretation. Written from a sympathetic point of view, this essay offers suggestions both for clarifying potentially troublesome formulations and for developing specific aspects of the theory.
Benoit and colleagues, in a considerable body of published research, have developed and applied the theory in various contexts. Studies on the image repair strategies of Queen Elizabeth (Benoit & Brinson, 1999), Hugh Grant (Benoit, 1997a), and Tonya Harding (Benoit & Hanczor, 1994), for example, apply the theory to public figures. Studies on the image restoration strategies of Tylenol (Benoit & Lindsey, 1987), AT&T (Benoit & Brinson, 1994), Sears (Benoit, 1995b), Dow Corning (Brinson & Benoit, 1996), USAir (Benoit & Czerwinski, 1997), and Texaco (Brinson & Benoit, 1999) provide significant insight into corporate apologia. This body of published research itself merits critical commentary, because of its breadth and depth. In this essay, we will examine the theory of image restoration strategies in corporate contexts, because of (1) the power and influence of large corporations today and (2) the interest in corporate discourse among scholars and practitioners in impression management, organizational communication, risk assessment, and applied communication research (e.g., Cragan & Shields, 1999). This essay often will refer, specifically, to the Texaco study (Brinson & Benoit, 1999) because of its recency and its heuristic value.
The theory of image restoration strategies is worthy of further discussion for historical reasons, too. The theory is associated with a long and fruitful tradition in genre and apologia studies (e.g.,...