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Social Sciences and Humanities

D-Index
61
Citations
32736
World Ranking
1311
National Ranking
610

Overview

W. Timothy Coombs is affiliated with Texas A&M University in the United States and has made notable contributions to the field of social sciences, particularly in communication and crisis communication. Their research focuses on public relations, disaster management, misinformation, and resilience within organizational contexts.

Their work often intersects several subfields of study, including communication, sociology and political science, social psychology, strategy and management, and philosophy. This multidisciplinary approach informs a comprehensive understanding of crisis dynamics and communication strategies.

Coombs has published extensively, with a concentration on the following main topics:

  • Public Relations and Crisis Communication
  • Disaster Management and Resilience
  • Misinformation and Its Impacts
  • Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management
  • Rhetoric and Communication Studies
  • Communication in Education and Healthcare
  • Team Dynamics and Performance

The scientist's recent publications include:

  • "Public Sector Crises: Realizations from Covid-19 for Crisis Communication" (2020), published in DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)
  • "Integrating Moral Outrage in Situational Crisis Communication Theory: A Triadic Appraisal Model for Crises" (2023), published in Management Communication Quarterly
  • "How Emotions Can Enhance Crisis Communication: Theorizing Around Moral Outrage" (2023), published in Journal of Public Relations Research
  • "Elaborating the concept of threat in contingency theory: An integration with moral outrage and situational crisis communication theory" (2022), published in Public Relations Review
  • ""READINESS": A keystone concept beyond organizational crisis preparedness and resilience" (2024), published in Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management (co-authored with Yan Jin)

Frequent collaborators include Elina R. Tachkova, Yan Jin, Yijing Wang, Toni G.L.A. van der Meer, and Brittany N. Shivers. These collaborations have contributed to a consistent body of work in crisis communication and related fields.

Coombs has contributed multiple articles to journals such as:

  • Journal of Public Relations Research
  • Public Relations Review
  • Management Communication Quarterly
  • Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management
  • Journal of Communication Management

In addition to journal articles, Coombs has authored a book titled A Primer for Crisis Communication Theory: The Fusion of Theory and Practice, published by King's College London in 2025. This work reflects their ongoing engagement with the theoretical foundations and practical applications within crisis communication.

Best Publications

  • Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory

    W Timothy Coombs

  • Helping Crisis Managers Protect Reputational Assets: Initial Tests of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory.

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • Choosing the Right Words: The Development of Guidelines for the Selection of the “Appropriate” Crisis-Response Strategies

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • Crises and Crisis Management: Integration, Interpretation, and Research Development:

    Jonathan Bundy;Michael D. Pfarrer;Cole E. Short;W. Timothy Coombs

  • Communication and Attributions in a Crisis: An Experimental Study in Crisis Communication

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • An Analytic Framework for Crisis Situations: Better Responses From a Better Understanding of the Situation

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • Impact of Past Crises on Current Crisis Communication Insights From Situational Crisis Communication Theory

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • Parameters for Crisis Communication

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • Unpacking the halo effect: reputation and crisis management

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • Attribution Theory as a guide for post-crisis communication research

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • Comparing apology to equivalent crisis response strategies: Clarifying apology's role and value in crisis communication

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • An Extended Examination of the Crisis Situations: A Fusion of the Relational Management and Symbolic Approaches

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • The handbook of crisis communication

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • Information and Compassion in Crisis Responses: A Test of Their Effects

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • Managing Corporate Social Responsibility: A Communication Approach

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • The Protective Powers of Crisis Response Strategies

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • An Exploratory Study of Stakeholder Emotions: Affect and Crises

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

  • Today's public relations : an introduction

    Robert L. Heath;W. Timothy Coombs

  • The value of communication during a crisis: Insights from strategic communication research

    W. Timothy Coombs

  • It's Not Just PR: Public Relations in Society

    W. Timothy Coombs;Sherry J. Holladay

Frequent Co-Authors

Robert L. Heath
Robert L. Heath University of Houston
Andrew C. Billings
Andrew C. Billings University of Alabama

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