Paper Title
Crisis Response Strategies: A Case Study of The Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

Abstract
This paper incorporates the use of content analysis in using the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal and the resulting press releases issued by Volkswagen in the build-up to, and aftermath of, the “Diesel-Dupe crisis” in order to investigate how the business communication during the crisis could have been handled more affectively. By analysing the press releases from Volkswagen from the 18th of September 2015 – 30th of September 2016 (23 in total) using content analysis and coding key themes according to Coomb’s framework of crisis response strategies, the evolution of Volkswagen’s engagement with stakeholders as moving from “non-existence” (denial / explanation / attack and intimidation); to distancing (excuses/downplaying); to “association” (bolstering/transcendence/victim); to “acceptance and accommodation (full apology, remediations, repentance, rectification), is analysed. Index Terms- Volkswagen, Emissions Scandal, Diesel Dupe, Business Reputation, Crisis Management, Crisis Communication.