David Taylor    Department   Kyoto University of Foreign Studies  Department of Global Studies, Faculty of Global Engagement    Position   Professor
Language	English
Publication Date	2008/05
Type
Peer Review	Peer reviewed
Title	How Self-Construal Affects Customer Reactions to Unexpected Events
Contribution Type	Single author
Journal Type	Another Country
Publisher	Binghamton University Publications, School of Management
Author and coauthor	*David Taylor
Details	Consumers and marketers around the world often find themselves facing unexpected events. My first essay found that consumers (American/Japanese) tend to be comparatively optimistic in that they believe bad things are more likely to happen to others. Interestingly, optimism both strengthens (likelihood of getting “the good”) and fades (likelihood of avoiding “the bad”) as the unexpected event spreads. Results suggested that the spread of the event does not affect brand attitudes implying that only the initial reaction to the event matters so that leaders and brand managers may have a ‘window of opportunity’ to manage a negative event without losing brand equity. My second essay explored leadership responses to unexpected negative events (crises). My findings are relevant to managers and researchers working globally.