The Impact of Corporate Repair Strategies on Consumers’ Negative Behavioral Responses in the Context of Food Safety Crises

Abstract

In recent years, the frequent occurrence of product safety incidents indicates that food enterprises face immense pressure regarding quality control. When a crisis occurs, consumers typically resort to market exit behaviors and negative information dissemination to seek compensation for their interests, directly damaging corporate operational performance and brand image. As consumers are the direct victims of the crisis, their subjective perceptions and behavioral responses are key indicators for evaluating repair effectiveness. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, this paper analyzes the mechanisms of three typical repair strategies—information dissemination, emotional interaction, and corrective measures—and explores their synergistic effects. The findings reveal that these interventions can significantly improve corporate image and mitigate potential losses. Furthermore, perceived risk plays a mediating and moderating role, strengthening positive intervention effects while also deepening negative consequences. This conclusion provides important empirical support for establishing a modern crisis management system. Specifically, it necessitates improving recall systems and compensation measures to eliminate potential safety hazards, while simultaneously strengthening brand building and engaging in transparent communication to rebuild public trust, thereby fostering a long-term, sustainable development strategy.