Organizational responses to scandals: how effective is the European Commission?

How public organizations respond to scandals is important as it affects their reputation and legitimacy. Yet very little research has been conducted on this topic. Drawing on insights from the literature on corporate reputation management, this article questions how effectively the European Commission has responded to recent scandals. It does this by creating an original analytical framework composed of five indicators: speed of response; openness of response; application of relevant rules; tone of response; and engagement with reform. These indicators are then used to evaluate two cases of Commission scandal: the first, a cash-for-influence case involving a Commissioner from a small Member State; and the second, concerning a former Commission President. While no clear pattern emerges across the two cases, the article provides evidence of a mix of good practice and room for improvement in the Commission’s handling of scandals. The article also argues that even in the most bureaucratic of public organizations the management of scandals involves not only rule-following, but also subjective judgements by organizational leaders.