An evaluation on criss communication in shopping malls

In today's global economic landscape, the retail sector is growing rapidly under the influence of capitalism. Shopping centres are one of the most visible manifestations of consumption culture and are playing a key role in this growth. Shopping centres have become multifunctional living spaces where people socialise, have fun and enjoy cultural activities. Due to their multifunctional nature, shopping centres have become important attractions in their local areas, but this also makes them vulnerable to various types of crisis. They can be affected by natural disasters, economic crises, terrorist attacks, security breaches, infrastructure failures, technology-related outages and health crises, among others. If these types of crisis are not managed effectively, they can seriously threaten the corporate reputation, continuity and financial stability of shopping centres. Therefore, crisis management, and crisis communication in particular, are strategically important for the sustainable management of shopping centres. This thesis examines crisis communication processes in shopping centres from a multidimensional perspective. Specifically, it provides an in-depth analysis of the preparation phase before the crisis, the communication strategies implemented during the crisis and the evaluation activities carried out afterwards, as seen through the eyes of shopping centre managers. The study aims to reveal the extent to which shopping centres in Turkey are prepared for crises, the strategies they adopt for crisis management and managers' perceptions of crisis communication. The research was conducted using a quantitative questionnaire-based study with participants at manager level from various AVMs across Turkey. The resulting data provides valuable insights into current crisis communication practices and challenges and aims to contribute to the development of more resilient and proactive AVM management strategies in the event of a crisis.