Based on a case study in the banking industry, we investigate in this paper the expanding effects of rumors during a crisis. We discuss the theoretical nature of rumors and attempt to show their accelerating processes in times of crisis. A stakeholder analysis is conducted to demonstrate how rumors emerge from the conflicts of rationality and the various sensemaking prac tices of the same event. Managerial implications are then identified and a systemic crisis management strategy, based on five interrelated "families" of intervention, is presented to help managers to improve their understanding of rumors and to enhance their ability in managing them.
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