Emotional Contagion Mechanism and Response Strategy Simulation of Corporate Crises from the Perspective of Online Collective Action

With the development of the internet and the increasing maturity of social media ecosystems, online collective actions within digital social networks have become more frequent and exhibit new patterns. Research on the mechanisms and governance of online collective action has become a crucial aspect of corporate crisis management. This study constructs an online social network with scale-free (BA) characteristics, defines individual properties and interaction rules based on the SIR model, and simulates the outbreak and intervention of online collective actions. The findings indicate that netizens with similar cognitions spontaneously form virtually clustered groups under the influence of triggering events, progressing through emotional arousal, emotional expression, and emotional mobilization, ultimately leading to large-scale online collective action. Collective actions initiated by opinion leaders tend to be more widespread, sudden, and persistent. To mitigate online collective actions, companies should enhance the transparency of core event information, promptly address the demands of action groups, soothe public sentiment, respond to societal concerns, and strengthen guidance over opinion leaders in public discourse.