Topic of the Paper: The actual effectiveness and success of the various crisis communication and management methods used by the governments of different countries.
Effective crisis communication and management are equally vital within a small group of people, organizations, and a whole country. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the task of governments to manage the situation properly and address all the challenges and issues. However, the leaders did not manage to prevent and eliminate all obstacles, and many spheres and systems were not even ready for such a situation. For example, the education sector failed to implement online studies as efficiently as was expected. At the same time, some measures actually appeared to be effective, which is why the overall process of managing the world crisis may be considered relatively successful. Still, it is essential to upgrade the system of governmental management of such severe emergencies.
Problem Statement
It is essential for governments all over the world to be able to respond to the crisis situation more effectively since their management of the COVID-19 crisis generally was not as successful and efficient as was expected.
Annotated Bibliography
Abbas, Jaffar. “Crisis Management, Transnational Healthcare Challenges and Opportunities: The Intersection of COVID-19 Pandemic and Global Mental Health.” Research in Globalization, vol. 3, 2021, pp. 1-7.
The author of this article is from the Antai College of Economics and Management and has written many pieces related to crisis management and the COVID-19, which makes this source credible and relevant. In this article, the author tries to fill the gap in the literature about the crisis management of global health challenges pandemics. In Pakistan, the healthcare system was not ready for the challenges of the coronavirus. Therefore, the article explores the reactions and responses of the government, as well as the leaders’ attempts to reduce the pressure on the healthcare system.
Boin, Arjen, et al. Governing the Pandemic: The Politics of Navigating a Mega Crisis. Springer, 2021.
This is a highly relevant and credible book written by three outstanding scholars in the field of the policy of crisis communication and management. This resource explores the ways that governments and governing systems have addressed the global pandemic (Boin et al.). The authors provide valuable insights into crisis management, the mistakes that governments have made during the global pandemic, the fearful reaction of citizens, and the ways to return to normal after such a dreadful event.
Fisher Liu, Brooke, et al. “Leadership Under Fire: How Governments Manage Crisis Communication.” Communication Studies, vol. 71, no. 1, 2019, pp. 128-147.
The authors of this book do not focus on the COVID-19 crisis but explore crisis leadership and management in general. Still, this is a very valuable article that “expands the state of the art in crisis communication leadership research” (Fisher Liu et al. 128). This academic piece contributes to limited information about the communication of government leaders during different crises, which can also be applied to the case of coronavirus.
Hidayat, Dasrun, et al. “Crisis Management and Communication Experience in Education During the Covid–19 Pandemic in Indonesia.” Malaysian Journal of Communication, vol. 36, no. 3, 2020, pp. 67-82.
After the pandemic outbreak, the education sector was not ready for rapid and big changes, and there were many difficulties and mistakes while trying to introduce online education. The Indonesian government offered the Study from Home crisis program. Hidayat et al. explore the reactions and opinions of students and teachers. Overall, in this article, it is stated that the efforts and management provided by the Indonesian government were not sufficient enough.
Huang, Mimi, and Lise-Lotte Holmgreen. The Language of Crisis. Metaphors, Frames and Discourses. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2020.
The primary focus of this book is on people’s interaction with each other during crises. The authors provide original and valuable findings, accurate data, approaches, and concepts of crisis discourses in a number of different contexts (Huang and Holmgreen). This resource can help explore the role of communication in crisis management. Additionally, in this book, Huang and Holmgreen explain the unique functions of frames and metaphors that appear when governments address a crisis and the media describes it.
Lilleker, Darren, et al. Political Communication and Covid-19: Governance and Rhetoric in Times of Crisis. Routledge, 2021.
This is a highly useful book that provides a deep comparison and analysis of some political communicative responses to the outbreak of the COVID-19. Indeed, since the countries’ reactions and further successes differed, it is essential to compare the governments’ responses. In this book, Lilleker et al. determine the errors the governments made during the crisis management and find out whether the leaders’ messages followed the key indicators of effective communication.
Pyszczynski, Tom., et al. “Terror Management Theory and the COVID-19.” Pandemic Journal of Humanistic Psychology, vol. 61, no. 2, 2021, pp. 173-189.
It is well-known that the fear of death controls the choices and actions of humans. In this highly relevant article, Pyszczynski et al. choose to apply terror management theory to the COVID-19 case. The researchers explore the different reactions and responses of people and governments to the pandemic outbreak.
Sinha, Dipankar. Pandemic, Governance and Communication: The Curious Case of Covid-19. Taylor & Francis, 2021.
The primary focus of this book is on the management of the COVID-19 crisis. Dipankar discusses how the governments managed the dreadful situation and how major risk and crisis communication versions faced extremely severe challenges during the global pandemic. The book also addresses how governmental surveillance of people was chosen as one of the main methods of managing the situation.
Trachsler, Tara, and Wouter Jong. “Crisis Management in Times of COVID-19: Game, Set or Match?” Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, vol. 28, no. 4, 2020, pp. 485-486.
According to the authors, the current crisis preparation and management system of the Dutch mayors is not serious and sufficient enough. Trachsler and Jong consider addressing a crisis and winning Olympic medals similarly difficult and serious processes. In this article, the researchers offer to adopt psychological and behavioral “knowledge from sports management to improve the performance of public leaders under pressure” (485).
Wodak, Ruth. “Crisis Communication and Crisis Management During COVID-19.” Global Discourse, vol. 11, no. 3, 2021, pp. 329-353.
The researchers compare and analyze the responses and management measures of the governments of five developed countries. They perform this insightful comparison “by analyzing a sample of important speeches and press conferences by government leaders” and exploring the disease prevention measures introduced in these countries (Wodak 329). What is precisely interesting in this article is that the author focuses on the frames that the leaders have used to eliminate the fear of death, including a frame of leading a war, the one emphasizing trust, a religious frame, and a dialogic one.
Works Cited
Abbas, Jaffar. “Crisis Management, Transnational Healthcare Challenges and Opportunities: The Intersection of COVID-19 Pandemic and Global Mental Health.” Research in Globalization, vol. 3, 2021, pp. 1-7.
Boin, Arjen, et al. Governing the Pandemic: The Politics of Navigating a Mega Crisis. Springer, 2021.
Fisher Liu, Brooke, et al. “Leadership Under Fire: How Governments Manage Crisis Communication.” Communication Studies, vol. 71, no. 1, 2019, pp. 128-147.
Hidayat, Dasrun, et al. “Crisis Management and Communication Experience in Education During the Covid–19 Pandemic in Indonesia.” Malaysian Journal of Communication, vol. 36, no. 3, 2020, pp. 67-82.
Huang, Mimi, and Lise-Lotte Holmgreen. The Language of Crisis. Metaphors, Frames and Discourses. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2020.
Lilleker, Darren, et al. Political Communication and Covid-19: Governance and Rhetoric in Times of Crisis. Routledge, 2021.
Pyszczynski, Tom., et al. “Terror Management Theory and the COVID-19.” Pandemic Journal of Humanistic Psychology, vol. 61, no. 2, 2021, pp. 173-189.
Sinha, Dipankar. Pandemic, Governance and Communication: The Curious Case of Covid-19. Taylor & Francis, 2021.
Trachsler, Tara, and Wouter Jong. “Crisis Management in Times of COVID-19: Game, Set or Match?” Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, vol. 28, no. 4, 2020, pp. 485-486.
Wodak, Ruth. “Crisis Communication and Crisis Management During COVID-19.” Global Discourse, vol. 11, no. 3, 2021, pp. 329-353.