{"title":"Risk and Crisis Communication about Invisible Hazards","authors":"R. Skotnes, K. Hansen, A. Krøvel","doi":"10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.9","url":null,"abstract":"This article discusses differences between invisible and visible hazards, and how these differences can affect risk and crisis communication. Invisible hazards are risks that we cannot see, and often cannot touch, taste, nor smell. Examples are COVID-19, radon gas, mold spores, or asbestos fibers. Invisible hazards are often uncertain, complex, and ambiguous risk problems. Results from a Norwegian study show that authorities need to be aware of the possible differences in risk perception among authorities, stakeholders, and the general public. Involving citizens, creating trust, and being honest is important for all risk and crisis communication. However, the less we know about a hazard, the more we need to rely on others to make decisions, and consequently trust is particularly important when dealing with invisible hazards.","PeriodicalId":275156,"journal":{"name":"Special Issue on COVID-19","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127053038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bengt Johansson, Jacob Sohlberg, P. Esaiasson, Marina Ghersetti
{"title":"Why Swedes Don’t Wear Face Masks During the Pandemic—A Consequence of Blindly Trusting the Government","authors":"Bengt Johansson, Jacob Sohlberg, P. Esaiasson, Marina Ghersetti","doi":"10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.6","url":null,"abstract":"Government trust is generally helpful for societies, especially in crisis situations, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, because governments rely on citizens to follow directives. Worldwide, with supporting evidence accumulating, a key directive has been to wear face masks. However, in Sweden, the government has questioned their usefulness. On other behavioral recommendations, such as handwashing, the government has taken a conventional path. We rely on this non-recommendation of face masks to examine the causal impact of government trust on behavior. Based on a large Swedish survey fielded during the pandemic, we find that higher government trust reduces the likelihood of wearing face masks. In contrast, higher trust increases the likelihood of handwashing. The findings qualify the conclusion about the beneficial consequences of trust.","PeriodicalId":275156,"journal":{"name":"Special Issue on COVID-19","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125451563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Managing COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: The Case of Greece","authors":"Neofytos Aspriadis","doi":"10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.8","url":null,"abstract":"This qualitative study analyzes the Greek government’s crisis management practice and public communication efforts during two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Integrating both crisis management theories and the World Health Organization’s pandemic control plans, discourse analysis and case study approaches were taken to analyze how Greek’s key government and public health authorities communicated with the public using different frames and crisis response strategies. Evaluations were conducted to assess the Greek government’s crisis communication procedures and the effectiveness of different rhetorical strategies used as evidenced in public briefings and public speeches.","PeriodicalId":275156,"journal":{"name":"Special Issue on COVID-19","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131804549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julia Stranzl, Christopher Ruppel, Sabine A. Einwiller
{"title":"Examining the Role of Transparent Organizational Communication for \u0000Employees’ Job Engagement and Disengagement during the COVID-19 \u0000Pandemic in Austria","authors":"Julia Stranzl, Christopher Ruppel, Sabine A. Einwiller","doi":"10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30658/JICRCR.4.2.4","url":null,"abstract":"This study provides an understanding of how employees’ perception of organizational transparency during the long-lasting situation of the COVID-19 pandemic engendered their job engagement as well as job disengagement. Data were collected by means of an online survey among 410 employees in Austria during March 2021. Results show that employees’ perception of their organization’s approach to transparency directly influenced their job engagement and disengagement. Importantly, the relationship between transparency and job engagement was also mediated through organizational trust, and job-specific state anxiety mediated the relationship between transparency and job disengagement. The results imply the importance of transparency during times of great uncertainty and emphasize the necessity to closely consider employees’ emotional states and worries during a crisis.","PeriodicalId":275156,"journal":{"name":"Special Issue on COVID-19","volume":"59 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123453917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}