Coercive Communication: Compliance with Government Policies to Reduce COVID-19 Spread in Indonesia

This article aims to explain the direct and indirect effects of coercive communication on the increase of public compliance with Indonesian government policies to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This study employed a quantitative method. The data were collected for 11 days (29 May–8 June 2020). This research involved 580 respondents who were aged 15 years and over and willingly answered the questionnaire. The research questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms, such as Facebook, WhatsApp group and Instagram. The research data were analysed using statistical path analysis with SEM WarpPLS7.0. The findings indicate that coercive communication significantly and directly affects public compliance with seeking information and performing attitudes to suppress the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. Thus, coercive communication can be practically applied as an important alternative strategy in other public policy communications to get a fast response, encourage information seeking and trigger public compliance.