An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Crisis Communication During a Pandemic at a National Government Agency: A Case of South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of crisis communication during a pandemic within a South African national government agency, with a specific focus on managers' perspectives. The occurrence of business crises worldwide is common and the impacts of such crises on businesses can be huge. These crises disturb the expectations of stakeholders as people usually become angry and upset, which threatens the relationship between the enterprise and its stakeholders. The COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, exposed numerous vulnerabilities in public sector communication strategies, particularly in times of crisis. Guided by the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), this qualitative study employed an exploratory research design and used semi-structured interviews to gather data from managers at different levels within the agency. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. The findings reveal that while the government agency had a crisis communication plan in place, it was not adequately equipped to address a high-impact and prolonged crisis like COVID-19. Communication efforts were hindered by conflicting information sources and an underdeveloped internal culture of information-sharing. The study also found that the agency predominantly employed an accommodative communication strategy, prioritising transparency to build public trust. However, inconsistent execution of this strategy weakened its overall effectiveness. The study recommends revising crisis communication plans to better address pandemic-specific dynamics, promoting a proactive information-sharing culture, enhancing responsiveness to misinformation, and leveraging data analytics and emerging technologies for improved message dissemination. This research contributes to the literature on public sector crisis communication by offering practical strategies for improving communication effectiveness during pandemics. It also highlights the importance of agility, empathy, and trust-building in maintaining organisational credibility and stakeholder confidence in crisis situations.