Date of Award

Spring 6-13-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Communication Studies

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Communication Studies

First Advisor

Elizabeth Suter

Second Advisor

Darrin Hicks

Third Advisor

Joshua Hanan

Fourth Advisor

Frédérique Chevillot

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

COVID-19, Executive leadership, Internal communication, Organizational disruption, Stakeholder engagement, Trust, Theory of Social Crisis Leadership Communication (SCLC)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, created a “mega-crisis” characterized by intersecting physiological, economic, political, social, and cultural disruptions. This study examines how senior organizational executives narrate their response to the crisis, focusing on their engagement with organizational stakeholders. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, I conducted in-depth interviews with 12 organizational leaders to construct the Theory of Social Crisis Leadership Communication (SCLC).

Findings highlight the centrality of trust as an interdependent relationship in which executive leaders and organizational stakeholders rely on each other to navigate crises successfully. Executives responded to an environment of distrust and skepticism by engaging in proactive relationship-building practices. Through listening, bonding, empowering, and transparent communication, leaders fostered trusted relationships to stabilize their organizations. The study also examines power dynamics and resistance, revealing how these factors disrupt the internal communication (IC) engagement cycle.

While crisis management is well studied, less is known about the relational dynamics between executives and stakeholders during a crisis. This research advances understanding by offering a theoretical framework for evaluating executive leadership communication during trust-eroding disruptions within organizations. Implications include the importance of executives engaging with stakeholders to actively co-create outcomes and effectively navigate crises. Practical applications underscore the need for adaptive leadership approaches that balance operational priorities with trust-building efforts, particularly as emergent technologies like Artificial Intelligence heighten the risks of misinformation, exacerbating trust erosion, and revealing disparities in leadership responses that jeopardize organizational stability.

Copyright Date

6-2025

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Marji Karish

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

233 pgs

File Size

3.2 MB

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