Context in Crisis Communication: Exploring Cultural and Political Influence on Crisis Communication in Liberia

Abstract: Understanding context is paramount to the practice of crisis communication. In this thesis, I explore how cultural and political contexts influence crisis communication using Liberia as the area of study. However, the scope is narrowed to understanding the research phenomenon from the perspective of communicators in public sector organizations. Using a qualitative, interpretive research approach and semi-structured interviews as the research method, the thesis analyzes communicators' subjective experiences and interpretations. The findings revealed the following themes as influencing factors for how crisis communication is planned in Liberia, specifically by public sector organizations: a culture of Collectivism, a Culture of Individualism, a Culture of Distrust and Disbelief, and finally, Authority and Government Propaganda. However, all these contextual elements influence crisis communication at different levels based on the crisis setting, the specific public sector organization managing the crisis, proximity to government, and the organizations' and public's interest in the political system. A significant discovery in this thesis is the cultural divide between rural and urban settings that shape how crisis communication messages are disseminated and understood. The findings revealed that rural areas practice a culture of Collectivism while urban settings are more individualistic in how they react to crisis information. These findings imply that people in rural communities will respond positively to information about a crisis that threatens the members or values of their shared groups or communities regardless of the impact on them as individuals. In contrast, urban dwellers will have a positive action mostly when the information is about how a particular crisis affects them as individuals. The results further suggest that authority and government propaganda play a significant role in framing crisis communication in public sector organizations. Additionally, due to the strong unquestioning culture in rural areas, public sector communicators in Liberia first try to communicate crisis related-information to the traditional leaders rather than sending information directly to an entire community.