Adaptive and Innovative Behavior of Public Relations Officers During the COVID-19 Crisis: Formulating the 5C Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.9744/scriptura.15.2.%25pKeywords:
crisis management during the pandemic, innovation, PR adaptation, PR strategyAbstract
The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the operational stability of businesses across sectors, forcing Public Relations Officers (PROs) to adapt and innovate rapidly to sustain organizational resilience. This study investigates PRO behavior within organizations ranging from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to national-level institutions, focusing on how communication practitioners navigated crisis-induced uncertainty. Informants were purposively selected PROs who directly managed organizational communication during the pandemic, and data were gathered through in-depth interviews conducted between 2021 and 2022. The urgency of this study lies in the limited empirical documentation of PRO behavioral patterns across organizational scales during COVID-19, despite the pandemic serving as a stress test for crisis communication capacity. Using a postpositivist paradigm and qualitative case study approach, this research employed the Kübler-Ross Change Curve as an analytical indicator to map adaptive and innovative responses. Findings reveal seven behavioral phases: shock, denial, frustration, depression, experiment, innovation decision, and integration; supported by five strategic endeavors: alignment building, communication enhancement, motivation ignition, capability development, and knowledge sharing. The study offers conceptual novelty through the proposed 5C Formula for Adaptation and Innovation, in which changing the paradigm and creating new habits represent adaptive stages. At the same time, creative approaches, channel optimization, and collaborative agreements constitute the innovation stages. This formula contributes an integrative framework for understanding PRO crisis behavior and offers practical guidance for future organizational communication strategies in prolonged disruptive conditions.
References
Aflaha, A., & Suhara, R. B. (2020). CMC Perspective Study: Community Empowerment Through the Use of Computer-Based Digital Media in the Village Government Public Relations Strategy. Proceedings of the 1st Borobudur International Symposium on Humanities, Economics and Social Sciences (BIS-HESS 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200529.090
Alblooshi, M., Shamsuzzaman, M., & Haridy, S. (2021). The relationship between leadership styles and organisational innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(2), 338–370. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-11-2019-0339
Alraouf, A. A. (2021). The new normal or the forgotten normal: contesting COVID-19 impact on contemporary architecture and urbanism. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 15(1), 167–188. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-10-2020-0249
Anani-Bossman, A., & Obeng, S. A. A. (2022). Corporate allies or adversaries: An exploration of the relationship between public relations and marketing among Ghanaian practitioners. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2022.2105932
Bourveau, T., & Schoenfeld, J. (2017). Shareholder activism and voluntary disclosure. Review of Accounting Studies, 22(3), 1307–1339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-017-9408-0
Broom, G. M., & Sha, B.-L. (2013). Cutlip and Center’s Effective Public Relations (11th ed.). Pearson.
Chavan, S., & Bhattacharya, S. (2022). Study of employees’ behavior during organizational change: effects of business theatre on Kübler-Ross model. CARDIOMETRY, 22, 237–243. https://doi.org/10.18137/cardiometry.2022.22.237243
Coombs, Ti. W., & Holladay, S. J. (2010). The Handbook of Crisis Communication.
Corr, C. A. (2020). Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the “Five Stages” Model in a Sampling of Recent American Textbooks. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 82(2), 294–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222818809766
Deloitte. (2019). Global Impact Report 2019. https://www2.deloitte.com/gr/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/global-impact-report-2019.html
Deloitte. (2020). 2020 Global Human Capital Trends Report The social enterprise at work: Paradox as a path forward. https://www2.deloitte.com/cn/en/pages/human-capital/articles/global-human-capital-trends-2020.html
Dewi, H. P. (2021). Determination of Green Marketing Strategies Through Marketing Communication in the Business World in the Society 5.0 Era. https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.210628.030
Ernawati, W. (2021). Optimization of Digital-Based MSME E-Commerce: Challenges and Opportunities in the New Normal Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Social Science Journal for Advanced Research. https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3977348
Febriani, E., Liliweri, A., Ronda, M., & Suratnoaji, C. (2023). Government Digital Communication Management in Facing the Health Crisis (Case Study on the Covid-19 Pandemic in Provincial Government). International Journal of Environmental, Sustainability, and Social Science, 4(1), 309–322. https://doi.org/10.38142/ijesss.v4i1.489
Fischer, D., Posegga, O., & Fischbach, K. (2016). Communication Barriers In Crisis Management: A Literature Review. Twenty-Fourth European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), 1–18. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Oliver-Posegga/publication/301770566_Communication_Barriers_in_Crisis_Management_A_Literature_Review/
links/5727038c08ae586b21e05eb1/Communication-Barriers-in-Crisis-Management-A-Literature-Review.pdf
Fonti, F., Maoret, M., & Whitbred, R. (2017). Free‐riding in multi‐party alliances: The role of perceived alliance effectiveness and peers’ collaboration in a research consortium. Strategic Management Journal, 38(2), 363–383. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2470
Gawer, A., & Cusumano, M. A. (2014). Industry Platforms and Ecosystem Innovation. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 31(3), 417–433. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12105
Hall, L. (2015). Models and frameworks for exploring change and transition. In Coaching in Times of Crisis and Transformation. Kogan Page Limited. https://books.google.co.id/books?hl=id&lr=&id=anWcCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA29&dq=HaLL,+L.+(2015).+03+Models+and+frameworks+for+exploring+change+and+transition.+Coaching+in+Times+of+Crisis+and+Transformation&ots=5x0IBs2isQ&sig=NKw6PnqSpfWa-mMC2MuJOYEDgHM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=HaLL%2C%20L.%20(2015).%2003%20Models%20and%20frameworks%20for%20exploring%20change%20and%20transition.%20Coaching%20in%20Times%20of%20Crisis%20and%20Transformation&f=false
Hanifah, S., Sarpingah, S., & Putra, Y. M. (2019). The Effect of Level of Education, Accounting Knowledge, and Utilization Of Information Technology Toward Quality The Quality of MSME’s Financial Reports. ACEBISS 2019: Proceedings of the First Annual Conference of Economics, Business and Social Sciences, 212. https://books.google.co.id/bookshl=id&lr=&id=e5ZdEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA212&dq=Hanifah,+S.,+Sarpingah,+S.,+%26+Putra,+Y.+M.+(2020).+The+Effect+of+Level+of+Education,+Accounting+Knowledge,+and+Utilization+Of+Information+Technology+Toward+Quality+The+Quality+&ots=ecejSww13p&sig=OyMmgr_Y8ShIlp2AMkg1cuJsZX4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Hardjana, A. (2019). Komunikasi Organisasi. PT. RajaGrafindo Persada.
Hayati, N. A., & Delliana, S. (2023). Brand equity and the impact of social media marketing communication activities. Jurnal Manajemen Strategi Dan Aplikasi Bisnis, 6(1), 29–40. https://doi.org/10.36407/JMSAB.V6I1.617
He, J.-L., Luo, L., Luo, Z.-D., Lyu, J.-X., Ng, M.-Y., Shen, X.-P., & Wen, Z. (2020). Diagnostic performance between CT and initial real-time RT-PCR for clinically suspected 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients outside Wuhan, China. Respiratory Medicine, 168, 105980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2020.105980
Hergüner, B. (2021). Rethinking public administration education in the period of pandemic: Reflections of public administration students on online education through a SWOT analysis. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 41, 100863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100863
Hillebrand, T. M. (2019). The critical role of leadership in implementing the adequate change management model for effective organizational change . https://opus.hs-furtwangen.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/5958
Hu, H., Gu, Q., & Chen, J. (2013). How and when does transformational leadership affect organizational creativity and innovation? Nankai Business Review International, 4(2), 147–166. https://doi.org/10.1108/20408741311323344
Hull, B., & Qiao, X. (2017). A Practitioner’s Defense of Return Predictability. The Journal of Portfolio Management, 43(3), 60–76. https://doi.org/10.3905/jpm.2017.43.3.060
Jaskara, D., & Permana, I. (2022). Employing Kübler-Ross’ Model Of Change Management To Explore And Interpret ’Habibie & Ainun’ Film And Beyond And Its Implication On Leading And Managing Organizational Change. Proceeding of the International Conference on Family Business and Entrepreneurship. https://e-journal.president.ac.id/presunivojs/index.php/ICFBE/article/view/3810
Jepkorir, M. (2021). Public Relations and Reputation Management of the Kenya Judiciary: a Case Study of the Judiciary Public Affairs and Communication Unit [University of Nairobi]. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/160469
Kankam, P. K. (2019). The use of paradigms in information research. Library & Information Science Research, 41(2), 85–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2019.04.003
Kent, M. L. (2015). The power of storytelling in public relations: Introducing the 20 master plots. Public Relations Review, 41(4), 480–489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2015.05.011
Kubler, R. E. (2014). On Death and Dying. What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. The Quarterly Review of Biology.
Kuntardjo, N., & Sebong, P. H. (2020). Pola Interaksi Dan Kepatuhan Protokol Kesehatan Oleh Pedagang Di Pasar X Kota Semarang: Studi Kualitatif Eksploratif. VITASPHERE, 1(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.24167/vit.v1i1.2974
Lahav, T. (2014). Public relations activity in the new media in Israel 2012: Changing relationships. Public Relations Review, 40(1), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2013.12.007
Mokhber, M., Khairuzzaman, W., & Vakilbashi, A. (2018). Leadership and innovation: The moderator role of organization support for innovative behaviors. Journal of Management & Organization, 24(1), 108–128. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2017.26
Nursyamsu, N., Ningsih, F., & Nurdin. (2022). Business Sustainability in the Era of Society 5.0: Optimizing the Utilization of Social Media and Fintech for Muslim Millennial Entrepreneurs. Iqtishodia: Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah, 7(2), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.35897/iqtishodia.v7i2.844
Oktyarini, A. V. N., & Mulyana, D. (2022). The Public Relations In Handling The Complaints. Bandung Conference Series: Public Relations (Vol. 2, No. 1).
Oplatka, I. (2023). The Current Scholarship About Crisis Management in Organizations. In Educational Leadership in Times of Crisis (pp. 9–32). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38890-3_2
Poszytek, P. (2021). The Landscape of Scientific Discussions on the Competencies 4.0 Concept in the Context of the 4th Industrial Revolution—A Bibliometric Review. Sustainability, 13(12), 6709. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126709
Purwanto, A., Pramono, R., Asbari, M., Hyun, C. C., Wijayanti, L. M., Putri, R. S., & Santoso, P. B. (2020). Studi Eksploratif Dampak Pandemi COVID-19 Terhadap Proses Pembelajaran Online di Sekolah Dasar. EduPsyCouns: Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling, 2(1), 1–12. https://ummaspul.e-journal.id/Edupsycouns/article/view/397
Ritchie, B. W., & Jiang, Y. (2021). Risk, crisis and disaster management in hospitality and tourism: a comparative review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(10), 3465–3493. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-12-2020-1480
Rost, K., Stahel, L., & Frey, B. S. (2016). Digital Social Norm Enforcement: Online Firestorms in Social Media. PLOS ONE, 11(6), e0155923. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0155923
Santoso, N. R., Dewi, E. A. S. K., Arviani, H., & Achmad, Z. A. (2021). Public Relations Professionals’ Communication Strategies in Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic Based on Gender. Plaridel, 18(1), 295–315. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nobertus-Santoso/publication/352932887_Public_Relations_Professionals’_Communication_Strategies_in_Responding_to_the_COVID-19_Pandemic_Based_on_Gender/links/60e7bbc90fbf460db8f28366/Public-Relations-Professionals-Communication-Strategies-in-Responding-to-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-Based-on-Gender.pdf
Siagian, A. O., & Cahyono, Y. (2021). Strategi Pemulihan Pemasaran UMKM di Masa Pandemi Covid-19 Pada Sektor Ekonomi Kreatif. Jurnal Teknologi Dan Sistem Informasi Bisnis, 3(1), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.47233/jiteksis.v3i1.212
Simpson, J. M. (2022). Understanding change in the university workplace: are metaphors of bereavement helpful? Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 26(3), 96–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2022.2056253
Slamet. (2022). Potret pandemi Covid-19 dan upaya penanggulangannya: Pandemi mengubah pola kehidupan. https://repository.badankebijakan.kemkes.go.id/id/eprint/4351/1/Potret%20Pandemi%20Covid-19%20dan%20Upaya%20Penanggulangannya.pdf
Smink, M. M., Hekkert, M. P., & Negro, S. O. (2015). Keeping sustainable innovation on a leash? Exploring incumbents’ institutional strategies. Business Strategy and the Environment, 24(2), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1808
Stoller, J. K. (2021). A Perspective on the Educational “SWOT” of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Chest, 159(2), 743–748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.09.087
Tam, L. T., Ho, H. X., Nguyen, D. P., Elias, A., & Le, A. N. H. (2021). Receptivity of Governmental Communication and Its Effectiveness During COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 22(S1), 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-021-00269-7
Tam, T., Rao, A., & Hall, J. (2021). The good, the bad and the missing: A Narrative review of cyber-security implications for australian small businesses. Computers & Security, 109(October 2021), 102385. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COSE.2021.102385
Vardiansyah, D. (2021). Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges for Creative and Strategic Public Relations. Universitas Esa Unggul.
Vašíčková, V. (2020). Crisis Management Process - A Literature Review and a Conceptual Integration. Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, 27(3–4), 61–77. https://doi.org/10.18267/j.aop.628
Williams, G., & Tobbell, J. (2017). Effecting change in local government: local authority chief executives as emotional actors. Policy Studies, 38(4), 392–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2017.1320707
Wright, M. (2016). The change curve. In Gower Handbook of Internal Communication. Routledge. https://books.google.co.id/books?hl=id&lr=&id=2EQGDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Wright,+M.+(2016).+The+change+curve.+In+Gower+Handbook+of+Internal+Communication+&ots=2FmRNcgya_&sig=jm-asZutS26WyOwS582kc3KUDJg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Zhou, K., Taigang Liu, & Lifeng Zhou. (2015). Industry 4.0: Towards future industrial opportunities and challenges. 2015 12th International Conference on Fuzzy Systems and Knowledge Discovery (FSKD), 2147–2152. https://doi.org/10.1109/FSKD.2015.7382284
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dani Vardiansyah, Santi Delliana, Lidya Wati Evelina, Erna Febriani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in the SCRIPTURA Jurnal Ilmiah agree to the following terms:
Authors retain unrestricted copyright and full publishing rights. The authors grant the Publisher the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) that allows for unlimited use, distribution, and content reproduction on all media as long as the original author and source are properly acknowledged and cited.
