“This current emergency provides the possibility for a new emergence—the birthing of a truly civil civilization dedicated to the well-being of all people and the living Earth.” David Korten
Given the great uncertainty associated with the mass community spread of the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of social and economic life. Yet, the pandemic presents an opportunity for corporations around the world to reevaluate and reconnect with their key stakeholders. According to the emergency management literature, modern organizations may use social media to effectively reduce uncertainty and form a collective narrative, especially during a crisis event[1]. Organizations that have learned to utilize digital tools for communication and organization with their key stakeholders will sustain their post-pandemic competitive advantage and contribute to a more connected society.
Built on their core competencies, several high-profile, high-tech companies have demonstrated leadership in providing information and actively engaging users on social media to foster a democratized collective narrative in understanding the impacts of COVID-19 event and formulating associated corporate responsible responses. For instance, when confirmed cases were first reported in the U.S., AT&T quickly utilized its social media account to announce and directly replied to many customers about its plan to waive late fees for those who experienced economic hardship due to COVID-19.
Later, many high-tech companies further engaged social media users and fine-tuned the corporate responsible responses. For instance, Amazon had first-line employees respond to customers’ inquiry about shipping delays due to the priorities in shipping essential items. This social media practice has allowed Amazon employees to have first-hand exchanges with appreciated customers and created a positive community experience. Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, took the initiative and conducted interviews with several health experts. Social media doubtlessly provides a great social exchange platform for engaging the public in providing a positive outlook to combat the rumors and disinformation.
On the other hand, despite lacking slack resources and core competence in IT infrastructure, community-based small businesses are empowered by social media to garner community support and provide creative solutions to address community needs in challenging times while keeping business afloat. In the first few weeks of the pandemic, community-based services played an essential role to respond to the community’s needs via social media. The community I live in is in the south shore of the Tampa bay in Florida. Many community members were making and selling masks on the social media neighborhood page, charging only the fee for materials. A maid service was offering free sanitization service for the medical personnel and first responders.
Next, when the local government announced the order for closing non-essential business, many small business owners turned to social media sites to continue offering services. For instance, the martial art studio my kids are enrolled in uploaded recordings of martial art instruction on social media as well as using Zoom for delivering scheduled lessons. Recently, as many states in the U.S. are adopting reopening plans, social media sites become essential for small business owners to announce opening hours and social distancing procedures. Some entrepreneurs were quick to capitalize on the opportunity and started their community-based businesses, such as putting on the yard signs to celebrate special occasions in a home-bound life. Out of a sense of emergency and common experience of social distancing, the community rallies support in social media for these small businesses which are essential in addressing community needs.
Overall, the unprecedented challenge of the global pandemic disrupted many aspects of our social lives in the way we communicate ideas, coordinate tasks and form a collective narrative about the world. The silver lining lies in the digital age when organizations, regardless large or small, can utilize social media to efficiently disseminate information and form collective narratives on their responses. The cases mentioned above only consist of a small fraction of positive social exchanges between the business and society. More stories are left to be told as we collectively emerge into a more responsible society.
Reference:
[1] Stieglitz, S., Mirbabaie, M., & Milde, M. 2018. Social positions and collective sense-making in crisis communication. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 34(4), 328-355.