Review article
https://doi.org/10.47960/2712-0457.2020.1.2.7
STRATEGIC SILENCE IN CRISIS COMMUNICATION – WHEN IS IT BETTER TO REMAIN SILENT?
Arnela Bevanda
; University of Mostar
Sanja Bijakšić
orcid.org/0000-0003-4574-7610
; University of Mostar
Abstract
The crisis is understood as a deep and pervasive disorder in a man's life, the functioning of a company and/or society as a whole, which leaves strong and sometimes severe consequences. The etymological word crisis comes from the Greek word ’krisis’ which means ground-breaking, but transitive period. It is of great importance for companies to define a crisis as a transitive period. Therefore, responses to how companies react to crisis and which strategies of crisis communication they use, substantially determine their post-crisis success.
It is common to understand crisis communication as a process of information transfer necessary to face the crisis situation. Therefore, communication is, primarily, characterized by what we recognize as sound, voice or even noise. But, is that really so? Do we communicate even when we are silent?
From the problem point of view, this paper is determined through the following question: Is it possible that strategic silence intensifies the influence of marketing communication in crisis situations? That is when silence is a better choice for companies?
The purpose of the paper is seen in an attempt to systemize and analyse available scientific knowledge about planning and implementing silence as communication strategy of a company in crisis situations. It is primarily important because it is used almost on a daily basis by company practitioners, while the scientific public is generally silent about silence.
The commitment to research theoretical assumptions about strategic silence has been influenced by the fact that the appearance and implementation of this concept are relatively new (more serious scientific research started in the late 1970s and early 1980s). Research and scientific papers related to European areas, including the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, dealing with the analysis of the application of the strategic silence, especially the scientific analysis of its implementation, are not available.
Keywords
crisis; crisis communication; strategic silence
Hrčak ID:
240785
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2020.
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