Mixed messages in a VUCA world: How the New Zealand government altered its SARS-CoV-2 crisis communication messages

Abstract

The SARS-COV-2 pandemic typifies a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) situation. For a time, Aotearoa New Zealand’s government was lauded for its quick and effective elimination response and clear communication strategy, which saw the citizens of the country enjoy months free from the trappings of SARS-COV-2. This changed with the arrival of Delta, a new variant of concern. It is against this context that we sought to analyse the two main speeches delivered by the prime minister of that time – Jacinda Ardern. The first, delivered on 17 August 2021, maintained the messaging of the previous years – let us eliminate the virus. However, the second speech, delivered on 4 October 2021, shifted to an emphasis on vaccination and living with the virus. Not unsurprisingly, the change in messaging prompted some factions of the public to express frustration and hostility towards Ardern and her government because of perceived inconsistencies and ambiguities in the messaging. Our findings highlight that while crisis communication in a VUCA environment needs to maintain consistency to garner trust, it also needs to be adaptive to respond to uncertainties. However, in being adaptive and engaging with the public to adjust their expectations, leaders can often be faced with resistance and even be perceived as failures. This adds further responsibility to the leader to address the adaptive challenges as effectively as possible. Our findings are a cautionary tale for scholarship and education in crisis communication to avoid emphasis on fixed solutions.