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Social Media-Based New Crisis Initiatives in the Pandemic : Survival of the Un-Fittest?

Weinryb, Noomi ; Gustafsson, Nils LU orcid and Tyllström, Anna (2025) Organizing in the Face of Global Crises: Communication, Strategy, and “Doing the Right Thing" In Routledge Studies in Communication, Organization, and Organizing p.121-140
Abstract
This chapter examines the organizational dynamics of social media-based new crisis initiatives that emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on their communication. Drawing on empirical case studies, the authors explore how these loosely structured grassroots initiatives mobilized resources, coordinated action, and maintained engagement. The study highlights the central role of digital communication—particularly through Facebook—in enabling rapid mobilization and distributed decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. We find that some initiatives managed to adapt to changing circumstances through responsiveness to demands on social media. From a Luhmann-inspired CCO-perspective, the findings on... (More)
This chapter examines the organizational dynamics of social media-based new crisis initiatives that emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on their communication. Drawing on empirical case studies, the authors explore how these loosely structured grassroots initiatives mobilized resources, coordinated action, and maintained engagement. The study highlights the central role of digital communication—particularly through Facebook—in enabling rapid mobilization and distributed decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. We find that some initiatives managed to adapt to changing circumstances through responsiveness to demands on social media. From a Luhmann-inspired CCO-perspective, the findings on adaptability may be related to the relevance of decision communication on social media, which seems to enable self-referentiality in crisis responses as strategic praxis. The chapter contributes to communication research by challenging conventional assumptions about organizational “fitness”, offering a nuanced understanding of how communicative practices shape the development of ad hoc social collectives in crisis contexts. It calls for greater attention to the communicative constitution of organizations and the affordances and limitations of digital media in facilitating ephemeral but impactful forms of collective action. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Communicating in the Face of Global Crises : Organization, Strategy, and ‘Doing the Right Thing’ - Organization, Strategy, and ‘Doing the Right Thing’
series title
Routledge Studies in Communication, Organization, and Organizing
editor
McClellan, John G. ; Cassinger, Cecilia ; Penttilä, Visa and Porzionato, Monica
edition
1
pages
20 pages
publisher
Routledge
conference name
Organizing in the Face of Global Crises: Communication, Strategy, and “Doing the Right Thing"
conference dates
2023-05-25 - 2023-05-25
ISBN
978-1-003-60572-0
978-1-032-99728-5
project
Audit Society 2.0 - Taking a new turn? Organizational use and consequences of external reporting on social media.
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e9bf567a-1d76-4b0f-aefa-be84cba2a009
date added to LUP
2025-12-01 14:22:19
date last changed
2025-12-03 15:52:46
@inbook{e9bf567a-1d76-4b0f-aefa-be84cba2a009,
  abstract     = {{This chapter examines the organizational dynamics of social media-based new crisis initiatives that emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on their communication. Drawing on empirical case studies, the authors explore how these loosely structured grassroots initiatives mobilized resources, coordinated action, and maintained engagement. The study highlights the central role of digital communication—particularly through Facebook—in enabling rapid mobilization and distributed decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. We find that some initiatives managed to adapt to changing circumstances through responsiveness to demands on social media. From a Luhmann-inspired CCO-perspective, the findings on adaptability may be related to the relevance of decision communication on social media, which seems to enable self-referentiality in crisis responses as strategic praxis. The chapter contributes to communication research by challenging conventional assumptions about organizational “fitness”, offering a nuanced understanding of how communicative practices shape the development of ad hoc social collectives in crisis contexts. It calls for greater attention to the communicative constitution of organizations and the affordances and limitations of digital media in facilitating ephemeral but impactful forms of collective action.}},
  author       = {{Weinryb, Noomi and Gustafsson, Nils and Tyllström, Anna}},
  booktitle    = {{Communicating in the Face of Global Crises : Organization, Strategy, and ‘Doing the Right Thing’}},
  editor       = {{McClellan, John G. and Cassinger, Cecilia and Penttilä, Visa and Porzionato, Monica}},
  isbn         = {{978-1-003-60572-0}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  pages        = {{121--140}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Routledge Studies in Communication, Organization, and Organizing}},
  title        = {{Social Media-Based New Crisis Initiatives in the Pandemic : Survival of the Un-Fittest?}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}