Thirteen qualitative interviews have been conducted with key individuals who have profound knowledge and experience in the subject of crisis communication. The thesis used a theory testing approach and highlights the main issues regarding the influence of intercultural competence in crisis information, and to what extent social media channels are used for crisis communication. Also, it covers how the leadership during crises affects the communication from the perspectives of the key individuals. In this empirical investigation, the analytical method of thematization has been used in order to select essential themes throughout the qualitative interviews. These themes have been compared to the relevant theories within the subject - crisis communication, intercultural competence, and social media in crisis situations. The emerging conclusions from this study were the importance of pre-existing relations between organizations and authorities in crisis situations, and the amplifications of crisis communication through crisis networks operating between organizations. Another conclusion was that proactive crisis communication plans need to be of a consise and general design to be practical in crisis situations. Furthermore, one conclusion was that most organizations according to the interviewees were aware of the absence of intercultural competence, but due to lack of resources this was not prioritized. The last conclusion was that social media channels have a high interest level during crisis situations, but was seldom used to a large extent during crises

Text in English, abstracts and keywords in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / Secondary educational institutions need to constantly scan their environment for crises that could hamper their operations and hinder the achievement of their organisational objectives. These institutions should also engage their strategic stakeholders in a mixed motive communication to collaboratively discuss the crises and find amicable solutions; thereby avoiding crises like the proliferating student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya. This study explored the need for a customised Proactive Crisis Communication Process (PCCP) framework for secondary educational institutions in Kenya to avoid student strikes. A two-phased approach was adopted to collect the data. The first phase involved 12 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with the principals of the secondary educational institutions in Mirangine Sub-County, while the second phase involved five focus group discussions with the students of Ruiru Secondary School. The results indicated that student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya were proliferating and that despite this, these institutions lack proactive measures to avoid strikes. Hence, this study posited a PCCP framework that proposed various proactive measures to avoid student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya. / Sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings moet konstant hul omgewing ondersoek vir krisisse wat hul bedrywighede kan belemmer en die bereiking van hul organisatoriese doelwitte kan verhinder. Hierdie instellings moet ook hul strategiese belanghebbers by gemengdemotief- kommunikasie betrek om gesamentlik die krisisse te bespreek en minlike oplossings te vind; en sodoende krisisse soos die toenemende studentestakings in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia te vermy. In hierdie studie is die nodigheid vir ʼn doelgemaakte ProaktieweKrisiskommunikasieproses (PCCP)-raamwerkvir sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia ondersoek om studentestakings te voorkom. ʼn Tweefase-benadering is gevolg om die data in te samel. Die eerste fase het 12 halfgestruktureerde onderhoude behels wat een-tot-een met die hoofde van die sekondêre opvoedkundige instellingsin Mirangine Sub-Countygevoer is, terwyl die tweede fase bestaan het uit vyf fokusgroepbesprekings met die studente van RuiruSecondarySchool. Die resultate het getoon dat studentestakings in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellingsin Kenia vinnig toeneem en dat hierdie instellings, ten spyte daarvan, nie oor proaktiewe maatstawwe beskik om stakings af te weer nie.Gevolglik het hierdie studie ʼn PCCP-raamwerk aangeneem wat verskeie proaktiewe maatstawwe voorstel om stakings deur studente in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia te verhoed. / Izikhungo zemfundoyomkhakhawamasekhondari kumele zihlale ziqaphele ukuthi akukho yini endaweniezikuyookungasusaudweshubesekuphazamisaukusebenzakwazokuvimbe impumeleloyazoezinhloswenizayo.Lezizikhungokumelezibuyezisebenzisane nabathintekayo balawule amasu okusebenza ukuba kubenokuxhumana okunhlobonhlobo kuxoxwe ngokubambisana ngodweshu olungavela nokuthi lungasonjululwa kanjani ngendlela egculisayo; ngaleyo ndlela-ke ingagwemeka imibhikisho yabafundi elokhu isabalala ezikhungwenj zamasekhondari eKenya. Lolu cwaningoluhlola isidingo sohlaka lwekhethelo lokusheshe kusukunyelweudweshu lungakenzeki,i-Proactive Crisis Communication Process (PCCP) olungasebenza ezikhungweni zemfundo yamasekhondari eKenya ukuze kugwenywe imibhikisho yabafujni. Kwemukelwaindlela ezigaba zimbili yokuqoqainingwane. Isigaba sokuqala ngokuxoxisana okuyi-12 komuntu ebhekene nomuntu okuthi akuhleleke nje, okwenziwa nothishanhloko bezukhungo zemfundi yamasekhondaribaseMiringane Sub-County, kanti isigaba sesibili sabandakanya izingxoxo eziyisihlanu zamaqembu agxike kokuthile nje, zenziwa nabafundi besikole iRuri Secondary School. Imiphumela yaveza ukuthi imibhikisho ezikhungweni zemfundo yamasekhondari eKenya yabe yanda nokuthi nangaphandle kwalokhu izikhungo lezi zazingenazo izinyathelo ezingazithatha ngaphambi kwesikhathi ukuvimba ukwenziwa kwemibhikisho. Yikho-ke lolu cwaningo luphakamisa uhlaka lwe-PCCP oluncoma izinyathelo ezahlukene okumele zisheshe zithathwe ukugwema imibhikisho yabafundi ezikhungweni zamasekhondari eKenya. / Communication / M.A. (Communication)