Abstract Title: The core of successful crisis communication? A study of external transparency in preventative crisis communication through a company perspective. Authors: Caroline Ehrning & Frida Kempe. Aim: This study examines how four companies proactively work with external transparency within preventing crisis communication. Research problem: There are gaps in the research of preventative crisis communication, not at the least in correlation with transparency. Method/material: We have conducted qualitative interviews with people who all hold leadership positions in the communications departments at four companies. Theoretical framework: In this study the following theoretical framework have been used; transparency theory, issues management, reputation management and communication effect theory. Main results: Three of the four companies use external transparency to prevent crises, but the way they apply transparency differ. The majority of the work is directed towards media, because of its power. Further can be noted that all companies, except but one, could identify potential improvements in their work with external transparency as a tool to prevent the dimension of the crisis. Social importance: We hope to contribute to the research about how transparency is, and can, be used in the preventative crisis communication. Number of pages: 48 Course: Media and communication studies C. Department: Department of informatics. University: Uppsala University. Period: HT 2015. Tutor: Therese Monstad.

During the spring of 2020, COVID-19 rapidly started to spread within Sweden, causing a crisis that affected the entire society, and in particular, the health care sector. What makes the COVID-19 pandemic a unique crisis is that it did not appear as a complete surprise when it reached Sweden. Partly because pandemics are expected to happen and therefore anticipated, partly because reports of COVID-19 and its effects were available before the disease caused a crisis in Sweden. This makes the phase before the crisis, known as the pre-crisis phase, quite long. For this study, it is argued that the pre-crisis phase encompasses actions taken before COVID-19 was known, predominantly in the form of the development of pandemic preparedness plans, as well as the actions taken when COVID-19 was known before it reached Sweden. However, due to the decentralisation of the Swedish political system, the twenty-one regions being responsible for the health care sector, and the uneven geographical transmission of the virus, the pre-crisis phase most likely differed across the country. In this study, it is the pre-crisis phase of Region Östergötland which has been examined and evaluated as a part of the Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology’s general evaluation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Östergötland. The study has aimed to answer the research questions related to how the pre-crisis phase was conducted, and how three different theories can contribute to the understanding of the pre-crisis phase. The theories used were Conflicting Objectives Perspective, High Reliability Organisation, and Resilience Engineering. To answer the research questions, semi-structured interviews with eight employees of Region Östergötland involved in the pre-crisis phase were conducted. The interviews were analysed using the thematic analysis approach. The thematic analysis showed that the pre-crisis phase was mainly characterised by organisational changes within the regular organisational structures, different challenges predominately related to acquiring personal protective equipment, a lack of information from the national agencies, and a slight underestimation. These themes were used to answer the first research question. To answer the second research question, the aforementioned theories were applied to the themes. This application showed that there are aspects of the three theories that can contribute to the understanding of the pre-crisis phase. These aspects can also be used during future pre-crisis phases. Furthermore, based on the contributions of the three theories and the thematic analysis, a new model was developed which can be used to describe the different phases of the pre-crisis phase. The application of the theories and the new model resulted in general guidelines highlighting the important processes during a pre-crisis phase, including the processes of monitoring, anticipating, planning, and preparing.