Community engagement through responsible leadership in managing pandemic: insight from India using netnography
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
ISSN: 0144-333X
Article publication date: 23 July 2020
Issue publication date: 5 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to examine how community engagement can be influenced by responsible leadership during crises. It looks at the phenomenon of community engagement and responsible leadership in India during the Covid-19 pandemic, using the collective responses of community.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses netnography, which studies community interpretations through their online social communication. The perceptions on how engaged the Indian community felt during the pandemic were studied by collecting and analysing their postings on social media.
Findings
The findings suggest that responsible leadership – through the building of trust, open communication, collective consciousness and mindful action – is an effective way to positively engage stakeholders and influence community response during a pandemic.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature of responsible leadership and community engagement during crises. It is an attempt to link public leadership with responsible leadership and its impact on community engagement in a novel way, filling a void in the literature.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Conflict of interest statement: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Citation
Mehta, M., Sarvaiya, H. and Chandani, A. (2022), "Community engagement through responsible leadership in managing pandemic: insight from India using netnography", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 42 No. 3/4, pp. 248-261. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-06-2020-0214
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited