Trust Erosion Framework for Organisational Responses to and Management of Global Emergencies

In response to the societal crisis of trust widely documented by researchers and pollsters, this conceptual paper proposes a Trust Erosion Framework (TEF). By drawing analogies with the process of soil erosion, we postulate that the erosion of trust proceeds in stages: detachment, transportation and deposition. Furthermore, erosion of trust may be precipitated by the gravitational pulls of sticky and spillover crises, moderate weather events (e.g., disinformation), or extreme weather events (e.g., global crises). Responses to trust erosion and further management of trust is a dynamic, cyclical process. We illustrate the key ideas within our framework through a case study of the World Health Organization's crisis communication management during the COVID-19 pandemic. In these ways, the TEF offers an organised, evidence-based way to understand and respond to trust erosion especially during major global crises. The expanded conceptualisation of trust erosion may enable crisis communication stakeholders from academia, practice and policy to develop innovative, proactive communication strategies, that anticipate headwinds and respond in a timely, effective manner.