ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 health crisis has marked a radical turn of events with far-reaching effects on organisational management and communication. An approach to better apprehending the cultural implications of such a sweeping crisis will be presented here through a multidisciplinary theoretical framework drawing from the fields of anthropology, cross-cultural management, and philosophy. In particular, E.T. Hall’s concept of chronemics, proxemics and context combined with Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and Foucault’s notions of heterotopia and biopower can all contribute to gaining more insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has been handled by governments and citizens. Analysis of spatiotemporal restrictions linked to the pandemic such as social distancing guidelines, mask mandates, and stay-at-home orders reveal a social discourse informing national culture. To this end, there has been a shift in the way specific control is exercised over the behaviour of a population and on physical movement through reinforced government communication and regulations. As the pandemic continues to spread, public authorities strive to adjust their methods of communication in order to maintain control over their constituents to mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19 all the while confirming cultural specificities.
