Organisational culture and language service during emergency responses within China. A literature review about China’s makeshift hospitals during Covid-19

Natural disasters are on the rise globally, more than doubling since 1990. Scholars highlight the spike in unprecedented events, tripling from 1975-1984 to 2005-2014. Over 1 million deaths and $1.7 trillion in damages occurred across the globe, with 95% hitting developing nations. Amidst this, organizational culture and language policies play a vital role in optimizing emergency healthcare responses. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored global health system preparedness and innovation. Investigating the impact on healthcare workers and the environment of knowledge transfer is crucial. This study examines the significance of language and organizational culture in healthcare systems, particularly during emergencies like the recent pandemic and natural disasters. It focuses on the makeshift hospitals built in Wuhan, China, during the early stages of the pandemic as case studies. The research analyzes management literature from these hospitals using tools from organizational management theory, system language management theory, and critical discourse studies. A systematic review of the literature maps findings onto a new framework, revealing differences in communicative systems aligned with organizational culture. Results indicate that while there is ample information about hospital construction and technical procedures, discourse on staff management and organizational culture is limited and often influenced by broader ideological values. The study suggests that effective language management, is crucial for managing staff and maintaining public perception during emergencies. It emphasizes the importance of considering external influences on healthcare organizations and the need for strategic communication to ensure public satisfaction and trust. Inclusive bi-directional communication fosters a safe working environment, while authoritative tones with clear instructions are effective during crises. Despite extensive literature on crisis language management, detailed linguistic measures within organizational frameworks remain underexplored. As natural disasters escalate, resilience-building through organizational culture and language becomes imperative. From the findings of this contribution novel insights and application in management practice is revealed, which could prove most useful in dynamic environments to safeguard performance quality and contribute to improvements going forward.