Research conducted by Ā鶹ֱ²„ has compared the leadership styles of former Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Prime Minister Julia Gillard during the 2011 Queensland floods.
By analysing tweets from social media site Twitter, the report concluded Anna Bligh was perceived to have much stronger characteristics of transformational leadership than the Prime Minister.
Lead researcher, Professor Nigel de Bussy said the results indicated the former State Premier came across as inspirational and charismatic during the crisis.
āWe analysed the content of 700 tweets containing the hashtag #qldfloods and mentioning either Anna Bligh or Julia Gillard,ā Professor de Bussy said.
āWhen referring to Anna Bligh, tweeters described being āvery movedā with phrases such as āclass actā, ābloody legendā and āinspiringā appearing frequently.
āAnna Blighās ability to display emotion and articulate her Stateās proud sense of identity resonated with tweeters.
āIn contrast, the Prime Ministerās communication style during the crisis was characterised as ārobotic and rehearsedā.
āThe tweets framed the Prime Minister as a transactional leader, attending to the work of a government without inspiration or charisma.ā
The study also highlighted the emerging role of Twitter in setting the media agenda at times of fast-breaking news.
āIn times of crisis, we are seeing traditional media look to social media sites such as Twitter to gain a sense of public sentiment,ā Professor de Bussy said.
At the peak of the flood in Brisbane, 1,200 tweets an hour were issued using the #qldfloods hashtag.
The paper, Crisis leadership styles ā Bligh versus Gillard: a content analysis of Twitter posts on the Queensland floods, was co-written by Ann Paterson, Director, Corporate Communications at Ā鶹ֱ²„, and published in the Journal of Public Affairs (2012).
Contact:
Gracie Daniel, Public Relations Consultant, Ā鶹ֱ²„
Tel: 08 9266 3353, Email: gracie.daniel@curtin.edu.au
