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Benny Butarbutar, LSPR Institute of Communication and Business, IndonesiaAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic created a global crisis that tested the leadership capacity of governments and institutions, particularly state-owned enterprises (SOEs) tasked with public service delivery. In Indonesia, Perum BULOG—a state-owned logistics enterprise—was assigned a critical role in stabilizing food supply and ensuring national food security during the crisis. This study offers a critical analysis of BULOG’s leadership communication practices during the pandemic period from 2020 to 2023, focusing on the dynamics of power, transparency, and social impact. Drawing from the critical paradigm, this research applies Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine the narratives, rhetoric, and communicative strategies found in BULOG’s official statements, public reports, and crisis responses. The study explores how leadership discourse was constructed to manage public expectations, maintain institutional legitimacy, and navigate complex power relations amidst social and political pressure. Key findings highlight the performative function of crisis communication in shaping public perception, negotiating authority, and reinforcing the strategic positioning of SOEs during national emergencies. Furthermore, the study reveals that transparency in communication—when integrated with coherent messaging and responsiveness—serves not only as a governance tool but also as a catalyst for building social trust. This analysis contributes to the growing discourse on crisis leadership in the public sector, offering insights into how communication serves as both a site of power negotiation and a mechanism for social resilience. The case of BULOG underscores the vital role of communication in bridging institutional mandates with public expectations during periods of systemic disruption.
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Conference: KAMC2025Stream: Communication
This paper is part of the KAMC2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Butarbutar B. (2026) Power, Transparency, and Social Impact in Leadership Communication: Critical Analysis of BULOG During COVID-19 (2020–2023) ISSN: 2436-0503 – The Kyoto Conference on Arts, Media & Culture 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 173-180) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2025.16
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2025.16
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