Is Morocco Communicating Effectively during Coronavirus Crisis?

COVID-19 is an acronym that stands for Coronavirus disease of 2019.This disease is caused by the novel Coronavirus SARS-cov-2, it started in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of china and has since then spread in the global world. COVID-19 is officially named by WHO (World Health Organization) on February 11, 2020. This epidemic is presenting many challenges to all sectors of the economy which means that Morocco should rethink how to keep things running in these times by concentrating on an efficient business communication. So the country needs to adopt a clear communication in all its companies and organizations about how the epidemic has impacted the way of doing business.

Morocco closed the borders and canceled flights from and to every country since the 15th of March. This decision was very courageous and daring because the king prioritized the citizens’ health above the economy. Most of the other countries took time to make this decision because they valued economy so much and now they regret it. Students were told to pursue their courses online and only the necessary shops stayed open, like pharmacies and supermarkets. And all of this happened when the country had only less than 10 cases of the Coronavirus. Morocco also made sure to prevent illegal price increases by creating a hotline for consumers to call if they ever encounter such a thing. Some cases have been reported especially when it comes to cleaning products. Few weeks into the epidemic, Morocco has started producing millions of masks that are available all over the country with a very affordable price (less than 1$). The reason behind the price being low is that the production got paid through an amount of money which the king Mohammed VI had ordered the government to gather. The goal was 1Million $ and yet they have gathered more with the help of citizens, ministers etc. The idea behind it is to fund any needs related to the Coronavirus.

Covid-19 epidemic’s impact is starting to get serious, especially on the business side. Moroccan organizations of all types are unsure of how to communicate with their employees, partners, customers and Media. So effective business communication is the key to face that worldwide threat and reduce uncertainty. Effective business communication is a process where two or more persons send a message that is well understood by each one of them. It has to be complete, correct, concise and of course crystal clear. Moroccan companies should make sure that all their internal and external partners, have access to all the messages they share concerning the latest modifications, the new procedures and behaviors the company should adopt during this difficult time. It is very important to listen to these partners in order to know their interests, worries and also their potential concessions. Communication here -in the era of the Coronavirus- is effective and important when it is able to show how much the organization care about its employees’ health dangers and also their families’ health security. It is effective, when it updates employees regularly about the organization’s plans such as salaries modifications, vacations, Teleworking, etc. in case things really take a bad turn, and also when it is used to remind them of the governmental serious instructions like avoiding close contact with people, washing hands regularly, etc.

After announcing the first cases of Coronavirus in Morocco, the country started fighting against this epidemic. Morocco made a very effective plan action to communicate effectively with the public, engaging national and local authorities to protect individuals and the public health during this crisis. At first, the government decided the suspension of studies in all schools, universities and institutes which will be compensated by distance learning. Besides, Moroccan authorities tried to communicate all the news to people by organizing a lot of awareness campaigns and interrupted all flights for or from other countries. In addition, the country closed all restaurants, mosques, clubs, cinema, and all public places. Media in Morocco was very united to diffuse the danger of this epidemic and how it is able to spread quickly between individuals. All Moroccan TV channels tried 24 hours per day, 7 days a week to convince people to stay at home. Journalists changed their attitudes to speak formally and used Moroccan slang to simplify information to all people. They tried to communicate information about the virus to people by giving them the fair way to avoid this epidemic. For example they advised individuals to wash their hands several times a day, avoid shaking hands, etc. Furthermore, Moroccan TV channels organized many programs for those who still need further information about the current situation. Companies in Moroccan didn’t stop their activities, but they changed their work habits and opted for telecommuting instead of firing employees, and that was a successful experience with the majority of those companies so far. We can say that this infectious disease is bringing out humanity at the heart of companies.

The measures that were taken by the Moroccan government and the national organizations in terms of communication had both positive and negative impact. The development of the official Coronavirus website has increased public trust in government and ensured transparency concerning the real instant confirmed cases in Morocco. Also the launch of new telephone number 141, for medical emergencies, reduced the doubts that citizens had about the detection of the suspected cases. The communication strategies that were adopted by some Moroccan companies and especially the ones that are operating in the banking sector like “Attijariwafa Bank”, by which they reassure their clients about the continuity of their banking services in spite of this current serious situation, and strongly recommend the respect of the “social distancing”, affected positively the hard combat against the Coronavirus. This is due to the use of remote banking services which consequently minimize people’s movements. Although most of the consequences of the business communication were positive there were some negative things like some citizens who work in the informal sector found themselves without any income. Morocco finally introduced RAMED which helps these people by giving them an amount of money to provide basic necessities to their families. Also, as Morocco closed schools and universities, the students had to pursue their courses online. And a number of students do not have any electronics or Internet to be updated on their studies. The government helped some of them by offering devices and by making the websites free to access without having to pay for the internet.