ABSTRACT
Purpose - This paper attempts to theorise about China's strategy in combating the coronavirus pandemic with an embryonic framework - 3H (Heart-Head-Hand) framework. By adopting a descriptive approach, the paper introduces the case of coronavirus outbreak in China and how the public health administration coped with it The 3H framework has been applied to analyse China's strategy, and the framework's assumptions are initially tested. Design/methodology/approach - The pandemic case is created based on credible reports, press releases from different respected sources, World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, interview transcripts and broadcasting stations' video clippings. Interpretive analysis with pragmatism approach has been conducted in analysing the data and information collected. Triangulation, wherever possible, has been done to validate the data and information. Findings - As an exploratory study, its findings show that 3H framework distinguishes the effectiveness of a country's strategy and practice for combating the pandemic. Countries, which failed to observe the assumed principles of 3H domains tend to have much more infected cases and deaths. Originality/value - The 3H framework conceptualised a holistic management approach and its assumptions have been initially tested with this pandemic case. The framework shows its predictability value for a country's pandemic management effectiveness.