Internal Crisis Communication Strategies to Protect Trust Relationships

Abstract

Crisis communication has emerged as a hot topic after the global financial crisis that started in the second half of 2008. A survey of 61 Italian companies examined internal crisis communication strategies and the characteristics of that communication in order to understand the role of communication in safeguarding relationships of trust with employees. The main results show that companies have used poorly internal communication as a strategic lever to develop employee commitment and have adopted a broadly defensive approach that may undermine their intangible assets. The study offers implications for practice and suggestions for future research.

Activating constructive employee behavioural responses in a crisis: Examining the effects of pre‐crisis reputation and crisis communication strategies on employee voice behaviours

“…Other independent variables, such as response message strategy and timing strategy, were manipulated. Since there are different characteristics or channels of internal communication instruments, including organizational periodicals, e‐mail, intranet, formal meetings, and bulletin boards, used by organizations during a crisis (Johansen et al, 2012; Mazzei & Ravazzani, 2015), this study provided participants with scenarios that described a crisis situation and different communication strategies implemented by their company rather than showing a certain type of instrument (e.g. e‐mail or bulletin board message).…”

“…More importantly, the ultimate goal of effective crisis communication is to maintain or increase supportive behaviours towards an organization in the crisis (Coombs, 2007b; Coombs & Holladay, 2007). In the same vein, the primary objective for internal crisis communication is to activate employee behaviours such that employees can remain committed in their roles as well as collaborate to overcome the crisis (Mazzei & Ravazzani, 2015). To promote employee voice behaviour in an adverse condition (e.g.…”

“…However, previous studies focusing predominantly on such crisis communication strategies have examined organizations’ communications with external publics (customers), not internal publics (employees), during a crisis (Mazzei & Ravazzani, 2015). When the internal context of an organization is considered, the importance of appropriate crisis response and timing strategies becomes apparent (Ulmer et al, 2015).…”

“…In this sense, it is imperative for managers to identify and carry out appropriate internal crisis communication strategies, because inappropriate strategies may worsen employees’ individual and collective behavioural reactions during crisis (Ayoko, Ang, & Parry, 2017; Weick, 1988). More importantly, Mazzei and Ravazzani’s (2015) study also indicated that inappropriate crisis communication strategies (such as evasive and defensive responses) could lead to negative employee behaviours that undermine relationships with the organization. Applying effective crisis communication strategies such as accommodative response and stealing thunder to internal crisis communication, this study suggested the following hypotheses:…”

Poslovno komuniciranje

“…Italijanska raziskovalca Mazzei in Ravazzani (2015) sta opravila raziskavo, katere kanale internega kriznega komuniciranja so uporabljali managerji v Italiji v času ekonomske krize, ki se je začela leta 2008. Ugotovila sta, da so mangerji hkrati uporabljali več kanalov.…”