Internal crisis communication and Nordic leadership: the importance of transparent and participative communication in times of crisis

This multiple case study investigates internal crisis communication in Finnish and Norwegian hotels and restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing a Nordic leadership perspective to the research area. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, a qualitative research design was chosen, and 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with hospitality leaders, middle managers, and employees. The multilevel analysis revealed that existing internal communication practices were challenged due to the urgency and uncertainty of the crisis. The findings show that managerial transparency and presence facilitated sensemaking processes and contributed to trust in the managers. Yet, limited autonomy among middle managers and lack of employee consultation when communicating about decision-making indicated a conflict between internal crisis communication and aspects of Nordic leadership such as cooperation, consensus-seeking, and delegation of responsibility. However, the findings suggest that the openness and transparency of Nordic leadership prevailed in the crisis and contributed to managerial learning and solution-finding through crisis communication and management. Furthermore, leaders should find a balance between control and participation when communicating about internal decision-making during a crisis. We conclude that transparency and participative communication are essential when striving for effective internal crisis communication, facilitating employees' sensemaking, and building trust relationships during a crisis.

Activities of the Human Resources Department Influenced by the Organizational Culture

The importance of organisational culture for the organisation???s success is already proven today, and in this situation, COVID-19 for organisations continues to grow. No previous review has focused on the role of organizational culture in the context of human resource management and its activities with a focus on Czech organizations. The article aims to identify human resources (HR) activities primarily influenced by the organisational culture of the examined organisations in the Czech Republic by quantitative and qualitative research. Exploratory factor analysis identified critical factors related to the objective of the paper. The results have shown that the HR activities most affected by the organisational culture in the examined Czech organisations are as follows: internal and external communication, friendly relationships, and HR planning. The results have also revealed that only 40% of the examined organisations deal with organisational culture, and 60% do not view organisational culture as a priority. Organisational culture is influenced by the industry, the sector and the market, the number of employees, and the existence or non-existence of the HR department. This paper encourages other researchers to apply and popularize concepts of organizational culture in the study of human resource management.

Internal crisis communication strategies: Contingency factors determining an accommodative approach

Given the special relationship with employees, organizations should pay great attention to internal communication during crises. Drawing from the Contingency Theory of Conflict Management and the perspective of employees as active participants in crisis communication, this study proposes a “Contingency Theory of Internal Crisis Communication”. The study identifies and operationalizes three accommodative internal communication strategies: to create a sense of security, to sustain a sense of belonging and to activate employees as allies of the organization. Furthermore, it tests four contingency factors that influence the adoption of an accommodative approach in the context of the Covid-19 health crisis. Findings show the high relevance of the risk of decreased employee engagement, and the risk of employee health and safety;and a weaker relevance of the risk of reputational damage to the organization in the eyes of employees. The relevance of the risk of economic damage is not confirmed.

Managing the State of Uncertainty: How to Communicate the Inside during COVID-19?

2020 has started with an unexpected disease, long term, full of questions and worries for humanity. While the health sector and governments were trying to understand and tell the world about this virus, almost every sector in the world was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. What we are sure of is that the world has ‘changed.' ‘Communication’ has become more critical than ever. Bans and restrictions that come with COVID-19 have changed how we look at the world, life, and ourselves. In addition to trying to keep up with new developments, corporates and brands continued to carry on their communication activities internally and externally. One of the greatest challenges corporations face was about their workforce and how to manage it, both operationally and communicatively. Employees’ morale, well-being, health, and safety have become more important than ever as corporations have to protect their employees and work for continued support strategies. The future of the workplace is changing;how employees perceive their work changes, change brings uncertainties that corporations should handle for the well-being of their employees who are the drivers of the businesses. This study will provide an overview of how organizations took and continue to take action during the coronavirus pandemic, what they have done to minimalize the negative effects, their organizational efforts, communication practices, all in terms of internal/employee communications. Global approaches and local workplace practices from Turkish corporations will also be analyzed. © Peter Lang GmbH. Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften. Berlin 2021. All rights reserved.