| Abstract [eng] |
While the focus is on communication with external partners, customers or the public, the emotional and psychological state of employees during a crisis and their role in the survival of the organization becomes strategically important. The relevance of this paper is based on the fact that recent global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the geopolitical situation and social conflicts, have created significant challenges for organizations. These situations have highlighted the need to manage communication processes both internally and externally. Objective: To identify the factors of effective communication during a crisis that contribute to the preservation and survival of an organization’s reputation. Objectives: to analyze the determinants of the effectiveness of communication in an organization; to analyze the impact of crisis communication on employees; to study the experience of large organizations in managing communication in times of crisis; to propose solutions for managing communication in times of crisis. Methods: Literature analysis, qualitative case study and structured interviews. The structure of the thesis includes theoretical background, research methodology, case study, summary of the results, conclusions and suggestions. The thesis explores the challenges of contemporary crisis in order to provide recommendations on how to manage communication in an organization in crisis situations. The study shows that the impact of the crisis threatens the organization’s reputation and business continuity. In times of crisis, poor communication, emotional exhaustion and conflicts between managers and employees hamper performance. Strikes, walkouts and deterioration in the quality of work have affected the company's climate and reputation. Negative feedback from employees to external stakeholders can lead to a lasting deterioration of the organization’s image. The study also found that proactive, multidirectional communication, personal interaction between managers and empathy for employees helped to reduce the scale of the crisis. Formal communication allowed reaching more employees and maintaining operational stability, but the lack of emotional content sometimes limited its persuasiveness. Informal communication was influential but risked 'distortion' of information and ethical problems. Conclusions. Effective communication in a crisis requires a combination of tools - active and multidirectional communication from leaders, clear and timely messages. |
