TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of internal communication during a crisis by comparing how Italian companies communicated to employees during the 2008‐2009 global financial crisis and how employees interpreted these efforts.Design/methodology/approach– The study used interviews with internal communication managers and employees. It also drew data from two focus groups and a survey involving internal communicators.Findings– The results indicate a misalignment between what companies meant to communicate and what employees perceived. Companies planned excellent communication, made extensive use of official instruments and depicted the crisis as an opportunity, while employees complained about the lack of listening and about the clarity of messages, disliked hierarchical communication and accused their companies of opportunism.Research limitations/implications– Further research is needed to explore the antecedents of the effective manager‐employee sensemaking process during a crisis.Practical implications– To reduce misalignment, companies should strengthen trust relationships before a crisis occurs and should focus on open and continuous listening during a crisis.Originality/value– The two perspectives of managers and employees used simultaneously offer a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of internal communication during crises.
VL  - 16
IS  - 3
SN  - 1356-3289
DO  - 10.1108/13563281111156899
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/13563281111156899
AU  - Mazzei Alessandra
AU  - Ravazzani Silvia
ED  - Michael B. Goodman
PY  - 2011
Y1  - 2011/01/01
TI  - Manager‐employee communication during a crisis: the missing link
T2  - Corporate Communications: An International Journal
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 243
EP  - 254
Y2  - 2024/04/25
ER  -