Organizational communication strategies in response to major disruptions: The case of the worsening situation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict

International Journal of Organizational Analysis. 2024. Vol. 32. No. 6. P. 1127–1140.

Igor Gurkov, Dahms S.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to understand communication strategies formed by multinational subsidiaries in a transition economy during disruptive events. We develop and test a framework based on political realism and situational crisis communication theory (SCCT).

Design/methodology/approach

We collect and analyze communication statements from multinational subsidiaries located in Russia and made in the first two months (March-April, 2022) of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Findings

Our main findings are twofold. First, we extend SCCT by showing that multinational subsidiaries use communication strategies that go beyond the traditional categories of Diminish, Rebuild and Bolster. In particular, we identify so-called “shut the door” and “burning bridges” methods as possible industrial and home-country contingent communication strategies. Second, we show that possession of a political realism lens provides us with powerful communication strategies made requisite during disruptive events.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers to apply SCCT and political realism to a current disruptive event for multinational enterprises i.e. the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. In that context, we expand both perspectives by highlighting their complementarities as well as their conceptual boundaries. We can base those insights on two unique and purpose-built databases of multinational subsidiary characteristics in Russia-proper.

Practical implications

Our results provide practical hands-on advice for subsidiary managers on how to communicate effectively and efficiently during disruptive events such as the one described. We offer novel communication strategies that help to understand the wider implications for managers in both home and host countries.

Keywords: международные отношения, Россия, Russia, международные компании, multinational enterprises, International relations, situational crisis communication theory, political-realism lens, disruptive events, ситуационная теория коммуникаций в период кризиса, взгляд с точки политического реализма, разрушительные события