Högskolan i Skövde

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse the influence of culturally adapted internal crisis communication on the perception and development of psychological resilience of employees and thus to contribute new empirical findings at the interface of intercultural communication, crisis management and overall organisational resilience.

Design/method: A vignette-based experimental study was conducted. Participants from Germany and Nepal were presented with culturally tailored crisis communication scenarios. Psychological resilience was measured to assess the impact of communication style congruence with cultural background.

Results: The study found that resilience was higher when internal crisis communication matched the cultural communication style of the participants. German participants responded better to participative and transparent communication, while Nepalese participants showed higher resilience when communication was hierarchical and emotionally supportive.

Conclusions: The findings underline the importance of culturally sensitive internal communication strategies during crises. Organizations should adapt communication styles to cultural expectations to foster resilience among employees. By comparing crisis communication strategies aligned with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the transcultural communication model, the study shows that cultural congruence enhances resilience. German employees responded better to participative communication, while Nepalese employees thrived with hierarchical, emotionally supportive communication. Theoretical contributions include validating the role of cultural congruence in crisis communication and reshaping resilience as a relational, culturally constructed phenomenon. The study highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in organizational crisis communication and offers practical insights for fostering psychological resilience of employees through culturally adapted strategies.

Originality: This research provides empirical evidence on the relationship between culturally adapted crisis communication and psychological resilience, offering new insights into intercultural management and organizational crisis strategies.