Managerial roles in internal crisis communication across high-risk industries: toward a comparative framework and measurement tool

Purpose This study explores how managerial internal crisis communication (ICC) strategies in high-risk industries shape organizational resilience and communication effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with 19 experienced crisis managers (9 from oil and gas, 10 from electricity power generation), selected via purposive sampling. Findings Findings reveal sector-specific ICC adaptations, extending internal crisis communication theory and offering a pathway for evidence-based corporate crisis management. Centralized power generation operations favor protocol-driven communication, while decentralized oil and gas environments prioritize adaptive messaging, demonstrating how organizational structure mediates crisis sensemaking. The study suggests digital channel selection reflects fundamental risk perceptions, with power generation relying on vetted platforms and oil and gas adopting consumer-grade apps. Practical implications It offers actionable tools for public relations (PR) professionals, including a sector-specific ICC playbook template and empirically grounded indicators for measuring ICC effectiveness. These findings highlight that effective ICC in high-risk industries must balance operational precision with psychological sensitivity, adapting communication strategies to organizational structures and risk cultures. Originality/value It extends Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) by adapting its principles to internal organizational contexts and demonstrating how industry-specific operational realities shape crisis interpretation. Methodologically, it provides a comparative framework for analyzing ICC across different high-risk environments.