Current orientation and employees’ expectations in internal organizational communication about mental health

Purpose While internal communication is recognized as a key factor in improving employee mental well-being, limited research has examined how it is currently practiced and how employees expect it should be delivered. This study aims to compare the current organizational orientation and employees’ expectations of internal communication about mental health in Vietnamese construction organizations. This study aims to offer practical recommendations for enhancing mental health communication in Vietnam's construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A three-phase research methodology was developed. First, a list of measurement items reflecting internal organizational communication about mental health was identified through a review of previous findings and discussions with Vietnamese construction professionals. Following this, a questionnaire survey was developed and distributed to construction employees using a convenience sampling method. In the third phase, the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) technique was employed to analyze the data collected from 165 Vietnamese construction practitioners. Findings The findings show that Vietnamese construction organizations currently prioritize bottom-up communication about mental health, followed by top-down communication and horizontal communication. However, employees prioritize horizontal communication, followed by bottom-up and top-down communication. Originality/value This study is one of the first to investigate the current orientation and employees’ expectations of internal communication about mental health. It contributes to a more employee-centric approach to mental health interventions. The findings provide a solid foundation for industry stakeholders to design more effective communication initiatives that enhance the psychological well-being of construction employees.