Perceptions and Predictors of Employees’ Communicative Resilience During a Crisis: Evidence From the COVID-19 Pandemic

Organizations are constantly in flux, and the world faces crises ranging from natural disasters and pandemics to wars and economic recessions. These volatile times call for resilience. We examine employees’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic through the Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR). Drawing on open-ended survey responses from 827 respondents across two survey waves, we identified how workers engaged in resilience communication processes during full remote work. Workers used several strategies to deal with the crisis and develop practices that could be sustained in the long term. We also tested how sociodemographic variables predicted the mentioning of resilience processes at different times during the pandemic. Our study extends the literature by showing how resilience processes evolve over time, highlighting potential tensions between individuals and organizations. The findings clarify how individuals and organizations can become more resilient to societal disruptions.