SUSTAINING EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION THROUGH STRATEGIC INTERNAL CRISIS COMMUNICATION IN MALAYSIA’S SERVICE SECTOR

This qualitative study examines the role of strategic communication management in sustaining employee job satisfaction during internal organizational crises within Malaysia’s service sector. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight customer service officers, the study explores how internal communication practices influence employees’ emotional well-being and job satisfaction during periods of organizational uncertainty. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti, generating four core themes: clarity and transparency, leadership communication, two-way communication and feedback, and employee emotional well-being and job contentment. Findings indicate that timely, transparent, and consistent communication, supportive leadership messaging, and effective bidirectional feedback mechanisms reduce employee stress, anxiety, confusion, and dissatisfaction while strengthening morale and workplace stability. The study proposes a Communication Management Strategies Model that emphasizes employee-centric crisis communication as a strategic mechanism for protecting employee well-being, sustaining job satisfaction, strengthening organizational resilience, and supporting service excellence during internal organizational crises, particularly among frontline service employees.