Authors: Dr. Vetriselvi, Dr. V. Viswaprakash
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic served as a deep, global organizational crisis, driving a drastic and prompt transformation in work environment, predominantly within the Indian Information Technology (IT) sector. This paper studies the evolution of organisational crisis communication in the post-pandemic era and its consequent effect on employee engagement and trust within Indian IT firms. The research claims that the pandemic acted as a critical, basically shifting crisis communication from a responsive, top-down dissemination of information to a continuous, transparent, and empathetic dialogue central to sustaining the human element of the organization. Through an analysis of the immediate shift to remote and hybrid work models, the paper explores how consistent, and compassionate communication became the primary tool for mitigating anxiety, fostering a sense of belonging, and maintaining effective organisation. It further investigates how the demonstrated authenticity of leadership during this period became a critical element in either reinforcing or eroding employee trust.
