Teleworking during the pandemic: the crisis that gave internal communication its biggest chance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52203/pangea.v12i1.130Keywords:
Internal communication, COVID-19, Telework, UruguayAbstract
The article describes a study regarding the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic posed to internal communication professionals in Uruguay. For this, 15 in-depth interviews to people who are responsible for the internal communication of large private companies were conducted during the months of April and May 2021. During the crisis generated by the pandemic, the professionals acquired significant knowledge concerning the impacts of moving to telework abruptly, the need to strengthen the values of proximity and trust, and the role of leaders as communication agents. It is concluded that to overcome this challenge the internal communication units implemented new channels and practices, the professionals developed the role of internal advisory further, and they achieved wide recognition regarding their strategic function. Not only are the opportunities of teleworking clearly identified, but also its risks, especially for the motivations and well-being of employees, which have been configured as priorities of the area in this context.
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