Communicative (re)constitution of organizations as a post-crisis Discourse of Renewal: a case study in recurring crises

Purpose – This study explored the processes of renewal as a function of communicatively reconstituting or attempting to reconstitute an organization that faced recurring crises. The communicative constitution of organizations (CCO) perspective provided a means for exploring the processes of post-crisis learning as well as enacting the organization. Design/methodology/approach – This study applied the case study method, including semi-structured interviews, to investigate an organization’s failure to avoid repeating a crisis within a relatively short period of time. Interviews were conducted with organizational and community members to hear directly from those who experienced the crises and observed the company's response firsthand. Findings – Learning in crisis situations is, in general, a challenging process involving members' perceptions and actions at every level of the organization. Thus, learning must be collective and systemic in nature if it is to result in meaningful change within an organization. Through this collective process, post-crisis lessons must offer a clear vision of how the organization will change to address problematic issues (reflexive self-structuring) and, equally important, engage organizational members at all levels in enacting those changes (activity coordination). Without such a commitment to learning, organizations risk repeating the same failures and experiencing a similar crisis. Practical implications – This study highlights communication-centered applications, including tensions between legal and communication functions and the importance of cross-departmental knowledge sharing, as well as broader operational implications such as structural changes, leadership roles and systemic approaches to organizational learning and prevention. Legal emphasis can restrain communication, requiring compromise and pre-crisis planning to balance legal pressures with readiness for change. Lessons learned must be shared across boundaries to avoid localized learning. Organizations must dedicate equal effort to immediate response and long-term change, with leaders shaping structures, roles and resources to communicatively reconstitute the organization and achieve renewal. Originality/value – The study extends the Discourse of Renewal theory by explicating the practical actions needed for organizations to communicatively reconstitute themselves.