Influence of COVID 19 on transfer of organizational culture between headquarters and subsidiary and role of communication on the process

Abstract

Many studies consider organizational culture one of the main factors responsible for company success. The aim of this article is to explore how the current pandemic of COVID 19 influences the transfer process of organizational culture between HQ and the subsidiaries and what is the role of communication in the whole process. Facing the pandemic, change in working conditions, relaying on on-line communication and shifts in global economy present a challenge not only for transfer of the organizational culture within a company but can also pose a risk to the building blocks of the organizational culture itself. To explore this topic further, relevant literature was reviewed with focus on the most recent COVID 19 related research, survey developed and distributed to selected high level managers responsible for multi-country clusters and main findings further refined by interviews. The paper identifies key area of focus for companies whose global set up relies on doing business via global presence in markets through national subsidiaries, validates its findings and proposes additional research steps.