Internal communication is vital for day-to-day operation of an organization. Employees require effective internal communication, especially during a crisis. Poor communication leads to reduction of employee commitment, job satisfaction and productivity. If the employees are dissatisfied with communication, they may develop the intention to quit. Hence, it is important for managers to understand the communication system within the organization and use it as a tool to improve the attitude and relationship among the employees.

This research study examines the effect of organizations’ communication practices during crisis (internal crisis communication), communication satisfaction, employee satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention as observed in the general situation and during the political crisis in Thailand. To achieve this goal, this study combines the model developed by Carrière and Bourque (2009) and Yücel (2012). The survey for two groups of hotel employees, those who were affected and those who were not affected by political instability, was conducted with employees who work in hotels in Thailand. For the affected group, the subjects must have worked in a hotel during a political crisis. Results from 550 online surveys indicated that the findings of the study didn’t show any significant differences for the relationships among constructs for both subsamples except for the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention and mediating roles. The result of measurement invariance across the groups pointed out that the only difference between the two subsamples was the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention. However, this relationship was significant in the not affected subsample. For the affected subsample, the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention was not significant. Unexpectedly, it was found that the results of the mediating effect for affected subsamples were not significant for any paths. However, the findings indicated that for the not affected subsample, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment mediated communication satisfaction and turnover intention. In addition, communication satisfaction, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment mediated internal communication and turnover intention.

The contribution of this study is both academic and practical. First, this study makes a conceptual contribution to communication organization and turnover intention. It reflects the attitude of employees toward communication in an organization, especially during crisis. The outcome of this study adds to the general body of literature on communication and turnover intention. Second, this proposed research framework provides a new avenue for multiple areas of research such as organizational communication, crisis communication, turnover intention, and crisis management. Third, the findings suggested that employees who were not affected by political instability might leave the organization if they were not satisfied. These implied that hotel managers must constantly assess employees’ attitudes toward management strategies, organizational communication, and work environment in order to prevent turnover.