Organizational GenAI Culture:Catalysts and Constraints for Crisis READINESS

Brittany N. Shivers (PhD alum), Lauren Flaker (PhD student), Kaia Kirkpatrick (undergraduate student), Anna Rachwalski (undergraduate alum), Yijing Wang, Yan Jin, Anca Anton, Silvia Ravazzani, Toni van der Meer, and W. Timothy Coombs (2026). “Organizational GenAI Culture:Catalysts and Constraints for Crisis READINESS.” Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 34(3), e70190. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.70190Abstract: The growing integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping how organizations prepare for and manage crises. This study examines cultural conditions that support GenAI READINESS through 11 interviews with communication experts. Findings reveal that GenAI READINESS is primarily a cultural, not technical, condition shaped by leadership behavior, mindset, and alignment across organizational values and assumptions. Interviewees emphasized the need for ethical standards, training, and psychological safety, while noting faster adaptation demands and new reputational risks compared to prior technological shifts. Implications for incorporating GenAI for organizational READINESS are discussed.