Влияние теневой стороны внутренней коммуникации на поведенческую лояльность сотрудников к организацииThe impact of dark side of internal communication on behavioral employee loyalty to the organization

In the context of constrained resources and a turbulent external environment, human capital emerges as a crucial element of organizational resilience, with the reduction of staff turnover identified as a strategic goal intrinsically connected to employee loyalty. Internal communication is essential for developing employee loyalty. Nevertheless, current research predominantly focuses on its positive impacts while overlooking its detrimental facets, commonly referred to as the "dark side of internal communication." This study aims to measure the impact of the dark side of internal communication on employee behavioral loyalty within Russian organizations. Employing reciprocity theory (the negative reciprocity approach) as a theoretical framework and a quantitative methodology (n=263, SEM analysis in SmartPLS v.4.0), the author identified key manifestations of the dark side of internal communication at the organizational level. The research empirically confirmed that ineffective and manipulative internal communication decreases employee behavioral loyalty. This study enhances the understanding of internal communication, analyzing it as both a beneficial management tool and a catalyst for destructive and dysfunctional consequences caused by its negative aspects, which affect employee behavioral loyalty. The adaptation and empirical validation of the negative reciprocity approach allowed interpreting the decrease in behavioral loyalty as an employee reaction to dark communication practices within the organization, thus expanding the applicability of reciprocity theory in the organizational context. The practical importance of the study's findings resides in the development of an extensive set of suggestions designed to diagnose, avoid, and mitigate the negative consequences associated with the dark side of internal communication.