The Value of Centre for Employee Relations and Communication (CERC) for Research and Professional Advancement: Insights From the Pandemic Crisis and Beyond

The Centre for Employee Relations and Communication (CERC) operating at Universit & agrave; IULM in Italy represents an experience of academia-industry collaboration through a multi-company research group: the Working Group Employee Communication (WG_EC). The article depicts the efforts that the WG_EC has been putting into the specific research area of internal crisis communication over its 15 years of activity. Through a qualitative study involving 13 professionals that were partners of the WG_EC, it also sheds light on the value generated for company partners from the collaboration with the academic experts of CERC during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also reflects upon the professional and research advancement boosted by the CERC and its WG_EC beyond that specific critical event, and to focus on issues that WG_EC professionals consider particularly relevant for the future.