Organizational GenAI culture: Catalysts and constraints for crisis readiness

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.