International dialogue on organisational wellbeing and strategic communication brings together researchers from Chile, Uruguay, Spain and Venezuela
Dr. Bárbara Castillo Abdul Hadi, Principal Researcher of the Research Group on Innovation and Digital Transformation of Communication(GITDCom) at the University of Design, Innovation and Technology (UDIT), participated as a guest speaker at the International Seminar on Communication and Cultures of Wellbeing: Leading Safe Organisational Environments, held on 25 November 2025 and organised by the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB), the Instituto de Investigaciones en Comunicación (IDIC), the Universidad Católica del Uruguay, the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Sympatia Consultores (Chile).
The meeting adopted a conversational format, articulated around guiding questions on well-being at work, the psychological contract, leadership and strategic communication. The invited researchers shared perspectives from their lines of study, generating an interdisciplinary exchange that allowed contrasting approaches from different contexts and labour realities.
In this space, Dr. Castillo Abdul Hadi contributed with reflections derived from her chapter co-authored with Dr. Luis Miguel Romero Rodríguez, entitled "La digitalización corporativa post-COVID-19: de la improvisación de la urgencia a la planificación en la nueva normalidad", published by UCAB in 2025. Based on this work, she analysed how digital acceleration modified the work experience, intensified information fatigue and put a strain on the psychological contract, highlighting the need to consolidate organisational cultures focused on well-being and emotional health.
The researcher highlighted the role of strategic internal communication as the backbone for sustaining inclusive, transparent and participatory cultures. She stressed that active listening, institutional coherence and real participation of human talent are decisive factors in strengthening psychological safety, especially in hybrid and remote work models.
He also delved into the role of leadership as a key agent in shaping emotional pay and work engagement. She pointed out that empathy, clarity of expectations, credibility and the ability to accompany are today essential competencies to create safe, collaborative and emotionally sustainable organisational environments.
During the exchange, Dr. Castillo Abdul Hadi also presented innovative tools and approaches aimed at strengthening team cohesion, such as collaborative dynamics, continuous feedback spaces and strategies that reinforce the sense of belonging, along with a framework of key indicators to assess the real impact of well-being initiatives in contemporary organisations.
The seminar also featured presentations by MSc. Ana Inés Pepe (Catholic University of Uruguay) and MSc. Pamela Astudillo (Sympatia Consultores, Chile). The session was moderated by Dr. Agrivalca Canelón Silva and accompanied by the rapporteur Dr. Jesús Lovera Torres, both from IDIC-UCAB.
The meeting allowed for the articulation of complementary perspectives on organisational wellbeing, leadership and communication in digital contexts, generating a space for collaborative reflection between specialists from different institutions and countries. The exchange contributed to broaden the academic debate on the challenges faced by contemporary organisations and to strengthen the construction of collective knowledge around cultures of well-being and safe working environments.