Managing Collaborative Event Organizations: Internal Communication and Transformational Leadership among Generation Z
Keywords: Internal Communication, Organizational Communication, Transformational Leadership, Generation Z, Event Management
Abstract
Generation Z, as a digital-native cohort, brings both challenges and opportunities to contemporary organizational dynamics. Its technological adaptability, independence, and preference for transparency require internal communication and leadership approaches aligned with its characteristics. Internal communication is not merely a channel for exchanging information, but also a mechanism for building trust, engagement, and collaboration. However, Generation Z’s tendency toward brief, digital-based communication may reduce interaction depth, create perceptual gaps, and prioritize speed over accuracy. This study aims to analyze internal communication patterns and transformational leadership among Generation Z in event management organizations. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews, observation, and literature review involving three Generation Z leaders from different student-based events: a student–corporate running event, an SDG-oriented talk show and social action, and a creative bazaar and workshop. The findings show that internal communication was primarily digital-first, supported by online platforms for real-time coordination, transparency, and task monitoring. Nevertheless, this pattern also produced information overload, miscommunication, and limited emotional depth. Transformational leadership emerged through shared vision, inspirational motivation, inclusive brainstorming, and intellectual stimulation. The study concludes that integrating digital internal communication with transformational leadership forms an adaptive, participatory, and value-oriented leadership model for fast-paced event management organizational contexts.
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