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Raging Social Media Firestorm at L&T India: A Case of Foot in the Mouth?
Payal Mehra and Rishab Chauhan
Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, India
Volume 18: 2025, pp. 131-138; ABSTRACT
The case highlights the occurrence of a communication lapse by the leader of an Indian
organisation, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), while responding to a question posed by an employee, which
was leaked on a popular social media platform. The case explores the controversy over its Chairman,
S.N. Subrahmanyan’s, remarks on work culture in a town hall meeting, which sparked a social
media backlash. His casual comment on preference for extended work hours, including Sundays,
went viral, triggering debates on work-life balance. L&T, known for its high-performance culture,
faced scrutiny as employees and industry professionals criticized unrealistic employee expectations.
Social media was flooded with memes lampooning the chairman, forcing L&T’s communication
team into damage control. The incident underscores the risks of leadership communication in the
digital age and the power of social media amplification. L&T’s HR team and Subrahmanyan issued
clarifications, reaffirming their commitment to employee well-being. The case was taught to first
term students of the course ‘International Business Communication’ (April-May 2025) in a one-year
MBA Programme for Management Executives as a part of the course on International Business
Communication.
Keywords: crisis, leadership communication, work life balance, apology.
The Americas + Rest of World
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ARTICLE REF.: JOBE18-0CS12
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