The Aspects of Internal Communication in Organizations - Research Proposal Example

Proposal for a Research on the Aspects of Internal Communication in Organizations Table of contents Introduction Internal communication remains one of the highly valued aspects of organizations. It is one of those functions that everyone perceives can be done well, just because they talk to their people well. However, this is not necessarily the case (Smith & Mounter, 2008). The perception that internal communication is easy can make life particularly challenging for those who are charged with the responsibility of actually delivering in accordance with the job title they have since everyone regards the skills of internal communication as commonplace (Holbeche, 2006). It cannot be gainsaid that effective internal communication determines an organization’s success. Therefore, a common perspective among many researchers such as Wright (2009) and Guffey (2008) has been that internal communication should be based on the remit of the in-house individuals or teams; otherwise, a lengthy series of unrelated programmes would likely result due to unplanned or misunderstood organizational undertakings. Based on a strong background of the importance of internal communication, this proposal is meant to open an avenue for a meticulous research on the issue. The research will evaluate the values of internal communication, how internal communication is practiced in various organizations, as well as other finer details on the same. The proposal begins by a literature review of works previously done on internal communication. From the literature review, the issues raised or addressed form the basis of the research questions for the entire study. The research questions are based on the specific objective of understanding internal communication within organizations, what can be learned from the current study, and what needs to be done in future in order to improve internal communication within various organizations and thus improve their overall efficiency. The subsequent section of the research proposal is methodology. This details the methods that will be used in the study. This research if fundamentally qualitative, hence, the methods to be applied will mainly be qualitative, encompassing analysis and critique of the existing findings on internal communication. The intended research will also encompass discussions based on the findings as per the methodology and the relationship between this and the issues addressed in the literature review. Literature review According to Grunig (1992), internal communication in organizations is so entwined with the process of organizing as well as with the organizational structure, power, environment, and culture. For this reason, a multitude of theorists of organizational communication have argued that organizations could not exist devoid of proper internal communication. It has time and again been argued that internal communication is one of the most important contributors to the effectiveness of organizations. This cannot be gainsaid given that there is a lot of evidence that an organization’s performance and organizational communication are positively correlated (Yeomans, 2005; Miller, 2008). The significance of internal communication also lies in the fact that it is linked logically with the conditions that create excellent public relations and enable effective conveyance of messages between various departments in an organization. Through effective internal communication, it is possible to link the various elements that determine organizational effectiveness, namely the environment, structure, culture and power (Henderson & McAdam, 2003; Guffey, 2008). Employee commitment can imply the difference between success and disaster. Scholes (1997) recommends the use of a communication plan to enhance internal communication within an organization. The author notes that an effective communication plan outlines the main messages to be communicated, what the messages sender intends to put across, the methods that will be used in conveying the message, the nature of resources needed, as well as the measures of success. In line with this, the exact appearance and content of the plan is determined by the targeted audiences as well as the culture of the organization. Communication plans are generally formal documents that are well presented and sufficient in detail in order to be useful to the recipients. A good communication plan forms the basis and identity for internal communication within the organization. An organization’s communication plan has one fundamental requirement: that it must align the communication objectives of the management with those of the organization. As such, it is important to identify and segment the objectives or targets of the communication. This is obviously a more intricate programme than the conventional media relation programmes. Smith and Mounter (2008) quote Jeremy Redhouse of Redhouse Lane, a firm that deals with media consultancy, who said that internal communication demands greater sensitivity towards the audience and more still, a better understanding of the organization. Redhouse believed that the skills could be likened to advertising focus on the client and the product. In emphasizing the importance of communication, he noted that the management has to be careful not to patronize the other members or clients or go over their heads (Smith & Mounter, 2008). From the above viewpoint of internal communication, it can be noted that the communication process has to be effective at all points in order to make an organization successful. These entail ensuring that all the departments of an organization receive messages as intended without creating a situation whereby some staff are overlooked or are treated as separate parts of the organization. Thus, all departments, namely the frontline staff, the supervisors or line managers, the senior management or middle management and the board or directors have to be in harmony in the communication process (Smith & Mounter 2008). Internal considerations are vital to the overall communication strategy. This should treat all the stakeholders of an organization as part of a wider society (Copley, 2004). Guffey (2008) notes that the internal communication is about exchanging ideas and messages with superiors, subordinates and co-workers. Moreover, the messages can be communicated through a multiplicity of means such as email, memos, and voice messages. When the messages have to be written and used internally, they can be sent through email or other appropriate means. Internal communication has many functions, including to issue and clarify procedures and policies, notify the management of progress in various activities, create new products and services, persuade employees or the management to implement particular changes or improvements, coordinate activities, and assess and reward employees (Holbeche 2006; Scholes, 1997). It is one of the essential aspects of internal publics. It thus accounts for a large part of internal public relations. Internal communication deals with issues such as staff sensitivities and morale, which are not generally part of money matters (Copley, 2004). The negative consequences of ineffective internal communication are myriad. For instance, industrial disputes can arise due to gossip and untold truths within the organization. In addition, employees may feel left out if they are not included on the account of what is going on within the organization. Thus, the ‘internal’ feel of the organization should portray and highlight the organization’s external image whereby the internal activities can be improved effectively by the use of internal communication (Copley, 2004; Scholes, 1997). Effective internal communication is vital for effective organization management but the type of management implemented is also important. Copley (2004) notes that the management style has a lot of influence on the kind of internal communication that is used within an organizational setting. Reflecting on this, formal communication situations dictate relationships as well as the nature of tools used to communicate with the various publics. Many authors, such as Holbeche (2006) and Wright (2009) have noted that culture change in organizations will not occur without the active participation and commitment of all employees. Hence, communication by the top management in successful organizations is a particularly powerful tool in gaining commitment and building consensus to achieve a particular required change. It is perhaps for this reason that it was noted in a study carried out in the United States that the Fortune Top 200 ‘most admired’ companies spend nearly three times more time on internal communications as compared to the bottom 200. The same case applies in the United Kingdom, where the significance of good internal communication is consistently being emphasized (Holbeche, 2006). Although Holbeche (2006) notes that organizations in the United Kingdom have lately began emphasizing on the need for effective internal communication, there is evidence that this has been in existence for a long time. According to Yeomans (2005), for over forty years in the United Kingdom, professional literature on public relations has advocated the importance of communicating with employees within the organization. The author further states that the importance of internal public relations has to do with encouraging employees to make their maximum contribution to the productivity and prosperity of the company. In addition, internal public relations aims at eliminating rumors, misunderstanding and lack of information, which often times lead to industrial action. Hence, there is no gainsaying the fact that with good internal communication, employees are likely to be contended, making elements of dissatisfaction such as strike action a thing of the past. Many researchers such as Yeomans (2005) and Miller (2008) have focused on aspects of internal communication not by evaluating its importance, but rather how to facilitate it. Internal communication consultants have often drawn heavily on their own experiences, case studies and behavioural models in prescribing to their targeted audiences. Nevertheless, with the development of business language, the focus on internal communication has been how to improve the management of organizations through the same. It is for this reason that management bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations has a professional practice that embraces aspirant discipline of internal communication that combines conventional and modern aspects of management, specifically on communication (Yeomans, 2005). It is worthwhile to comprehend the aspects of internal communication since they are important in organizational learning. Organizational learning covers acquisition of knowledge as well as distribution and interpretation of the same. By facilitating effective internal communication that enables organizational learning, organizations stand to reap a multiplicity of benefits. The first one is that they can learn as much, if not more from their failure and success. Secondly, proper internal communication enables learning that emphasizes the adage that if it is not broken, do not fix it. Thirdly, the learning organization actively seeks to move from one point to another. This can be achieved only if the various departments of the organization relate well through internal communication. The fourth point is that internal communication brings together diverse skills irrespective of one’s position, which is imperative for the organization’s development. Finally, through better internal communication, learning organizations are able to look beyond their normal horizons (Henderson & McAdam 2003). Key points from the literature review Internal communication is a vital component of organizational efficiency even though not involving money aspects. Good internal communication is an intricate process, not merely a media relations programme. Effective internal communication occurs when all the employees of an organization and the management partake in the communication process. The nature of internal communication used in a company goes hand in hand with the kind of management style employed in the organization. Internal communication has lately become the focus of many organizations due to the benefits that accrue from the process as noted for organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom and many other regions of the world. Research questions Based on the summary of the literature review and the objectives of the intended study, the following are the research questions: 1. How do organizations perceive internal communication with respect to the management and the subordinates? 2. What are employees’ perceptions of internal communication in their organizations? 3. In the contemporary business world, do the leaderships in organizations value internal communication as a vital development tool? 4. Do significant differences exist between organizations that have fully embraced internal communication and those that have given it little attention? 5. How have successful organizations structured their internal communication process? 6. How do both the management and employees gain by having effective internal communication in their organizations? 7. What are the barriers to effective internal communication in organizations and which factor would support better organizational learning thereby contributing to the development of sustainable business environments? Methodology The methodology that will be employed in this research involves secondary sources of information, primarily books and journals. The materials have been selected for their reliability and ease of further reference and reading. The materials will be used to provide materials regarding various aspects of internal communication. A notable advantage of using books is that they are reviewed time and again to refer to the latest information. Some of the books are available in their second or later editions, meaning that they were in demand and their authors had to update them to carry the most up-to-date information. Some of the books have been reviewed by professionals, thus increasing their reliability. Moreover, the availability of the books in online libraries such as Emerald, Questia and Google Books makes retrieval of information easy. In spite of this, not all books are reliable, and their contents have to be validated to make this research a success. Journals, in addition to being reviewed, are published by renowned organizations. As such, they will be relied upon to fill the gap left as per the limitation of books. Most journals have been peer reviewed and therefore contain information that is regarded accurate. Most of the journals to be used in this study were published in the late 1990s and later, meaning that they contain recently reviewed information. A detailed list of the references will be provided at the end of the research. Presentation and analysis of information The research information will presented through discussions, tables and charts. Discussions will be used to analyze reports by various authors while tables and charts will present information that needs to be illustrated in tabular and graphic form. References Copley, P. (2004). Marketing Communications Management: Concepts and Theories, Cases and Practices. London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Grunig, J. E. (ed) (1992). Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management. New York: Routledge. Guffey E. M. (2008).Business Communication: Process & Product (6th edition).New York: Cengage Learning. Henderson, J. & McAdam, R. (2003). Adopting a learning-based approach to improve internal communications: A large utility experience, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 20(7): 774-794 Holbeche, L (2006). Understanding Change: Theory, Implementation and Success. London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Miller, K. (2008). Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes (5th edition). New York: Cengage Learning. Scholes, E. (1997). Gower Handbook of Internal Communication. New York: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Smith, L. & Mounter, P. (2008). Effective Internal Communication (2nd edition). London: Kogan Page Publishers. Wright, M (2009). Gower Handbook of Internal Communication (2nd edition). New York: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Yeomans, L. (2005). Review of Effective Internal Communication, Journal of Communication Management, 11(1): 90-91. Read More