Grunig (1992:114) states that internal communication is so entwined with the process of organising and with organisational structure, environment, power and culture that many theorists of organisational communication argue that organisations would not exist without communication. Grunig (1992) goes further by saying that internal communication is the catalyst if not the key to organisational excellence and effectiveness. In this study an attempt was made to illustrate the link between the internal corporate communication programme of an organisation’s Chief Executive Officer and the commitment levels towards the same organisation of middle management employees. The Absa Group is used as a case study for the purposes of this dissertation. The problem that prompted this research has, therefore, been formulated as: Does the internal corporate communication programme of the Group Chief Executive of the Absa Group have any significance for the commitment levels of selected middle management employees in Gauteng towards the organisation? Theoretical statements were based on the theoretical orientation of the open systems theory from a subjectivist approach, the importance of internal corporate communication and the relationship between leadership and internal corporate communication and were formulated as: · From a systems theory perspective, organisations must exchange (import-transformexport) “energy” (products, information and materials) with their environments in order to survive (Dahnke & Clatterbuck, 1990:162). · Internal communication is the catalyst if not the key to organisational excellence and effectiveness (Grunig, 1992:114). · Effective leadership communication leads to employee commitment (Mayfield & Mayfield, 2002:89). The dissertation concludes with the postulation that there is a significant link between the internal corporate communication strategy and approach of the Absa Group Chief Executive and the commitment levels towards the organisation of selected middle management employees. / Prof. Gideon de Wet