This paper deals with the subject internal communication. We received this assignment from Region Värmland, an organization formed jointly by the 16 municipalities in the county of Värmland, to take responsibility for regional development, growth issues, culture and adult education in Värmland. The organization consists of a number of geographically dispersed units with specialized working areas. In this type of organization, there are high demands on internal communication as a tool to coordinate the organization’s different units and integrate their work, in order to reach the common goals. The objective of the study is to examine how the internal communication functions, and is perceived, by the employees in Region Värmland. We have based our study on previous research on communication in relation to organizational structure, communication networks- and channels. Three main issues have been focused on to lead us to an answer to our purpose. These questions were formulated based on what can be considered core components of a functioning internal communication. How are the channels of communication used and perceived by the employees? How do the employees perceive the functions of the vertical communication in the organization? How do the employees perceive the functions of the horizontal communications between the various units of the organization? For our study we have implemented a methodological triangulation, through a questionnaire and four qualitative interviews. The study has shown that the most used communication channels among the employees are meetings and informal communication with colleagues. The employees feel that the communication with their immediate manager is well-functioning – that they feel free to express work-related opinions, and that they are involved in decision making processes. However, it turned out that there are gaps in the horizontal communication between the units, and that they are too isolated from each other. The intranet is not as widely used as desirable, and needs to be developed in terms of its communicative qualities, to gain a more significant role in communication and coordination between the units in the organization. Key words: communication channels, horizontal communication, internal communication, vertical communication
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:kau-11892 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Larsson, Tina, Ballin, Jenny |
| Publisher | Karlstads universitet, Fakulteten för ekonomi, kommunikation och IT, Karlstads universitet, Fakulteten för ekonomi, kommunikation och IT |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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