This research stems out of the desire to uncover and learn the impact and influence
of internal communication as a strategic function that enhances productivity,
organisational growth, employee engagements and above all organisational
success 1
. Internal communications is a body of knowledge that is gaining momentum
throughout the world. It is a global discipline that organisations have adopted as their
instrument to measure the effectiveness of their communication campaigns,
programmes and strategies both internal and external. Internal communication has
been forced to adjust to numerous changes in the workplace.
Macleod and Clarke (2009) argue that good quality internal communication
enhances engagement and emphasise that employees need clear communication
from senior management to understand how their own roles correspond with the
leadership vision.
The overarching aim of this investigative study was to examine the influence of
internal communication as a key driver of employee engagement and organisational
performance. In doing so, the research study employed qualitative approach method
to investigate the extent in which internal communication as a strategic function
enhances employee engagement and promotes organisational performance.
This qualitative exploratory study relied on the experiences, thoughts, behaviours,
and the understanding of the research respondents to articulate their knowledge
about the phenomenon under investigation; therefore data was collected by means
of various processes, including semi-structured interviews, and focus group
discussions.
The study was carried out amongst employees of LG Electronics2
, Seoul in South Korea to establish the extent to which internal communication influences or drives employee engagement3. The study adopted content analysis as a well-tested
method of data analysis to better understand the data collected. Through content
analysis, thematic connections were made and data was categorised in different
themes that emerged systematically from similar characteristics mentioned in the
conversations with the respondents. Inferences were drawn from the similar
characteristics and presented in the data analysis and interpretations chapter of the
research study.
The results revealed that a deep awareness of internal communication existed
among the respondents of the study. They also revealed high levels of
consciousness of factors that contribute immensely to internal communication as a
strategic function that enhance engagement, organisational culture, goals and
values.
The results revealed that a strong sense of identification and ownership was given to
employees as part of programmes that intensified employee's contributions, level of
engagement and understanding of goals and culture of the organisation. The
empirical findings further postulated that employees were incorporated into the
dominant coalition of the organisation and were also regarded as change agents,
through which their inputs and suggestions were valued and recognised.
The empirical study also revealed that employees were engaged because of the
organisational culture shared by the strong leadership and management philosophy;
LG-way was implemented as a framework to guide open and transparent
communication. The results indicated that there was no salary gap between males
and females, employees were rewarded according to their performance targets and
capabilities and were also encouraged through coaching to improve their targets
where necessary for the successful growth of the organisation.
Through the empirical findings, the study recommended that a well coordinated
internal communication function which is aligned and guided by the fundamental
principles of the organisation will produce rewarding results for the organisation. There is a greater need for the organisation to conduct an intensified research on the
impact and contributions of proactive internal communication strategies.
Such research will guide and direct the coordination and implementation of proper
and relevant programmes to assist the organisation to be more engaged and
embedded among employees. LG Electronics must also come to terms with the fact
that internal stakeholders make or break the organisation. The organisation needs to
treat all employees equally and monitor the value of employees in the organisational
growth and success. Management needs to know that the internal stakeholders are
important as they provide the foundation of the organisation as well as acting as the
liaison between the organisation and the external stakeholders. / Thesis (M.A (Communication) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2014
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/15622 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Mmutle, Tsietsi Jeffrey |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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