This summary is provided by the IPR Organizational Communication Research Center
Summary
While engaged employees represent a competitive advantage for organizations, there is limited research on how to improve internal communication practices to effectively manage employees’ expectations and satisfaction. This study explored the link between internal communication satisfaction, good employer brands, employee engagement, and perceived organizational support. Specifically, the researcher examined how employer branding (e.g., employer attractiveness), employee engagement, and employees’ overall perception of organizational support (e.g., how much an organization values their contribution and is concerned with their wellbeing) are associated with employees’ satisfaction with internal communication at the interpersonal, group, and organizational levels.
Method
A survey of 1,805 employees from 12 large companies was conducted. Among these companies, six were subsidiaries or branches of multinational companies based outside of Croatia, two were Croatian-based multinational companies, and four were Croatian state-owned companies. The size of the companies ranged from 70 to 10,000 employees. Among the respondents, 49.5% were male, and 46.7% were female. At the time of the survey, about 72% of participants did not hold managerial positions.
Key Findings
— When an organization fosters employee engagement, employees are more likely to be satisfied with their organization’s internal communication practices.
— Employees’ perception of how much their organizations value their contributions, efforts, and loyalty can enhance employees’ satisfaction with their interactions with the organization.
— Employees express a higher level of satisfaction with their organization when internal branding efforts communicate the brand’s ethics and values, thus improving brand attractiveness.
Implications for Practice
Promoting an engaging workplace provides many benefits, including improved employee satisfaction. Organizations can also enhance their internal communication by creating a supportive environment in which employees’ contributions are valued and employee wellbeing is taken into account. Organizations should also develop internal branding strategies which communicate the brand’s ethics and values, making the organization a more attractive place to work.
Reference
Verčič, A. T. (2021). The impact of employee engagement, organizational support, and employer branding on internal communication satisfaction. Public Relations Review, 47(1), 102009.
Location of Article
This article is available online at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811121000011
(abstract free, purchase full article)
