Emerging Issues in Internal Communications

This article points out the importance of how generational shifts affect internal communications. Two-way symmetrical communication will positively influence employee engagement. While some communications involve the human resources department, this study examines the use of the public relations department for internal communications. Consider what the study says about establishing commitment from employees and how expectations about communication are changing.

Discussion & Implications

Conclusion

This study has provided new insights into the domain of internal communication including who is managing the function, how changes in workforce demographics and the focus on employee engagement are demanding new communication approaches, and the types of metrics that are being utilized. All of these trends indicate a move to a more strategic role for internal communication and more dialogue with employees rather than one-way communication. 

Appendix A: Code Book

Code

# of Mentions

% of Codes

# of Participants Discussing Code

% of Cases

Social Media

58

5%

27

84.4%

Organizational Identity 

83

7.2%

29

90.6%

Structure

83

7.2%

29

90.6%

Trends

81

7.0%

29

90.6%

Metrics

79

6.8%

26

81.3%