MSJ11344 Internal Communication

Lecture 2
Spring 2014
Internal communication is the planned use of
communication actions to systematically
influence the knowledge, attitudes and
behaviours of current employees
Internal communication is concerned with
building two-way, trusting relationships with
the internal publics, with the goal of
improving organizational effectiveness
First Capital Market (FCC) is a train operating
company in the UK which followed a top-down
internal communication system.
As a result of an internal survey, it developed a
two-way communications empowering staff to
deliver excellent customer services
Three stages of activity of the internal campaign:
Big Thank You, Big Picture and Family Fun Day
Positive impact on employee engagement;
reduction in train delays, improvement in
customer service
Previously, it was fairly easy to identify the
answer: a person receives a paycheck from the
company, is invited to all staff meetings, goes all
the company parties, participates in annual
picnic, etc.

Nowadays, its harder to define who belongs to
the internal audience. Organizations of today
have full-timers, part-timers, contractors,
consultants, temporary staffs, workers in
franchises, strategic partners, individual
distributors, and so on.
Different types of workers need different
levels of information. A regular in-house full
time employee would need lesser information
than a remote employee working at a branch

Employee communication are like bathing
suits: one size does not fit all

Hierarchical communication
Mass media communications
Nonformal networks of invisible
communication
Patterned as command and control style:
historically relies on the organizations
existing hierarchical structure
Driven from the highest levels, the message
reaches at the bottom through the successive
layers of executives, managers and
supervisors
Good for simpler organizations. However, for
large and complex organizations with many
layers of management and multiple sites, it is
not that efficient
Managers, particularly with a scattered
workforce, cannot be solely relied
So, organizations adopt an in-house
journalism to make sure that the information
reaches its intended recipient
With the advent of technology, mass media
communications took off and became the
most effective way of communication
internally
A lot of company news does not move
through hierarchical channels or mass media
communications
It often marked as a negative activity and
termed as the rumor mill or grapevine
Nonformal communication can be very
effective in some cases
Indicators Stage ONE (pre-
1960s)
Stage TWO (mid
1960s-1980s)
Stage THREE
(late 1980s-
now)
Predecessor Industrial
relation
Journalism Marketing
Goal Improve morale Deliver news Implement
strategy
Emphasis Individuals Facts Organization
Orientation Camaraderie Reporting Aid to
management
Attitude Warm, personal Cool, sceptical Business
Focus People Events Strategic
objectives
Source: Brandon (1997)
Most of the communications inside the
organizations will not, and probably should
not, pass through internal communication
programs
The internal communication team can set the
stage and provide critical information for the
formal and informal conversations that takes
place between employees, supervisors,
managers, senior leaders, customers and
stakeholders