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Employees needs in the internal communication with their managers to gain trust and respect

Dongen, J. van (2020) Employees needs in the internal communication with their managers to gain trust and respect.

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Abstract:Internal communication is in every organization. It is an important aspect which makes organization more efficient and happens in different forms. This study focused on the needs of employees in the internal communication with the management. The aim was to answer the following question: What are the employees communication needs regarding trust and respect in the internal communication with their managers? A qualitative case study was held at [organisatie] to answer this question. Semi-structured interviews were held with ten employees from different offices of [organisatie] at their north-east area in the Netherlands. The study was based on a quantitative study held earlier by [organisatie}. This was an employee satisfaction survey, which focused on trust and respect in internal communication between managers and employees, with focus on the perspective of the employees. Nine statements that were relevant to these aspects were picked from the quantitative study and used for the semi-structured interviews. Participants had to sort these statements by how important they are to them. Results show three different needs from employees. Firstly, the management must be present for employees in both a literal and figurative sense. This means that managers should occasionally be physically present at the offices where employees work, but managers should also be aware of the consequences of their decision-making and causes of issues. In other words, the management should be close to the organizational core. Secondly, the management must inform employees. Multiple opportunities have been found to achieve this: intranet (although the preference for this medium was split), an annual conference, consultancy days and conference calls. The use for these means of communication is to appreciate the work employees do, communicate expectations and to communicate changes beforehand, so employees can respond to them. Lastly, the management must listen to employees. Multiple means of communication can be used: consultancy days, mail, online chat sessions, intranet or have contact through an intermediary. Managers should ask the employees for input in decision-making and subsequently use this input. Multiple practical implications are provided and future research is proposed based on these results. Implications include an increased physical presence of managers at the offices where employees work and communication through intranet or e-mail when the management cannot be physically present. To listen to employees, the management must ask for input through intranet or an intermediary. The management then has to actually use the input. Lastly, the management must hold an annual conference to inform employees of financial status and future plans of the organization. Intranet and conference calls can be used to inform throughout the year. Managers should also inform the employees of success and appreciate them timely, sincere and clearly. Future research should focus on including participants from different ages, more males, different cultures, different roles in an organization and different organizational contexts.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Programme:Communication Studies BSc (56615)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/84018
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