MSJ11344 Internal Communication

Lecture 6
Fall 2013
Nature of internal media

readily accessible, reliable, and universal

Audience must see the information as:

useful, meaningful, and valuable
To inform and reinforce organizational goals
and objectives
To inform employees about organizational
activities, problems, accomplishments, and
employees role in these
To encourage employees to provide feedback
to management concerning organizational
issues

To provide a regular, frequent and trusted
forum for discussing positive and negative
issues
To establish a culture of information sharing
for the improvement of individuals and the
organization
To reinforce the employees role in the
organization and in meeting organizational
goals

The audiences needs for social presence:
(sociability of the medium; its warmth and
sensitivity)

The media richness:
(density of the information; interactivity,
responsiveness and immediacy, as well as
formal use of language)
Formal media are:
mandated by the organization
used to send messages from management to
employees
determined by organizations structure

Informal media are about:
exchanges of information on a peer-to-peer
or anecdotal level
Whether the content and its distribution are
dictated by the company

These are not mutually exclusive

Face to face
Print media
Broadcast and audiovisual media
Electronic media/ Internet
Events
Corporate Social Responsibility
Has the highest social presence and media
richness
Body language, facial expression, vocal tone,
and the opportunity for interactivity make
face-to-face communication compelling
Can be achieved through videoconferencing,
where large, geographically dispersed
audience are involved
Most trusted and preferred means for
employees to learn about their role
The most traditional form of internal
communication
Memo, brochure, policy handbook, employee
magazine, annual report, etc.
Best at delivering information that is static
Social presence and media richness are low
No room for interaction
Interpretation of the message may vary from
member to member
Employee handbook and orientation materials
are formal and controlled forms of print media
Information overload
Difficult to locate particular information
Mired in legal language