Internal Corporate Communication and Employee Productivity: The Case of Plan International Kenya

Abstract

Effective internal communication is a vital strategic enabler that ensures smooth information flow and a shared understanding of organizational issues. The productivity of employees is largely dependent on the effectiveness of communication because employees are the executors of strategy, and therefore it is important for them to receive information and provide feedback in a dear, seamless, and efficient manner. However, despite the centrality of internal communication as demonstrated in the existing research, communication barriers such as poor quality of information, delayed communication, distortion of information, poor feedback mechanisms, bureaucratic channels, unclear messages, among others are still evident in organizations hence affecting the productivity of employees. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of effective internal corporate communication as a tool for enhancing employee productivity, using the case of Plan International Kenya. The independent variable was internal communication which was examined using feedback elements, nature of communication, communication quality and clarity, and communication strategies; while the dependent variable was employee productivity measured using the extent of achievement of objectives, output per employee, and turnaround time. The study was guided by the Two-Factor theory and adopted a qualitative case study research design. The target population was all the staff at Plan International Kenya, from which 30 participants were selected acing the purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through Key Informant Interviews. Data saturation was achieved at the 14th interview. Analysis of data was carried out using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the nature of communication at Plan International Kenya was largely top-down and that were major gaps in the practice of open communication in the organization. It was also evident that communication needs to be timely and clear. Another dominant theme was the need for a stronger level of involvement of staff in decision making. Finally, it was evident that one-on-one engagements between management and staff needed to be enhanced to create opportunities for management and staff to share ideas, address concerns, and develop a shared understanding. Based on these findings, the study makes the following recommendations: proper balance of both upward and downward communication, clear and timely communication, entrenching communication function into the organizational structure, removal of communication bureaucracies, implementation of a functional open-door communication policy, and strengthening one-on-one engagements between management and staff through both formal and informal channels.