Internal communication in businesses annotated bibliography sample

This is the communication that takes place within an organization, among and between employees. It takes various forms, such as formal meetings, emails, phone calls, face-to-face casual conversations, internal wikis and memorandums. In general, internal communication aims at sharing information by alternative channels or tools within an organization. In this annotated bibliography, I have keenly analysed internal communication in business.
Berger, B. (2008). Employee/organizational communications. Institute for Public Relations. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from: http://www. instituteforpr. org/topics/employee-organizational-communications/
Bruce K. Berger, a Ph. D. at University of Alabama gives easy to understand researched article. The article talks about employee and or organizational communication. In the article, Bruce K. Berger illustrates a broad field of employee communications comprising: channels and methods of employee communications, the history and the evolution of internal communications’ changing practices as well as the significant issues currently. This excellent applicable article brings to close fifteen principles of an effective communication. It is candidly divided into seven parts for easy organization of the material. The seven parts comprise: Timeliness and Content, Leadership Roles, Channels, Professional Roles of Communicator, Culture, Measurement, and Participation and Recognition. This article offers a good overview of business communications as was in the past, currently and the future.
The research of five past employee communications models by Berger agree with same principles of effective employee communications practices as well as employee communications approaches scholarly researched. His use of eighteen resources offers guidance for future research about employee communications. Otherwise, the article is very informative on the past, current and future employee communications.
Brown, K. (2012). Effective Communication in a Business. Demand Media, Small Business Index. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/effective-communication-business-3177. html
This article highlights how businesses can develop effective internal communication. Brown postulates that, for a business to communicate effectively, it must know its employees and choose the right message and the best channel for the transmission of the message. Besides, communication plan is a prerequisite that outlines the strategies. It is only through effective communication that the business culture can be instilled in its employees.
The author highlights the importance of understanding the various roles of the employees and creating effective communication. This helps in tailoring the communications and enhances respect between the employees and the management. The author ascertains that “ good communication is good business.” Based on the arguments and the reference from other articles, this article is very relevant to an organization, especially in enhancing effective communication.
Carmen, Kimberly (2012). Increase Productivity through Internal Communications. Internet Marketing Strategies, 305. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. karmasnack. com/knowledge/internet-marketing/2010/06/increase-productivity-through-internal-communications/
This article highlights the importance of internal communication in increasing business productivity. Carmen defines internal communication as any sort of communication within the business, whether lateral (i. e. within the same management level or among employees themselves) or from the top management to the lowest level. Effective internal communication, according to the author, begins by clear goal setting by the senior management to their subordinates. For workplace productivity, every employee should be convinced about the worth of the work which they do. The author gives various types of written internal communications such as newsletters, emails, memos, and internal storyboards. Carmen also highlights the importance of respecting the employees in enhancing their productivity. This is achieved through involving the employees in the decision making process and making them feel an important part of the organization. This is only possible with free flow of information through internal communication. This article is very important to a business especially in winning the trust of the employees and increasing their productivity.
Chong, M. (2007). The Role of Internal Communication and Training in Infusing Corporate Values and Delivering Brand Promise: Singapore Airlines’ Experience. Corporate Reputation Review 10, 201–212. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. palgrave-journals. com/crr/journal/v10/n3/full/1550051a. html
In this article, Chong examines the internal communication at Singapore Airlines, one of the best international airlines in the world. The author points out that, employees are the most important audience for any organizational communication and are considered as the most trusted source of information about an organization. Through effective internal communication, organizations are able to instill shared understanding of its values in the minds and hearts of the employees, which enhances their productivity. Chong believes that for an organization to attain sustainable competitive advantage, the employees must be aligned with the organization’s values so that the external shareholders can experience the values. This is only possible through effective internal communication. Findings of this paper show that Singapore Airlines has consistently delivered its brand promise and has become one of the world’s most successful international airlines through effective internal communication and training. This paper is highly relevant as it shows the various strategic roles played by internal communication in an organization.
Forbes, S. (2010, August 31). Internal communication gets smart. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from: http://www. simply-communicate. com/news/internal-communication-gets-smart
Stuart Alexander Forbes’ article is about how corporations’ use of mobile technologies is a successful communication tool that supports a mobile workforce that is constantly growing. The article covers companies that presently communicate through mobile. Stuart excellently highlights how the device can be cost effective as well as how an organization’s own effective application can be developed to efficiently provide accessible and quick information to the organization’s employees. Generally, the article reveals the roles played by mobile technologies in internal communications. Stuart’s easy to read article highlights mobile applications benefits such as giving employees and employers the flexibility of working remotely, cost effectiveness, and addition of work flexibility. This article appears very relevant as it provides exemplary arguments that are supported with relevant case studies. The case studies show that mobile technologies are considered effective for employee communications in the future.
Jitsanong, T. (2011). An Effective Internal Communication of Sharing Information: Case Study in Sales and Marketing Department Communicate with other Departments Conrad Bangkok. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. suic. org/wp-content/uploads/research3/mba_research/37Thanuncha_Jitsanong. pdf
Jitsanong gives an in-depth literature review of effective internal communication highlighting the importance and effectiveness of internal communication in information sharing. The author highlights the tools that improve internal communication such as letters, phone call, worksheet, email, remarks, prints, meeting, and comments among others. The paper gives the Advantages and disadvantages of both one-way and two-way communications, and the Positive impacts of internal communication. The report points out that the sales department lacked effective ways of internal communication, thus various problems resulted. This paper is relevant for various departments within organization in enhancing their internal communication.
Roehler, Yvonne. (2007). Internal Communication: The Neglected Strategy. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. upnorthscore. com/FAQ/Internal%20Communication%20Strategy. pdf
Roehler establishes the benefits of adopting an internal communication strategy. This easy to read article covers the critical elements of an effective internal communication strategy, how to effectively create an organization’s internal communication strategy plan and how to measure the success of the strategy. The benefits of adopting an internal communication strategy in this extremely relevant article include; creation of a common vision, better knowledge sharing, easy articulation of the business mission, and an improved productivity.
This article gives a better understanding of internal communication in business. Roehler’s article provides superb arguments for benefits of adopting internal communication strategy as well as success factors for an excellent information sharing and flow in a business. While Yvonne Roehler does an exceptional work, there are no references to support his viewpoints. However, the article provides how businesses can employ internal communication strategy and reaps the benefits.
Stafford G., Vanc A., White C. (2008). Internal communication, information satisfaction and sense of community: The effect of personal influence. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from:  http://www. instituteforpr. org/wp-content/uploads/White_Vanc_Stafford. pdf
Candace White, Gina Stafford and Antoaneta Vanc from University of Tennessee give a very important tactical viewpoint to the present employee communications philosophies. In their research, employee communications as a tool for competitive advantage is focused on. Their research also aimed at establishing how employee communications offer benefits of productivity and satisfaction to employees. They carried out in depth interviews of non-exempted and exempted employees. They analyzed the results. Issues researched on included employees’ preferences, i. e. channels, amount, and information type. They also researched on employees’ feeling of a sense of community with their organizations and their willingness to be the organization’s advocates. What they established is that while employees accept email as a day to day way of receiving information, they have preference for interacting face to face. This research is relevant since it assists in laying framework from the evolution of past philosophies of employee communications to the present hierarchical approaches of community building within companies via employee communications.
Trout, W. (2010). “ We’re going mobile”: the new mobility and the challenge to internal communications. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from http://www. kingfishmedia. com/ThinkTank/bid/50655/We-re-Going-Mobile-The-New-Mobility-and-the-Challenge-to-Internal-Communications
Companies look for efficient methods of keeping up with the increasing mobile workforce. This is achieved by the use wireless technology. Will Trout, a director of internal communications for BBVA Compass, which is a top 15 U. S. bank based in the Sunbelt, asserts that the answer to future internal communications is the cloud. From the article, Trout argues that while the information repository continuously used is the intranet, through cloud or customized applications, employees can effectively access non static content by mobile and desktops. This article excellently presents the long term view of employee communications. It delivers convincing arguments for employee communications via mobile technologies. While the article presents few empirical data and case studies, the validity of the arguments are traced from his experience in the area of internal communication.
Wright, D., and Hinson, M. (2006). Weblogs and employee communication: ethical questions for corporate public relations. 9th Annual International Public Relations Research Conference, 1-17.  Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. instituteforpr. org/topics/weblogs-employee-communication/
The study by Wright and Hinson highlights how internal communication changes due to blogging, which empowers the employees to communicate internally and externally. The authors however state that, ethical concerns are not taken into account by various researchers despite the availability of a lot of research in internal communication. Through a web-based study, the authors have come up with various ethical concerns in internal communication. They clarify that employees have a freedom of speech and can say positive or negative things about the organization; however, it is important and ethical for the organization to monitor and measure the employee blogs and other internal communication methods and even discipline the employees for what they say. Employees should be responsible for what they say anyway. The study looks at the effectiveness of the internal communication and gives a perspective of the past, present, and the future of employee communication, highlighting the ethical limitations and the need for monitoring, measuring, and disciplining the employee communication. It also provides a new perspective for internal business communications through the use of current technologies such as blogs.

Reference

Berger, B. (2008). Employee/organizational communications. Institute for Public Relations. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from: http://www. instituteforpr. org/topics/employee-organizational-communications/
Brown, K. (2012). Effective Communication in a Business. Demand Media, Small Business Index. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/effective-communication-business-3177. html
Carmen, Kimberly (2012). Increase Productivity through Internal Communications. Internet Marketing Strategies, 305. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. karmasnack. com/knowledge/internet-marketing/2010/06/increase-productivity-through-internal-communications/
Chong, M. (2007). The Role of Internal Communication and Training in Infusing Corporate Values and Delivering Brand Promise: Singapore Airlines’ Experience. Corporate Reputation Review 10, 201–212. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. palgrave-journals. com/crr/journal/v10/n3/full/1550051a. html
Forbes, S. (2010, August 31). Internal communication gets smart. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from: http://www. simply-communicate. com/news/internal-communication-gets-smart
Jitsanong, T. (2011). An Effective Internal Communication of Sharing Information: Case Study in Sales and Marketing Department Communicate with other Departments Conrad Bangkok. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. suic. org/wp-content/uploads/research3/mba_research/37Thanuncha_Jitsanong. pdf
Roehler, Yvonne. (2007). Internal Communication: The Neglected Strategy. Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. upnorthscore. com/FAQ/Internal%20Communication%20Strategy. pdf
Stafford G., Vanc A., White C. (2008). Internal communication, information satisfaction and sense of community: The effect of personal influence. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from:  http://www. instituteforpr. org/wp-content/uploads/White_Vanc_Stafford. pdf
Trout, W. (2010). “ We’re going mobile”: the new mobility and the challenge to internal communications. Retrieved 4 April, 2012 from http://www. kingfishmedia. com/ThinkTank/bid/50655/We-re-Going-Mobile-The-New-Mobility-and-the-Challenge-to-Internal-Communications
Wright, D., and Hinson, M. (2006). Weblogs and employee communication: ethical questions for corporate public relations. 9th Annual International Public Relations Research Conference, 1-17.  Retrieved 4 April 2012, from http://www. instituteforpr. org/topics/weblogs-employee-communication/