The role of internal communication in the management of organisational uncertainty

Abstract

In light of the challenging environment within which businesses currently operate, it is increasingly important that organisational leaders recognise the value of communication. Guided by Organisational Communication Theory and Uncertainty Management Theory, this research explores the role of internal communication in the management of organisational uncertainty.

Although previous studies have acknowledged the value of internal communication in the management of uncertainty, to date, there is a dearth of research into the relationship between the concepts in any significant depth. Additionally, there has been little examination of the impact on organisations of prolonged uncertainty emanating from continuous and sustained organisational changes, as opposed to uncertainty arising from large scale changes at a particular point in time. As such, this study seeks to redress these research gaps by investigating the nature, form, and effects of organisational uncertainties and the role of internal communication in their management

A multi-strategy approach incorporating quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed within the Northern Ireland subsidiary of a large multi-national corporation. Phase One of the research adopted a mainly quantitative approach, with participants completing two questionnaires, the International Communication Association (ICA) Questionnaire (Hargie and Tourish, 2000) and the Uncertainty Management Survey (Clampitt and DeKoch, 2001). In total, 440 employees completed the ICA Questionnaire whilst 485 completed the Uncertainty Management Survey. Phase Two of the study was qualitative in nature, with exploratory data obtained through 16 semi-structured interviews and 3 focus groups.

In general, the results indicated that a complex and intricate relationship existed between internal communication and organisational uncertainty. The findings from the study suggest that effective internal communication is at the core of the successful management of uncertainty. The implications of these findings for Organisational Communication Theory in general, and Uncertainty Management Theory in particular, are explicated.

Date of Award	Jun 2013
Original language	English
Supervisor	Owen Hargie (Supervisor) & Mairead McCoy (Supervisor)