Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
Communications of the ACM, 36
Career Development International, 14
Frontiers in Psychology, 10
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27
Southern Communication Journal, 77
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management. An International Journal, 6
Workplace Health and Safety, 64
Organization Studies, 14
Organization Studies, 28
Women and Language, 21
Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60
Corporate Communications: an International Journal, 23
Academy of Management Journal, 36
Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85
Organization Science, 10
International Journal of Advanced Academic Research, 2
International Journal of Business and Management, 5
Psychological Bulletin, 108
International Journal of Business Communication, 51
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38
Academy of Management Review, 37
Journal of the American Statistical Association, 58
Multivariate Behavioral Research, 35
The Academy of Management Journal, 44
Human Resource Management Review, 1
Journal of Applied Psychology, 90
Mannheimer Beiträge, 2
Research on Language and Social Interaction, 36
Public Personnel Management, 27
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109
Studies in Communication | Media (SCM), 5
Social Psychology Quarterly, 51
Social Networks, 44
Australian Journal of Management, 27
Journal of Applied Psychology, 78
American Sociological Review, 39
Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 23
Harvard Business Manager, 1
Public Relations Review, 38
Journal of Business and Psychology, 10
Public Relations Review, 38
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59
Journal of Applied Psychology, 97
Annual Review of Sociology, 12
Journal of Applied Communication Research, 39
International Journal of Business Communication, 31
New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 33
Journal of Marketing Communications, 11
Academy of Management Journal, 64
Business Horizons, 46
Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 30
Previous research assumes that informal communication may be highly relevant for organizations, but little is known about its actual relevance for employees or its functions and effects. The article aims to examine functions, types and effects of informal communication in organizations.Design/methodology/approachResearch on internal communication usually focuses on formal strategic communication with or among employees. Informal communication between employees in organizations has received far less attention, although a great deal of communication in organizations is informal. Therefore, the present study analyses informal communication in organizations. The authors conducted a quantitative online survey of employees working for different organizations in Germany.FindingsThe authors show that five types of employee can be differentiated regarding their informal communication behavior: the chatterer, the focuser, the strategist, the small-talker and the networker. Moreover, the study demonstrates that informal communication significantly increases employees' perceptions of being informed, as well as their affective commitment, both of which increase job satisfaction. Finally, results show that informal communication does not decrease employees' productivity, but instead helps them to carry out their jobs more effectively.Originality/valueAlthough previous studies indicate that a large part of the communication among employees within an organization is informal, research has rarely dealt with this phenomenon, instead focusing especially on formal communication. This is one of the first papers that focuses on informal communication among employees using quantitative survey data.
Corporate Communications An International Journal – Emerald Publishing
Published: Jun 30, 2022
Keywords: Informal communication; Internal communication; Communication functions; Productivity; Commitment
Read and print from thousands of top scholarly journals.
Already have an account? Log in
Bookmark this article. You can see your Bookmarks on your DeepDyve Library.
To save an article, log in first, or sign up for a DeepDyve account if you don’t already have one.
Copy and paste the desired citation format or use the link below to download a file formatted for EndNote
Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
All DeepDyve websites use cookies to improve your online experience. They were placed on your computer when you launched this website. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.