Internal communication in South Africa's "big four" banks: the development of an employee engagement conceptual framework

Abstract

The success of an organisation in what is now a dynamic and increasingly competitive business environment relies on an engaged workforce, achieved through internal communication. Engaged employees are generally more productive, resulting in better-performing organisations. This indicates that engaged employees do not only provide organisations with substantial benefits but can also be valuable assets to their organisations. Additionally, internal communication, which influences employee engagement behaviours, has been shown to provide numerous benefits to organisations, namely advocacy, ambassadorship, commitment, competitive advantage, decreased turnover, innovation, satisfaction, and trust. Therefore, it can be argued that a crucial link exists between internal communication and employee engagement. The purpose of this study was to develop an internal communication conceptual framework that contributes to employee engagement. This conceptual framework was customised for the South African banking sector. Qualitative data was collected through a review of available literature in the internal communication and employee engagement fields, and face-to-face interviews with four senior internal communications managers. Quantitative data was collected through a web-based self-administered survey questionnaire hosted on SurveyMonkey. Therefore, a mixed-methods research approach was used for this study. The findings of the study confirmed the link between internal communication and employee engagement. Thus, internal communication is an important determinant of employee engagement. It was also found that South Africa’s “big four” banks use traditional and innovative internal communication channels to effectively communicate with their targeted audience. Lastly, the internal communication elements that make up the conceptual framework of employee engagement were developed, namely Collaboration/ Cross-Functional Planning, Partner with Human Resources Function, Communication Channels, Two-Way Communication with Leaders, Counsel, and Measure Internal Communication Effectiveness. It is argued that the proposed v conceptual framework adequately addresses the role of internal communication and its key function within an organisation. The study is particularly significant because it extends current literature on internal communication and employee engagement in the South African banking sector and confirms that internal communication is indeed important for employee engagement. Academically, the study added to the current body of knowledge in the field of communication. The findings of this study can be used by South African banks and other businesses as a guide to conduct their internal communication to achieve employee engagement.