Internal communication satisfaction at the NGO, gender links, with a specific focus on media quality, channel selection and technology

Abstract

We have long known that communication satisfaction is of utmost importance, but as it is in business organisations, so it is in non-profit organisations. Theorists have acknowledged that substantial communication satisfaction with media quality, channel selection and technology is vital in dealing with problems faced by South African business organisations, which also applies to the non-profit sector. In spite of this importance, ways of improving employee internal communication satisfaction have not yet been exhaustively researched, especially within the context of South African non-profit industry. In light of the above, this study centres on assessing internal communication satisfaction with a focus on media quality, channel selection and technology within the NGO sector specifically Gender Links. The systems theory was used as a meta theory to develop this study alongside the theoretical concept of communication satisfaction. Literature review was conducted to identify and discuss internal communication satisfaction dimensions and internal communication channels as well as their usefulness within the South African NGO industry and specifically their application to employee communication satisfaction. Technology was also included to meet the specific needs of the study. In this regard, digital channels, specifically the social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and YouTube were explored. Furthermore, the systems theory and communication satisfaction theoretical concept are operationalised alongside other constructs such as communication climate, media quality, relationship with superiors, informal horizontal communication, relationship with subordinates, personal feedback, organisational perspective and organisational integration, which are dimensions of communication satisfaction. In addition, other sub-constructs such as media richness with a specific focus on media selection, media clarity and content adequacy are also operationalised in this study. iii Moreover, a contextualisation of NGOs is given with a specific focus on criteria and characteristics of non-profit organisations, governance of NGOs, role of NGOs in society and problems faced by NGOs. Additionally, the application of these internal communication media channels alongside the communication satisfaction dimensions was further researched at Gender Links, an NGO, as it has to satisfy its employees’ communication needs through media quality, channel selection and technology. Paper-based questionnaire surveys and partially-structured face-to-face interviews established the experiences of Gender Links employees with internal communication at Gender Links which accounted for a mixed research method. From this research, it has been noted that Gender Links employees are generally satisfied with internal communications as both findings show that attention is given to most dimensions of satisfaction which kindles employees to meet organisational communication satisfaction objectives. Both findings also show that, in some instances, Gender Links’ media quality and technology satisfies its employees in terms of communication as set out in the literature while in others it does not as it pertains to preferred channels. Both findings also seem to show that channels such as emails are associated with problems of information overload. Both findings also show that Gender Links uses a variety of channels of communication depending on suitability to cater for the problem of diverse staff contingency. As a result, formal channels seem to be mostly preferred because of their ability to control, written directives are also preferred because they provide a record-keeping, two-way channels are also preferred because they offer clarity and informal channels are preferred because they convey urgent matters. From these shortfalls, recommendations are drawn up for the improvement of employee internal communication satisfaction with media quality, channels selection and technology at Gender Links. These include reviewing internal communication systems and structures for inclusion of lower level employees to enable capacity building for all. Internal communication satisfaction should be managed in a strategic way by integrating all the qualities of the communication media used within the organisation. In addition, it is recommended that Gender Links should narrow its communication channels to the common information needs of the majority of its employees to help improve their effectiveness. This also includes reviewing internal communications in order to accommodate lower level employees in the communication processes. There is need for continuous improvement on diverse employees in order to improve their technological skills. Another recommendation includes formalising WhatsApp because of its ability to convey quick messages during emergencies. However, in brief, this study contributes to the field of communication satisfaction through its focus on pointing out and reporting on these communication satisfaction dimensions and media qualities best suited for employee internal communication satisfaction within South African NGO sector, specifically Gender Links.

Ons weet lankal dat kommunikasietevredenheid van uiterste belang is, maar soos dit in sake-organisasies is, so is dit in nie-winsgewende organisasies. Teoretici het erken dat aansienlike kommunikasie-tevredenheid met mediakwaliteit, kanaalkeuse en tegnologie noodsaaklik is in die hantering van probleme waarmee Suid Afrikaanse sake-organisasies te kampe het, wat ook van toepassing is op die nie winsgewende sektor. Ten spyte van hierdie belangrikheid, is maniere om werknemers se interne kommunikasie-tevredenheid te verbeter nog nie volledig nagevors nie, veral binne die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse nie-winsgewende bedryf. In die lig van bogenoemde, fokus hierdie studie op die assessering van interne kommunikasie tevredenheid met 'n fokus op mediakwaliteit, kanaalkeuse en tegnologie binne die NRO-sektor spesifiek Gender Links. Die sisteemteorie is as 'n metateorie gebruik om hierdie studie saam met die teoretiese konsep van kommunikasiebevrediging te ontwikkel. Literatuuroorsig is gedoen om interne kommunikasie-tevredenheidsdimensies en interne kommunikasiekanale sowel as hul bruikbaarheid binne die Suid-Afrikaanse NRO-industrie en spesifiek hul toepassing op werknemerkommunikasie tevredenheid te identifiseer en te bespreek. Tegnologie is ook ingesluit om aan die spesifieke behoeftes van die studie te voldoen. In hierdie verband is digitale kanale, spesifiek die sosiale media-kanale soos Facebook, Twitter, Blogs en YouTube ondersoek. Verder word die sisteemteorie en kommunikasietevredenheidsteoretiese konsep geoperasionaliseer saam met ander konstrukte soos kommunikasieklimaat, mediakwaliteit, verhouding met meerderes, informele horisontale kommunikasie, verhouding met ondergeskiktes, persoonlike terugvoer, organisatoriese perspektief en organisatoriese integrasie, wat dimensies van kommunikasietevredenheid is. .

Hierbenewens word ander subkonstrukte soos mediarykheid met 'n spesifieke fokus op mediakeuse, mediaduidelikheid en inhoudtoereikendheid ook in hierdie studie geoperasionaliseer. Boonop word 'n kontekstualisering van NRO's gegee met 'n spesifieke fokus op kriteria en kenmerke van nie-winsgewende organisasies, bestuur van NRO's, rol van NRO's in die samelewing en probleme waarmee NRO's te kampe het. Daarbenewens is die toepassing van hierdie interne kommunikasiemediakanale saam met die kommunikasie-tevredenheidsdimensies verder by Gender Links, 'n NRO, nagevors, aangesien dit sy werknemers se kommunikasiebehoeftes moet bevredig deur middel van mediakwaliteit, kanaalkeuse en tegnologie. Papiergebaseerde vraelysopnames en gedeeltelik-gestruktureerde aangesig-tot aangesig-onderhoude het die ervarings van Gender Links-werknemers vasgestel met interne kommunikasie by Gender Links wat verantwoordelik was vir 'n gemengde navorsingsmetode. Uit hierdie navorsing is opgemerk dat Gender Links-werknemers oor die algemeen tevrede is met interne kommunikasie aangesien beide bevindinge toon dat aandag gegee word aan die meeste dimensies van tevredenheid wat werknemers aanspoor om organisatoriese kommunikasie-tevredenheidsdoelwitte te bereik. Beide bevindinge toon ook dat Gender Links se mediakwaliteit en tegnologie in sommige gevalle sy werknemers tevrede stel in terme van kommunikasie soos uiteengesit in die literatuur, terwyl dit in ander nie op voorkeurkanale betrekking het nie. Albei bevindinge blyk ook te wys dat kanale soos e-posse geassosieer word met probleme van inligtingoorlading. Beide bevindinge toon ook dat Gender Links 'n verskeidenheid kommunikasiekanale gebruik afhangende van geskiktheid om voorsiening te maak vir die probleem van diverse personeelgebeurlikheid. Gevolglik word formele kanale meestal verkies weens hul vermoë om te beheer, geskrewe voorskrifte word ook verkies omdat dit rekordhouding bied, tweerigtingkanale word ook verkies omdat hulle duidelikheid bied en informele kanale word verkies omdat hulle oordra. dringende sake. Uit hierdie tekortkominge word aanbevelings opgestel vir die verbetering van werknemers se interne kommunikasie-tevredenheid met mediakwaliteit, kanalekeuse en tegnologie by Gender Links. Dit sluit in die hersiening van interne kommunikasiestelsels en strukture vir die insluiting van laervlakwerknemers om kapasiteitsbou vir almal moontlik te maak. Interne kommunikasie-tevredenheid moet op 'n strategiese wyse bestuur word deur al die kwaliteite van die kommunikasiemedia wat binne die organisasie gebruik word, te integreer. Daarbenewens word aanbeveel dat Gender Links sy kommunikasiekanale moet vernou tot die algemene inligtingsbehoeftes van die meerderheid van sy werknemers om hul doeltreffendheid te help verbeter. Dit sluit ook die hersiening van interne kommunikasie in om laer vlak werknemers in die kommunikasieprosesse te akkommodeer. Daar is behoefte aan voortdurende verbetering op diverse werknemers om hul tegnologiese vaardighede te verbeter. Nog 'n aanbeveling sluit in die formalisering van WhatsApp vanweë sy vermoë om vinnige boodskappe tydens noodgevalle oor te dra. Kortliks dra hierdie studie egter by tot die veld van kommunikasietevredenheid deur die fokus daarvan om hierdie kommunikasietevredenheidsdimensies en media eienskappe uit te wys en daaroor verslag te doen wat die beste geskik is vir werknemers se interne kommunikasie-tevredenheid binne die Suid-Afrikaanse NRO-sektor, spesifiek Gender Links.