Survey results show upward trend in internal communications

Senior managers are starting to recognize internal communications as a strategic instrument for informing, educating and motivating staff. 85% of respondents in a recent survey said that internal communications was a key success factor for their organizations, and almost 70% think that it will become even more important.

For immediate publication

13 May, 2002

Internal communicators in the UK are among the best when it comes to developing goals and strategies, but its their peers in other parts of Europe who enjoy the higher status, according to the results of recent survey, revealed at the CiB Conference 2002.

The survey, carried out by the University of Salzburg on behalf of FEIEA, the umbrella organisation for communications associations, looked at attitudes to internal communications in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, UK, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.

It highlighted that the majority (50%) of internal communications managers in the UK occupy a junior or middle level in the corporate hierarchy, while in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Sweden the role is more dominant at a senior management level. Just over 10% of companies surveyed have an internal communications representative at chief executive level.

Dr Carola Wamser, who carried out the research, found that internal communications is female dominated industry (70:30) in which many practitioners are former journalists reduced to technical functions. Stand alone internal communications departments are the exception and knowledge and training are not taken seriously.

On a more positive note, Dr Wamser said "Senior managers are starting to recognize internal communications as a strategic instrument for informing, educating and motivating staff." For 85% of respondents internal communications was a key success factor for their organizations, and almost 70% think that it will become even more important.

Defining goals and strategies is the most important task for 73%, followed by responsibility for internal information in general (50%).

However, tougher competition and increasing expectations mean that 67% predict that budgets will remain the same, although an optimistic 40% in the UK think theirs will be getting bigger.

Half of the experts questioned said that two-way-communication should be of greater importance. Personal interaction such as structured talks with superiors (71%) and employees (62%), seminars (67%) and social events, including Christmas parties (58%), rated highly.

Currently, 78% of communication is top-down, with newspapers and magazines being the most popular medium overall (95%). E-mail is top of the electronic tools, followed closely by intranets - the latter being the most important future project for 75%. Electronic communications is seen to keep employees faster and better informed, but only 46% of the experts think that it improves the efficiency of working processes. There were also some concerns about it causing isolation and decreasing human interaction. Expense, poor ability to convey complex information and the difficulties involved in scheduling viewing periods rules out company TV and videos for most communicators.

The UK appears to be slightly behind on the technology front and nudging ahead on strategy. But as one respondent commented, "Internal communications technology has to go hand in hand with strategy and content. There has to be an explanation and contextualisation of electronic information."

UK communicators scored highly for measuring the effectiveness of communication, using structured surveys and focus groups, and almost 90% (well above the average of 50%) claimed to have crisis communication strategy. They also feel they are among the most able (85%) to deal with sensitive topics.

Two hundred and two FEIEA members took part in the questionnaire stage of the survey and 22 experts, selected from each of the countries, provided feedback on the initial findings.

CiB Conference 2002 took place on 9 and 10 May at the Grand Hotel in Brighton.
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--Notes to editors:--
About FEIEA:
Established in 1951, FEIEA (formerly the Federation of European Industrial Editors' Associations) is a pan-European network of 5000 communicators in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

About CiB:
The British Association of Communicators in Business (CiB) is a professional organisation for those involved in the management or production of business communications. With around 900 members, CiB is Europes leading professional body for business communicators and a key member of FEIEA.