Examining the Effects of Internal Communication and Emotional Culture on Employees’ Organizational Identification

2020 ◽  
pp. 232948842091406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cen April Yue ◽  
Linjuan Rita Men ◽  
Mary Ann Ferguson

As one of the first empirical attempts investigating the emerging role of positive emotional culture within organizations, the study examined how a symmetrical internal communication system and leaders’ use of motivating language contribute to fostering a positive emotional culture featured by joy, companionate love, pride, and gratitude. Furthermore, the study examined the linkage between a positive emotional culture and employees’ organizational identification. A quantitative online survey was conducted with 482 full-time employees in the United States. Results showed that both symmetrical internal communication and leaders’ use of motivating language, including meaning making, empathetic, and direction-giving languages, induced employees’ perception of a positive emotional culture of joy, companionate love, pride, and gratitude, which in turn enhanced employees’ organizational identification. Positive emotional culture fully mediated the impact of corporate and leadership communications on employee identification with the organization. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

2021 ◽  
pp. 232948842110506
Author(s):  
Ruoyu Sun ◽  
Jo-Yun Queenie Li ◽  
Yeunjae Lee ◽  
Weiting Tao

Integrating strategic internal communication research with organizational change literature and organizational support theory, this study proposes a theoretical model to understand the influence of symmetrical internal communication on employees’ cognitive and affective experiences and organizational identification in a COVID-19 pandemic-induced change situation. A quantitative online survey was conducted with 490 full-time employees in the United States in mid-April 2020. Results indicate that symmetrical internal communication during organizational change contributes to employees’ perceptions of change communication quality. In addition, symmetrical internal communication, along with perceived quality of change communication, enhances employees’ perceptions of organizational support and positive emotions during organizational change, which in turn leads to stronger organizational identification. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 232948842110351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cen April Yue

This study surveyed 482 employees in the United States to test the impact of leaders’ motivating language on employee advocacy. In addition, the study tested the mediating role of perceived organizational authenticity and employee organizational identification. Results suggested that motivating language is not directly related to employee advocacy. However, an indirect relationship is observed through two mediating processes: (1) serial mediation of organizational authenticity and organizational identification and (2) single mediation of organizational identification.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeunjae Lee ◽  
Jarim Kim

PurposeThis study aimed to examine how senior leadership influences corporate communication and employees' attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Using two-way symmetrical communication model in public relations and leadership theory, it investigated the effects of CEOs' task- and relationship-oriented leadership on symmetrical internal communication, employees' organizational commitment and communicative behaviors.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted with 417 full-time employees working in various industries in the United States.FindingsThe results showed that CEOs' relationship-oriented leadership significantly influenced symmetrical internal communication, which, in turn, increased affective commitment and employees' scouting behavior. CEOs' task-oriented communication had no significant effect on symmetrical communication.Originality/valueThis study advances theoretical understanding of two-way symmetrical communication in relation to senior leadership and provides practical insights for corporate leaders and public relations practitioners regarding how to improve employee outcomes through CEOs' strategic leadership and internal communication practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-568
Author(s):  
Yeunjae Lee ◽  
Katie Haejung Kim ◽  
Jeong-Nam Kim

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of different types of corporate issues and employee–organization relationships (EORs) on employees’ perceptions of the issues and on their communicative actions. Specifically, this study investigates how employees who have experienced an internal or an external issue within their organizations differently perceive the organizational issue and engage in positive and/or negative communicative behaviors. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted with 363 full-time employees in large-sized companies in the USA who have experienced any internal or external issues within the past six months. Findings Employees are more cognitively aware of and feel more involved and less constrained in solving an internal company issue than an external one. Experiencing internal issues has led employees to share negative information about their organization externally. The quality of EORs pre-issue significantly increases employees’ involvement and positive communication behavior and decreases constraint levels and negative communication behaviors regarding an issue. Practical implications Corporate communication and public relations practitioners should incorporate strategic internal communication strategies to preemptively manage internal issues and to avoid them from evolving into internal crises. Originality/value This study is among the first to distinguish internal and external issues perceived by internal stakeholders and to examine their impacts on employees’ issue-specific perceptions and communicative behaviors. This study also provides significant practical guidelines for corporate communication practitioners and leaders by explicating the strategic role of issue type and employee behaviors in issue management.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-298
Author(s):  
Marlene S. Neill ◽  
Linjuan Rita Men ◽  
Cen April Yue

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine why and how an open and participative communication climate matters for employee organizational identification and their change-specific responses, specifically employees’ attitudinal and behavioral reactions. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypothesized model, the authors conducted an online survey using a stratified and quota random sample of 1,034 US employees working in diverse industry sectors in June of 2018, with the assistance of a premier global provider of survey services, Survey Sampling International. To test the hypothesized model, structural equation modeling analysis was employed using AMOS 24.0 software. Findings An open and participative communication climate directly contributes to employee affective commitment to change and behavioral support. Communication climate featured by openness and participation boosts employee identification with the organization, which leads to positive employee reaction to change. When employees identify with the organization, they tend to believe in the inherent value of the change and are more likely to support the change initiative in action through cooperation and championship. Originality/value Theoretically, the study contributes to the change management and communication literature by focusing on the role of communication climate in inducing employee reaction to organizational change. Practically, the study offers insights for change managers, internal communication professionals and organizational leaders. Organizational leaders need to be open, create a trusting atmosphere and actively involve employees in the decision-making process. Organizational leaders and communicators should also strive to boost employee identification with the organization, especially during change.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110433
Author(s):  
Jung Kwak ◽  
Shilpa Rajagopal ◽  
George Handzo ◽  
Brian P Hughes ◽  
Moon Lee

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges for healthcare systems to meet patients’ and families’ complex care needs, including spiritual care needs. Little data are available about spiritual care delivery in light of the pandemic. Aim: This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on spiritual care by healthcare chaplains in the United States. Design: An online survey of 563 board-certified chaplains was conducted from March to July 2020. The survey, designed to identify chaplains’ roles in facilitating conversations about goals of care, included an open-ended question asking how COVID-19 affected chaplaincy practices; 236 chaplains responded. Quantitative data and written qualitative responses were analyzed using descriptive analysis and content analysis, respectively. Setting/participants: Majority of participants were white (88%), female (59%), Protestant (53%), and employed full time (86%). Almost half were working in community hospitals (45%) and designated to one or more special units (48%) including ICU, palliative care, and oncology. Results: Three major themes emerged from chaplains’ qualitative responses: (1) COVID-19—related risk mitigation and operational changes; (2) impact of social distancing guidelines; and (3) increased need for and provision of psychosocial and spiritual support. Conclusions: Chaplains reported that COVID-19 challenges contributed to greater social isolation, and mental health concerns for patients, families, and healthcare staff, and substantially changed the way healthcare chaplains provided spiritual care. With evolving healthcare contexts, developing safer, more creative modes of spiritual care delivery while offering systematic support for chaplains can help meet the increasing psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients, families, and healthcare team members.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089331892110179
Author(s):  
Linjuan Rita Men ◽  
Zifei Fay Chen ◽  
Yi Grace Ji

This study examines how CEOs’ use of motivating language influences employee relationships within startup organizations. Informed by self-determination theory and social identity theory, the study proposes psychological need satisfaction and organizational identification as mechanisms accounting for the influence of startup leaders’ use of motivating language on employee relational outcomes. Through an online survey of 1,027 startup employees across various industries in Mainland China, the study found that startup CEO use of motivating language positively influenced employee-startup relationships both directly and indirectly through enhanced psychological need satisfaction and organizational identification from startup employees. This study advances theoretical understanding of executive leader public relations functions and their role as important communication agents in the unique Chinese startup context. Further, this research tested the explanatory boundaries of motivating language theory and provides practical insights for startup leaders, communication practitioners, and entrepreneurs regarding how to develop long-term and quality relationships with startup employees.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002216782110224
Author(s):  
Angela U. Ekwonye ◽  
Nina Truong

African immigrants continue to be disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how they are searching for and finding meaning in the face of this adversity. This study sought to understand how African immigrants in the United States are searching for and making meaning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted in-depth interviews remotely with 20 immigrants from West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana), East Africa (Somali and Rwanda), and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo). The meaning-making model was used as a framework to understand the processes of coping during a significant, adverse life event. The study found that some participants attempted to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their global meaning by seeking answers as to why the pandemic occurred and creating positive illusions. Some redefined their priorities and reframed the pandemic in a positive light. Participants found meaning in the form of accepting the pandemic as a reality of life, appreciating events previously taken for granted, and making positive changes in their lives. This study’s findings can inform health care providers of the meaning-making processes of African immigrants’ and the need to assist them in their search for meaning.


2015 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Lozano ◽  
Joseph Tam ◽  
Abhaya V. Kulkarni ◽  
Andres M. Lozano

OBJECT Recent works have assessed academic output across neurosurgical programs using various analyses of accumulated citations as a proxy for academic activity and productivity. These assessments have emphasized North American neurosurgical training centers and have largely excluded centers outside the United States. Because of the long tradition and level of academic activity in neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, the authors sought to compare that program's publication and citation metrics with those of established programs in the US as documented in the literature. So as to not rely on historical achievements that may be of less relevance, they focused on recent works, that is, those published in the most recent complete 5-year period. METHODS The authors sought to make their data comparable to existing published data from other programs. To this end, they compiled a list of published papers by neurosurgical faculty at the University of Toronto for the period from 2009 through 2013 using the Scopus database. Individual author names were disambiguated; the total numbers of papers and citations were compiled on a yearly basis. They computed a number of indices, including the ih(5)-index (i.e., the number of citations the papers received over a 5-year period), the summed h-index of the current faculty over time, and a number of secondary measures, including the ig(5), ie(5), and i10(5)-indices. They also determined the impact of individual authors in driving the results using Gini coefficients. To address the issue of author ambiguity, which can be problematic in multicenter bibliometric analyses, they have provided a source dataset used to determine the ih(5) index for the Toronto program. RESULTS The University of Toronto Neurosurgery Program had approximately 29 full-time surgically active faculty per year (not including nonneurosurgical faculty) in the 5-year period from 2009 to 2013. These faculty published a total of 1217 papers in these 5 years. The total number of citations from these papers was 13,434. The ih(5)-index at the University of Toronto was 50. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of comparison with published bibliometric data of US programs, the University of Toronto ranks first in terms of number of publications, number of citations, and ih(5)-index among neurosurgical programs in North America and most likely in the world.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janette Dill ◽  
Robert Francis

In this study, we use the 2004, 2008, and 2014 panels of the Survey for Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to measure the impact of the Great Recession and recovery on the availability of “good jobs” for men without a college degree. We define “good jobs” using a cluster of job quality measures, including wage thresholds of at least $15, $20, or $25 per hour, employer-based health insurance, full-time work hours, and protection from layoff. We find that the Great Recession and aftermath (2008-2015) resulted in a 1-10% reduced probability of being in a “good job” across most industries, with especially large losses in manufacturing, retail, transportation, and food service (compared to 2004-2007). In the 2014 panel, there is only a slight post-recession recovery in the predicted probability of being in a “good job,” and the probability of being in a “good job” remains well below 2004 levels. Although the probability of being on layoff from a “good jobs” does decrease substantially in the 2014 cohort as compared to the rate of layoff during the Great Recession, our clustered measure of job quality shows that access to “good jobs” remains limited for most working-class men and that the recovery from the Recession has largely not reached the working-class.


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