1. James Kinneer
Laurel Highlands Communications Conference
September 23, 2010

2. • Method
– Systematic review of peer reviewed literature
– Databases used included: Academic Search Complete,
Business Source Premier, Communications and Mass
Media Complete and Google Scholar
– Search parameters focused on articles from 2005 to
2010, additional resources identified from references
of relevant sources
– Search terms: employee engagement, internal
communication, employee communication,
organizational communication, corporate
communication

3. • Summary of the Literature
– Employee Engagement
– Leadership and Management Communication
– Internal Marketing and Branding
– Technology Enabled Communications
• Directions for Further Research

4. • Summary of the Literature
– Employee Engagement
– Leadership and Management Communication
– Internal Marketing and Branding
– Technology Enabled Communications
• Directions for Further Research

5. • Summary of the Literature
– Employee Engagement
– Leadership and Management Communication
– Internal Marketing and Branding
– Technology Enabled Communications
• Directions for Further Research

6. • Employee Engagement
– Definition
– Benefits
– Key Drivers
– Role of Internal Communications

7. • Employee Engagement
– Definition
A positive cognitive, emotional and behavioral
state directed toward organizational outcomes
(Shuck and Wollard 2009).

8. • Employee Engagement
– Benefits
Engaged employees are more productive,
profitable and deliver higher levels of customer
service with higher levels of retention and lower
absenteeism and accident rates (Fleming, 2009).

9. • Employee Engagement
– Role of Internal Communication
Employee communication facilitates employee
engagement (Dorey & Garcia, 2007).

10. • Employee Engagement
– Key Drivers
A number of factors contribute to employee
engagement including workplace culture,
managerial style, trust, leadership and corporate
reputation (Lockwood, 2007).

11. • Summary of the Literature
– Employee Engagement
– Leadership and Management Communication
– Internal Marketing and Branding
– Technology Enabled Communications
• Directions for Further Research

12. • Leadership and Management Communication
– Senior Leadership Credibility
– Strategic Direction
– Manager Effectiveness
– Importance of Personal Connection

13. • Leadership and Management Communication
– Senior Leadership Credibility
Internal communications is the protector of
leadership credibility and must help to reinforce a
consistent management message (Dorey & Garcia,
2007).

14. • Leadership and Management Communication
– Strategic Direction
Employees want the organization’s strategy to be
effectively communicated to them so they can
contribute to the corporate strategy and help the
organization succeed (Matthews, 2010).

15. • Leadership and Management Communication
– Manager Effectiveness
Effective organizations make communication a
formal part of the line manager’s role and provide
line managers with communication training
(Alexander, Lindsay-Smith & Joerin, 2009).

16. • Leadership and Management Communication
– Importance of Personal Connection
Face-to-face opportunities for information
exchange and dialogue are critical to effective
internal communications (Alexander, Linsday
Smith & Joerin, 2009).

17. • Research on Leadership and Communication
Study Findings
Whitworth & Riccomi (2005) Direct correlation between managerial
communication effectiveness and job
satisfaction.
Matlock (2008) Supervisor communication
competence is a strong predictor of
employee job satisfaction.
Harris &Maceli (2010) CEO communication more important
than manager communication during
a time of significant change.

18. • Summary of the Literature
– Employee Engagement
– Leadership and Management Communication
– Internal Marketing and Branding
– Technology Enabled Communications
• Directions for Further Research

19. • Internal Marketing and Branding
– Definitions
• Internal Marketing
• Internal Branding
– Research on Job Satisfaction and Organizational
Commitment

20. • Internal Marketing and Branding
– Definitions
• Internal Marketing
• Internal Branding
– Research on Job Satisfaction and Organizational
Commitment

21. • Internal Marketing and Branding
– Definitions
• Internal Marketing
Management philosophy of promoting
the firm and its policies to employees as
if they are the (internal) customers of the
firm.

22. • Internal Marketing and Branding
– Definitions
• Internal Branding
Internal Branding is the set of strategic
processes that align and empower
employees to deliver the appropriate
customer experience in a consistent
fashion.

23. • Internal Marketing and Branding
– Definitions
• Internal Marketing
• Internal Branding
– Research on Job Satisfaction and Organizational
Commitment

24. • Research on Job Satisfaction and Internal Marketing
Study Findings
Turkoz & Akyol (2008) Studied internal marketing in hotel
industry and found positive
relationship between internal
marketing, job satisfaction and hotel
performance.
Sihombin and Gustam (2007) Research internal marketing in a
university setting and found internal
marketing to be a predictor of
organizational commitment.
Shiu & Yu (2009) Found positive relationship of internal
marketing to organizational culture
and job performance.

25. • Summary of the Literature
– Employee Engagement
– Leadership and Management Communication
– Internal Marketing and Branding
– Technology Enabled Communications
• Directions for Further Research

26. • Technology Enabled Communications
– Intranets
– Social Media

27. • Intranets
Intranets are the foundation for internal
communication, especially in large or global
organizations (Alexander, Lindsay-Smith &
Joerin, 2009).

28. • Social Media Applications
– Instant Messaging
– Blogs
– Podcasts
– Webcast
– Wikis

29. • Summary of the Literature
– Employee Engagement
– Leadership and Management Communication
– Internal Marketing and Branding
– Technology Enabled Communications
• Directions for Further Research

30. • Directions for Further Research
– Internal Branding and Employee Engagement
– ROI of Social Media Applications
– Use of Blended Internal Communications and
Employee Engagement

31. References
• Alexander, J., Lindsay-Smith, S. & Joerin. C. (2009). On the quest for world-class internal communication.
Strategic Communication Management, 13(4), 32- 35.
• Dorely, J. & Garcia, H.F. (2007). Reputation Management: The key to successful public relations and
corporate communication. New York: Taylor & Francis Routledge.
• Fleming, J. (2009). From Gallup: Why engagement is essential. Strategic Communication Management,
13(4), 7.
• Harris, E.G, & Maceli, K. (2010). The role of communication in nursing job satisfaction and performance
following a significant change in leadership: Implications for health care management. Proceedings of the
Annual Meeting of Collegiate Marketing Educators, 146-153.
• Shuck, M. B., & Wollard, K. K. (2009). A historical perspective of employee engagement: An emerging
definition. In M. S. Plakhotnik, S. M. Nielsen, & D. M. Pane (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth Annual College
of Education & GSN Research Conference (pp. 133-139). Miami: Florida International University.
http://coeweb.fiu.edu/research_conference/
• Shiu, Y., & Yu, T. (2010). Internal marketing, organisational culture, job satisfaction, and organisational
performance in non-life insurance. Service Industries Journal, 30(6), 793-809.
• Turkoz, I. & Akyol, A. (2008). Internal Marketing and Hotel Performance. International Journal of Tourism
and Hospitality Research, 19(1), 149-154.
• Whitworth, B. & Riccomini, B. (2005). Management communication: Unlocking higher employee
performance. Communication World, 18-22.

32. • References (please refer to proceedings for a
complete listing of references)
• Contact Information
James Kinneer, MA, SPHR
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Communications Media
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
121 Stouffer Hall
Indiana, PA 15705
j.w.kinneer@iup.edu