Internal communication goes by many names: employee communication or communications (Athanassiades 1973; Grunig and Hunt 1984; Dewhurst and Fitzpatrick 2019), employee relations (Purcell 1987), internal relations (Men and Bowen 2016), internal communication (Verčič et al. 2012), internal public relations (Kennan and Hazleton 2006), internal corporate communication (Welch and Jackson 2007) and internal marketing (Gummesson 1987; Piercy and Morgan 1991).
McClure and Brown (2008) determined three elements that constitute belonging at work through their research. They presented these as time, experience, and self.
In Maslow’s pyramid, higher-level needs cannot be completed without fulfilling the lower-level needs first. In the context of this research, achieving one’s full potential is not possible if an employee does not have good relationships with colleagues.
Since the pandemic hit, the issue of belonging seems to have become more popular than ever before. It followed the demand for more diversity and inclusion in the workplace. I have reason to believe that not being in the same workspace contributed to this need. But what does research say? How does it really impact our work? Why should anyone who cares about productivity bother?
Do you remember the last time you were newly hired at work? Did you feel an immediate acceptance, or not? What did it do to you? How did it affect your performance?
