Internal communication
Piñuel points out that “communication within the company or institution is, therefore, essential to the organization; however, the development of a communication policy has not always been considered to be consubstantial with the development of an organizational policy. Now, since the late 1970s, internal communication has established itself as a business management discipline, first, at the same level as human resource management, and later, becoming part of the global management strategy of the organization ”(1997: 94).
We can say that communication within organizations has always existed, since it is essential to their life insofar as people relate to each other and information circulates. But the need on the part of the company to manage this information and the awareness on the part of the company of the importance of Internal Communication in organizations has meant that in recent years special attention has been paid to this communicative dimension of the company, focusing on it from a strategic point of view. In this sense, Villafañe (1993: 237) points out that "communication and information within the company are not a current trend, but rather a response, in terms of management, to the increasing complexity of the company itself".
The importance that is beginning to be given to Internal Communication in the strategic management of organizations has led to the proliferation of economic literature on this topic in recent years, interested in highlighting the potential value of Internal Communication in work motivation and the consequent repercussion on the final results of the company, its contribution to the objective of total quality or the achievement of a working climate tending to the absence of conflicts, without neglecting its unequivocal relationship with the management of human resources in the organization, a relationship of the one that we will deal with later. In this sense, the economist Carlos Ongallo assures that “to say that an organization has good internal communication is equivalent to saying that it:
a) Know the importance of Internal Communication to achieve a better functioning of all areas of the organization.
b) He knows how to deal with the conflicts that arise in the organization in a clear and in no case traumatic way.
c) Knows each of the Internal Communication tools and applies them according to the circumstances, without neglecting any of the forms of communication (descending, ascending and horizontal), and weighing their use according to the needs of the members of the organization.
d) It is capable of adapting these tools to the circumstances of the organization, innovating new forms of application, without denying the use of new technologies to improve communication between the people who make up the organization.
e) It is capable of allocating resources for the implementation and improvement of Internal Communication. The organization is aware that, if it improves Internal Communication, it will bring it closer to its strategic success ”. (2000: 7)
Obviously, all the aforementioned aspects would lead us to a model organization from the point of view not only of Internal Communication but of Communication in its broadest sense, since Internal Communication and External Communication are two inseparable parts of Corporate and Institutional Communication, since Internal Communication is the support and base of a correct External Communication policy, and it seems logical that an organization that applies Internal Communication in such a correct way does the same with the external communicative aspect.
Functions and objectives of Internal Communication
For Villafañe, the main function of Internal Communication is "to structurally support the business project" (1993: 239). In this sense, we can say that Internal Communication becomes a key factor when laying the foundations for achieving a solid business structure, as a cross-cutting element to enable the general strategy of the company or institution to be achieved.
Therefore, like External Communication, Internal Communication becomes a key strategic factor in the organization, so that whoever executes, designs and plans the company's communication policy must not only be in continuous contact with management. of the organization but must be part of it. The success of communication policies in the organization will depend, to a large extent, on this condition, which is not always met. But, in addition, it must have a dimension that is not only descending, that is, from above, from the management, below, to the rest of the organization's personnel, but for its proper implementation, Internal Communication must also have an ascending dimension. and a transversal dimension, which will use different tools depending on the function they pursue.
Likewise, the objectives of the Communication will never be effective if they are not part of a broad communication strategy that also encompasses External Communication. Piñuel believes that “the objectives of internal communication are integrated into the company's comprehensive policy when internal communication and external communication are interdependent and complementary. (…) It is essential that the internal communication and external communication actions are developed, at least, in coherence with each other, since the staff, outside of working hours, mix with the general public (…). Saying one thing inside the house and the opposite outside discredits the discourse of the company as a whole. For its part, any external communication campaign, previously known inside,it can be much more warmly accepted or rejected by virtue of staff involvement ”(1997: 97).
This statement by Piñuel, which may seem logical and evident, must be assumed by any organization that seeks to implement effective communication strategies, and comes to corroborate the Internal Communication thesis as a support and basis for external actions.
Taking into account the primary function of Internal Communication at the service of the integral Communication strategy, we can consider that its objectives are the following:
a) The implication of the personnel
b) The harmony of the actions of the company
c) The change of attitudes
d) The improvement of the productivity
When we talk about the involvement of staff as one of the objectives of Internal Communication, we are referring to a situation in which the worker of the organization is motivated, with a feeling of belonging to it, fruit not only of its conditions of work in monetary sense, schedule, etc., but of their information regarding "what is cooked" in their work ". In large companies, with decentralization of work centers and a large number of employees, Internal Communication will be a fundamental vehicle for achieving cohesion between the different members of the organization, to make them part of a collective whole of which their objectives. Quoting another author, Martín, we will say, then, with the appropriate reservations, that "an informed employee is a happy and productive employee" (1998: 19).
Del Castillo, Bayón and Arteta assure, in this sense, that “the existence of numerous staff, of multiple work and business centers, also implies greater needs for internal communication. Both the workers and the subsidiaries of each company need to know the insides of it not only to improve the efficiency of their work, but also to enable greater integration and motivation between different groups, reduce conflict, avoid harmful rumors and humanize the direction bringing it closer to the base ”(1992: 112). The same authors assure that "SMEs allow a spontaneous development of internal communication" (1992: 115), which should not be neglected, and consolidate that spontaneous communication while incorporating a much more careful plan for communication management..
We must also take into account in this aspect a basic idea such as that information is power, so that offering information to the staff of an organization they will feel "powerful" in the sense that they will have knowledge about the objectives of your company and they will have the feeling of being more than just a payroll for your organization. This, in turn, will make them feel more involved with the company and possibly improve their productivity.
Regarding the harmony of the company's actions, we will say that Internal Communication establishes the appropriate channels for the information to flow so that the organization's actions are coherent and in accordance with its strategic objectives. Villafañe, however, goes further and points out that "the notion of harmony implies a higher category (…). While coherent action implies knowledge of strategic objectives and action plans, harmonic action also requires the circulation of this information, its rise to the top management of the company and a new approach by of this ”(1993: 241).
When we talk about changing attitudes as one of the objectives of Internal Communication, we refer to information as an engine for change in organizations. If we are in a changing economic and business environment, with continuous adaptation to market conditions and the new economy, and marked by new technologies, is not Internal Communication an instrument of transcendental importance to ensure that these changes not only Are they not traumatic but are assumed by all the members of the company?
In this sense, Internal Communication fulfills an objective similar to that of training, and which is none other than adapting the organization to changes. For this matter and the motivation and involvement of employees, among other factors, the relationship between Internal Communication and Human Resources has been considered very close. So much so that in many companies the responsibility for Internal Communication falls on the personnel or human resources department, an option that, from our point of view, is not the most appropriate, because although the Internal Communication relationship
- Human Resources is continuous and they share audiences, both dimensions have different objectives, which is why Internal Communication, due to its importance per se, must be managed by its own department or included in the Organization's Communication Department.
Cabrera, in Public Relations in the Company, points out that “there are times of crisis, of change of a certain depth. It is in these periods when all those elements to which we have just referred take on special relevance. The company is at stake, maybe its own survival, is when it is most necessary for everyone to know what should be done and why. It is precisely when the company that has not taken care of its Internal Communication will not be able to distract time or resources to do so ”.
We are, therefore, facing the management of Communication in times of crisis, and in which Internal Communication will play a fundamental role, since the organization's staff must be kept informed so that when they go out onto the street, they disseminate the ideas that the company wants them to be transmitted and not others, thus becoming true spokespersons for the organization and highlighting the need for a strategic Communication plan in which Internal Communication and External Communication are integrated under a single direction.
On the other hand, Internal Communication can be essential in improving productivity from two points of view. On the one hand, from the issuance by the management and the relevant departments of the information necessary for the development of the functions of the workers (instructions for employees, company regulations, etc.), and, on the other, raising awareness staff regarding the company's profitability objectives.
