Calibrating Internal Communication Satisfaction within Organizations as an Auditing Index

Abstract

Prior research regarding communication audits within organizations depicts a general understanding of various aspects of the communication process that augment productivity. The present study aimed at validating a newly developed scale that measures internal communication maturity within organizations through an employee-centric approach rather than a management-centric one. The present study employs a cross-sectional survey research design. A total of 2071 employees (94.4% male; 5.6% female) from the logistic industry across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were approached through convenience sampling. Based on the literature review and results derived from interviews, 16 items were generated with a 5-point Likert response format. Results indicated the measure is reliable and valid. Reliability analysis showed good alpha reliability coefficients (>0.75) between total internal communication satisfaction and its subscales (awareness, appreciation, relationship, engagement and maturity). The correlation matrix from EFA revealed the presence of coefficients of 0.3 and above, indicating the data is fit for factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable model-data fit of the five-factor model. Data were collected only from the logistics industry; however, data can be gathered from other industries as well. Furthermore, cross-sectional data are used in the current study; therefore, they cannot be used to infer a causal relationship. The present study will be broadly helpful in diagnosing specific communication areas and formulating recommendations for improvement. The instrument will be worthwhile in communication audits of organizations.