Developing a Communication Satisfaction Scale for Internal Marketing

Abstract

The rising notion of internal branding has stimulated the researchers to explore the relationship dimensions in the context of organizational climate. Literatures have revealed internal communication as one of the pivotal dimensions of employee relationship management. But literature remained inconclusive regarding development of a comprehensive measurement instrument to capture the impact of internal communication. Downs and Hazen (1977) developed a scale considering the communication style and quality, but ignored a number of variables. Implication of internal communication is no longer restricted within the paradigms of organizational transparency, but has been apprehended to be influential in employee brand outcomes too. Therefore, variables, namely communication climate, information flow, message structure, media quality, relationship to supervisor etc. are likely to shape internal communication. This paper focuses on developing a measurement instrument for internal communication satisfaction by incorporating additional dimensions in Downs-Hazen scale. Empirical study was conducted following appropriate research design and methodology. The study was carried out in banking environment where internal flow of communication is an integral part of its strategic mobility. The scale was tested for its reliability and validity and was found to be acceptable, with the expanded dimensions, in terms of standard norms. Future extrapolations of the study can be done by studying its impact on employees’ brand behaviour.