The Juice Is Loose?: A Qualitative Study of Employees Perceptions of Informal and Formal Communication Channels

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how employees perceive formal and informal communication channels within their organizational experiences. This study sought to answer two questions: One, what are employees' perceptions of formal and informal communication channels? Two, what similar or dissimilar perceptions of formal and informal communication channels emerge from interview and observational data? I selected eight respondents from the greater Olympia, Washington and Seattle, Washington areas. Each respondent was purposely selected based upon their rich experiences across different sizes of and public/private structures of organizations. Additionally, I conducted seven observations within a medium-sized (50 -75 employee) public employer. I analyzed data through a qualitative approach. Upon my review of the data, six themes, or categories, common to informal and formal channels emerged.