Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to describe the means of electronic communication used by companies for internal communication, to rank them according to the frequency of use by organizations, and to identify the attributes of the organization affecting the frequency of use of these means. Design/methodology/approach: The article is based on a review of the literature in the field of organizational communication and own research. The research was conducted by means of a diagnostic survey among 225 companies located in Poland (16 provinces) using the CAWI technique and an author's survey questionnaire. Findings: The survey results illustrate the high and continuing popularity of e-mail communication and the untapped potential of tools designed for team and project work. No correlation was noted between the use of means of electronic communication with the scope of the company, the form of ownership of the company, the ownership capital and the respondent (manager, IT manager, owner, board member). The correlation related to the use of e-communication means and the size of the company appears only in the case of e-mail and electronic workflow systems. A similar relationship, but involving more electronic communication means, appears for the degree of computerization of the company. Research limitations/implications: A certain difficulty, already at the design stage of the survey, was the preparation of a list of means of electronic communication. There is not one in the literature that is exhaustive, disjointed and accepted by all. This fact points to the need for research and findings in this area. The risks accompanying the study are related to the development of technology and the obsolescence of specific communication tools. Originality/value: The paper is primarily of cognitive value. The findings allow those responsible for communication in an organization to confront the means of electronic communication used in their organization with those used by others. It also illustrates the untapped potential of electronic tools for team or project work. The results of the study can serve as a reference point for further comparative research. The paper draws attention to the area of intra-organizational communication, which is still unstable and under development in the Polish reality. Keywords: internal communication, means of electronic communication. Category of the paper: research paper.
Read full abstract