Building organizational trust through internal communication

Abstract

Purpose

Although multiple research studies disclosed that internal communication is effective in building trust within organizations, the link between employees' satisfaction with internal communication and their trust in their employers has not been explored. The paper explores the interrelationship between eight facets of internal communication satisfaction (ICS) and five dimensions of organizational trust (OT).

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative questionnaire-based field research was conducted on a sample of 289 employees. For the assessment of the ICS, the Internal Communication Satisfaction Scale – UPZIK developed by Tkalac Vercic et al. (2009) was used. OT was assessed using the scale developed by Shockley-Zalabak et al. (2000).

Findings

The research revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between the ICS and OT, both when considering five individual OT dimensions and the overall OT. Moreover, two ICS dimensions – “Satisfaction with communication climate” and “Satisfaction with communication with immediate supervisor” – were found to be the strongest predictors of OT.

Originality/value

The research adds to the discussion of antecedents of trust in organizations by positioning the ICS as a powerful generator of OT.

Citation

Pološki Vokić, N., Rimac Bilušić, M. and Najjar, D. (2021), "Building organizational trust through internal communication", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 70-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-01-2020-0023