The role of communication in effective business management

S ILE S IA N U N IV E R S IT Y OF T E C H N O LO G Y P U B LIS H IN G H O U S E
SCIENTIFIC PAPERS OF SILESIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2025
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT SERIES NO. 228
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.29119/1641-3466.2025.228.1 h p://managemen pape s.polsl.pl/
THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION
IN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Da iusz BARAN1*, E nes GÓRKA2, Michał ĆWIĄKAŁA3, Gab iela WOJAK4,
Ma eusz GRZELAK5, Ka a zyna OLSZYŃSKA6, Pio MRZYGŁÓD7,
Maciej FRASUNKIEWICZ8, Pio RĘCZAJSKI9, Maciej ŚLUSARCZYK10, Jan PIWNIK11
1 Pomo ska Szkoła Wyższa w S a oga dzie Gdańskim, Ins y u Za ządzania, Ekonomii i Logis yki;
da iusz.ba an@ wojes udia.pl, ORCID: 0009-0006-8697-5459
2 Wyższa Szkoła Ksz ałcenia Zawodowego; e nes .go [email protected], ORCID: 0009-0006-3293-5670
3 Wyższa Szkoła Ksz ałcenia Zawodowego; michal.cwiakal[email p o ec ed], ORCID: 0000-0001-9706-864X
4 I'M B and Ins i u e sp. z o.o.; g.wojak@imb andins i u e.com, ORCID: 0009-0003-2958-365X
5 I'M B and Ins i u e sp. z o.o.; m.g zelak@imb andins i u e.com, ORCID: 0009-0000-1395-3087
6 Polsko Japońska Akademia Technik Kompu e owych; kon ak @olszynska.com,
ORCID: 0009-0003-4309-6233
7 Pio M zygłód Sp zedaż-Ma ke ing-Consul ing; pio @ma ke ing-sp zedaz.pl, ORCID: 0009-0006-5269-0359
8 F3-TFS sp. z o.o.; m. asunkiewicz@imb andins i u e.com, ORCID: 0009-0006-6079-4924
9 MAMASTUDIO Pawlik, Ręczajski, sp. j.; pio @mamas udio.pl, ORCID: 0009-0000-4745-5940
10 Pomo ska Szkoła Wyższa w S a oga dzie Gdańskim, Ins y u Za ządzania, Ekonomii i Logis yki;
maciej.slusa czyk@ wojes udia.pl, ORCID: 0000-0001-6612-8179
11 WSB Me i o Uni e si y in Gdańsk, Facul y o Compu e Science and New Technologies;
[email protected], ORCID: 0000-0001-9436-7142
* Co espondence au ho
Pu pose: This s udy aims o in es iga e he ole o communica ion in e ec i e business
managemen by compa ing in e nal communica ion sys ems in wo companies, ocusing on
manage ial p ac ices, employee pe cep ions, and communica ion ools.
Design/me hodology/app oach: A quan i a i e su ey o 220 employees assessing 15 aspec s
o in e nal communica ion. S a is ical me hods iden i ied key di e ences and pa e ns.
Findings: Company X ou pe o ms Company Y in all communica ion a eas, showing highe
cla i y, be e eedback cul u e, and s onge use o echnology.
Resea ch limi a ions/implica ions: The s udy is limi ed o wo companies in one sec o and
coun y. Resul s a e based on sel - epo ed da a.
P ac ical implica ions: In es ing in eedback sys ems, digi al ools, and pa icipa o y models
imp o e communica ion e ec i eness.
Social implica ions: S ong in e nal communica ion suppo s us , inclusion, and job
sa is ac ion.
O iginali y/ alue: The s udy o e s a e, da a-d i en compa ison o communica ion p ac ices
in simila companies wi hin one indus y.
Keywo ds: communica ion, business managemen , in e pe sonal communica ion.
Ca ego y o he pape : esea ch pape .
10 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
1. In oduc ion
In he e a o dynamic echnological ans o ma ion and ising expec a ions owa d
o ganiza ional agili y, in e nal communica ion has become a s a egic unc ion wi hin
companies. Fa beyond he me e exchange o in o ma ion, i plays a c i ical ole in shaping
co po a e cul u e, os e ing employee engagemen , and enabling e ec i e managemen .
Despi e i s acknowledged impo ance, he e emains a p ac ical gap in unde s anding how
in e nal communica ion sys ems ope a e in compa able o ganiza ional con ex s, pa icula ly
wi hin he same indus y.
To add ess his gap, his a icle p esen s a compa a i e s udy o in e nal communica ion
p ac ices in wo Polish ca en al companies - e e ed o as Company X and Company Y.
These a e ic i ious names used o he pu pose o his esea ch o p o ec con iden iali y and
gene alize indings. Howe e , he o ganiza ional da a p o ided e lec s ealis ic ope a ional
p o iles o medium-sized en e p ises in he ca en al indus y.
Company X is headqua e ed in Wa saw and employs app oxima ely 150 people.
Wi h b anches in ci ies such as K aków, W ocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Ka owice,
he company o e s a wide ange o ehicles, including passenge ca s, SUVs, and luxu y
models. I emphasizes high se ice s anda ds, echnological inno a ion, and sus ainabili y,
including an expanding lee o elec ic ehicles. The company main ains a s ong ocus on
cus ome expe ience, ope a ing a loyal y p og am and online booking ia bo h a websi e and
mobile applica ion. I is known o i s ad anced o ganiza ional s uc u e, wi h dedica ed
depa men s o inno a ion, inance, cus ome se ice, IT, and legal compliance.
Company Y is loca ed nea Wa saw (Łomianki) and employs app oxima ely 170 people,
wi h egional b anches in ci ies such as Gdańsk, K aków, Bydgoszcz, and Płock. While i s lee
and se ices a e compa able o Company X, i places a s onge emphasis on ope a ional
e iciency, ehicle main enance, and apid cus ome suppo . The company ope a es i s own
ehicle main enance cen e and ca wash, ensu ing high lee eadiness. I also uns a loyal y
p og am and ocuses on indi idual clien suppo , o e ing 24/7 oadside assis ance and lexible
leasing op ions.
The aim o his s udy was o assess he pe cei ed e ec i eness o manage ial
communica ion ools, iden i y communica ion ba ie s, and e alua e employee in ol emen in
in e nal in o ma ion p ocesses. Based on a quan i a i e diagnos ic su ey conduc ed among
220 employees using a s uc u ed ques ionnai e, he s udy p o ides s a is ically signi ican
insigh s in o how di e en app oaches o communica ion in luence ope a ional e iciency and
employee sa is ac ion.
The ole o communica ion… 11
The o iginali y o his s udy lies in i s di ec , da a-d i en compa ison o wo simila
en e p ises ope a ing unde sha ed ma ke condi ions. This a icle ex ends he cu en s a e o
knowledge by applying a compa a i e lens o wo dis inc o ganiza ional models wi hin he
same indus y.
The indings con i m ha Company X, which u ilizes echnologically ad anced ools and
p omo es pa icipa o y communica ion models, achie es highe employee a ings ac oss all key
dimensions, including eedback cul u e, message cla i y, and in e depa men al coo dina ion.
In con as , Company Y shows g ea e inconsis ency and weake communica ion p ac ices,
pa icula ly in e ms o eedback egula i y and anspa ency. These esul s ein o ce he
heo e ical assump ion ha e ec i e, bidi ec ional communica ion s eng hens employee
engagemen , s a egic alignmen , and o e all o ganiza ional pe o mance.
2. In e nal communica ion: concep s, unc ions, and empi ical insigh s
Communica ion is conside ed one o he undamen al componen s o e ec i e business
managemen . As John Adai (2010) no es, he e m "communica ion" o igina es om he La in
wo d communica io, which means “sha ing” o “making common”. In he business con ex ,
communica ion goes a beyond he simple exchange o in o ma ion—i becomes a key ool o
building us , engaging employees, and na iga ing o ganiza ional change (G i in, 2007).
I allows companies o c ea e a sha ed ision and ensu e all employees unde s and he goals
and mission o he en e p ise.
Acco ding o Mała and H abelska (2013), communica ion is a complex sys em ha
encompasses cogni i e, a ec i e, o mal, and e alua i e componen s. I plays a c i ical ole in
coo dina ing ac ions, mo i a ing employees, and os e ing collabo a ion ac oss eams. E ec i e
communica ion sys ems wi hin o ganiza ions ensu e he smoo h low o in o ma ion bo h
in e nally and ex e nally, shaping ela ions wi h employees, cus ome s, and business pa ne s
alike.
G i in (2007) de ines e ec i e communica ion as he p ocess o sending a message in such
a way ha he meaning ecei ed is as close as possible o he meaning in ended. S one ,
F eeman, and Gilbe (2011) ex end his unde s anding by s a ing ha communica ion in ol es
people s i ing o sha e meanings h ough symbolic messages. This implies he need o mu ual
unde s anding o symbols and he de elopmen o a sha ed con ex be ween sende and ecei e .
Wi hin he manage ial con ex , communica ion suppo s ou key unc ions: planning,
o ganizing, mo i a ing, and con olling (S ankiewicz, 2006). Planning in ol es he
communica ion o goals, o ecas s, and ope a ional me hods; o ganizing includes o ming
cohesi e eams and coo dina ing e o s; mo i a ing elies on emo ional in elligence,
12 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
unde s anding employee needs, and p o iding eedback; and con olling in ol es clea and
objec i e deli e y o expec a ions and s anda ds.
Mała and H abelska (2013) iden i y i e p ima y unc ions o communica ion:
in o ma ional, mo i a ional, egula o y, emo ional, and social. These unc ions enable
manage s o p o ide di ec ion, cla i y oles, encou age engagemen , main ain discipline,
and os e a sense o belonging. The mo i a ional ole o communica ion, in pa icula ,
acili a es he alignmen o indi idual e o s wi h o ganiza ional goals.
F om he pe spec i e o o ganiza ional cul u e, communica ion is also a e lec ion o sha ed
alues, expec a ions, and beha io al no ms. As highligh ed by S ankiewicz (2006), he s yle o
communica ion wi hin a company has a di ec in luence on employee ela ions, cus ome
ea men , and he o e all a mosphe e in he wo kplace.
An impo an dis inc ion wi hin o ganiza ional communica ion conce ns i s o m,
as ou lined by R.W. G i in (2007), who iden i ies se e al ypes: e bal, non- e bal, o al,
w i en, di ec , and indi ec . Ve bal communica ion encompasses bo h spoken and w i en
language— anging om ace- o- ace con e sa ions, business mee ings, and phone calls o
emails and o icial epo s. I allows o he as and accu a e ansmission o la ge amoun s o
in o ma ion, especially in high-p essu e o decision-making con ex s. Howe e , as G i in
emphasizes, e bal communica ion may also be a sou ce o misunde s andings when he sende
and ecei e in e p e he message di e en ly o use ambiguous language.
G i in also unde lines he signi icance o non- e bal communica ion, which con eys
emo ions, a i udes, and in en ions h ough body language, ges u es, acial exp essions,
and one o oice. These signals, hough sub le, can powe ully ein o ce o con adic e bal
messages. O al communica ion is alued o i s immediacy, lexibili y, and abili y o build
social bonds wi hin eams, while w i en communica ion o e s p ecision and du abili y bu
lacks eal- ime eedback. Mo eo e , G i in dis inguishes be ween di ec communica ion,
which elies on pe sonal con ac , and indi ec communica ion, which uses in e media ies o
echnologies like emails, phone calls, o mass media. Each o hese o ms has i s place
depending on he o ganiza ional con ex , u gency, and in e pe sonal dynamics.
In a-o ganiza ional communica ion can be ca ego ized based on i s di ec ional low.
Acco ding o Gołuchowski and Filipczyk (2020), e ical communica ion occu s when
messages a e ansmi ed h ough hie a chical le els— om op o bo om and ice e sa.
Downwa d communica ion includes ansmi ing company goals, p ocedu es, o decisions om
managemen o employees, while upwa d communica ion enables eedback, sugges ions,
and epo s o low back o leade ship. Fo communica ion o be e ec i e in a mode n
o ganiza ional con ex , i mus be bidi ec ional, allowing o eedback and adjus men o he
message i necessa y. As Łukasiewicz and Pie zak (2024) a gue, his ype o ecip ocal
exchange enhances message accu acy and cla i y and helps build p ocedu al secu i y wi hin
o ganiza ions.
The ole o communica ion… 13
E ec i e communica ion, bo h in e nally and ex e nally, is a key success ac o o
businesses - especially in compe i i e and dynamic en i onmen s. As Ćwiklińska (2005)
emphasizes, communica ion mus deli e in o ma ion ha is mu ually bene icial and clea ly
unde s ood by all pa ies in ol ed. One o he undamen al goals o in e nal communica ion is
o os e s ong employe –employee ela ions. As Ma uszak (2014) poin s ou , in e nal
communica ion should each all le els o pe sonnel, including ade unions, sha eholde s,
and e en employees’ amilies. I s ole is o ensu e he anspa en dissemina ion o in o ma ion,
which acili a es unde s anding o he company's alues, managemen s a egies, and wo kplace
expec a ions.
Acco ding o Kim (2010), communica ion ha suppo s e ec i eness and posi i e
ela ionships is ma ked by us , job sa is ac ion, a sense o secu i y, op imism abou he u u e,
and belie in collec i e success. Bidi ec ional communica ion is cen al o achie ing hese
elemen s.
Howe e , in e nal communica ion is no wi hou challenges. Majka-Ros ek (2010) wa ns
ha ho izon al communica ion may lead o excessi e in o ma ion low, inc easing he isk o
"in o ma ional noise". In compe i i e en i onmen s, some employees may e en be eluc an o
assis colleagues, unde mining eam cohesion.
To sum up, communica ion wi hin an o ganiza ion is a mul i ace ed p ocess ha
encompasses a ious o ms, di ec ions, and unc ions. I plays a i al ole no only in
ope a ional e iciency and employee engagemen bu also in shaping o ganiza ional cul u e and
alues. Bo h e ical and ho izon al communica ion lows, along wi h e bal and non- e bal
elemen s, con ibu e o he de elopmen o mu ual us , loyal y, and a sense o sha ed pu pose.
A he same ime, communica ion challenges such as in o ma ion o e load o hie a chical
dis o ion can hinde coope a ion and p oduc i i y. The e o e, es ablishing e ec i e, wo-way
communica ion sys ems emains a p io i y o mode n o ganiza ions.
In ecen yea s, nume ous s udies ha e emphasized he impo ance o e ec i e in e nal
communica ion o o ganiza ional pe o mance. Fo example, esea ch by Psico Sma (2023)
indica es ha o ganiza ions wi h s ong in e nal communica ion a e 4.5 imes mo e likely o
e ain op alen , highligh ing i s s a egic ele ance. Simila ly, he "S a e o he Sec o 2023/24"
epo by Gallaghe p esen s global ends and key challenges in in e nal communica ion
p ac ices ac oss indus ies.
A aluable con ibu ion o he ield o in e nal communica ion comes om he s udy by
Eskelinen, Rajahonka, Villman, and San i (2017), who examined wo Finnish SMEs
pa icipa ing in a se ice design aining p og am aimed a imp o ing communica ion
managemen . Thei esea ch applied pa icipa i e business model echniques o iden i y and
add ess in e nal communica ion challenges be ween depa men s such as p oduc ion,
ma ke ing, and deli e y. Using he CIMO logic amewo k (con ex , in e en ion, mechanism,
ou pu ), hey demons a ed how in ol ing employees in he communica ion de elopmen
p ocess inc eased mo i a ion, e ealed aci knowledge, and imp o ed o ganiza ional

14 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
alignmen . Al hough hei indings showed signi ican imp o emen s in in o ma ion low and
s a egic communica ion wi hin each o ganiza ion, he s udy did no pe o m a compa a i e
c oss-company analysis. La amboise & Nelson (2016) The e o e, ou s udy complemen s and
ex ends hei wo k by in es iga ing in e nal communica ion sys ems in wo dis inc en e p ises
- X and Y -allowing o a di ec compa ison o solu ions, challenges, and ou comes in di e en
o ganiza ional se ings.
Ano he signi ican s udy ha ein o ces he alue o in e nal communica ion in
o ganiza ional se ings is ha o San os, San os, Sousa, and Oli ei a (2024), who analyzed he
ela ionship be ween in e nal communica ion, employee mo i a ion, and job sa is ac ion ac oss
426 employees in Po uguese o ganiza ions. Using Pa ial Leas Squa es S uc u al Equa ion
Modeling (PLS-SEM), he au ho s demons a ed ha in e nal communica ion exe s bo h
a di ec and indi ec in luence on job sa is ac ion - media ed by employee mo i a ion.
Thei indings sugges ha e ec i e in e nal communica ion no only enhances in o ma ional
anspa ency bu also os e s emo ional engagemen and pe sonal ul illmen among employees.
This esea ch p o ides a obus empi ical model o suppo he iew ha mo i a ion ac s as
a b idge linking communica ion quali y o o e all job sa is ac ion. Unlike ou s udy, which
compa es communica ion sys ems in wo dis inc companies (X and Y), hei app oach ocuses
on b oade o ganiza ional pa e ns ac oss sec o s. Ne e heless, hei emphasis on wo-way
communica ion, manage ial openness, and cla i y o eedback mechanisms p o ides a s ong
heo e ical unde pinning o ou compa a i e analysis o en e p ise-le el communica ion
e ec i eness.
3. Resea ch me hodology and case desc ip ion
Today's o ganisa ions, ega dless o indus y, ace he challenge o ensu ing e icien ,
e ec i e and wo-way in e nal communica ion. I is communica ion be ween employees and
hei supe io s ha is one o he key elemen s in luencing he quali y o coope a ion, le el o
commi men and o e all wo k e iciency. This is o pa icula impo ance in companies
ope a ing in he se ice sec o , whe e in e pe sonal ela ions and he apid low o in o ma ion
a e essen ial o he p o ision o high-quali y se ices.
This s udy is de o ed o analysing he in e nal communica ion sys em in wo companies in
he ca en al indus y - companies X and Y. The subjec o he s udy was he communica ion
ela ionship be ween employees and managemen , ocusing on he e alua ion o he
e ec i eness o he solu ions applied in hese companies. In he con ex o inc easing cus ome
expec a ions and dynamic echnological changes, e ec i e communica ion is becoming no
only a managemen ool, bu also a ac o building a company's compe i i e ad an age.
The ole o communica ion… 15
Companies X and Y a e wo as -g owing companies ope a ing in he ca en al sec o ,
consolida ing hei posi ion in he domes ic ma ke be ween 2020 and 2022 and, in he case o
X, also ab oad. Bo h companies o e mode n, lexible ehicle en al se ices, esponding o
he g owing demands o indi idual and business cus ome s.
Company X was ounded in 2008 by a g oup o en ep eneu s coming om he enginee ing
sec o . Since i s incep ion, i has ocused on p o iding comp ehensi e ca en al se ices o
indi idual and co po a e cus ome s. The company is headqua e ed in Wa saw, while i s
ope a ional ne wo k includes nume ous b anches in majo Polish ci ies. In 2022, he company
began expanding in o o eign ma ke s, hus becoming an in e na ional playe .
Company X's ange includes a di e se lee o ehicles - om economy models o luxu y
SUVs and limousines, bo h ca s and ans. Vehicles a e upda ed annually o main ain a high
echnical and aes he ic s anda d. The company places pa icula emphasis on he de elopmen
o addi ional se ices (insu ance, GPS, child sea s, oo acks, snow chains), as well as he
lexibili y o he o e (sho - and long- e m en al, c oss-bo de en al).
Company Y was ounded in 2010 as an ini ia i e o iends wi h expe ience in he
au omo i e sec o . The company's head o ice is loca ed nea Wa saw. The company ope a es
h oughou Poland h ough b anches in o he ci ies.
Like X, Company Y o e s a wide ange o ehicles o hi e, including mode n passenge
ca s o a ious classes and luxu y ehicles. The lee is main ained in good echnical and
aes he ic condi ion, and he company has i s own ca wash and ehicle cosme ics depa men
o ensu e he high isual quali y o he ca s on o e .
Y's main s eng hs e ol e a ound lexibili y and a pe sonalised cus ome app oach.
The company o e s an ex ensi e package o addi ional se ices (insu ance, GPS, child sea s,
local ans e s, a el equipmen ), as well as 24/7 echnical assis ance including owing,
uel supply and eplacemen ca s. An impo an elemen o he s a egy is he company's
p op ie a y loyal y p og amme - a cus ome who hi es a ca i e imes du ing he yea ecei es
he six h en al ee o cha ge (up o i e wo king days), ega dless o he class o ehicle.
Bo h companies ha e ex ensi e o ganisa ional s uc u es, esponding o he complexi y o
he ehicle en al p ocesses. A Company X, he s uc u e is made up o managemen eams
esponsible o he a ious business a eas: ope a ions, inance, ma ke ing, echnology and
inno a ion, se ice, human esou ces and legal issues. The o ganisa ion o wo k is based on
cen al managemen using in o ma ion sys ems, which suppo s he ope a ional e iciency and
scalabili y o he business model. The Y s uc u e ocuses mo e on di ec ope a ional
managemen . The p esiden o e sees key logis ics and cus ome se ice p ocesses, while
indi idual di ec o s manage he ope a ions, IT, echnical se ice, ma ke ing and inance
depa men s. The company also has ese a ions, leasing and ield o ices, which ensu es
p oximi y o he cus ome and he abili y o espond quickly o ma ke needs.
16 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
The main objec i e o he s udy is o analyse and e alua e selec ed communica ion ools
and mechanisms used by manage s o companies X and Y in hei con ac s wi h employees,
as well as o iden i y possible ba ie s and a eas o imp o emen .
The esea ch used a quan i a i e diagnos ic su ey me hod, and he main da a collec ion
echnique was a ques ionnai e, which is a ool ha allows da a o be collec ed di ec ly om
esponden s, enabling hem o make a ee bu ocused s a emen abou he phenomenon unde
s udy. The ques ionnai e o he su ey was cons uc ed ollowing he p inciples o logical and
ac ual co ec ness - he ques ions we e o mula ed in a way ha was unde s andable,
unambiguous and ele an o he esponden s' le el o knowledge and expe ience.
The ques ionnai e consis ed o h ee pa s:
1. In oduc o y pa - including in o ma ion abou he pu pose and na u e o he s udy,
oge he wi h a eques o comple e he ques ionnai e hones ly and since ely.
2. Subs an i e pa - including ques ions on he assessmen o he quali y o
communica ion be ween employees and supe iso s in he wo kplace.
3. Me ics and iden i ica ion sec ion - including demog aphic and occupa ional da a such
as gende , age, educa ion le el and posi ion held.
Gi en he subjec i e na u e o he answe s gi en by he esponden s, hei in e p e a ion
was ca ied ou wi h cau ion and aking in o accoun he possibili y o measu emen e o .
The analysis o he esul s ocused on he iden i ica ion o gene al ends and di e ences
occu ing be ween he wo companies, which made i possible o o mula e p ac ical
conclusions and ecommenda ions o he imp o emen o in e nal communica ion in he
su eyed companies.
4. Resea ch esul s
The da a p esen ed in Figu es 1 o 15 show he esponses o 220 employees o wo
companies in he ca en al indus y - company X and company Y - ega ding a ious aspec s
o in e nal communica ion. The ques ionnai e included 15 ques ions ela ed o, among o he
hings, cla i y o communica ion, accessibili y o supe iso s, egula i y o mee ings, low o
in o ma ion be ween depa men s, access o mode n ools and p o ision o eedback.
The esponses show di e ences in he a ings o indi idual a eas be ween he wo
companies - in some cases, one o he companies ob ained highe pe cen ages o posi i e
answe s, in o he s he di e ences we e less p onounced. The dis ibu ion o esponses makes i
possible o obse e how employees a e he quali y o communica ion a ope a ional,
manage ial and s a egic le els. In many o he ques ions, esponden s also e e ed o speci ic
communica ion ools and daily in o ma ion p ac ice in he o ganisa ion.
The ole o communica ion… 17
Figu e 1. Responses o employees o companies ha we e analysed on he in e nal communica ion
sys em o ques ion 1 o he esea ch su ey.
In bo h o ganiza ions, men cons i u ed 67% o he s udy popula ion, while women
accoun ed o 33%, indica ing an iden ical gende s uc u e. This balanced dis ibu ion ensu es
he compa abili y o gende -based pe cep ions in he subsequen analysis.
Figu e 2. Responses o employees o companies ha we e analysed on he in e nal communica ion.
In bo h companies, he majo i y o employees a e aged 26-45, wi h Company X ha ing
sligh ly mo e esponden s aged 26-35 (35%) and 36-45 (38%) compa ed o Company Y (27%
and 34%, espec i ely). No ably, Company Y has a highe sha e o olde employees
aged 46 and abo e, which may in luence communica ion p e e ences and p ac ices in he
o ganiza ion.
33%
67%
33%
67%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Women Men
Pe cen age o anwe s
Gende
Gende s uc u e o he s udy popula ion in company X and Y
X Y
19%
35% 38%
5% 3%
17%
27%
34%
16%
6%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Up o 25 yea s 26-35 yea s 36-45 yea s 46-55 yea s O e 55 yea s
Pe cen age o anwe s
Age
S uc u e o he s udy popula ion by age in company X and Y
X Y
24 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
Figu e 11. Responses o employees o companies ha we e analysed on he in e nal communica ion
sys em o ques ion 11 o he esea ch su ey.
Figu e 12. Responses o employees o companies ha we e analysed on he in e nal communica ion
sys em o ques ion 12 o he esea ch su ey.
1% 6%
75%
1%
12%
65%
2% 6% 7%
1% 4%
15%
1% 2% 1%1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
basic seconda y highe basic seconda y highe
X Y
Pe cen age o answe s
Occupa ion
Con ac wi h he supe iso by occupa ion in companies X and Y
Good A e age Weak A oid
18%
11%
2% 2%
20%
27%
18%
2%
15%
10%
6%
2%
24% 23%
15%
2% 3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Di ec con e sa ion Telephone con ac E-mail Se ice epo s W i en o de s
Pe cen age o answe s
Fo m o daily con ac
Fo m o daily con ac wi h he supe iso by gende in companies X
and Y
X women X men Y women Y men

The ole o communica ion… 25
Figu e 13. Responses o employees o companies ha we e analysed on he in e nal communica ion
sys em o ques ion 13 o he esea ch su ey.
Figu e 14. Responses o employees o companies ha we e analysed on he in e nal communica ion
sys em o ques ion 14 o he esea ch su ey.
40%
20%
4%
32%
4%
37%
32%
3%
5%
20%
3%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
I was assigned a men o
I was p o ided wi h sel -s udy ma e ials
I was no in oduced/all om my own obse a ions
Me hod o s a ing wo k a he company X and Y acco ding o he
c i e ion o posi ion held
Y manage s Y se ial X manage s X se ial
11%
24%
29%
3%
12%
18%
23%
6%
3%
7% 9% 9%
2% 3% 4%
8%
12% 10%
3%
1% 2% 1% 2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Up o 25
yea s
26-35
yea s
36-45
yea s
46-55
yea s
Abo e 55 Up o 25
yea s
26-35
yea s
36-45
yea s
46-55
yea s
Abo e 55
X Y
Pe cen age o answe s
Age
Con ac wi h supe io s by age in companies X and Y
Ve y good A e age Poo
26 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
Figu e 15. Responses o employees o companies ha we e analysed on he in e nal communica ion
sys em o ques ion 15 o he esea ch su ey.
Figu e 11 illus a es he assessmen o con ac wi h he supe iso by occupa ion le el in
Companies X and Y. In Company X, 75% o esponden s wi h highe educa ion a ed hei
con ac as “good”, compa ed o 65% in Company Y. Responden s wi h seconda y educa ion in
Y mo e o en e alua ed he con ac as “good” (12%) han in X (6%). Ve y ew esponses
indica ed “weak” o “a oid” con ac , anging om 1% o 2% ac oss all educa ion le els and
companies.
Figu e 12 p esen s he o ms o daily con ac wi h supe iso s by gende in bo h companies.
Telephone con ac was he mos equen me hod among X men (27%) and Y men (23%).
Di ec con e sa ion was used by 20% o X men and 24% o Y men, while X women (18%) and
Y women (15%) also indica ed simila p e e ences. O he o ms such as se ice epo s and
w i en o de s we e a ely used, wi h no alue exceeding 3%.
Figu e 13 shows how employees s a ed hei wo k in Companies X and Y, based on hei
posi ion. The mos common me hod o X se ial employees (40%) and Y se ial employees
(37%) was being assigned a men o . In con as , 32% o X manage s and 32% o Y manage s
indica ed ha hey we e p o ided wi h sel -s udy ma e ials. Only a small sha e o all g oups
epo ed no in oduc ion, wi h alues be ween 3% and 4%.
Figu e 14 depic s how employees assessed con ac wi h supe iso s by age in Company X.
The bes a ings (“ e y good”) we e gi en by employees aged 36-45 (29%) and 26-35 (24%).
Younge esponden s unde 25 ga e lowe a ings, wi h 11% selec ing “ e y good” and 7%
“a e age”. The poo es sco es we e epo ed by employees aged 46-55 and abo e 55,
wi h no ca ego y exceeding 3%.
25%
57%
24%
48%
7% 7% 7%
16%
1% 3% 2% 3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
women men women men
X Y
Pe cen age o answe s
Gende
Le el o sa is ac ion wi h communica ion by gende in companies X
and Y
High le el Medium le el Low le el
The ole o communica ion… 27
Figu e 15 p esen s he same e alua ion o supe iso con ac by age g oup, his ime in
Company Y. The highes “ e y good” sco es came om employees aged 36-45 (23%) and 26-
35 (18%). The lowes sco es we e obse ed in he oldes g oup (abo e 55), whe e only 3%
indica ed “ e y good”. Younge g oups (unde 25) epo ed mode a e sa is ac ion,
wi h 12% a ing con ac as “ e y good” and 4% as “a e age”.
The analysis o su ey esul s, based on 15 in e nal communica ion- ela ed ques ions,
e eals meaning ul di e ences in how employees om Company X and Company Y pe cei e
communica ion p ac ices wi hin hei o ganiza ions. The su ey co e ed key aspec s such as
message cla i y, manage ial a ailabili y, in e depa men al communica ion, he use o
communica ion ools, and access o eedback.
1. Gene al Pe cep ions: Employees o Company X consis en ly a ed in e nal
communica ion mo e a o ably han hose o Company Y. Ac oss nea ly all ques ions,
Company X ou pe o med Company Y, pa icula ly in a eas such as he cla i y o
communica ion, he openness o leade ship, and he equency o upda es ega ding
o ganiza ional changes.
2. Communica ion Tools and T anspa ency: Company X was pe cei ed as mo e
echnologically ad anced in i s use o in e nal communica ion ools (e.g., in ane
pla o ms, in e nal messaging apps), which enhanced he anspa ency o manage ial
decisions. Employees om Company X epo ed a highe le el o unde s anding o
s a egic goals and access o up- o-da e in o ma ion.
3. Manage ial Accessibili y and Feedback Cul u e: Company X also sco ed signi ican ly
highe in e ms o manage ial a ailabili y and esponsi eness. Employees no ed ha
hey could easily app oach hei supe iso s and ha eedback—bo h posi i e and
co ec i e—was p o ided mo e egula ly and cons uc i ely. This e lec s a cul u e o
openness and con inuous dialogue.
4. In e depa men al Communica ion: Su ey esul s highligh ed be e coo dina ion and
in o ma ion low be ween depa men s in Company X. In con as , Company Y was
cha ac e ized by communica ion silos and limi ed in e ac ion be ween uni s,
which a ec ed esponsi eness and lexibili y in daily ope a ions.
5. Communica ion Ba ie s: A no able ou lie in he da a was Ques ion 10, which assessed
he p esence o communica ion ba ie s. He e, lowe sco es we e a o able, and again,
Company X showed be e pe o mance, indica ing ewe obs acles in he low o
in o ma ion.
6. Employee In ol emen and O ganiza ional Unde s anding: Company X employees
mo e o en epo ed a sense o inclusion in communica ion p ocesses and a s onge
unde s anding o o ganiza ional changes and expec a ions. This sugges s a mo e
pa icipa o y and in eg a i e communica ion model.
28 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
These indings e lec clea di e ences in he s uc u e and e ec i eness o in e nal
communica ion sys ems in he wo companies. Company X appea s o ha e a mo e open,
anspa en , and echnologically suppo ed communica ion en i onmen , con ibu ing o highe
employee sa is ac ion and o ganiza ional cohesion.
Figu e 16. S a is ical Co ela ion Analysis Be ween Company X and Company Y.
The Co ela ion o Communica ion Ra ings illus a es he ela ionship be ween employee
pe cep ions o in e nal communica ion p ac ices in Company X and Company Y, based on
15 key su ey ques ions. Each poin on he cha ep esen s a communica ion aspec
(e.g., cla i y o messages, eedback equency, manage ial a ailabili y) and e lec s he a e age
a ing p o ided by esponden s om bo h companies. One da a poin in he cha —
Ques ion 10 — is posi ioned no iceably lowe han he o he s. This is because i ela es o
communica ion ba ie s, a nega i ely amed i em. Unlike he o he ques ions, whe e highe
sco es e lec be e communica ion, his one measu es he p esence o obs acles. The e o e,
a lowe sco e indica es a mo e a o able si ua ion ( ewe ba ie s), which explains i s dis inc
placemen on he plo .
The ole o communica ion… 29
Two majo s a is ical coe icien s we e calcula ed o assess he s eng h and na u e o he
ela ionship:
 Pea son’s co ela ion coe icien ( = 0.93) indica es a e y s ong posi i e linea
ela ionship be ween he a e age sco es in bo h companies. This sugges s ha
communica ion aspec s highly a ed in Company X end o be also a ed highe in
Company Y, al hough he absolu e sco es a e consis en ly lowe o Company Y.
 Spea man’s ank co ela ion coe icien (ρ = 0.85) con i ms a s ong mono onic
ela ionship, indica ing a consis en anking o communica ion aspec s be ween he wo
o ganiza ions, ega dless o he exac a ing alues.
Bo h co ela ions a e s a is ically signi ican wi h p- alues < 0.001, sugges ing he obse ed
ela ionships a e unlikely o be due o chance. In addi ion, he coe icien o a ia ion was used
o e alua e he ela i e a iabili y o esponses:
 Company X: 9.06%.
 Company Y: 9.63%.
These alues indica e ha he dispe sion o a ings a ound he mean is low and simila o
bo h companies. Howe e , Company Y exhibi s sligh ly g ea e inconsis ency in how
employees e alua e in e nal communica ion p ac ices.
The high deg ee o co ela ion, coupled wi h consis en di e ences in a e age sco es,
implies ha al hough bo h companies sha e a simila s uc u e o communica ion challenges
and s eng hs, Company X sys ema ically ou pe o ms Company Y ac oss all su eyed
dimensions. This pe o mance gap is pa icula ly isible in a eas such as eedback egula i y,
message cla i y, access o o ganiza ional upda es, and echnological ools used o
communica ion.
5. Conclusions and u u e esea ch implica ions
The compa a i e analysis o in e nal communica ion p ac ices in Companies X and Y
e eals a clea dispa i y in he quali y and e ec i eness o hei communica ion sys ems.
Company X demons a es a signi ican ly highe le el o communica ion e ec i eness ac oss
all measu ed dimensions, including cla i y o messages, manage ial accessibili y, use o digi al
ools, eedback cul u e, and in e depa men al in o ma ion low. Employees in Company X
epo g ea e engagemen , a s onge sense o inclusion in communica ion p ocesses, and ewe
ba ie s o in o ma ion exchange. In con as , Company Y shows mo e a iabili y in employee
pe cep ions and exhibi s signs o communica ion silos and a less s uc u ed eedback sys em.
These indings con i m ha e ec i e communica ion is no only a echnical p ocess bu
a cul u al and s a egic elemen o o ganiza ional li e ha can in luence employee sa is ac ion,
mo i a ion, and o e all ope a ional e iciency. Ou esea ch es ablishes new e idence ha

30 D. Ba an, E. Gó ka, M. Ćwiąkała, G. Wojak, M. G zelak e al.
pa icipa o y and echnologically suppo ed communica ion models a e associa ed wi h highe
employee engagemen and mo e posi i e pe cep ions o communica ion e iciency.
The empi ical esul s align wi h ea lie indings by San os e al. (2024), who emphasize ha
in e nal communica ion signi ican ly a ec s job sa is ac ion and mo i a ion. The p esen s udy
co obo a es hei model by showing ha o ganiza ions wi h mo e open, egula , and inclusi e
communica ion p ac ices (as seen in Company X) end o os e highe le els o employee
engagemen and pe cei ed cla i y.
Simila ly, he ou comes ein o ce he CIMO-based s udy by Eskelinen e al. (2017), whe e
pa icipa i e communica ion p ocesses led o imp o ed alignmen and mo i a ion. In ou s udy,
Company X’s use o echnology and pa icipa o y communica ion con i ms he alue o
in ol ing employees in he communica ion ecosys em. Howe e , while Eskelinen’s s udy
ocused on in e nal p ocess design wi hin one o ganiza ional se ing, ou compa a i e app oach
adds an in e -o ganiza ional dimension, exposing how simila indus ies may adop di e gen
communica ion s a egies wi h a ying le els o e ec i eness.
Based on he esea ch, se e al p ac ical implica ions can be p oposed:
 In es men in communica ion echnologies, such as pla o ms like in ane sys ems, cha
ools, and digi al dashboa ds can enhance message consis ency. Company Y could
bene i om implemen ing such ools.
 Implemen ing a eedback-o ien ed cul u e by egula and cons uc i e eedback om
supe iso s imp o es us and employee de elopmen .
 C oss- unc ional mee ings, join wo kshops, o sha ed digi al spaces could help
company Y add ess i s communica ion silos.
 Implemen ing pa icipa o y communica ion models, in ol ing employees in designing
communica ion ools o p o ocols, as shown in he li e a u e and e lec ed in Company
X's p ac ices, inc eases anspa ency and mo i a ion.
Despi e i s con ibu ions, his s udy is subjec o se e al limi a ions. Fi s ly, he scope o he
sample is limi ed, as he esea ch ocused exclusi ely on wo companies ope a ing wi hin he
same indus y and na ional con ex . This na ow ocus es ic s he gene alizabili y o he
indings and may no e lec communica ion dynamics in o ganiza ions o di e en sizes,
sec o s, o cul u al se ings.
Secondly, he s udy elied on sel - epo ed su ey da a, which inhe en ly ca ies he isk o
esponse bias. Pa icipan s may ha e answe ed in a socially desi able manne o misunde s ood
he in en o ce ain ques ions, he eby a ec ing he accu acy and objec i i y o he esul s.
Finally, he esea ch o e s a s a ic, c oss-sec ional iew o in e nal communica ion
p ac ices. Since da a was collec ed a a single poin in ime, he s udy does no cap u e changes
o de elopmen s in communica ion s a egies. As a esul , i is di icul o assess he
sus ainabili y o obse ed p ac ices o de e mine how communica ion e ec i eness may e ol e
in esponse o in e nal o ex e nal changes.
The ole o communica ion… 31
Fu u e s udies could expand and e ine he p esen analysis by explo ing in e nal
communica ion sys ems ac oss a wide ange o indus ies. C oss-sec o compa isons would
allow esea che s o iden i y indus y-speci ic challenges and bes p ac ices, o e ing a b oade
pe spec i e on communica ion e ec i eness. Addi ionally, conduc ing longi udinal s udies
could p o ide insigh s in o how communica ion s a egies e ol e o e ime, especially in
esponse o o ganiza ional changes, leade ship ansi ions, o ex e nal dis up ions.
Ano he aluable di ec ion would be o in es iga e he ela ionship be ween in e nal
communica ion and speci ic employee ou comes, such as s a u no e , job pe o mance,
cus ome sa is ac ion, o le els o inno a ion. Gi en he inc easing popula i y o hyb id and
emo e wo k models, u u e esea ch should also examine how digi al communica ion ools
in luence o ganiza ional cul u e, employee engagemen , and well-being.
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