STARS International University
373
Annotation:
A review of organizational literature reveals that more research is needed
on communication in organizations in the context of developing countries. The following
article describes communication in organizations from a strategic standpoint, and as the
management of internal communications. This article posits that most state-owned orga-
nizations in Uzbekistan reduce communication due to the influence of the former Soviet
Union and a lack of proper understanding of the importance of communication in organi-
zations by higher-level managers.
The article concludes by proposing that managers of organizations be involved in un-
derstanding of the importance of communication, facilitate an open communication envi-
ronment, and provide the necessary tools for an appropriate communication environment
in organizations.
Key words:
Strategic communication, a state-owned enterprise, public organization,
international company, communication strategy, internal communication.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was realized that many managers were
not ready to work under free-market conditions which were contradictory to their
centrally planned fundamental business system; this can be due to the fact that
most managers of state-owned enterprises were chosen for their position not for
their skills but because of their links with the Communist party [22]. Nowadays,
managers have to think about the strategic use of communications to execute
company strategy to meet business expectations and progressively complex or-
ganizations [2]. In general, implementing an effective communication system and
using communication tools increases organizational performance [18].
Communications in Uzbekistan did start developing in organizations only after
the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. From that time,
international companies like Nestlé, British American Tobacco, General Motors
and Telia (Ucell) were the first companies that brought communication systems as
part of their organizational structure and introduced it to the Uzbekistan business
environment. Nonetheless, even nowadays there are only a few local companies
that manage communications as a division and pay attention to it as a priority.
INTERNAL
COMMUNICATION
MANAGEMENT IN
ORGANIZATIONS
IN UZBEKISTAN
https://doi.org/10.47689/STARS.univer-
s i t y - 5 - p p 3 7 1 - 3 7 6
IBADULLAEVA GULNOZA PULATOVNA
Senior Lecturer at Tashkent State
University of Economics
E-mail: gulnoza@iuj.ac.jp
«Yangi O‘zbekiston: Moliyaviy hisobotning xalqaro
standartlarini joriy etishda muvaffaqiyatli
xalqaro tajriba» 16 dekabr, 2022 yil.
374
The main characteristics of a communications system in international and state-
owned companies are different in Uzbekistan. The management systems of inter-
national companies are oriented toward a market-driven economy, whereas most
state-owned companies in Uzbekistan still have soviet-style management.
In state-owned companies, there is no formalized or managed process of com-
munications. Communication activities happen informally, chaotically and spon-
taneously. The main reason for that is that senior managers don’t understand the
importance of communication in the organization. In their understanding com-
munication is something related to IT, Marketing or HR functions, which are part-
ly responsible for delivering information or enabling the staff’s engagement in
certain matters. As for communication events for employees’ engagement, they
think that these events can be conducted by labor unions, which have been tradi-
tionally responsible for the entertainment and leisure time activities of employees
in Uzbekistan.
This lack of understanding can be explained by the fact that most of the high-lev-
el managers in organizations are those who either started their careers during rule
by the Soviet Union or received post-soviet education where communication was
not a part of management studies. Universities and colleges in Uzbekistan have
not prepared specialists in the area of communications in organizations until very
recently time. It can be seen from the classification of specializations list for the
higher education of the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uz-
bekistan (ПКM №343) issued in 2001. Communications is slightly covered within
disciplines like HRM, business administration, and industrial management.
Therefore, there is a huge communication gap in local companies due to insuffi-
cient understanding between workers and those who manage. Employees, whose
voices are ignored and who do not have needed information to execute their jobs
efficiently, do not trust the management and are not engaged in the work pro-
cesses they do. They are even not aware of the company’s mission and do not
know their role in achieving it. They work only on daily instructions received from
their supervisors. The employees’ job satisfaction is also very low.
Overview of Communication Studies.
In most literature, communication is de-
fined as the process of transmitting information [13]. Other literature has defined
communications from psychological, socio-cultural, or semantic perspectives [12].
However, this definition reduces the importance of communication and does not
include the whole range of communication functions.
Communication is central to a company structure. As defined by Blumer [4],
the manager’s and employees’ communication styles can be crucial to achieving
success in a modern business environment. An important feature of communica-
tion in companies is that along with delivering information that is necessary for
employees to perform their duties, communication in an organization affects the
relationships between employees, their job satisfaction, commitment, motivation,
energy, and efficiency [20]. Therefore, communication is a vital aspect and a tool
of management processes.
The aim of the communication process is to create a particular reaction from
the receiver’s side initiated by the sender [19; 20]. According to Pocheptsov [19,
P 34], communication can be hierarchical, which assumes top-down communica-
tion, and democratic, which assumes two-way communication with the possibil-
STARS International University
375
ity to give or receive feedback. For hierarchical communication, giving orders is
important, whereas for democratic communication, sharing opinions is valued. A
hierarchical scheme assumes that communication will be executed without any
doubt; however, in democratic communication, a receiver has a choice to act or
not to act.
Research analyses have shown that many organizations do not understand
the importance of communication [5;7], which is why the education of specialists
in the communication sphere is vital [2; 26;12]. This shows that it is necessary to
educate company managers before starting the development of internal commu-
nication in order to understand the importance of communication for a company’s
success.
To understand and analyze the definition of strategic communication, combined
knowledge from different disciplines such as psychology, sociology, economics,
organization, and management theory, among others, is needed [20]. In fact, in
order to make internal communication more strategic, the goals of communica-
tion need to be better understood.
Strategic Communication.
A number of scholars have described communica-
tion in organizations as an interdisciplinary management function that involves
communication, marketing skills, and human resources management. However,
the focus on marketing skills and human resources management potentially dis-
tracts from the engagement, motivation, and satisfaction of employees; such dis-
traction reduces the quality of communication as a strategy [21]. It seems there-
fore that we need to focus more attention on strategic communication.
For defining strategic communication, it is useful to distinguish between three
aspects of communication in companies: communication goals; communication
strategy; and communication system. Communication goals are the desired re-
sults that are supposed to be attained by using all communication tools. In orga-
nizations, communication goals can vary depending on business objectives. The
internal communication goal may be said to be to “make company strategy clear
to employees”. The intended goal should be clearly defined considering the au-
dience’s current understanding and how their behavior can be changed upon re-
ceiving the message; thus, it can be considered as a strategic system [25].
A communication strategy is a well-developed plan which is designed to sup-
port the overall business strategy [8] and promote its understanding [20; 26]. A
clearly defined strategy ensures certain behaviors and attitudes among the staff
[20] and builds relationships with stakeholders as well [26].
Internal communications.
Long ago, organizations did not pay much attention
to internal communication as an increase in productivity could easily be achieved
by simple management of the classical factors of production: work, capital, and
raw materials [4]. Prior studies have discussed more organizational communica-
tion which is focused on the development of personal skills which can vary from
interpersonal skills, skills in public relations, public speaking skills, writing and lis-
tening skills, and basic management skills [12]. However, more recently, the inter-
nal communications context started developing rapidly [23] and has been studied
by a number of scholars [1; 20]. Organizational communication and internal com-
munication are relatively interchangeable; however internal communication has a
more specific meaning and clearer goals.
«Yangi O‘zbekiston: Moliyaviy hisobotning xalqaro
standartlarini joriy etishda muvaffaqiyatli
xalqaro tajriba» 16 dekabr, 2022 yil.
376
Internal communication has been understood as interactions between leader-
ship and employees and is particularly responsible for building interpersonal rela-
tionships [11; 10; 15; 23], and cross-functional and functional teams that are in line
with the interest of a company [9]. Objectives of internal communication include:
creating organizational culture and values; developing the spirit of an organiza-
tion; motivating employees; promoting a positive image of a company among
employees; and increasing employees’ integration and cooperation [20. P. 67].
Communication channels. The channels of communication are another aspect
of internal communication that can facilitate strong communication between em-
ployees and an organization. Channels are the pathway through which messages
can be communicated [8]. Every organization should establish communication
channels based on its communication needs. In fact, regardless of what channel
is chosen by a sender, it should be the most applicable depending on the situa-
tion [8]. The choice of the channel can be determined by the company size, ur-
gency and importance of communication, and availability of technical equipment.
Communication channels can be divided into two main groups: technology-based
channels and face-to-face channels [3].
Technology-based channels can be considered as a formal type of communi-
cation channel that can help employees to have access to timely and accurate
information which in turn helps them to work more efficiently. In fact, recent de-
velopments in technology have expanded the range of technology-based com-
munication channels which includes: voice mail messages, e-mails, e-newsletters,
intranets, and video conferences [3]. However, despite the increasing attention
to the technology, face-to-face channels, such as one-on-one conversations, col-
laborative meetings, town-hall style meetings, and briefing meetings still remain
as the most powerful instrument of internal communication [3; 20]. Face-to-face
channels became popular in the 1980s after Hewlett introduced the concept of
Management by Walking Around (MBWA) [16; 3]. MBWA promotes an under-
standing of employees’ concerns and problems by managers firsthand which in
turn, shows to employees that management is interested in performance, involved
in the company’s operation and will support to solve problems that may arise;
thus, MBWA is an effective leadership technique which has passed the test of the
time [16].
Larkin and Larkin [14] demonstrate the value of face-to-face communication
in terms of the speed with which messages are transmitted around the compa-
ny. In comparing technology-based channels of communication with face-to-face
communication, face-to-face communication was found to better overcome em-
ployees’ resistance to change [3; 14]. Face-to-face communication with a leader
about an organizational change increases employee’s willingness to support an
organization nine times more than if employees had read the same information in
the company newsletter [24].
To facilitate strong internal communication, both technology and face-to-face
channels can be used as a complement to each other. According to Beliakoff [3]
for large companies, like General Motors, which operate in different parts of the
world, gathering all employees in collaborative or briefing meetings is not an easy
job. In such cases, they can use technology-based face-to-face communication
channels such as video conferencing [3].
STARS International University
377
Internal communication serves as a valuable channel for external communica-
tion too and has huge impact on it. Employees, especially the people in lower-lev-
el positions, are the most reliable channels in building communication with the
external environment [20] and play the most important role to create the true
image of a company [6]. Employees become a company’s ambassadors [17; 20],
advocates, supporters and customer-service providers if internal communication
is established properly. Rogala and Biolawas [20] claimed that external commu-
nication depends on internal communication and proposed to define them as a
coherent and complex communication process.
In conclusion, internal communication which is emphasized as strategic impor-
tance will move an organization in favor of business. The above-mentioned is-
sues related to internal communications can be resolved through changing the
old mindset of the leadership and educating them on the benefits of effective
communication in organizations.
It is important that communication has clear goals which aligns with the compa-
ny’s overall strategy to achieve strategic importance of internal communication.
Reference
1.Alderfer, C. (1977). Improving Organizational Communication Through Long-
Term Intergroup Intervention.
The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
,
13
(No-
vember 2).
2.Argenti, P. A. (2017). Strategic Communication in the C-Suite.
International Jour-
nal of Business Communication
,
54
(2), 146–160. doi.org/10.1177/2329488416687053
3.Beliakoff, E. (2006).
Balancing face-to-face and technology-based communi-
cation channels in internal communications
(Master’s Thesis). Available from Pro-
Quest Dissertations and Theses. (UMI No. 1437582)
4.Blumer, H. (2016).
Internal Communication in Bangladeshi Ready-Made Gar-
ment Factories:
illustration of the internal communication system and its connec-
tion to labor unrest.
Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.
5.Bowers, V. (2000). Communication at cultural non-profits.
PR Tactics
,
7
(13),
3–5.
6.Christensen, L. T., & Askegaard, S. (2001). Corporate identity and corporate
image revisited – A semiotic perspective.
European Journal of Marketing
,
35
(3–4),
292–315. doi.org/10.1108/03090560110381814
7.Dyer, B. S., Buell, T., Harrison, M., & Weber, S. (2002). Managing Public Rela-
tions in Nonprofit Organizations.
Public Relations Quarterly
, 13–18.
8.Eiilm. (2020). Communication Principles.
Communication Principles Syllabus
,
1353–1482. doi.org/10.1201/9781420036664.ch12
9.Franks, E. R. (1981).
Communication Effectiveness: a Multivariate Analysis of
Performance Group Structure and Communication
.
10.Infante, D. A., Anderson, C. M., Martin, M. M., Herington, A. D., & Kim, J. (1993).
Subordinates’ satisfaction and perceptions of superiors’ compliance.
Management
Communication Quarterly
,
6
(3), 307–326.
11.Jablin, F. M. (1979). Superior-subordinate communication: The state of the art.
Psychological Bulletin
,
86
(6), 1201–1222. doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.86.6.1201
«Yangi O‘zbekiston: Moliyaviy hisobotning xalqaro
standartlarini joriy etishda muvaffaqiyatli
xalqaro tajriba» 16 dekabr, 2022 yil.
378
12.Jablin, F., & Putnam, L. (2011). The New Handbook of Organizational Com-
munication. In
The New Handbook of Organizational Communication
. doi.
org/10.4135/9781412986243
13.Jiménez-Castillo, D., & Sánchez-Pérez, M. (2013). Nurturing employee market
knowledge absorptive capacity through unified internal communication and inte-
grated information technology.
Information & Management
,
50
(2-3), 76-86.
14.Larkin, D. T., & Larkin, S. (2015).
Communicating Big Change
. Retrieved from:
http://www.larkin.biz/papers.php
15.Mishra, K., Boynton, L., & Mishra, A. (2014). Driving employee engage-
ment.
International Journal of Business Communication
,
51(2)
, 183–202. doi.
org/10.1177/2329488414525399
16.Mohan, D. R., Kumar, S. S., & Subrahmanyam, G. (2013). Management by walk-
ing around: An effective tool for day-to-day operations of Hospital.
IUP Journal of
Operations Management
,
12
(1), 58.
17.Moore, H. F., & Kalupa, F.B (1985).
Public relations, principles, cases, and prob-
lems
.
Delhi: Surieet Publications.
18.Petrushko, A. (2015).
Функции и значение коммуникации в организации :
социологический аспект. (Functions and significance of the communication
in organization: sociological aspect)
. Dnìpropetrovs’k: Grani, 18(1), 72–76. doi:
10.15421/1715013.
19.Pocheptsov, G. G. (2001).
Teoriya kommunikatsii (Communication theory)
.
Moscow: Рефл-бук.
20.Rogala, A., & Bialowas, S. (2016).
Communication in organizational environ-
ments: functions, determinants and areas of influence.
London: Palgrave Macmil-
lan.
21.Sebastião, S. P., Zulato, G., & Trindade, A. D. (2017). Internal communication
and organizational culture: The management interplay in the view of the Portu-
guese communication consultant.
Public Relations Review
,
43
(4), 863–871. doi.
org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.05.006
22.Shama, A. (1993). Management under fire: the transformation of managers in
the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
Academy of Management Perspectives
,
7
(1),
22–35. doi.org/10.5465/ame.1993.9409142056
23.Smythe, J. (1997). The changing role of internal communication in tomor-
row’s company.
Corporate Communications: An International Journal
,
2
(1), 4–7.
doi.org/10.1108/eb046528
24.Sultan, F., Farley, J. U., & Lehmann, D. R. (1990). Reflections on “a meta-anal-
ysis of applications of diffusion models.”
Journal of Marketing Research
,
27
(1). doi.
org/10.2307/3152151
25.Thomas, G. F. (2018). Strategic communication.
Introduction to Homeland
Security
, 263–284. doi.org/10.4324/9780429499685
26.Wiggil, M. N. (2011). Strategic communication management in the non-prof-
it sector: a simplified model.
Journal of Public Affairs
,
11
(4), 226–235. doi.
org/10.1002/pa
