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Communication Satisfaction and Employee
Engagement of Flexible Employees: An Exploratory
Case Study

by

Brian Letsogo

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree

MA Strategic Communication

in the

Department of Strategic Communication

of the

Faculty of Humanities

at the

University of Johannesburg

supervised by

Professor S. Verwey

JULY 2019
 DECLARATION

I, Brian Basiame Letsogo, declare this research report to be my own original work, except

where indicated in the references and acknowledgements. It is submitted in fulfilment of

the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Strategic Communication at the

University of Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or

examination at this or any other university.

Signed at Johannesburg on this __30th_____day of …July 2019

Print name: Brian Letsogo

Signature: _________________________

ii
 ABSTRACT

Rapid changes in the economic, social and technological environment in which

organisations operates have resulted in significant changes in the modern workplaces.

One such change is the change in the nature and structure of work through introducing

flexible employment options. Flexible work schedules are adopted by companies to

provide their employees with proper work-life balance and consequently enhance the

productivity of employees. However, the effective operation of a flexible work schedule

depends on the communication structure within the organisation. The primary aim of this

research is to examine the influence of communication satisfaction on the flexible

employees’ engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation. To conduct the

research a South African organisation that adopts a flexible work schedule for its

employees was selected. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was thus

selected as the case for this research. A single case mixed methods research was used

to examine the influence of communication satisfaction on the flexible employees’

engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation. A total of 38 and 6 flexible

employees completed the surveys and interviews respectively. The quantitative data were

analysed using SPSS and the qualitative data was thematically coded. The findings from

the study indicate that communication satisfaction among the flexible employees who

took part in the research was very low. Furthermore, communication satisfaction has a

statistically significant positive impact on social engagement and propensity to stay in the

organisation. One major drawback to the generalisability of the findings is the limited

sample size used for the research.

Key words: Communication Satisfaction, Flexible Employees, SABC, South Africa,

Employee engagement, propensity to stay.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This has been a long journey, a road less travelled yet leading to a much fulfilling and
priceless destination. It is, therefore, important to acknowledge the men and women who
played a big role in me reaching this destination. They played their roles in different ways,
directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously.

I would first like to thank my supervisor, Professor Sonja Verwey of University of

Johannesburg (Faculty of Humanities). Firstly, Professor Verwey believed in me even at
times where I thought of giving up; secondly, her door was always open whenever I
needed guidance; thirdly she pushed me to finish this paper through her encouraging
words. For that, I am eternally grateful.

I would also like to thank the SABC as an organization for granting me the opportunity to
interact with their flexible employees so that this research could be done. I would like to
send my sincere gratitude to the respondents from SABC flexible employees (known as
freelancers) for taking time to respond to the questionnaire and the interviews, what you
have done is not only in the best interest of my research but also the organization (SABC)
itself.

I must express my very profound gratitude to my parents for their support and always
reminding us of the importance of education; I would like to thank my sisters for their
encouragement. To my daughter, Resiame, I trust this work encourages you to do great.
Let me take this opportunity to show gratitude to my partner, Tsholofelo, for providing me
with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of the study
and through the process of researching and writing this dissertation. This accomplishment
would not have been possible without them.

Finally, as a Christian, I know that all of this would have not happened without the strength
of the Omnipresence God. In my gratitude, I am reminded of the Methodist SeTswana
hymn, Modimo wa boikanyo, Re ikanya mo go Wena, 0 gogile bo rraetsho Mo dinageng
tsa lenyora (God of faithfulness, In You we trust, You led our forebears In parched lands
of thirst). As he did with our forebears, he did with me in difficult times.

Thank you.

Author:
BB Letsogo

v
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background to the Research Problem ................................................................... 1

1.2 Research Problem ................................................................................................. 2

1.3 Key Concepts of the Research .............................................................................. 3

1.4 Background on SABC............................................................................................ 4

1.5 Research Methodology .......................................................................................... 5

1.6 Chapter Delineation ............................................................................................... 6

2. THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK.................................................................... 8

2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 8

2.2 Flexible Patterns of Work....................................................................................... 9

2.3 Flexible Employment: Employer and Employee Perspective ................................. 9

2.4 Motivating Employees.......................................................................................... 12

2.4.1 HR Strategies to Motivate Employees .............................................................. 13

2.4.2 Motivation through Communication Satisfaction ............................................... 14

2.5 Communication in Flexible / Network Organisations............................................ 18

2.6 Employee Value Proposition................................................................................ 19

2.7 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 20

3. THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.................... 22

vi
 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 22

3.2 Role of Internal Communication........................................................................... 22

3.3 Types of internal communication ......................................................................... 24

3.3.1 Formal and Informal Communication................................................................ 24

3.3.2 Horizontal and Vertical Communication............................................................ 25

3.4 Employee Engagement ....................................................................................... 25

3.5 Influence of Internal Corporate Communication on Employee Engagement ....... 30

3.6 Engaging employees through communication ..................................................... 31

3.7 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 33

4. ENGAGING FLEXIBLE EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMMUNICATION ................ 35

4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 35

4.2 Employee Engagement and Communication Satisfaction among Flexible

Employees................................................................................................................. 36

4.3 Communication Satisfaction: Crucial for Job Satisfaction and Employee retention

................................................................................................................................... 42

4.4 Communication Satisfaction for Flexible Employees ........................................... 43

4.5 Talent Retention .................................................................................................. 45

4.6 Employee orientation ........................................................................................... 48

4.7 Employee commitment ........................................................................................ 50

4.8 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 52

vii
5. METHODOLOGY................................................................................................... 54

5.1 Theoretical Statements........................................................................................ 54

5.2 Research questions and sub-questions............................................................... 55

5.2.1 Research Aim ................................................................................................... 55

5.3 Research Philosophy and Research Approach ................................................... 56

5.4 Research Design ................................................................................................. 59

5.5 Sampling for Quantitative and Qualitative Collection ........................................... 60

5.6 Measurement instruments ................................................................................... 63

5.6.1 Survey .............................................................................................................. 63

5.6.2 Semi-structured Interviews ............................................................................... 65

5.7 Data-gathering ..................................................................................................... 66

5.7.1 Survey .............................................................................................................. 66

5.7.2 Interview ........................................................................................................... 67

5.8 Data-analysis ....................................................................................................... 67

5.8.1 Survey – SPSS v20.0 ....................................................................................... 67

5.8.2 Interviews - Thematic content analysis ............................................................. 68

5.9 Findings and Interpretation .................................................................................. 68

5.9.1 Survey data....................................................................................................... 69

5.9.2 Interviews.......................................................................................................... 69

viii
 5.10 Data verification ................................................................................................. 70

5.10.1 Quantitative: Reliability and validity (survey)................................................... 70

5.10.2 Qualitative: measures of quality...................................................................... 71

5.11 Ethical Considerations ....................................................................................... 72

6. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS .................................. 73

6.1 Descriptive Statistical Analysis – Quantitative Data............................................. 73

6.1.1 Communication Satisfaction ............................................................................. 75

6.1.2 Employee Engagement .................................................................................... 78

6.1.3 Employee Propensity to Stay............................................................................ 78

6.2 Inferential Statistical Analysis – Quantitative Data............................................... 80

6.2.1 Reliability .......................................................................................................... 80

6.2.2 Pearson Correlations ........................................................................................ 81

6.3 Thematic Analysis................................................................................................ 84

6.3.1 Dissatisfaction with Communication Climate .................................................... 85

6.3.2 Inadequate Communication with Supervisor .................................................... 86

6.3.3 Need to Improve Co-worker Communication .................................................... 88

6.3.4 Satisfactory Informal Communication ............................................................... 89

6.3.5 Inappropriate Meetings ..................................................................................... 90

6.3.6 Absence of Performance Appraisal .................................................................. 91

ix
 6.3.7 Communication and Engagement..................................................................... 92

6.3.8 Communication Climate and Propensity to Stay............................................... 93

6.3.9 Suggestions to Improve Communication Climate ............................................. 94

6.4 Interpretation of Qualitative Findings ................................................................... 95

6.5 Summary of Findings from Quantitative and Qualitative Data ............................. 97

7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................... 102

7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 102

7.2 Recapitulation of Finings ................................................................................... 102

7.3 Managerial implications ..................................................................................... 106

7.4 Limitations of the Research ............................................................................... 107

7.5 Recommendations for Future Research ............................................................ 107

References.................................................................................................................. 109

Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire ............................................................................. 130

Appendix B: Interview Questions ................................................................................ 136

Appendix C Participant Information Sheet................................................................... 139

Appendix D Informed Consent. ................................................................................... 141

LIST OF TABLES

Table 5.1 Content of questionnaire. .............................................................................. 63

Table 6.1 Demographic Distribution of Survey Participants. ......................................... 74

x
Table 6.2 Descriptive statistics of communication Satisfaction constructs .................... 75

Table 6.3 Descriptive Statistics Dimensions of Communication Satisfaction ................ 77

Table 6.4 Descriptive Statistics Employee Engagement ............................................... 78

Table 6.5 Descriptive Statistics of Employee Propensity to Stay .................................. 79

Table 6.6 Cronbach's alpha coefficient ......................................................................... 80

Table 6.7 Pearson Correlation Communication Satisfaction and Employee Engagement

............................................................................................................................... 81

Table 6.8 Pearson Correlation Communication Satisfaction and Propensity to Stay .... 83

Table 6.9 Demographic Distribution of Interview participants........................................ 84

Table 6.10 Dissatisfaction with communication Climate................................................ 85

Table 6.11 Lack of Sufficient Organisational Communication within SABC .................. 86

Table 6.12 Quality Issues with Supervisor Communication........................................... 86

Table 6.13 Recommendations to improve Supervisor communication Behaviour......... 87

Table 6.14 Transactional Nature of Co-worker Communication.................................... 89

Table 6.15 Satisfactory Informal Communication .......................................................... 89

Table 6.16 Inappropriate Meetings................................................................................ 91

Table 6.17 Absence of Performance appraisal ............................................................. 92

Table 6.18 Effective Communication Increases Engagement ....................................... 92

Table 6.19 Communication and Propensity to Stay ...................................................... 93

Table 6.20 Suggestions to improve communication climate.......................................... 94

xi
 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Research Problem

Modern workplaces are adopting flexible work arrangement (Workplace Flexibility, 2010)
in an effort to assist the employees to achieve the work-life balance necessary to enhance
employee productivity (Salmon, 2012). However, the effectiveness of flexible work
scheduling in enhancing the productivity of employees depends on the communication
structure within the organisation. According to Van der Voordt (2004), productivity and
employee satisfaction in flexible workplaces is dependent on the quality of communication
in the workplace. Organisations using flexible work arrangements need to ensure that
measures are taken to share information and common knowledge to enable employees
to work in different locations and time (Stredwick &Ellis, 2005).

Communication is identified to be an important influence on employees' satisfaction,

commitment and morale. Effective communication in an organisation ensures that the
right information reaches the right people at the right time and in the right way (Cruz-
Cunha & Manuela, 2011). Stredwick and Ellis (2005) noted that communication is
important to engage flexible employees in their job responsibilities. Enhancing the
communication climate and employee communication can improve the product or service
quality, revenue and earnings of the organisation (Cruz-Cunha &Manuela, 2011).

The impact of communication satisfaction on different performance indicators such as

employee engagement and task performance has been the focus of many research
studies (ex: Alsayed, Motaghi &Osman, 2012). Communication is a critical factor for
engaging flexible employees. However, there are not many studies that have examined
the impact of communication satisfaction on employee engagement and employee
propensity to stay in the organisation.

1
1.2 Research Problem

The research problem to be addressed in this study is to investigate the influence of

communication satisfaction on employee engagement and propensity to stay in a
selected South African organisation. This exploratory case study is conducted in the
South African Broadcasting Channel (SABC) that relies significantly on flexible working
arrangements (Kubheka 2018). Despite the increased dependence on flexible working
arrangements, the flexible employees in SABC often complain about the lack of clarity
about their position within the organisation (Kubheka 2018).

Communication functions within an organisation play a crucial role in enhancing the

employees understanding about their roles and responsibilities. Employees'
understanding of how their job contributes towards the goals and objectives of the
organisation increases with communication which allows employees to position
themselves within the organisation (Belasen, 2008). Companies that primarily employs
flexible employees need to understand the role of communication satisfaction in
enhancing employee engagement and identify suitable strategies to enhance the
communication satisfaction of flexible employees. Despite the importance of
communication in making flexible employees feel that they are a vital part of the
organisation, not many studies have evaluated the communication satisfaction of flexible
employees. There is also a gap in the existing literature on the impact of communication
satisfaction on employee engagement levels and propensity to stay in the organisation.
Given the growing importance of flexible workers within network type organisations, it is
important to investigate the relationship between flexible workers engagement levels, and
their satisfaction with communication since these may influence their propensity to
continue their flexible work relationship with the organisation.

The overall research question guiding this research study is: “How does communication
satisfaction influence flexible employees’ work engagement and propensity to stay in a
network type organisation?”

2
The research sub-questions to be answered in this study are:
1. How satisfied are employees within a flexible employment arrangement with internal
organisational communication of a selected South African organisation?
2. How does communication satisfaction of flexible employees relate to the engagement
of flexible employees in a selected South African organisation?
3. How does communication satisfaction influence flexible employees’ propensity to stay
within a selected South African organisation?

1.3 Key Concepts of the Research

An engaged employee takes responsibility for achieving the goals of the organisation and
contribute through high-quality work (Walker, 2012). Due to the vital role of employee
engagement in creating a competitive advantage for the organisation, organisations are
keen on identifying strategies to enhance employee engagement. Studies on employee
engagement frequently stress the importance of proper communication (Walker, 2012;
Ruck, 2015; Jett, 2014). According to Walker (2012) communication allows the
employees to obtain objective information necessary to selflessly contribute to the goals
of the organisation. Highly successful organisations including the retail giant Marks and
Spencer (M&S) focuses on gaining competitive advantage through establishing effective
employee communication channels (Turner, 2003). Turner (2003) argues that large
organisations focus on creating effective communication system as they recognise the
significance of effective communication for employee engagement.

The concept of communication satisfaction was developed by Likert (1967) with the
identification of communication as an intervening variable between organisational goals
and the results of employee productivity, satisfaction, manager-employee relation and
profit (as cited by Battey, 2010). Communication satisfaction refers to an "individual's
satisfaction with various aspects of communication occurring in his organisation.... it
involves personal satisfaction inherent in successfully communicating to someone or in
successfully being communicated with..” (Battey, 2010 p.13). Down and Hazen (1977)
subsequently developed eight indicators of communication satisfaction which include
corporate perspective, organisational integration, communication climate, personal

3
feedback, supervisor support, media quality, subordinate relationship and horizontal
communication.

Companies focusing on reducing employee turnover and increasing employee retention

need to adopt suitable communication strategies to give employees a greater sense of
belonging to the organisation (Quirke, 2007). Quirke (2007) posits that communication
satisfaction influences employee satisfaction and this higher satisfaction leads to lower
staff turnover and higher retention of staff. Therefore, another concept examined in this
research is employee retention to measure propensity to stay. Employee turnover is a
significant cost to the organisation and for this reason, organisations are under constant
pressure to manage retention. Retention refers to the "employee remaining in the
organisation" (Phillips & O'Connell, 2004). Considering the role of communication
satisfaction on the job and consequently on employee retention, it is worthwhile to
investigate the role of communication satisfaction on the retention of flexible employees.
This study will adopt phenomenology within a systems approach to investigate these
relationships. Phenomenology refers to the "study of structures of consciousness as
experienced from the first-person point of view” (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy,
2003). In this study, the communication experience of the flexible employees of SABC is
examined.

1.4 Background on SABC

South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is one of the largest state-owned

enterprises that operate radio stations and televisions channels. The company provides
19 radio stations and five television broadcasts and is based in Johannesburg, South
Africa (Bloomberg, 2019). SABC is currently in the process of restructuring the
management due to corruption and maladministration scandal, unlawful and irregular
promotions and poor management of staff (The East African, 2018). In 2018, SABC
announced its intentions to layoff at all levels and all departments (The East African,
2018). Before the layoffs of full-time employees in SABC, more than 60% of the
employees in SABC were freelancers (Kubheka, 2018). The flexible working arrangement

4
has become the preferred form of employing staff within the organisation to address the
problem of "dire" financial straits of the company. Employees’ preferences for flexible
working arrangement comes from the potential work-life balance, while the attractiveness
of the flexible working arrangement for employers comes from significant cost savings
(Houston & Waumsley, 2004). However, Flexible employment arrangement in SABC is
problematic as the employees are dissatisfied and uncertain about their position in the
organisation (Kubheka, 2018). Selecting SABC as the case for this research allows
examining the role of communication satisfaction in enhancing the flexible working
arrangements in companies that have problematic flexible working arrangements.

1.5 Research Methodology

A single case study mixed methods research that employs pragmatism as a research
philosophy is adopted to address the research problem. A pragmatic research philosophy
focuses on obtaining convincing answers to the research problems and therefore allows
the use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The single case selected
for this research is the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The SABC is a
network type organisation with more than 60% of its workforce constituting flexible
employees and is therefore considered a suitable case for investigating the
communication satisfaction of flexible employees and the influence of communication
satisfaction on the flexible employees’ engagement and propensity to stay in the
organisation.

Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches are used in this research to obtain
an in-depth understanding of communication satisfaction in SABC and its impact on
flexible employees’ engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation. A survey was
conducted to collect quantitative data. The survey questionnaire consisted of four parts,
part 1 - 1977 Downs & Hazen Communication Satisfaction survey, part 2 - intellectual,
social, Affective (ISA) Engagement Scale by Soane et al., (2012), part 3- Employee
Turnover Intention Mobley, Horner and Hollingsworth turnover scale (1978) and part 4-
Demographic questions. All the measurement instruments used for the survey were
previously tested for reliability and consistency. All three scales were with high reliability

5
and internal consistency. A total of 38 completed and usable responses were obtained
for the survey. The survey data were analysed using statistical software package SPSS
v20. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was used to analyse the
quantitative data.

The qualitative data for the research was collected using semi-structured face to face
interviews with open-ended questions. All the samples for the survey and semi-structured
interviews were selected using purposive sampling as this method allows to select the
most information-rich sources. A total of 6 flexible employees participated in the semi-
structured face to face interviews. All necessary steps to ensure the reliability, validity and
quality of the qualitative data including noting pattern themes, building a logical chain of
evidence and conceptual and theoretical coherence were followed. All measures to
ensure confidentiality and anonymity to the participants of the surveys and interviews
were taken. The data collected from the interviews were analysed using thematic content
analysis. The interviews were conducted after the completion of surveys as it allowed to
obtain explanations to the employees' current level of communication satisfaction, work
engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation.

1.6 Chapter Delineation

This dissertation is organised into seven chapters. Chapters two to four examined the
existing studies on the most important concepts of the research. Chapter two critically
examined the changing nature work which sets the background for understanding the
relevance of flexible employment. This chapter specifically examined the flexible work
patterns, the factors motivating employees in a flexible work environment and the human
resources strategies to motivate employees. Chapter three critically examined the role of
communication for employee engagement. The different types of communication and how
communication is employed to increase employee engagement is discussed in this
chapter. Chapter Four critically reviewed existing studies that have examined the role of
communication satisfaction for employee engagement and employee retention and the
significance of communication satisfaction for flexible employees. The methodology used
in this research is discussed in chapter five. The research philosophy, research approach,

6
data collection methods, measurement instruments and data analysis methods are also
discussed in this chapter, Chapter six presented the findings and interpretation of results
from the qualitative and quantitative data. The final chapter presented the conclusion,
future research recommendations and managerial implications of this research.

The research questions for each chapter of the thesis is given below:
Chapter 2: What is the role of communication effectiveness in network type organisation?
Chapter 3: What are the different types of internal communication in an organisation?
How does it affect employee engagement?
Chapter 4: What are the important elements of communication satisfaction for flexible
employees? How communication satisfaction can be utilised to improve employee
engagement?

7
 2. THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK

2.1 Introduction

Modern organisations are constantly subject to change with the changing business,
economic and technological environment in which an organisation operates. Changes
can be in the form of organisational restructures, downsizing and changes in the nature
and structure of work (CIPD, 2012). Organisations are becoming leaner with reduced
hierarchical structure and blurred boundaries (Heerwagen et al, 2005). The blurred
boundaries of work and social life have enabled employees to work around the clock from
any location with internet and mobile technology (CIPD, 2012). The leaner organisation
structure and technology advancement has led to the employment of flexible workers.
The concept of a flexible firm and flexible workers was first developed by Atkinson, 1984)
(Humphreys, Fleming & O'Donnell, 2000). Part-time workers, working from home, job
shares, dual roles, variable hours, compressed hours, and different start and end time for
workers come under the umbrella of flexible workers (Cooke, 2012; Tausig et al., 2005).

Today’s organisations are more dependent on technology and social skills and less
dependent on the place of work (Heerwagen et al, 2005). Virtual organisations are
operating in many parts of the world. Laudon and Laudon (2000) define these
organisations as “organisations using networks linking people, assets and ideas to create
and distribute products and services without being limited by traditional organisational
boundaries or physical location” (as cited in Papakyriazis & Boudourides, 2001p 4).
Organisations go virtual for two main reasons, one, for greater efficiency and two for
reducing costs (Papakyriazis & Boudourides, 2001). Virtual organisations enable and
impel employees to work harder and longer (CIPD, 2012).

The changing nature of the organisation with cross-unit organizational groupings and
lesser layers in the hierarchy has led to decentralized decision making and employment
of flexible workers (Heerwagan et al, 2005). Verwey (2001) posits that organisations no
longer control what people think, in other words, organisation are experiencing a
phenomenon called ‘disintermediation’, where control is no more centralised to the

8
organisations. Full-time patterns of work suit traditional organisations and their needs in
the past but are inappropriate in the dynamic and agile in the 21st Century organisations
(Humphreys et al, 2000).

2.2 Flexible Patterns of Work

Technology improvements and business locational flexibility enabled teleworking

possible in many areas (Humphreys et al, 2000). The employees operate like free agents
and are sought by many companies (Bersin, 2015). ‘Flexible working’ is a type of working
arrangement where there is a degree of flexibility on how long, where, when and at what
times employees work (CIPD, 2015). Flexibility in work can be categorised into temporal
flexibility and locational flexibility (Humphreys et al, 2000). Temporal flexibility is a
variation of the hours worked and includes flexitime, career breaks and term-time working
(Humphreys et al, 2000). The flexible employees are transforming the way of work while
maintaining or increasing the results (Mahajan, 2007).

The flexible work culture is beneficial for the organisation and the employees as they
facilitate the work-life balance for both men and women (Shagvaliyeva & Yazdanifard,
2014). Flexible work is advantageous to the individuals as it caters to people with
disabilities, helps people take care of children/ elders or the sick, helps continue
education, helps them follow hobbies and interests outside work and observe religion
(acas, 2012). Family-friendly work arrangements in the current labour market attract and
retains quality staff and keep them engaged (Humphreys et al, 2000). Employees are
sensitive, passionate, creative contributors and business organisations are learning how
to build organisations with high employee engagement (Bersin, 2015).

2.3 Flexible Employment: Employer and Employee Perspective

The employment of flexible workers is advantageous to the firm as well as the individual.
Bolhaar, Graaf-Zijl and Scheer, (2018) identified four potential motives for employers to
prefer flexible working arrangement. The first potential motive to prefer flexible working
arrangement is that it provides employers with the opportunity to evaluate the quality of

9
the employees and screen suitable candidates. Secondly, a flexible working arrangement
allows employers to manage the employees in fluctuating markets. Thirdly, a larger
number of workers prefer flexible working arrangements. Fourthly, the institutional setting
which includes regulations regarding wage payment, labour agreements and employment
protection legislation makes full-time employment expensive. Flexible employment was
seen as a cost-reducing opportunity by employers during the recession (Csapó, Poór
Juhász & Visztenvelt, 2017). Zadik, et al., (2019) identified that the main motivation for
managers to employ flexible employees is the knowledge and expertise that they bring to
the organization.

A flexible employment arrangement is advantageous to the firm as it reduces

absenteeism, increases the innovation and creativity of employees and allows to retain
valued employees (acas, 2012). Flexibility in workplaces will reduce the firm’s costs
through better job performance, reduced absenteeism, and missed time (Richman et al,
2012). In the past, flexible employment was the main way to recruit low skilled workers,
since they can be hired during peak seasons and fired when not in need (Hayes, 1998).
However, in the modern job market, flexible employment has become a major source to
recruit talented workers due to the increased demand for talented employees in all
employment sectors. Due to the high demand for skilled workforce and skill shortage,
employers have to depend on talented flexible workers (Hayes, 1998). The flexible
working gives an advantage as the employees are not tied to their desk for work and the
organisation can have a fleet of foot workforce (Boucher, 2013). When both the parties
have advantages there is a shift from ‘parent-child’ relationships to ‘adult-adult’
relationships among the employers and employees (Cooke, 2012).

The shift to the adult-adult relationship allowed employees to proactively choose their
working environments (Cooke, 2012). Flexible workers can work part-time, flexitime and
overtime. This gives the employees freedom to organise their lives and have time to focus
on life outside of their job. The employees can have a better relationship with the
management and better responsibility for their working life (acas, 2012). This flexible
working has led to less workspace in the office and more communication with the team.

10
A connected workplace is possible with technologies for videoconferencing, mail, web
meetings, instant messaging, conferencing tools and software, Interactive boards and
laptop and mobile connectivity (Heerwagan et al, 2005).

The technology is the most important tool that has led to an increase in flexible workers.
Flexible working makes the best use of technology like mobile internet, video
conferencing and instant message to work from wherever the person is (at home, at
airports, at cafes, while travelling) (Boucher, 2013). This encourages collaboration
between colleagues and strengthens workplace relationships (Boucher, 2013). Flexible
working assists employees balance their work and life and not neglect their duty towards
family, religion, community and education (Danielson et al, 2000). In the dual-income
households, job stress and fatigue are commonplace and flexible working can be a
solution to balance their commitments (Danielson et al, 2013).

There are also studies that have identified the negative impact of flexible working
arrangements on employees. Wheatley (2016) identified gendered differences in the
attitude towards flexible working arrangements. The job and leisure satisfaction of men
increases in flexible working arrangements as it facilitates the management of household
activities while working full time. On the contrary, flexible working arrangements are
identified to negatively affect the leisure, life satisfaction and job of women mainly
because women are constrained to working shorter hours in flexible working
arrangements. According to Żołnierczyk-Zreda (2016), flexible employees' attitude
towards work and wellbeing depends on their satisfaction with the type of employment,
their qualifications and labour market situations. Many studies have identified that the
stability of contractual arrangements, social security provision and flexible employment in
standard or non-standard job determines the physical and psychological wellbeing of
flexible employees (Helbling and Kanji, 2018; McKeel et al., 2017; Mckinlay,2018; Cooke
and Jiang, 2017; Kim et al., 2017). For example, Helbling and Kanji, 2018 noted significant
anxiety and poor wellbeing among flexible employees with an unstable contractual
agreement.

11
2.4 Motivating Employees

Motivation is a set of process that activates and directs the behaviour of humans to
achieve a particular goal. It is a psychological process that gives a desire to achieve
unmet needs (Srivatsava & Bhatia, 2013). Motivating flexible workers is important to an
organisation because they are skilled and knowledge workers. Flexible employment
solutions help ensure that the organisations remain efficient by enabling them to locate
skills on demand without delay (Cantrell, 2011). There are various theories on motivation.
Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs Theory” states that there are five levels of needs
that people seek (Mullins 2007, 258). The theory states that physiological needs are the
basic needs of a human being. The satisfaction of psychological needs leads to the
demand for the next level of needs. Security needs are the second-level needs, Love and
belonging needs are at the third level, self-esteem needs are at the fourth level and self-
actualisation needs are the highest level of needs When one level of needs is satisfied
then the employees are motivated to reach the next level (Salanova & Kirmanen, 2010).

The McClelland Achievement motivation theory is associated with concepts of learning.

This theory states that a strong need motivates the person to adopt a behaviour that leads
to the satisfaction of the need (Pardee, 1990). The main idea of McClelland's theory is
that people earn their needs through coping with the environment (Pardee, 1990).
Alderfer’s theory of existence, relatedness, and growth (ERG) is used to describe and
forecast issues in the workplace, personal development choices, and relationship
paradigms (Caulton, 2012). Existence needs are easiest to attain, relatedness needs
depend on more people and growth needs are specific to the individual (Ball, 2012).

Herzberg’s theory of motivation focuses on hygiene factors and motivators (Gupta &
Subramanian, 2014). Herzberg found that the reason for the happiness of the employees
is what they do and how they are used in the organisation and the reason for their
unhappiness in the way they’re treated (Salanova & Kirmanen, 2010). Herzberg
concluded that the motivators cause long term employee satisfaction while the Hygiene
factors cause only short-term satisfaction to the employees (Salanova & Kirmanen, 2010).

12
Vroom’s Awarding Expectation and Fair Awarding Systems theory state that when the
employees perceive higher growth they have the high motivation (Gupta & Subramanian,
2014). Keeping the employees motivated both the full time and flexible employees is the
job of the HR department in the company.

2.4.1 HR Strategies to Motivate Employees

The human capital of an organisation is a major source of competitive advantage. The

human resource strategies of an organisation enable a firm to create competitive
advantage by employing and retaining individuals with talent, knowledge, skills and
abilities and motivation (Hartog et al, 2013). The advantage of human capital is that it is
highly evolved and difficult to imitate (Hartog et al, 2013). The HR department employs
management tools such as policies, activities and practices to plan, develop, implement,
evaluate, maintain and retain flexible employees and to motivate flexible employees to
accomplish the organisation's objectives (Henderson & Tulloch, 2008). Mikkelsen,
Jacobsen and Andersen, (2017) found the significant role of management in motivating
employees through their actions. The study found that soft enforcement actions were
more effective in motivating employees than harder enforcement actions (Mikkelsen et
al., 2017).

The productivity and quality of the employees of a firm depend on the level of motivation.
Flexible employees should be motivated because it is a driver of economic growth and
there are personal and commercial benefits in flexible working (Regus report, 2012). The
expectation of the flexible employees when met alters the attitudes and behaviour of the
employee and gives a positive relationship between job satisfaction and employee
engagement (Rayton & Yalabik, 2014). The HR process of a firm creates motivating
working conditions for the workforce thereby enhancing employee performance (Hartog
et al, 2013). Employee motivation occurs when the unmet needs of the employees are
satisfied (Rayton & Yalabik, 2014).

The cost-cutting policies implemented by companies as a result of the recession

negatively affected the motivation of employees (Bryson, 2019). Performance-based

13
financial incentives lead to better productivity and better quality of work (Henderson &
Tulloch, 2008). Gupta and Subramanian, (2014) identified that the major motivational
factors for the employees include salary, training and development, workloads,
promotion, awards and recognition, incentives and having opportunities to socialise. Rupp
and Smith (2003) identified non-financial factors such as rewards, social recognition and
performance feedbacks equally important motivational factors for flexible employees.
Performance based incentives such as promotion on performance are better suited to
motivate flexible employees rather than seniority-based promotion in many bureaucratic
organisations. Package based incentives based on the institutional culture, structure and
capacity has a good effect on the motivation of the flexible employees. These incentives
require monitoring and should meet the expectations of flexible employees and should be
sustainable to the employer (Henderson & Tulloch, 2008).

An effective communication climate that includes communication of job, personal,

operational and strategic issues leads to communication satisfaction of flexible
employees (Ruck & Welch, 2012). HR strategies to improve communication can lead to
satisfaction of flexible employees. Strategies can include keeping employees on
circulation lists for newsletters and circulars and encouraging the use of company
information facilities, helping with training and encouraging them to attend meetings,
conferences, social functions and development courses through distance learning and
taking up online courses (acas, 2005). The firm can also provide induction/refresher
courses after career breaks due to sick leave, maternity leave and other sabbaticals.
Letters, emails and phone calls from the leaders are essential to keep the momentum
going for the flexible workers (acas, 2005). Currently, firms give minimal attention to what
the employees would like their organisation to communicate (Ruck & Welch, 2012). The
next section will discuss employee motivation through communication satisfaction.

2.4.2 Motivation through Communication Satisfaction

Communication involves the process of information exchange among two or more parties
and can take many forms in a work setting, such as written or spoken orders, informal

14
chatter, electronic messages, printed reports or procedure manuals, announcements
posted on bulletin boards, or web-based communication (Cruz et al., 2011). The effective
flow of communication is crucial to an organization’s ability to operate smoothly and
productively (Riggio, 2007). Organisational communication enables teams to learn from
each other and to coordinate tasks and help them maintain a good relationship (Robson
et al, 2006).

Organisational Communication is the use of language to create teams, networks and

relationship in the organisation (Abugre, 2011). Good organisational communication
would provide information to employees and increase their knowledge and bring about
employee satisfaction in the organisation (Ambler & Barrow, 1996). Alfes et al (2010)
identified the relationship between work performance and communication. The most
important drivers of work performance were meaningfulness of work, senior management
communication and voice, Voice represented the opportunity for the workforce to express
their views and give upward feedback. Meaningfulness of work was dependant on the
understanding the purpose of the organisation and connecting organisational aims to
jobs. Both the factors are fundamentally dependent on communication (Alfes et al, 2010).

Organisations need the commitment from staff to remain competitive and this
commitment can be achieved through communication satisfaction (Jaupi & Llaci, 2015).
Downs and Hazen, (1977) define Communication satisfaction as an individual’s level of
satisfaction in the organization regarding different aspects of communication.
Communication satisfaction of employees consists of the following, 1) communication
climate, 2) upward and downward communication in the organisation, 3) horizontal and
diagonal communication in the organisation 4) quality of media and 5) personal feedback
(Jaupi & Llaci, 2015). The SHRM research report (2014) identified that employees
consider communication as very important and regard communication as a basis of their
relationship with their peers and managers. The report further states that ‘consistent,
frequent messages promote unity and employee morale’ (SHRM, p 13, 2014).
Communication enhances the relationship in the hierarchy, networks, the managers and
the team leaders and with flexible employees, it increases the motivation and

15
performance (Abugre, 2011). According to ACC (2008), communication helps the flexible
working arrangements successful and the corporate culture better.

The satisfaction of the workforce with organisational communication practices has not
been taken into account by many researchers (Ruck & Welch, 2012). The support from
the staff, recognition of employees, adequate information about the job, the
encouragement to be enterprising and to be creative are all communication functions that
help in the satisfaction of employees (Salanova & Kirmanen 2010). Ruck & Welch, (2012)
also identified the primary communication needs of the employees. They are information
on personal and job-related matters and information on organisational decisions and an
opportunity to voice complaints. The vision and values of the organisation should be
communicated clearly to the employees and communication should be consistent and
honest for creating communication satisfaction among employees (Durkin, 2007).

The quality of communication has an impact on the success of the organisation (Ramirez,
2010). The communication satisfaction of flexible employees will lead to better
performance of the employees. Motoi (2017) identified the positive impact of well-defined
internal communication strategies on the motivation of employees. Organisations
measure the impact of communication on the metrics of retaining talent, employee
engagement, workforce productivity and business performance (Varga, 2012). The
communication satisfaction of employees and managers depends upon the mode of
communication, consistency and quality of communication exchange in the organisation
(Ramirez 2010).

Technology has made it easier to communicate globally, access information and share
large quantities of data quickly. Organisations are employing new technologies; reducing
full-time workers and employing more part-timers and flexible employees to save cost.
This gives out a negative motivation to employees and communication is the key to
keeping the employee motivation intact (Boldman & Deal, 2003). To keep the motivation
levels of flexible employees high, the internet is used to create a strong communication

16
network and motivation is a two-way communication network (Latt, 2008).
Communication clarity has become a major challenge in the technological era due to
information overload (Varga, 2012). To utilise the benefits of modern communication
technologies, there is a need for human interaction as communication is a strategic
enabler for engagement, collaboration and knowledge (Varga, 2012).

Poorly management internal communication is a threat to the development of an

organisation and is a primary cause of the institutional crisis (Motoi, 2017). According to
Opran (2018), internal communication increases employees’ awareness about the
organisation and creates a work environment favourable for the employees that motivates
them to contribute to the organisation. One of the main factors of employee satisfaction
through communication is positive feedback (Abugre, 2010b) from the superiors and the
colleagues. At e-bay the communications team use pulse survey and communication
measurement survey to measure the communication satisfaction of the employees and
find the types of communication that works in retaining employees (Varga, 2012). The e-
bay team also uses the Watson Wyatt survey to measure their results against the other
firms in the Industry (Varga, 2012).

Another important factor in employee satisfaction is the use of a participative style of

management by the leaders in the organisation (Kim, 2002). One of the main features of
a participative leadership style is it allows proper communication between leaders and
employees. For example, leaders communicate with subordinates before making
decisions, consults with subordinates when there is a problem and asks for their
suggestions (Ogbonna & Harris, 2000). Ruck and Welch (2012) noted that employees
are motivated when their managers consult them for important matters and
communication about what is going on in the organisation. Consistently, a recent study
by Obi (2018) found that respectful, charismatic and two -way communication between
leaders and employees can enhance the performance and wellbeing of employees.

17
2.5 Communication in Flexible / Network Organisations

Technology development and faster communication have given way to a new type of
organisations termed as network organisations. Fuehrer and Ashkanasy (1998) define
the network organization as “a temporary organization, consisting of independent
enterprises (organisations, companies, insti3tutions, or specialized individuals) that come
together swiftly to exploit an apparent market opportunity. Network organisations are also
called flexible firms. Jagers et al., (1997) explain that network organisations are an
identifiable group of people or organisations that use the latest communication
technologies, thereby reducing the necessity of the physical presence of employees for
the transaction of business or for doing work collaboratively to realise common objectives.
In short, a network organisation is a perspective that recognises economic competition
and goal-directed processes (Alstyne, 1997).

A flexible firm may organise work by outsourcing or subcontracting, offering options such
as part-time work, work sharing, working at home, and so on (Burrows et al., 1992:4). In
these organisations where more than half the employees are flexible employees,
communication plays a major role. According to Humphreys et al, (2000) flexible workers
are more suitable for the agility of the new form of organisations and communication is
the key to keep the flexible employees satisfied. Abugre (2011) noted that of all process
in the organisation like employee training and development, performance appraisal, the
employee welfare system, communication is the key. Communication supports the
processes within the organisation to be effective and efficient. In a network organisation,
there is an equal amount of vertical and lateral communication. The leadership in a
flexible organisation need to develop better communication methods and give access to
information and media for the employees to be satisfied (Abugre, 2011). Dissatisfaction
leads to disloyal flexible employees which leads to higher employee turnover
(Heerwagan et al, 2005). While recruiting flexible employees the organisation makes an
offer to the employee and expects contributions in return as a deal. Apart from pay and
incentives employees are looking for flexible work time and convenient workplace and
work from anywhere opportunities. This deal is called the Employee Value proposition.

18
2.6 Employee Value Proposition
Employee value proposition (EVP) is the ‘experience offered by an employer in exchange
for the productivity and performance of an employee’. (Yates & Sejen, 2011, p.7). The
employee value proposition has to appeal to the talented individuals the organisation
wants to find and keep (Chambers et al, 1998). EVP is a set of the offering provided by
the firm in return for the skills and capabilities of the employee (Browne, 2012). The brand/
face that the organisation presents to attract and retain strong performers is the EVP
(Chambers et al, 1998). It relates to the experience of the employees to the mission,
values, objectives, culture and rewards of the organisation (Aloo & Moronge, 2014). The
EVP deal is a mutual promise and obligation. The offer includes growth opportunities,
organisational support, pay and holiday entitlements, fair and transparent performance
management. The employee promises in return working hours, talents and skills and
productive work (Rayson, n.d.)

EVP articulates the array of programs, practices and work experiences that shape
employee attitudes and behaviours in the workplace. The EVP intends to define an
employment experience that rallies employees around the organization’s brand, mission
and values. The EVP captures both the employer and employee views (Towers Watson,
2010). It is important for flexible organisations to attract and retain scarce talent.
According to Browne (2012), EVP is a workforce planning strategy that is employee
centred and is informed to existing employees and the external target audience. The EVP
address the ambitions of the knowledge workforce and high performing employees which
helps to attract talented employees and help the organisation retain them. For this reason,
EVP must be talents unique, relevant and compelling (KPMG, 2013).

Organisations need to understand the importance of qualities such as salary, challenges

in work and growth opportunities in attracting talent but in new types of organisations like
network organisations, the employees are attracted to flexible scheduling, vacations and
convenient work location (Yates & Sejen, 2011). The communication of the EVP is very
important in attracting and retaining top talents and knowledge workers. Previously,
organisations would use remuneration or high salaries to attract and keep employees,

19
and to a certain degree neglecting EVP. Bell (2005) observes that while remuneration is
important, though sometimes over-emphasized compared to other elements, it is most
worthwhile to focus on non-financial factors, such as Company attractiveness,
Responsibility for corporate conduct and ethics, Respect diversity and inclusion, Work-
life balance; and Opportunities for personal and professional growth. Bell (2005), noted
that company attractiveness is the most important trait of EVP and he distinguishes
between a well-known company and a company worth working for. According to Bell
(2005), an attractive company or strongly branded companies (e.g. airlines, luxury goods,
and finance) may not necessarily mean they are better places to work. However, personal
pride and social status deriving from working for such a company can be an important
driver.

2.7 Conclusion

The challenges and opportunities in the changing work context can be fulfilled by flexible
working arrangements and employee satisfaction (Cooke, 2012). An increasing number
of organisations are employing flexible employees to achieve cost benefits, attract, screen
and select talented employees and meet job demands in a fluctuating market
environment. Flexible working arrangements have gained significant space in a modern
work environment. Modern work environment utilises modern technologies for
communication and has made flexible working arrangements easier through network
organisations. Effective communication is the key to efficient network organisation.
However, there is mixed opinion on the extent to which employees find fixed working
arrangements as attractive. When flexible working arrangements are often identified to
improve the work-life balance of employees, there are also studies that have identified
the negative impact of flexible working arrangements.

Adopting suitable human resources strategies to motivate employees is therefore crucial

to motivating employees. This chapter identified some of the main factors motivating
employees including communication, performance-based pay and positive relationship
with leaders. The key strategy of the organisation needs to be the identification of the
values that attracts talented individuals. Strong employee value proposition (EVP) of the

20
organisation allows attracting talented employees. EVP is the rewards and benefits
offered by the employer in return for the performance of the employees for the
organisation.

This chapter examined the pattern and nature of work in modern organisations,
communication strategies to attract, motivate and retain flexible employees in modern
organisations. The importance of employee value proposition for attraction and retention
of employees is also discussed. The engagement has become a central point of
discussions about employee retention and satisfaction. It is through engagement that
employees can have a “contract” with an organisation. Next chapter examines the
importance of employee engagement and the role of communication satisfaction to
enhance employee engagement.

21
 3. THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

3.1 Introduction

Organisational communication with employees, also known as internal communication

creates transparency between the management and employees and is a key factor in
employee engagement (Mishra, Boynton & Mishra, 2014). The internal communication is
the communication between the leaders of the organisation and the employees (Mishra,
Boynton, & Mishra, 2014). Employees manage their relationship with their superiors and
subordinates in the organisation through communication and internal communication
helps to manage the demands and expectations of the employees and managers (Engin
& Agkoz, 2013). Communication can be used to build relationships among employees by
supporting words with actions and creating conversations with employees (Burton, 2008).

Good internal communication with the supervisor and top management leads to
communication satisfaction (Varona, 1996). Satisfaction with internal communication
makes employees feel part of the organisation. The “most admired” companies have
realised the value of communication as they have spent three times as much on employee
communication than the “least admired” companies (Seitel, 2004). Conversations help
employees feel engaged and committed to the purpose of the organisation (Burton,
2008). Engaged employees mean better performance and direct influence on customer
behaviour and revenue growth and profitability (Towers Perrin, 2003). This chapter
specifically focuses on the role of internal communication in increasing employee
engagement in an organisation and the organisational communication strategies to
improve employee engagement.

3.2 Role of Internal Communication

Communication is one of the most important activities of an organisation (Harris & Nelson,
2008). The faster pace of work, distribution of workers in all parts of the world,
simultaneous work process among employees in various parts of the world and the
greater need for coordination and interaction among employees increases the
significance of communication (Baker, 2002). The functioning and survival of the

22
organisation are based on the relationship with its employees. Communication is
essential for coordination, socialization, problem-solving, decision-making, employee
management and change-management processes (Berger, 2008). The working of
internal teams is based on communication (Jones et al., 2004). This is because proper
internal communication improves and maintains knowledge of the human capital thereby
creating a competitive advantage for an organisation.

Internal communication is critical in the relationship building process between the

employees and the firm (Mishra et al., 2014). Internal corporate communication can be
more effective in engaging employees when it shifts from one-way communication to two-
way communication (Hayase, 2009). According to Troy (1998), an effective internal
communication increases the morale of employees, boost the relationship between the
leaders and employees, inform the employees about the changes in the organisation and
explains the benefits of the EVP to employees. Communication objectives ensure that the
message reaches the employees successfully (Newman, 2016). A study conducted by
Men (2015) found that the responsiveness and quality of internal communication by the
chief executive officer (CEO) positively enhances the employee organisation relationship.
Good internal communication allows the organisation to promote a shared vision, guide
employee attitude and behaviour and gain greater acceptance from employees (Garcia-
Carbonell, Martín-Alcázar & Sánchez-Gardey, 2016). The internal communication has to
be devised to motivate the employees (Newman, 2016).

Communication supports change efforts and motivation (Harris & Nelson, 2008). It is also
a “fundamental driver of business performance” (Gay, Mahoney & Graves, 2005, p. 11).
The performance of the employees depends on the ability of the managers to convey the
organisational goals and results to the employees (Stone, 2013). Communication is one
of the factors that strengthen the identification of the employees with the organisation and
which in turn contributes to the performance and success of the organisation (Smidts,
Pruyn & van Riel, 2001). The main role of internal communication within the organisation
is to help the employees perform better. Communication satisfaction of employees leads
to higher productivity, organisational commitment, better job performance and employee
satisfaction (Gray & Laidlaw, 2004). Internal communication adds value to intangible

23
organisational assets like a higher level of performance and service (Ruck & Welsh,
2012). Internal communication increases the productivity, morale and employee
engagement and it helps in learning, public relations and enhances quality, revenues,
earnings and market value of the organisation (Berger, 2008).

Internal communication needs to focus on information that is required by the employees

to have communication satisfaction (Ruck & Welsh, 2012). Communication technologies
and networks are essential in the structure and strategy of the organisation (Baker, 2002).
Internal communication has become easier with new technology. Technological
advancement has resulted in faster, easier and better communication. Network
organisations can effectively utilise communication under stressful circumstances to
effectively manage flexible employees and increase their engagement.

3.3 Types of internal communication

Internal communication can be classified into two. Firstly, formal communication and
informal communication. Secondly, vertical and horizontal communication. This section
presents the two main classifications of internal communication.

3.3.1 Formal and Informal Communication

Formal communication follows a set of regulations and follows the hierarchy of an

organisation (Ramirez 2010). Formal communication is in the form of paper and emails
and communication is collected, processed and distributed in traditional ways (Xu & Li,
2013). Formal communication can be predicted by looking at the organisational chart
(Ramirez, 2010). On the other hand, informal relationships are based on social
relationships and do not have a particular flow (Ramirez, 2010). Informal communication
is quite free and includes interpersonal communication through conversations,
observations and informal reports (Xu & Li, 2013). Informal communication is unavoidable
and can reveal much about employees’ morale and problems (Ramirez, 2010). Informal
communication can also take place through phone calls and listening to debates in
conferences, interactions in exhibitions (Xu & Li, 2013).

24
Good internal communication is through both formal and informal communication. Formal
communication follows the principles of the organisation for delivering and communicating
information while the informal communication reflects the communicator’s attitude,
thoughts and motivation (Xu & Li, 2013). Informal communication offers flexibility,
diversity and freedom (Xu & Li, 2013). Information that cannot be obtained through formal
communication can be obtained through informal communication.

3.3.2 Horizontal and Vertical Communication

Internal communication within an organisation can be classified based on the direction of

the flow of the conversation. Communication flow in an organisation can be upward,
downward, lateral, or diagonal (Baker, 2002). Vertical communication is upward and
downward communication (Lunenburg, 2010). The communication between people who
are not hierarchically connected and occurs diagonally across the chain of command is
called horizontal communication (Baker, 2002). There is more prevalence of downward
communication than upward communication in most organisations and downward
communication is effective when the hierarchical line is followed in the communication
process (Baker, 2002). The next section details the influence of communication on
employee engagement.

3.4 Employee Engagement

Employee engagement can be stated as the degree to which the workers are satisfied
with their job thereby resulting in improved productivity, innovation and retention
(Abraham, 2012). The investment of the physical, emotional and cognitive self in the job
is called employee engagement (Rayton & Yalabik, 2013). Sias (2005), defined engaged
employee as "an employee being intellectually and emotionally committed to a particular
job so that he or she wants to give to that job what is known as a discretionary effort" (p.
29). Engagement of an employee signifies the degree of attention and absorption of the
employees in their roles and performance (Mishra et al, 2014). In simple terms an
engaged employee is proud and excited to be the part of the organisation, is emotionally
involved and attached to the organisation (Mishra et al, 2014).

25
The traits of the engaged employee are: they are self-improving, productive, they have a
positive attitude towards the job, treats others with respect and help colleagues, know the
latest trends in the industry and can be relied upon (Hayase, 2009). CIPD (2012)
classified employee engagement into three. Firstly, there is an intellectual agreement
which is thinking about how to do the job better, secondly, there is effective engagement
which refers to having a positive feeling about the job and organisation and finally, there
is social engagement which is actively taking opportunities in work-related discussions
with others to make improvements at work. Scott & Lane (2000, p.53) observe that
employee engagement is about understanding business, creating a shared vision,
communicating mutual aims through a clear definition of the roles and expectations within
the team. Employee Engagement is related to workers presenting and absenting
themselves from work (Kahn, 1990). Kahn (1990) carried out one of the most prominent
studies in employee engagement. The study found that disengaged employees
performed roles that were automatic or effortless.

Work engagement has three dimensions, they are vigour, dedication and absorption
(Rayton & Yalabik, 2014). The first dimension vigour relates to energy, determination and
consistency in the job (Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova, 2006). The second dimension
dedication concentrates on the involvement in the job enthusiastically (Schaufeli et al,
2006). The final dimension absorption relates to high concentration on the job and lack of
awareness on the time spent on the job (Schaufeli et al, 2006). There are three
psychological conditions related to the engagement of employees (Kahn, 1990).
Psychological meaningfulness of the work, the psychological safety of the work, and
psychological availability are the three elements that result in increased employee
engagement. This model was studied by May et al, (2004) found the positive predictors
of meaningfulness, safety and availability. The positive predictors for meaningfulness
were job enrichment and role fit. The positive predictors of safety were rewarding co-
worker and supportive supervisor relations. The positive predictor for availability was the
resources in the organisation (Kular et al, 2008).

26
Engaged employees perform better at work and give a boost to organisational
performance (Grossman, 2013). Employee engagement is about retaining and building
on the commitment, energy and desire to do a good job to maximise individual and
organisational performance (MacLeod & Clarke, 2009:9). It leads to the retention of
employees and reduces turnover of employees (Stone, 2013). Bersin (2015) proposed a
model of irresistible organization that provides meaningful work, growth opportunity,
effective leadership and positive work environment that drive employee engagement.

The new generation of professional employees have different attitudes and expectations
about work and must be managed differently from previous generations of employees.
The evolution of the employee engagement concept provides an opportunity for
managers to understand and connect with today’s employees (Burke & Kocke, 2008,
p466). An engaged employee is a motivated employee who exhibits better performance
and has a strong commitment and contributes voluntarily. Engaged employees take
initiative and have strong relationships with customers and partners. Employee
engagement builds loyalty and retains talent in the organisation (Balakrishnan & Masthan,
2013). Slabbert (2008) observed that employee engagement is when the employees feel
involved and inspired when they have both an insight into the company and a sense of
being included. This motivates employees and sustains enhanced performance.

When the needs of the employee are fulfilled an employee becomes engaged (Minton-
Eversole, 2007). Hewitt (2014) identified top employee engagement drivers as the career
opportunities and advancement in the organisation, communication and pay for
performance. Other factors that drive employee engagement is the reputation of the
company, open and strong employee value proposition and respect for colleagues and
leaders (Hewitt, 2014). A study by Abraham (2012) revealed that training, welfare and
salary had no impact on employee engagement. While importance to employee
development and employee wellbeing helped employees continue in their work. High-
performance HR practices include staffing, employee mobility, training, rewards,
compensation and benefits and job design (Hartog et al, 2013). High-performance HR

27
practices concentrate on motivation, empowerment enhancement practices and
enhancing the skills and motivation of the employees leading to satisfaction and thereby
higher performance (Hartog et al, 2013). This will help employees take pride in the work
and make them take extra efforts to be more productive, to stay in the organisation, to
service the customers better and to make greater profits out of a personal sense of
commitment (Abraham, 2012). According to Antomioni (1999), “the amount of effort
people is willing to put in their work depends on the degree to which they feel their
motivational needs will be satisfied.

Individuals become de-motivated if they feel something in the organization prevents them
from attaining good outcomes (as cited in Kessa, 2015, p.11).” Quality defects,
absenteeism, reduced productivity, rework and repair costs are found in organisations
were there is employee disengagement (Cutlip, Center & Broom, 2006). Employee
disengagement caused lower productivity, greater absenteeism and a potential increase
in turnover intentions within organisations (CIPD, 2012). The retention rates of employees
were 44% higher in organisations with employee engagement (Berger, 2014). Minton-
Eversole (2007:20) purports that employee engagement has a direct impact on employee
retention. According to the Towers Watson 2012 Global Workforce study which surveyed
32,000 employees, only one-third were engaged, with two-thirds feeling unsupported,
detached or disengaged. This was coupled with a higher level of stress and long working
hours (CIPD, 2012).

Hierarchy of engagement theory by Penna (2007) is a theory of employee engagement.

The basic needs of engagement are pay and benefits. Other factors that influence
employee engagement include career advancement in the organisation and leadership
style. When all the aspirations of the employee are achieved then the employee
establishes a connection and sense of meaning at work (Marcos &Sridevi, 2010).
Maslach et al, 2001 identified six areas of work-life that lead to either burnout or
engagement. They are workload, control, rewards and recognition, community and social
support, perceived fairness and values. In the workplace, the employees associate the
workload, the value and meaningfulness of work, the emotions regarding control, the

28
awards and rewards by the management, the support from the staff and leaders and just
and fair treatment by the organisation either positively or negatively. If these factors are
positive then they lead to employee engagement (Kular et al, 2008).

Internal communication within the organisation can be strategically planned to improve

employee engagement. Engagement at work is a motivational-psychological state in
response to one’s work (Rayton & Yalabik, 2014). Communication is a way of informing
the reaction to work and leaders can understand employees’ reaction through
communication and devise strategies to engage employees (D’Aprix, 2009). Employee
engagement and communication systems are concerned with maintaining employee-
employer relationships that contribute to satisfaction, productivity, motivation, and morale
(Cruz, Firfiray & Gomez-Mejia 2011). The internal communication helps employees to
keep themselves efficient on the job as it will increase the confidence levels and
commitment of employees to the organisation (Markos & Sridevi, 2010).

A strong internal feedback system increases the engagement level of employees. Regular
surveys help the organisation find the drivers of employee engagement in the
organisation. Two-way communications between superiors and junior employees’ can be
encouraged through regular meetings. This two-way communication strengthens the
relationship between juniors and managers. This will help clarify misunderstandings, spell
out core values and goals and the meetings can be used to appreciate the achievements
of the juniors to boost their feeling of engagements (Abraham, 2012). The factors that
make the difference to the employees are to be addressed and plans that are specific,
measurable, and accountable and time-bound is to be developed (Markos & Sridevi,
2010).

Pouw (2012) identifies 5 elements that contributed to high level of employee engagement
in an organisation, namely (1) Continuous communication (monthly briefing, quarterly
updates, profiling employees and so on.) (2) Employee-engagement group (the group,
which met regularly throughout the year, consisting of employees’ representative of the

29
organization from different functions, locations and levels.) (3) Performance-management
process (finding out where the organisation needs to improve in order to enhance job
satisfaction). (4) Feedback (In an environment where open and honest communication
was promoted it was important that employees were provided with a process to help them
give feedback to their colleagues), and (5) Annual staff conference (to develop the shared
sense of ownership and accountability). The next section will deal with the strategies of
employee engagement through communication.

3.5 Influence of Internal Corporate Communication on Employee Engagement

Communication aims to maintain and preserve harmony and relationships (Gamsriegler,

2005). Mercer’s People at Work Survey (2002) identified that when communication
improved from company executives, employee engagement also improved. Employee
engagement as crucial in strengthening the relationship between employees and
management (Ruck, 2012). Various studies have stressed the importance of corporate
communication on employee engagement (Tourish & Hargie, 2009). Wyatt (2007) noted
that effective communication had four times effect on employee engagement. The CIPD
(2006) survey of 2000 employees in the UK found that the key to employee engagement
is communication. Opportunity for upward communication through views and opinions
and communication by the management is the most important factor for employee
engagement (CIPD, 2006). The direct communication has a significantly higher influence
on employee engagement than the emails, slogans, and ad campaigns that inform
employees about the activities in the organisation (Stone, 2013).

Internal corporate communication should be “clear, consistent and continuous in building

employee engagement” (Marques 2010, p. 55). Tavakoli, (2015) identified three key
factors for employee engagement that can be achieved through communication. Firstly,
the employee has to be satisfied with the immediate supervisor. Honest and open
communication by the supervisor will lead to an engaged and dynamic team. The
supervisor has to encourage, appreciate and provide feedback to the employees.
Secondly, the employee should be satisfied with senior management. The communication
of the leaders about the goals of the organisation to all employees’ increases the

30
confidence of employees. Thirdly the communication of the vision and values of the
company helps the employees understand the organisation and take pride in the
organisation. The communication should be two way, open and honest for it to engage
the employees (Tavakoli, 2015).

Effective communication builds trust and leads to employee engagement and is a

characteristic of a strong, viable organization (Grates, 2008). Communicating too little
causes speculation and distrust among employees while information overload causes the
information to be ignored (White, Vanc & Stafford, 2008). Striking a balance while
communicating is very important (White et al., 2008). Conveying a large amount of
information does not equate to conveying the right information (White et al., 2008).
Information adequacy is the measure of the relationship between the required information
and information conveyed and measures the effective communication of the firm (White
et al, 2008). Ineffective communication leads to employee disengagement and this
disengagement leads to loss in productivity and high employee turnover rates thereby
costing billions of dollar loss (Raney & Patel, 2014). The SIS International research found
that ineffective employer-employee communications in organisations with around 100
employees will cost the organisations $525,000 annually (Hackbarth, 2013). The next
section will explain the ways of employee engagement.

3.6 Engaging employees through communication

Employee engagement can be built through two-way communications. This involves

managers giving information/ instruction to employees and obtaining feedback from
employees (Grossman, 2013). When employees know how much their contribution has
influenced the results of the organisation they feel like a part of the organisation (Stone,
2013). Creating a motivational culture is a strategy for employee engagement. In this
culture, the leaders create a culture where the engaged employees motivate each other
and this results in high performance as a team (Kelleher, 2015). Rewards and recognition
are also offered to keep employees engaged (Kelleher, 2015). But in a winning
organisation, the leaders track progress through communication by conversing with their

31
employees about how they are performing, what their role in the organisation is and what
is that they should achieve (Kelleher, 2015).

Organisations need to tread carefully when communicating to ensure that their

communication is well received and perceived within the network organisations. The
managers and leaders need to connect with the internal stakeholders through effective
communication which includes learning the native language of the employees and
discussing key issues with the employees (Stone, 2013). If well executed, communication
satisfaction of employees could lead more work commitment, higher productivity and job
satisfaction. Employee engagement of an individual is higher by 20-50 when employees
receive quality communication that is necessary for completing a job on time (Boyett &
Boyett, 1998). Improved communication effectiveness lead to a 29.5% rise in market
value (Wyatt, 2004).

A robust communication plan which is clear, consistent and transparent is required to

have a successful employee engagement in the organisation (Kelleher, 2015). The
modern work environment is characterised with communication through instant
messages, emails, conference calls, laptops, virtual networks and smartphones (Bersin,
2015). Focus groups are another strategy employed for employee engagement to identify
problems and receive suggestions for improvement. The focus groups like surveys give
detailed information and specifics to take actions and implement programs for employee
engagement (custom insight, 2016).

A supportive organisational environment is a driver of employee engagement. Locus of

control, work-family balance and stress are all a part of the workplace. The HR policies
of a firm must allow for supportive work environments in the firm, and flexibility of
schedules or workload (Richman et al, 2012). Supportive work environments include
matching the person to the job, cheerful and happy co-workers and managers making the
employee feel valuable in the organisation (Proctor, 2014). When the managers
communicate effectively the employees feel valued and have overall job satisfaction
(Proctor, 2014). According to WorldatWork survey (2009), flexible workers report

32
disconnects and lower job satisfaction as managers do not communicate the same way
with flexible workers as they do with employees who are in the office every day (Proctor,
2014). Ensuring that supervisors are communicated directly for inputs and informed about
organizational issues/changes before staff and allowing them to communicate to staff
reinforced their power position. This leads to the employees having greater trust in the
supervisor and having communication satisfaction (Baker, 2002).

3.7 Conclusion

Proper communication with employees is crucial in enhancing employee engagement.

Engaged employees are an asset to the organisation due to significant benefits to the
organisation in the form of increased productivity, revenue and customer satisfaction.
Engaged employees have a positive attitude towards work and are committed to
enhancing individual and organisational performance. There are different types of
organisational communication. They are Formal and informal communication and
horizontal and vertical communication. Strategically planning different forms of
communication can maintain good employer-employee relationship and ensure that the
employees are engaged. The main characteristics of effective communication that leads
to employee engagement are continues communication, two-way communication,
feedback and performance management process. Continuous and clear internal
communication allows building employee engagement

Organisations aiming to enhance worker productivity and employee engagement need to

build a strong communication culture within the organisation. Proper communication
makes employees feel that they are a major part of the organisation and motivate them
towards achieving the organisational objectives. Considering the benefit of
communication on employee engagement, an organisation need to adopt strategies to
enhance employee communication satisfaction in the organisation. When the employee
has communication satisfaction, it improves work satisfaction, motivation, efficiency and
performance of employees and thereby leads to employee engagement. The next chapter
will deal with communication satisfaction of employees and how communication

33
satisfaction leads to employee orientation, talent retention and organisational
commitment.

34
 4. ENGAGING FLEXIBLE EMPLOYEES THROUGH
COMMUNICATION

4.1 Introduction

The nature of work has changed and so has the employee work contract (Bersin, 2015).
A talented workforce is one of the major assets of a company (Kessa, 2015). Flexible
workings have become an effective solution in the modern business environment facing
skill shortage. The flexible working contract allows economies around the world to use
the talent of women as well and help boost economic performance by using their skills
and capacity in the labour market (Silim & Stirling, 2014). Flexible working improves the
efficiency of the employees and helps them attend to family commitments, take care of
their health and give them good income (Danielson et al, 2000). When flexible working is
allowed, it improves organisational commitment, employee performance and higher job
satisfaction while reducing absenteeism and employee turnover (Shagvaliyeva &
Yazdanifard, 2014). The job satisfaction of flexible workers has been the focus of many
research.

There are mixed findings on the job satisfaction of flexible workers. While some studies
find no significant differences in job satisfaction based on the nature of the contract of the
employees (Green, Kler & Leeves, 2009; De Cyper & De Wittte, 2006), some studies
identified that certain aspects of flexible employment has a detrimental effect on the job
satisfaction of flexible workers (Origo & Pagani, 2006; Green & Heywood, 2007). The
main disadvantages of flexible working include difficulty in supervision and coordinating
meetings, group activities and overtime legislation (Danielson et al, 2000). The flexible
contract with highly skilled employees is noted to have a detrimental impact on job
satisfaction mainly due to the perceived lack of communication, voluntariness and job
insecurity.

Communication Satisfaction in the workplace has been defined as satisfaction with

various aspects of the communication that occurs in the organization, such as the volume
and quality of information available that for clarifying clarifies work tasks (Crino & White,
1981). Organisations require developing a clear perspective on the factors that engage

35
employees to attract and retain talent (Towers Watson, 2014). Considering the
significance of communication on the satisfaction of flexible employee this chapter
discusses the communication satisfaction for the flexible employees and the strategies to
attract and retain the talented flexible employees with effective communication strategies.

Various studies examining the importance of communication on organizational success

have shown communication satisfaction to be positively associated with employees’ job
satisfaction and motivation (Joshi & Sharma, 1997), job performance (Gruneberg, 1979),
productivity (Clampit & Downs, 1993), organisational commitment (Puttiet al.,1990), and
employee engagement (Hayase, 2009). Internal communication and communication
satisfaction are two factors that affect the organisational commitment of employees
(Engin & Agkoz, 2013). Communication satisfaction is important for engagement of
employees because when important issues cannot be raised or escalated to their
superiors then it leads to unhealthy organisational relationships and less organisational
commitment (Negewo, 2014). Researching about communication satisfaction of flexible
employees will provide the researcher with a comprehensive theoretically grounded
framework to measure the relationship between employee engagement and
communication satisfaction. This chapter discusses the communication satisfaction for
the flexible employees and the strategies to attract and retain the talented flexible
employees within the organisation.

4.2 Employee Engagement and Communication Satisfaction among Flexible

Employees

Flexibility is one factor that attracts and retains talent in the organisation. This is because
flexibility solutions are positively associated with job satisfaction and employee
engagement. A survey by Randstat (2008) established that one of the top three benefits
that contribute to employee engagement at work is flexible working hours as it created
“happiness at the workplace” (Pitt-Catsouphes, Matz-Costa, & Besen, 2009). In the same
study, more than 40% of the employees indicated that flexible work hours and increased
paid time off are important benefits, just after competitive pay and health insurance (Pitt-
Catsouphes et al., 2009). Flexibility in the workplace is one of the key requirements of
employees to be engaged.

36
Engaged employees are oriented towards work which boosts performance and reduces
turnover. Reduced turnover of employees saves direct costs of recruitment and indirect
cost of training and development and employee morale (Kessa, 2015). It also improves
the efficiency and effectiveness of the employees in the organisation (Richman et al,
2008). According to Scarlett survey, employee engagement is “a measurable degree of
an employee’s positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and
organization, that profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at work”
(Celayix, 2013).

Employee engagement is an emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement

in the organization which leads to organisational commitment. Organisational
commitment is the prelude to employee engagement. Employee engagement can be
achieved when the firm views employees as partners and recognises and caters their
needs. There are different ways through which employees can be engaged. Flexibility at
work is only one component to ensure employee engagement. According to Spector
(2003), some employees are motivated with tangible factors like pay and benefits and
some with intangible factors like achievement and recognition. Ponn-kekana et al. (2005)
identified that the main causes of employees leaving the organisation includes lack of
promotion, insufficient pay, work overload, lack of recognition, job insecurity and lack of
training and development.

Positive engagement of employees is beneficial to the organisation because it increases

employees' willingness to learn and perform at work. Employee engagement takes place
when the employees’ expectations about the job are met and the employees see him/ her
fitting in the organisation (Eisenberger et al, 1986). Employees expect organizational
justice and support (Richman et al, 2012). When all the expectations of the employees
are met by the employer, then the employee becomes engaged. Vance (2006, p.6)
identified ten factors that influence employee engagement. They are pride in employer,

37
satisfaction with employer, job satisfaction, opportunity to perform well at challenging
work, recognition and positive feedback for one’s contributions, personal support from
one’s supervisor, effort above and beyond the minimum, understanding the link between
one’s job and the organisation’s mission, prospects for future growth with one’s employer
and intention to stay with one’s employer. The communication satisfaction of flexible
employees is one of the key ways to keep flexible employees engaged.

Higher levels of engagement are found when the employees feel that the organisation
cares and supports for them (Kular et al, 2008) and communication demonstrates caring
and support. The employees expect communication in the organisation to be trustworthy
and credible, accurate, transparent and also want communication of organizational goals,
organisational changes and other relevant issues through various channels on time
(Hayase, 2009). The organisation needs to ensure that flexible employees know what
roles they play in the organisation and their fit in the organisation (Krishnan & Wesley,
2013). This engagement of flexible employees can happen through communication.
Effective Communications has to be strategic and purposeful for it to be well received and
perceived by flexible employees (Krishnan & Wesley, 2013). Communications with
flexible workers have to be a serious consideration for organisations (Proctor, 2014).

The social relationships at work in network organisations are defined by the strength of
the network centralization and HR managers act as the main bridge between HR and line
managers. In international organisations, the communication pattern needs to consider
local cultural variables, such as power distance and collectivism-individualism should be
taken into account for increased employee engagement (Frenkel et al, 2012).

Management needs to ensure that the mission and vision of the organisation are
communicated to the employees through proper communication strategies so that they

38
feel that they are important and being cherished by the organization (Krishnan & Wesley,
2013). Effective communication of the corporate mission, vision, strategy, goals, and
objectives leads to employee engagement and organisational commitment (Walker,
2012). Long term strategies should be planned to make people as the primary source of
competitive advantage. Employee engagement helps the organisation through the
employees’ involvement in new ideas, innovation and employee retention (Ghansah,
2011). According to Wyatt, (2006) communication is an important factor that can create
a positive influence on employee engagement.

The communication methods employed by the firm drives the engagement of employees
(Holwerda, 2006). Employee engagement is reported to be higher when the frequency of
communication from senior management and the supervisors to the employees is high.
Effective communication increases the satisfaction of the staff which in turn leads to
increased productivity (Gaither, 2012). Good communication in an organisation has the
power to keep employees engaged and make the organisation highly successful
(McMahon, 2014). Keeping employees engaged increases customer satisfaction thereby
resulting in customer loyalty, higher growth and increased profitability (Gaither, 2012).
Employee engagement through communication increases with HR related support
(Frenkel, Sanders & Bednall, 2012).

The employer can communicate the benefits of the job to the employee through the
employee value proposition (EVP). EVP describes what the employees receive in turn for
their contribution to the organisation. It communicates more than pay and benefits and
also incorporates the mission, values and goals of the organisation. The culture of the
organisation with career and development opportunities are also communicated through
EVP. In short, it conveys the employment experience an individual can expect from the
organisation (Towers Watson, 2011). EVP is one of the key communications presented
to the employee that helps in employee engagement. The effectiveness of the EVP in

39
achieving employee engagement depends on internal communication satisfaction
(Blacknell, 2011).

Communication satisfaction refers to the "socioemotional outcome that captures peoples’

sense of fulfilment from communication interactions (Çelik Örücü & Er, 2017 p144)”.
Down and Hazen (1977) developed an eight-dimensional model to measure the
multidimensional nature of communication satisfaction. The eight dimensions of
communication satisfaction are organisational perspective, personal feedback,
organisational integration, supervisory communication, communication climate,
horizontal communication, media quality, subordinate communication. Communication
climate refers to the extent of communication within the organisation level that motivates
employees to achieve the organisational goals and objectives and the extent to which it
allows employees to identify themselves as a part of the organisation (Down & Hazen,
1977). Supervisory communication refers to communication between supervisors and
subordinates. Effectiveness of supervisor communication depends on the supervisors'
openness to ideas, extends to which supervisor listen and gives attention to the
employees and the guidance offered to employees in matters related to work.

Organisational integration refers to the information that employees receive from their
immediate work environment including work plans, department plans and personal news,
media quality refers to the quality of the formal meeting whether it is organisation, short
and clear written directive. Subordinate communication refers to informal communication
within the organisation. Organisational perspective refers to the information and
communication for the organisation as a whole such as financial information and overall
policies and goals of the organisation. Personal feedback refers to the employees' needs
to know how employee performance is measured and appraised.

40
Organisational communication satisfaction involves an individual’s satisfaction with
various aspects of the communication occurring in the organization such as
communication climate, supervisory communication, organizational integration, media
quality, horizontal and informal communication, organizational perspective, relationship
with subordinates and personal feedback (Abdullah & Hui, 2014; Crino & White (1981;
Downs & Hazen 1977)). Putti et al., (1990) identified that organisational members’
communication satisfaction is associated with the amount of information available to
them, which could enhance their commitment to the organisation. In other words, there
are several aspects of communication that leads to satisfaction of employees mainly
communication climate, supervisory communication and organizational integration.

One of the most important communication problems in flexible workplaces is the failure
to communicate to all employees. Some employees think they are intentionally being
"kept in the dark" when the information is not effectively communicated, and the
information passed affects them and (Krishnan & Wesley, 2013). In a study conducted by
Ipsos, (2012) found that internal communication in organisations in Canada is not
satisfactory to more than half the employees and only half the employees think upward
communication is listened by the companies. The communications in the team are
satisfactory but most employees want improvement in communication (Ipsos, 2012). The
communication failures are costly for the organisation due to the loss of trust from the
employees and loss of productivity (Krishnan & Wesley, 2013).

The organisation should commit itself to proactive communication and not just reactive
communication to the employees (Krishnan & Wesley, 2013). Effective communication to
increase the engagement of flexible employees can be achieved through activities such
as holding regular staff meetings, conducting one-on-one meetings, keeping an open-
door policy, regularly updating memos and distributing all issues in writing (McQuerrey,
2016). This will lead to standards and benchmarks which will improve the communication

41
satisfaction of the employees and thus lead to higher employee engagement level
(Krishnan& Wesley, 2013).

4.3 Communication Satisfaction: Crucial for Job Satisfaction and Employee

retention

Communication satisfaction refers to the degree of satisfaction an employee has on the

total communication system in an organisation (Nakra, 2006, p41). It is also referred to
as the employees’ satisfaction with various communication practices with an organisation
(Clampitt & Girard, 1993, p84). Communication satisfaction covers the communication
within and between departments, feedback between managers and employees,
horizontal and vertical communication, personal communication and work-related
communication (Engin & Akgoz, 2013). The study conducted by Engin and Akgoz, (2013)
examined the influence of communication satisfaction on the job satisfaction level of
employees. The study found that a good communication structure within the organisation
enhances the job satisfaction of employees. 15% of the employees participated in the
study said that their job satisfaction has increased with good communication structure,
while 85% of the participants stated that their job satisfaction has remained the same.
Job satisfaction refers to the "pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of
one’s job as achieving or facilitating the achievement of one’s job values (Locke, 1976,
p1342)”.

Highly skilled flexible employees are a major source of organisational productivity and
critical for better organisational performance. This group of workers are also referred to
as entreployee since they are highly qualified workers who are entrepreneurs and
voluntarily decide on which organisations they work. Since highly skilled flexible workers
are critical for the organisation, their job satisfaction is an important concern for
organisations since lack of job satisfaction may lead to turnover of flexible workers
(Wilkens & Nermerich, 2011). Several studies have identified a strong correlation
between job satisfaction and employee retention (Kotze & Roodt, 2005; Luthans, 1998).

42
There is a strong negative correlation between job satisfaction and employee turnover.
This means that satisfied employees have a greater chance to stay while dissatisfied
employees have greater chance to leave (Amah, 2009). Good communication structure
is an important attribute of an employer of choice (EoC) status. Job satisfaction and
employee retention are high in organisations which are ranked employer of choice (EoC).
According to Agyeman, Ponniah, (2014), good communication can create qualities such
as loyalty, trust, attachment and commitment among employees which can directly
influence employee retention. Consistently, Engin and Akgoz (2013) found that
communication satisfaction among the employees positively influences the employees'
commitment to the organisation thereby consequently increasing job satisfaction and
reducing employee turnover.

Employee retention is a major challenge for employers in South Africa due to the
oversupply of unskilled labours and undersupply of skilled labours (Kotze & Roodt, 2005).
Flexible employment option for a skilled workforce is a strategy developed by
organisations to obtain a talented workforce to boost organisational productivity. The
flexible employment rates among the highly qualified workers have increased significantly
over the last 10 years with the highly skilled flexible employees representing 33.6% of the
workforce in the EU. However, the turnover for flexible employees is a major concern
since the turnover rate of flexible employees is considered above the turnover rate of
regular employees (Kotze & Roodt, 2005). In the current 'war for talent', employers need
to adopt strategies to attract and retain a talented workforce. Several studies have
identified factors or attributes that influence a talented workforce to either 'stay or leave'
an organisation (Kotze & Roodt, 2005; Luthans, 1998).

4.4 Communication Satisfaction for Flexible Employees

Communication is an organisational strategy for success as it enables leaders to facilitate

a strong and trusting relationship with employees (Sharma & Bajpai, 2010). It is the key
to organisational information for flexible workers (Danielson et al, 2000). Effective
organisational communication results in communication satisfaction (Pavitt, 1999). Gray

43
& Laidlaw (2004) stated that increased flow of information results in employee’s
communication satisfaction and insufficient communication leads to underachievement.
Effective communication can improve the overall organisational performance,
achievement of organisational goals (Danielson et al, 2000) and motivates employees to
perform beyond expectations (Alsayed, Motaghi & Osman, 2012). Employees who
experience low levels of communication satisfaction tend to show reduced commitment,
greater absenteeism, increased industrial unrest, high turnover, and reduced productivity
(Hargie & Tourish, 2002).

Communication satisfaction is important to flexible workers as organisations need to

attract and retain them. Thus, to improve the productivity and commitment of the flexible
employees’ organisations should focus on improving communication satisfaction. Today’s
organisations need to ensure that their flexible employees are communicated
satisfactorily with the view of getting them committed to the job, working better and faster.
With an emphasis on supervision, the research conducted by Pincus’s (1986) indicated
that supervisors’ communication behaviours have an important influence on the job and
communication satisfaction of subordinates. Two-way communication between
employees and supervisors is essential for flexible arrangements to work. Gray and
Laidlaw (2002) suggested that training programmes arranged for supervisors for open
communication with subordinates can improve the communication between supervisors
and subordinates. Walther (1988) conducted a study to examine communication
satisfaction in a bank and subsequently compared the communication satisfaction of full-
time employees with that of part-time employees. The study indicated that part-time
employees were less satisfied with the information they received. Walther (1988)
concluded that it is necessary to ensure that banking organisations adopt strategies to
ensure that the messages reach part-time employees more effectively, especially since
this industry relies on part-time labour to a growing extent. One possible cause of reduced
communication to part-time employees can be due to the limited time spent by part-time
employees in an organisation when compared to the full-time employees and reduced
chances to interact like full-time employees (Walther, 1988).

44
A decade ago part-time employees or flexible employees mainly engaged in informal,
irregular work and were not a part of senior positions in organisations but now many
senior positions are held by flexible employees (Delsen, 1998). Unlike in the past, part-
time employees make essential contributions to the organisations they work for by holding
a significant position in organisations (Gray & Laidlaw, 2002). A study by Gray & Laidlaw,
2002 on part-timers in an Australian supermarket showed that part-timers are not
encouraged to communicate upwards to their supervisors but they are encouraged to
communicate downwards to their staff. The part-timers were less satisfied with the level
of communication, content and flow of the information, the medium of communication and
personal feedback. Gray and Laidlaw further suggested that part-timers should be given
the same information as full-time workers for communication satisfaction. Essentially
communication satisfaction is as important for part-time or flexible workers as it is for full-
time workers. Communication satisfaction of the employees will enhance their
performance, organisational commitment, job satisfaction and retain them in the
organisation. The next section will enumerate the importance of talent retention in the
organisation.

4.5 Talent Retention

Employee retention as a ‘voluntary move by the organisation to create an environment

which engages employees for long term (Samuel & Chipunza, 2009, p 411). Retention
can be described as the things that an employer does to make productive and qualified
employees stay in the organisation (Schuler & Jackson, 2006). Retention of employees
is necessary because the competitive advantage is dependent on the special skills and
knowledge of the employees (Mayfield & Mayfield, 2008). Retention prevents the loss of
talented workforce as it can adversely affect the productivity and turnover of the firm
(Samuel & Chipunza, 2009).

Talent retention is important to the organisation since an average company loses one
million dollars for every 10 employees leaving the managerial cadre (Fitz-enz, 1997). The
economic impact to the organisation on turnover includes direct costs like pay and
benefits and indirect costs like training and development and loss of knowledge (Ramlall,

45
2003). Organisations have to create an environment where employees are willing to stay
(Harris, 2000). Walker (2001) identified seven factors for employee retention. They are
compensation and appreciation for work performed, challenges in work, career
advancement opportunities, good work environment, a good relationship with colleagues,
good work life balance and good communications (Das & Baruah, 2013). The retention
of employees helps sustain competitive advantage and meet the needs of the customers
(Ramlall, 2003). According to Newton (2008, p62), before the company can begin to
formulate a plan that will persuade potential employees to come and work for the
company, or their current employees to stay with the company, management needs to
understand the needs and expectations of employees. The needs and expectations of
employees go beyond financial compensation.

Employees expect benefits and these benefits include parental/family leave, life
insurance, retirement/pension, employee assistance programs, and vacations (Ghansah,
2011). When the employees are compensated on the work they do, they expect incentive
pay systems like merit pay, gain sharing, profit sharing, Employee Stock Ownership Plans
(ESOPs), skill-based pay and bonus plans (Ghansah, 2011). Employees regard to
reward and recognition as a motivating factor for retention. These rewards and awards
include an employee of the month awards, company-sponsored sports teams, company
parties, prizes and clothing. Other expectations include training, development and career
planning, employee orientation, physical work environment including safety, ergonomics,
and health practices including fitness, diet and organizational culture, a sense of control
over one’s work and work-family balance (Ghansah, 2011). But the basic building block
to all these expectations is proper communication.

Good and open communication as a part of the culture of the organisation helps in
employee retention (Ghansah, 2011). Employee communication is responsible for an
employee’s desire to continue in or leave an organisation (Burton, 2006). Higher
communication satisfaction leads to higher levels of employee retention (Mayhew, 2016).
When the quality of internal communication improves the employees commit the
organisation, it eventually results in employee retention (Balakrishnan & Masthan, 2013).

46
When there is communication satisfaction, the employees' find work as an enjoyable and
fulfilling experience (Down & Hazen, 1997). Sharing information and goals with
employees through effective communication will help employees achieve new standards
of excellence (Harter, Schmidt & Hayes, 2002). Scheduling regular staff meetings,
encouraging feedback from employees and complementing employees can create
communication paths that lead to employee retention. According to Mayhew, (2016)
employees' realisation that the organisation values their skills and commitment and
appreciates their service to the organisation increases retention. Employee retention
happens when there is effective communication, employee participation in decision
making and employees understanding of the employer’s goals and values (Ghansah,
2011).

Higher levels of communication lead to higher levels of employee engagement which

results in employee retention (Richman et al, 2008). According to Muchinsky (1977)
attentiveness, responsiveness, and openness of communications by the management
during difficult circumstances are elements that enable high retention of employees
(Ghansah, 2013). The demand for work can be reduced by flexible workplace and this
will reduce work-life conflict (Richman et al, 2008). Knowledge workers are scarce
resources who give a competitive advantage to organisations. So talent retention has
become necessary. Due to family commitments, employees require flexibility in the
workplace. Organisations need to engage with flexible employees to retain them.

The theory of organizational equilibrium by March & Simon (1958) is a theory that explains
employee retention. This theory states that an individual will stay with the organisation as
long as they are satisfied with the pay, working conditions, developmental opportunities
and they feel that the compensation is equal to or greater than the contributions made by
them to the organisation. But a person also evaluates their current position to alternate
positions outside the organisation and makes judgements on their desire to work (Allen,
2008). Comprehensive Voluntary Turnover Model suggests that specific turnover drivers
affect key job attitudes like satisfaction affects the commitment. Low satisfaction leads to
job searching, thoughts of quitting and comparing with other jobs and leaving the

47
organisation. When employees intend to quit, it is difficult to keep them satisfied and retain
them in the organisation. In such cases, the employers focus their retention efforts on one
particular group of employees such as star performers, high-demand workers, workers
with or hard-to-replace skills (Allen, 2008).

4.6 Employee orientation

The success of an organisation depends on the understanding of the objectives and

internalisation by the employees. In the modern work environment, communication is
necessary for employees' to adapt and familiarize with the job, the workgroup and the
organisation (Sarpong, 2012). Strategic employee orientation aims to involve employees
in decision making, supports flexible working, inventory control, continuous improvement
and proactiveness in the organisation (Parker, Wall and Jackson, 1997). In traditional
organisations, employees were introduced to the rules and regulations, organization’s
structure, history, and benefits (Sarpong, 2012). In the progressive approach, the
communication about the values and vision of the organisation is considered important to
integrate employees’ into the organization’s structure (Sarpong, 2012).

Employee oriented firms perform better financially than firms that are not employee
oriented (Sarpong, 2012). In the case of flexible employees, the appropriate training and
communication along with implementing new process and technology will help in
employee orientation (Hayes, Wheelwright, & Clark, 1988). The employee orientation for
flexible workers has to be done with persuasive communication (Fishbein & Azjen, 1975)
which enables flexible employees to define their work roles (Parker et al, 1975). Broader
and proactive roles of the flexible employees help them recognise the importance of their
work and knowledge (Parker et al, 1997).

Employees when oriented towards their roles in the organisation instead of their jobs they
will be better motivated. Desphande (1999) found that the communication of values and
vision of the organisation through employee orientation cultivate shared values and
beliefs among the employees resulting in competitive advantage, decreased costs and
increased profits (Sarpong, 2012). According to Bennett (2001) an employee expects
three types of orientation, they are instrumental orientation which is a desire for economic

48
and material ends from work, together with security, relational orientation which is
regarding the social need or interpersonal relationships and the personal growth
orientation which deals with self-development and the use of skills (Sarpong, 2012).

Davis and Wacker (1987) introduced the concept of role orientation where they stressed
the importance of roles of employees over the jobs. Broader and proactive roles of the
flexible employees help them recognise the importance of their work and knowledge
(Parker et al, 1997). "In a narrow 'job description sense,' one's job is a particular task
assignment that may change daily; in a broad 'role' sense, one's job is to help carry out
the responsibilities assigned to the team, to participate in team decisions, to cross-train,
and to use one's judgment to contribute to the team's productivity, maintenance, and
development" (Davis & Wacker, 1987, p433).

The employees will develop role orientation only if they have autonomy over their work or
have flexibility in the workplace (Parker et al, 1997). Bratton (1993, p398) suggested that
the management should "treat employees as a valued asset rather than a variable cost,
see training and development as an asset and high trust employment relations as
prerequisites to recruit and retain an effective and committed workforce" (as cited in
Parker, Wall and Jackson, 1997, p 901). The employees when oriented towards their
roles in the organisation instead of their jobs they will be better motivated. These role
oriented employees are named as entreployees.

An entreployee is a new type of flexible employees characterized with increased pressure

to (1) self-control/self-organization, (2) self-commercialization, and (3) self-rationalization.
The entreployees are self-motivated, flexible, aggressive, responsible and highly capable
(Hoge, 2011). Entreployees strive for challenges and they aspire to perform well, they
also seek out for jobs with opportunities for personal development and independence.
The need for security and continuity is very low for entreployees as long as their career
advancement opportunities with the firm are good. They are also working centric and do
not divide a line between personal and work life (Hoge, 2011). These employees are an
asset to the organisation if they are retained.

49
4.7 Employee commitment

Employee commitment can be described as the willingness to stay in the organisation

(Amanambu, 2013). Employee commitment is a top priority and is an important factor in
the competitiveness and sustainability of the organisations (Coetzee, Oosthuizen &
Stoltz, 2014). The motivation to stay or leave depends on the support received in the
organisation. The study by Zhen (2013) found a positive relationship between
organizational commitment and communication satisfaction. Employee commitment
depends mainly on three factors, one is job satisfaction, second is the Organisational
Climate and the third is the Employee Wellbeing (Kotze & Roodt, 2005). The elements of
communication satisfaction were media quality, communication climate, personal
feedback and organizational integration. The factors that motivate an employee to stay in
the organisation include job security, compensation and rewards, training and
developments, work environment, supervisor support culture and organisation justice
(Agyeman & Ponniah, 2014).

The employee commitment can be explained with the help of Veldsman model (2003).
According to this model, an employee has his or her views about the organisation and the
job satisfaction, organisational culture and climate and employee well-being determine
their propensity to stay or leave (Kotze & Roodt, 2005). Veldman employee commitment
model allows examining the factors that influence employee retention. According to the
Veldman's employee commitment model the organisational climate and culture, job
satisfaction and employee wellbeing as the main factors that affect the employee's
propensity to stay or leave in an organisation (Veldman, 2003). In the Veldman employee
commitment model, the component of communication is associated with job satisfaction
and employee wellbeing.

Employee commitment and retention depend on the job satisfaction of the employees
and the changes in attitude and behaviour of employees towards their work and
relationships at work (Usha & Palanivelu, 2015). Veldsman takes two factors into account
when measuring the employees’ propensity to stay or leave and they are individual's
mobility and prevailing market conditions (Kotze & Roodt, 2005). The individuals’ mobility

50
is the ability of the individual to find alternative employment and the market conditions are
the prevailing economic climate and the demand and supply of labour (Kotze & Roodt,
2005).

Employee commitment can be classified into affective commitment (AC), normative

commitment (NC), and continuance (CC) commitment (Meyer & Maltin, 2010). The
emotional ties of the employee with the organisation determine the Affective Commitment,
the perceived obligation of the employees on the organisation determines the Normative
Commitment and the cost of leaving the organisation (economic and social) determines
the Continuance Commitment (Jaros, 2007). The desire need and obligation to remain in
the organisation are the three components of organisational commitment (McMahon,
2007).

Job satisfaction and employee commitment depend on financial factors and non- financial
factors (Usha & Palanivelu, 2015). Financial factors are the equal or competitive pay
package and non-financial factors include job content, training, flexible work
arrangements, working conditions and career development (Shakeel and Butt, 2015).
Other factors that help in organisational commitment include Job involvement, Job
embeddedness, communication satisfaction, a perceived fit of the employee in the
organisation, and the perceived opportunity loss of the employee if he moves to another
organisation (Shakeel & Butt, 2015).

Good communication within an organisation boost strong relation between employees

and has a profound effect on the emotional well-being of employees (Kotze & Roodt,
2005). Thus, communication increases employees’ propensity to stay in an organisation.
In term of job satisfaction, insufficient information and poor communication are
detrimental to job satisfaction. Asymmetrical information and poor communication can
adversely affect the performance appraisal and reward system within an organisation
(Kotze & Roodt, 2005). For example, poor communication structure can result in the
manager's unable to identify productive and non-productive employees, giving credit for
success to the wrong employees resulting in poor performance appraisal and reward

51
system. This can adversely affect employee satisfaction in the workplace. Furthermore,
poor communication can lead to a lack of direction and poor goal congruence.

A growing number of organizations are employing part-time, temporary and contract

workers and these employees make a lot of economic, social and psychological sacrifices
when they move to other organisations (Jaros, 2007). These flexible employees need to
have fulfilled work and communication satisfaction that leads to a positive state of mind
characterized by absorption, dedication and vigour (Ortiz & Lau, 2011). Communication
satisfaction is essential for the organisational commitment of the employee.

4.8 Conclusion

Employees are the most important assets of the organisation. Achievement of the
organisational goals requires sufficient focus on effective employee communication.
Effective communication leads to high employee productivity level, improved employee
engagement and increased organisational profitability. Employee engagement increases
employee commitment and willingness to work for the organisation. Therefore, identifying
strategies to improve employee engagement is the top priority of organisations. This
chapter mainly examined the different forms of communication and the importance of
communication satisfaction for employee engagement.

Frequent communication with the management and supervisors, clear communication of

the mission, vision and goals of the organisation, two-way communication,
communication climate, supervisory communication, organizational integration, media
quality, horizontal and informal communication, organizational perspective, relationship
with subordinates and personal feedback leads to communication satisfaction.
Communication failure is a major cost to the organisation as it leads to lost productivity
and poor performance. Therefore, organisations need to implement effective strategies
to ensure job satisfaction and retain talented employees. organisations struggling with the
loss of skilled employees need to enhance the communication culture within the
organisation.

52
Communication satisfaction is essential for flexible workers as insufficient communication
is the main cause of underachievement of flexible employees. Improving the supervisor
communication behaviour, two-way communication and providing adequate information
to flexible workers can increase retention of talented flexible workers. Good
communication is also identified to enable employees to effectively integrate with the
organisation. The orientation of flexible workers can be effectively done through proper
communication. Thus, effective communication is crucial in a flexible work environment
for employee engagement, talent retention, employee orientation, satisfaction and
commitment.

53
 5. METHODOLOGY

A single case study research is used to examine the role of communication satisfaction
on the engagement of flexible employees in a network type organisation. The single case
selected for the research South African Broadcasting Corporation. SABC is a network
type organisation employing flexible employees and is currently to reduce turnover and
increase the engagement and productivity of flexible employees (Redmond, 2007; SABC,
2013; Matlala, 2012). Hence SABC is a suitable case to examine the role of
communication satisfaction on turnover intention and engagement of flexible employees.
A combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection is used for the case study.
The qualitative data is collected through semi-structured face to face interviews and the
quantitative data is collected through surveys. This chapter explains the research design
and methods used to answer the research problem along with the justifications for the
research choices made in the study.

5.1 Theoretical Statements

Flexible employment facilitates flexible working arrangements that allow to attract and
retain talented employees (Shagvaliyeva & Yazdanifard, 2014).

Appropriate human resources policies for flexible employees necessary to achieve

organisational objectives, enhance employee productivity and motivation (Henderson &
Tulloch, 2008).

Communication satisfaction of flexible employees is a human resource policy that can

motivate employees as effective organisational communication increases transparency
in an organisation (Hayase, 2009; Pouw 2012).

Communication satisfaction is the personal satisfaction that may arise when the
information is successfully communicated (Engin & Agkoz, 2013)

54
Communication satisfaction enhances employee engagement which leads to enhanced
productivity, innovation and employee retention (Abraham, 2012).

Communication satisfaction within an organisation depends on organisational

perspective, personal feedback, organisational integration, supervisory communication,
communication climate, horizontal communication, media quality, subordinate
communication (Jaupi & Llaci, 2015).

Thus, this research aims to examine the communication satisfaction of flexible employees
and their impact on flexible employee engagement and flexible employee retention in
network organisation. The next section provides the research questions and objectives of
the research.

5.2 Research questions and sub-questions

The overarching research problem addressed in this research is to examine the

communication satisfaction of flexible employees in a network type organisation.

The specific research sub-questions to be examined in this research are as follows:

1. How satisfied are employees within a flexible employment arrangement with

internal organisational communication of a selected South African organisation?
2. How does communication satisfaction of flexible employees relate to the
engagement of flexible employees in a selected South African organisation?
3. How does communication satisfaction influence flexible employees’ propensity
to stay within a selected South African organisation?

5.2.1 Research Aim

The primary aim of this research is to determine the communication satisfaction of flexible
employees in a selected South African Organisation.

55
Other aims include:
1. To explore the communication satisfaction of flexible employees in a selected
network type organisation
2. To examine the influence of communication satisfaction on the engagement of
flexible employees in a selected network type organisation.
3. To determine how communication satisfaction is related to the propensity to stay
through employee engagement within a selected network organisation.

5.3 Research Philosophy and Research Approach

The research philosophy of this research is pragmatism. Pragmatism is focused on

achieving convincing answers to the problem addressed and which may require the use
of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to achieve convincing answers to the
question addressed (Thomas, 2003). Thus, the focus of pragmatist research philosophy
is to adopt multiple approaches to address the research problem. The problem addressed
in this research is the communication satisfaction of flexible employees and to examine
the association of communication satisfaction on the employee engagement and turnover
intention of the flexible employees. Pragmatist believes that there are research areas that
can be neither classified to quantitative approach alone nor classified into qualitative
approach alone. To quantify the communication satisfaction of flexible employees and to
conduct an in-depth examination of the factors driving the communication satisfaction of
flexible employees a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodology
was considered suitable.

Pragmatism allows mixing both quantitative and qualitative approach to address the
research problem. This is because pragmatic research philosophy is practical and gives
a workable solution for multi-faceted research problems and provides a middle ground
between interpretivism and positivism (Vosloo, 2014). In this research, the quantitative
research approach is crucial to obtain statistical and measurable information on
communication satisfaction, the satisfaction with the eight dimensions of communication

56
satisfaction, the employee engagement and employee propensity to stay in an
organisation. The qualitative research approach allows the researcher to obtain an in-
depth understanding about the experience, attitude and perception of flexible employees
about the communication within their organisation and the main factors driving the
communication satisfaction in the organisation. Hence a mixed methods research is most
suitable research method for this research and pragmatism is widely viewed as the best
philosophical partner for a mixed methods research (Johnson & Onwuegnuzie, 2004).

A mixed methods research combines both qualitative and quantitative research

approaches to achieve a broad and in-depth understanding of the research phenomenon
examined (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2011). One advantage of using mixed methods
research is to overcome the respective weakness of quantitative and qualitative methods.
While quantitative data on communication satisfaction only allows measuring the current
level of satisfaction, the underlying factors that influence the flexible employees'
communication satisfaction can be only understood with the in-depth examination of
employees’ perspectives through qualitative interviews. Quantitative data collection and
statistical data analysis allow the researcher to accurately and reliably estimate the
association between the main variables of this research namely communication
satisfaction, employee engagement and propensity to stay within the organisation
(Freund, Mohr & Wilson, 2010; Lyman & Longnecker, 2015).

A quantitative research approach focuses on describing and obtaining specific numbers

about the phenomenon examined in the research (Thomas, 2003). In this research, the
quantitative research method measures and quantify the communication satisfaction
levels of flexible employees which can then be used to explore the correspondence
between flexible employee communication satisfaction and flexible employee turnover
intentions. Quantitative research methods allow the researcher to collect data from a
sufficiently large sample of respondents to reach a generalizable and acceptable
conclusion (Balnaves & Caputi, 2001). One main drawback of quantitative research
method is that it is entirely objective and the subjective perceptions of the flexible workers
are not considered. To obtain the subjective perceptions of the flexible employees a

57
qualitative research approach is also included in this research. Thus, the use of both
quantitative and qualitative research approach allows obtaining both subjective and
objective view of the communication satisfaction of flexible employees in SABC

A qualitative research approach is considered suitable when the researcher aims to

obtain an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of flexible employees about
communication satisfaction and an explanation for their attitude towards communication
satisfaction in their organisation. A quantitative research approach does not provide an
in-depth understanding of the underlying reasons for the choices made by the
respondents. Integration of the qualitative and quantitative research approaches enables
the researcher to obtain greater details to effectively address the research problem
(Thomas, 2003). Thus, mixed methods approach with both quantitative and qualitative
methods has been adopted in this study because it allows triangulating the results from
the quantitative and qualitative data collected to validate both sources of data (Creswell
& Clark, 2017). Furthermore, mixed methods allow obtaining deeper understanding since
bother quantitative and qualitative data collection allows to collect data on the same
concept but from different perspectives (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003).

The triangulation of the data collected from the quantitative and qualitative research
approaches can ensure that the data collected from both the methods are consistent and
therefore the reliability of findings can be improved. A mixed methods approach that
employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods can neutralize the weakness
of each of the respective method and strengthen the findings of a study (Tashakkori &
Teddlie, 2003). Pragmatism research philosophy is the most suitable research philosophy
for this research. Pragmatism is the research paradigm that is used to incorporate mixed
methods for the research. This is because the existing paradigm which includes post-
positivism and constructivism does not provide adequate rationale to combine both
quantitative and qualitative research methods.

58
5.4 Research Design

A case study research is designed to examine the communication satisfaction of flexible

employees and their impact on employee engagement and employees’ propensity to stay
in an organisation. A case study research is the most suitable research when the research
investigates a contemporary phenomenon in a real-life context and when the researcher
has no control over the behavioural events in the study (Yin, 2013). Furthermore, a case
study research also allows using multiple data collection methods from single or multiple
cases to gather evidence and makes evaluations (Yin, 2013). To examine the
communication satisfaction and its impact on the employee engagement and employees’
propensity to stay in the organisation, a case study was considered suitable since it allows
to investigate a contemporary real-life issue from multiple perspectives and triangulate
the results to make reliable and valid evaluations (Meyer, 2001; Harrison, Birks, Franklin
& Mills, 2017).

A single case study research is designed for this research and the flexible employees of
the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was selected. The South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) which was founded in 1936 is currently, experiencing
major challenges to poor management and political interferences which has resulted in
high staff turnover, low staff morale and the resignation of two CEOs (Matlala, 2012).
Effective management of flexible staff is a major issue in SABC that require immediate
attention (Matlala, 2012). Considering the role of communication satisfaction on
employee engagement and employee productivity, this research examined the possibility
of utilizing communication satisfaction for engagement and reducing the turnover of
flexible employees in SABC.

A single case study is suitable when a critical case with all the relevant conditions to
answer the research question (Yin, 2009). In this research context, a single case research
is suitable due to the dynamic nature of the SABC. The dynamic nature of SABC
increases the demand for a flexible working arrangement. Furthermore, SABC is currently

59
to reduce turnover, enhance the engagement and productivity of its flexible employees to
adapt to the changing needs of the business (Redmond, 2007; SABC, 2013). Hence
SABC is one of the most relevant case study contexts to examine the flexible employee
communication satisfaction, and to evaluate the impact of communication satisfaction on
the employee engagement and the propensity of flexible employees to stay in the flexible
employment relationship. When a case used in research can make a significant
contribution to the research question examined, and can significantly contribute to
building knowledge and theory, a single case study is suitable. A single case study design
is considered to be the most suitable method to explore phenomena like communication
satisfaction where there is a need to understand complex networks with socially and
personally constructed meaning (Malan & Kriger, 1998). Similar studies that have
examined communication satisfaction have adopted a single case study design (Gray &
Laidlaw 2002).

The attitudes and opinions of the flexible employees in the case study context may only
be representative of organisations with a similar dynamic within a constantly changing
business context. Thus, this may not be representative of all the flexible employees in
South Africa. The next section explains the sampling methods used for recruiting the
participants for the qualitative and quantitative data collection

5.5 Sampling for Quantitative and Qualitative Collection

A purposive sampling technique is adopted to recruit the participants for both the
quantitative and qualitative data gathering process. Purposive sampling is a non-
probability sampling technique where information-rich cases are identified and selected
to answer the research question (Palinkas et al., 2015). Under this method, the
researcher selects the sample that can provide the most relevant information on the
communication satisfaction of flexible employees (Black, 2009). One of the major issues
with the use of a non-probability sampling technique is the risk that the sample may not
be representative of the population (Black, 2009).

60
Since the research focuses on the communication satisfaction of flexible employees’ only
the employees who have a flexible employment contract with the employer (SABC) will
be included in this research. Furthermore, all groups of participants including male and
female and flexible employees in the commercial and public broadcasting radio stations
are included in the population for this research. Thus, the participants for the interviews
and surveys will be selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Thus, a sample
from the flexible employees working in the SABC will be selected for the research.

Flexible employees of SABC Sport based in Gauteng (Auckland Park) was therefore
selected as the organization that employs the highest number of flexible employees in
SABC. Furthermore, selecting flexible employees from a single department prevents any
deviations in the findings that may arise from the differences in the communication
experiences of flexible employees based in other departments. This is because the
communication perceptions of employees are influenced most significantly by functional
work group experiences. Sampling from the same division allowed the researcher to
control for differences that can be attributed to differences in experiences. For example,
TV flexible workers reporting to different line management or experiencing a different
communication context may differ from that of the radio department. This research only
included the radio department since it is not feasible to include all departments with
flexible employees at the SABC in the research study due to its limited scope.

A sample size greater than 5% of the population is considered adequate for survey
research (Czaja & Blair, 2005). To conduct the quantitative phase of the research, the
sample size will be of 45 respondents from the radio department of the SABC based in
Gauteng (Auckland Park) will be selected. SABC Sport based in Gauteng (Auckland Park)
employs less than 900 flexible employees and a sample size of 45 is considered to be
adequate to obtain findings that are representative of the population. Other considerations

61
when deciding the sample size was the budget and time constraints (Bartlett, Kotrlik &
Higgins, 2001).

The sample size for the qualitative semi-structured interviews is six participants from
SABC Sport based in Gauteng. Since semi-structured interviews involve in-depth
discussion with the participants about the different aspects of communication satisfaction
a smaller sample size was considered appropriate. Another reason for selecting the
smaller sample size is that there may be a data saturation point in qualitative interviews.
Data saturation is when the participants have stated all the relevant information about the
research area and have no new additional information to add. According to Fusch and
Ness (2015), the data saturation for the sample takes place from interviewing six to 12
participants. Several studies have identified that a qualitative interview method a sample
size from five to 25 is adequate (Creswell, 1998; Mason, 2010). The participants for the
semi-structured interviews will be recruited from the respondents who take part in the
survey. At the end of the questionnaire to the survey, the respondents will be asked if
they would like to participate in an interview and interested participants will be requested
to contact the researcher. According to Morris (2015), recruitment interviewees through
the survey questionnaires are extremely effective to identify interested participants.
Furthermore, the participants who took part in the survey have a better understanding of
the purpose of the research and the areas covered in the survey. If this method fails to
achieve the required sample size of participants for the interview a snowball sampling
technique will be used to recruit the remaining participants for the interview. Snowball
sampling is a non-probability sampling technique where the contacts of the remaining
participants are obtained from the few members who are already recruited for the
interviews (Babbie, 2007).

The next section explains the measurement instruments to be used for the quantitative
survey and qualitative interviews.

62
5.6 Measurement instruments

Since the current study uses a mixed methods research approach two separate
measurement instruments will be used for this research for the quantitative and qualitative
data collection. The quantitative data was collected using a self-administered survey to
measure communication satisfaction and its impact on employee engagement and
employee retention. The quantitative data collection method using self-administered
questionnaire consisted of three validated quantitative measures namely (1) Downs &
Hazen’s communication satisfaction scale, (2) ISA Engagement Scale and (3) Mobley,
Horner and Hollingsworth turnover scale to measure employees; propensity to stay in an
organisation. The questionnaire used for the research is attached in Appendix A.

5.6.1 Survey

The survey uses three scales to measure the variables for the research namely
communication satisfaction, employee engagement and propensity to stay. The survey
questionnaire used for this research is attached in Appendix A. Table 4.1 shows the
structure of the quantitative survey instrument with the number of questions under each
section and the rating scales used.

Table 5.1 Content of questionnaire.

Measurement Instruments Number of Items Rating Scale

1 Communication Satisfaction
Questionnaire (CSQ) by
Downs and Hazen (1977)
2 intellectual, social, Affective
(ISA) Engagement Scale by
Soane et al., (2012)
3 Employee Turnover Intention
Mobley, Horner and
Hollingsworth turnover scale
(1978).
4 Demographic Questions
40 Items 1 = Extremely dissatisfied
to 7 = Extremely satisfied
9 items 1 = Strongly Disagree to
7 = Strongly Agree
3 items 1 = Strongly Disagree to
5 = Strongly Agree
7 items

63
The Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) by Downs and Hazen (1977) is a
40 item instrument that measures the three dimensions of communication in the
workplace using eight constructs on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = extremely
dissatisfied to 7 = extremely satisfied will be used to measure communication satisfaction.
All the 40 items were included in the communication satisfaction questionnaire. The
questions were adapted to suit the samples for the research. The three dimensions of
communication satisfaction are the relational dimension, relational/information dimension
and information dimension. This questionnaire consists of eight constructs of
communication satisfaction as identified by Downs and Hazen (1977), these constructs
are (1) corporate perspective, (2) personal feedback, (3) organisational integration, (4)
supervisory communication, (5) communication climate, (6) horizontal communication, (7)
media quality and (8) subordinate communication.

The constructs of relational dimension are subordinate communication and horizontal

communication, the constructs of relational/information dimension are personal feedback,
communication climate and supervisor communication and the constructs of information
dimensions are media quality, organizational integration and Corporate perspective
(Meintjes & Steyn, 2006). Several studies have been conducted on the reliability and
validity of the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire and the eight factors solution is
confirmed of stability (Crino & White, 1981; Clampitt & Girard, 1987) and thoroughness
of questionnaire construction (Hecht, 1978, Clampitt & Girard, 1993). Further details on
the validity and reliability of the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) is
discussed in the following section validity and reliability.

To address the additional goal of this research is to examine the influence of

communication satisfaction on employee engagement. The intellectual, social, Affective
(ISA) Engagement Scale by Soane et al., (2012) is used to measure employee
engagement in this research. The three facets of engagement namely the intellectual,
social and effective engagement will be used to measure an individual employee's
engagement at work. The ISA engagement scale by Soane et al., (2012) is a nine-item

64
scale, with the three facets of engagement measured using three items each. All the items
in the scale were measured on a scale of 1 to 7, from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly
agree. The employee turnover intention in this research was measured using the Mobley,
Horner and Hollingsworth turnover scale (1978). The turnover intentions of the employees
were measured on a scale of 1 to 5, from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. The
three items to measure the turnover intentions are (1) I think a lot about leaving the
organization, (2) I am actively searching for an alternative to the organization, and (3) As
soon as it is possible, I will leave the organization. The overall score of turnover intention
is calculated by summing the score for three items and dividing by three (Yin-Fah, Foon,
Chee-Leong & Osman, 2010). The minimum score for turnover intention is 3 and the
maximum score for turnover intention is 15. A lower score indicates a lower intention to
quit while a higher score indicates higher intentions to quit. The final section of the survey
instrument consisted of the demographic question, where the demographic information
of the respondents including gender, age, position and months in the position were
examined.

5.6.2 Semi-structured Interviews

The semi-structured qualitative interviews mainly consist of open-ended questions to

probe the participants to provide detailed answers to the questions. The semi structured
interviews used for this research is attached in Appendix B. One advantage of the semi-
structured interview is that it provides a flexible structure to the interview questions to
ensure that the questions stay within the area of research while provides the opportunity
to probe more details from the participants when required (Galletta, 2013). In this
research, the semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the flexible
employees' perceptions of communication satisfaction and its influence on employee
engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation. A qualitative semi-structured
interview allowed to examine the employees' perceptions and the underlying reasons for
these perceptions.

65
5.7 Data-gathering

Data gathering explains the steps that were taken to collect the data from the
respondents. This section separately explains the data gathering procedures for a
quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews.

5.7.1 Survey

The flexible employees in the radio department of the SABC were emailed an online link
to the survey questions that were available on an online platform. Online data gathering
was regarded as likely to increase the response rate of respondents in this population.
Greenlaw and Brown-Welty (2009) found that online survey produced greater overall
responses than a paper-based survey at a cheaper rate. SABC employees have
experienced internet users, and an online survey is most suitable to effectively reach a
population who have internet experience (Selm & Jankowski, 2006). These flexible
employees are also networked so it was deemed appropriate to engage them through
technology. Furthermore, flexible employees are geographically dispersed and an online
survey is the most suitable method to reach the maximum number of respondents at a
shorter time. The data for the survey will be gathered through an online survey platform,
Survey Monkey.

The online survey was distributed to the employees by placing the link to the survey on
the company website and the Facebook page of the SABC employees. The survey was
closed once the desired sample of 45 is reached. Weekly reminders were sent to the
email of the prospective respondents in the SABC sports division requesting their
assistance in completing the survey and requesting their assistance in recruiting other
respondents within their division. Despite all the efforts, only 38 completed usable
response was obtained from the employees at SABC. The employees were contacted
personally through phone and in person to complete. Although they agreed to complete
the survey, they did not complete the survey.

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5.7.2 Interview

A semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interview was conducted with flexible employees

in SABC sports division to collect qualitative information. The participants for the semi-
structured interview will be selected from the respondents in the survey. Requests to
participate in the interview will be sent to 15 randomly selected emails of the flexible
employees in the of SABC sport based in Gauteng (Auckland Park). The participant
requests will explain the purpose of the study and ensure the confidentiality of information
which will be provided in the participant information sheet. The participant information
sheet provided to the participants is given in Appendix C. A total of six participants who
agreed to participate for the interview will be selected. The location for the interview will
be selected by the participant so that they may feel comfortable during the interviews.
When the participants arrive for the interview, they will be given a consent form that
explains the purpose of the research, the information that the interviews will be recorded,
the assurance about the confidentiality of the information. The informed consent used for
the research is attached in Appendix D.

5.8 Data-analysis

In a mixed method research the data analysis consist of quantitative and qualitative data
analysis phases. The quantitative data will be analysed using SPSS v20 and the
qualitative data will be analysed using a thematic analysis. The first stage is the
quantitative survey analysis and the second stage is the qualitative analysis of the semi-
structured interview data. This section explains the methods used for the analysis of
quantitative and qualitative data.

5.8.1 Survey – SPSS v20.0

The quantitative survey data was analysed using the statistical software SPSS v23. SPSS
v20.0 this depends on the version used provides analytical tools to easily perform
descriptive statistical analysis. The descriptive statistical analysis measures the
measures of central tendency and measure of dispersion. Measures of central tendency

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include meaning, median and mode, while the measure of dispersion includes standard
deviation, range and variance. Descriptive statistical procedures allow the researcher to
condense d the data into a small set of numbers so that the data can be easily understood
(Goodwin, 2009). A descriptive statistical analysis will be performed to analyse the extent
to which the respondents are satisfied with the communication within their organisation.
Secondly, the descriptive statistical analysis also allows for the measurement of the
respondents' satisfaction levels with the organisational perspective, personal feedback,
organisational integration, supervisory communication, communication climate,
horizontal communication, media quality and subordinate communication.

5.8.2 Interviews - Thematic content analysis

The qualitative interviews with the six flexible workers will be audio recorded to ensure
that all the details provided by the participants are captured. Each of the interviews is
expected to take an average of 30-45 minutes. All recordings will be transcribed for
qualitative analysis. There will be six main stages to the thematic content analysis of the
qualitative data. The first step to the qualitative analysis is carefully reading through the
transcripts of the interviews several times. The second stage of the qualitative analysis is
giving codes to interesting and content relevant to addressing the problem of the study.
The third stage of the thematic analysis is collating the codes into potential themes and
organising codes that are relevant to each theme. The fourth stage is carefully reading
and reviewing through potential themes to generate a thematic map to address the
research problem. The fifth stage to the thematic analysis is defining and naming themes
to generate a clear definition for the themes identified. Similar themes will be grouped
and themes and sub-themes will be formed. The final stage of the thematic analysis is
producing the report where the common theme identified during the six interviews
analysed and interpreted (Vaismoradi, Turunen & Bondas, 2013).

5.9 Findings and Interpretation

The findings and interpretation from the surveys and interviews will be related to address
the research problem and answer the research questions. This section will explain how

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the quantitative survey data and the interview data were related and interpreted to answer
the research questions. The main findings from the survey and interviews will be then
compared and placed in context with existing studies to identify any similarities and
differences between the present study with the existing studies on the communication
satisfaction of flexible employees, and the impact of communication satisfaction on the
employee engagement and propensity to stay of flexible employment employees.

5.9.1 Survey data

The quantitatively analysed survey will provide an understanding of the extent to which
flexible employees in the radio department of SABC are satisfied with the communication
within the organisation. The quantitative survey data allows quantifying the average
satisfaction levels of flexible employees with the organisational perspective, personal
feedback, organisational integration, supervisory communication, communication
climate, horizontal communication, media quality and subordinate communication. This
allows the researcher to identify the dimensions of communication that the flexible
employees are satisfied and dissatisfied with. The quantitative survey data also allows
the researcher to quantify the engagement and turnover intention of flexible employees
in SABC Radiosport division in Gauteng (Auckland Park). Furthermore, the survey data
allowed to identify the association between communication satisfaction and the employee
engagement of flexible employees and flexible employees’ propensity to stay in the radio
department of SABC.

5.9.2 Interviews

The interview data allows understanding the underlying explanation for flexible
employees perspectives on communication satisfaction, employee engagement and
propensity to stay in the organisation. The qualitative in-depth perspective of participants
about the main variables examined in this research allows obtaining justification or the
reasons for the association between communication satisfaction, employee engagement

69
and propensity to stay in the organisation. The qualitative interview data allows an
understanding of the underlying reasons for the satisfaction levels of communication. The
integration of quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data allows obtaining a
comprehensive picture of the complex communication for flexible employees necessary
to form reasonable and reliable conclusions to address the research problem and make
suitable recommendations for improvement.

5.10 Data verification

Data verification is essential since it enhances the reliability and validity of the findings
from the research (Miles, Huberman, Saldana, 2014). This section explains the data
verification for the quantitative and qualitative survey instrument and data used for the
research.

5.10.1 Quantitative: Reliability and validity (survey)

Since the quantitative survey used the communication satisfaction questionnaire (CSQ)
by Downs and Hazen (1977) the reliability of the instrument was previously tested.
Greenbaum et al., (1988) examined the overall reliability of the CSQ by Downs and Hazen
(1977) and reported overall reliability of 0.94. This suggests that the survey questions
used to measure the communication satisfaction of flexible employees are highly reliable.
The ISA Engagement Scale (ISA) by Soane et al., (2012) is with high reliability and
validity. The internal consistency reliability of each of the three facets and the overall
construct of the ISA engagement scale was measured using the Cronbach's alpha and
internal consistency reliability was identified to be very high. The alpha value for the
overall construct was (alpha = .91), and the alpha value for each of the construct
intellectual engagement, social engagement and effective engagement is 0.90, 0.92 and
0.94 respectively (Soane et al., 2012). According to Andrew, Pedersen and McEvoy,
(2011), a Cronbach's alpha value at or above 0.7 is desirable. The ISA engagement scale
by Soane et al., (2012) therefore has very high scale reliability. Furthermore, the ISA
engagement scale was also cross-validated with the general engagement and these three
facets had strong loading to the general engagement with 0.33 for social engagement,

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0.73 for intellectual engagement and 0.95 for effective engagement. The cross-validation
using second-order confirmatory factor analysis indicated strong reliability for the ISA
engagement scale and each of the single facets. The alpha value for the overall measure
of engagement was 0.88, and the alpha values for the facet social engagement, effective
engagement, and intellectual engagement were 0.88, 0.95 and 0.95 respectively (Soane
et al., 2012).

The employees’ propensity to leave or stay in the organisation is measured using the
Mobley, Horner and Hollingsworth turnover scale (1978). The Mobley, Horner and
Hollingsworth turnover scale measures the employee’s propensity to stay in the
organisation using three items. The three items to measure the turnover intentions are (1)
I think a lot about leaving the organization, (2) I am actively searching for an alternative
to the organization, and (3) As soon as it is possible, I will leave the organization. Internal
consistency coefficients is a test of reliability though assessing the average correlation
among all the items in the scale (Frick, Christopher, Barry & Kamphaus, 2009). The
internal consistency coefficients for the items to measure the employees' intention to quit
the organisation was 0.90, which indicate high reliability and internal consistency of the
items in the Mobley, Horner and Hollingsworth model of turnover (Foon, Chee-Leong &
Osman, 2010).

5.10.2 Qualitative: measures of quality

The specific tactics to ensure the reliability, quality and validity of the qualitative data
collected for the research were done by following 13 steps to ensure the reliability and
validity of the qualitative data, as identified by Miles et al (2014). These entail (1) noting
pattern, themes, (2) seeing plausibility, (3) clustering (4) making metaphors, (5) counting,
(6) making contrasts and comparison (7) partitioning variables (8) subsuming particulars
into general (9) factoring (10) noting relations between variables (11) finding intervening
variables, (12) building a logical chain of evidence and (13) conceptual and theoretical
coherence.

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The first three steps are to organise the qualitative data collected. Noting patterns and
themes focuses on noting down the recurring themes in the data, seeing plausibility refers
to identifying pattern from the quantitative data and clustering aims to organise the large
set of data into words and phrases that represent them (Miles et al., 2014). Making
metaphors aims to achieve more integration between the different sets of words and
phrases in the qualitative data. Metaphors allow the researcher to link the findings of the
study with the theory. Counting is essential in qualitative data analysis to understand the
significance of the themes or its recurrence. Counting allows verifying the hypotheses.
The sixth step making comparison and contrasts allows examining the association
between variables and a contrast table will be used to compare and contrast the variables
(Miles et al., 2014).

The seventh step is partitioning variables when a variable is, in fact, more than one
variable (Miles et al., 2014). This step allows dividing variables to avoid data blurring and
monolithism. Subsuming particular into the general is another step to ensure reliability as
it allows to group statement into general class. Factoring aims to represent a large number
of variables into a smaller number of hypothetical variables (Miles et al., 2014).

5.11 Ethical Considerations

The main ethical considerations for conducting this research was non-maleficence and
beneficence. The survey questionnaire included an introduction to the purpose of the
research, followed by an assurance about the confidentiality of the respondents. Efforts
were also taken to ensure that there was no research bias in collecting or analysing data
because the researcher is also employed as an employee at SABC Sport. All research
participants were requested to sign informed consent forms that informed them of their
right to withdraw from the study at any time.

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 6. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS

This chapter presents the analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data collected
through surveys and interviews with flexible employees in SABC. The results of the
analysis are used to address the research questions. This chapter is divided into five
sections. The first section and second sections present the findings from the quantitative
analysis of the data collection through surveys. The first section provides the descriptive
statistical analysis of quantitative data and the second section presents the inferential
statistical analysis of quantitative data. The third and fourth section presents the results
and interpretation of the thematic analysis of qualitative data. The final section presents
a summary of the main findings from the quantitative and qualitative data.

6.1 Descriptive Statistical Analysis – Quantitative Data

A descriptive statistical analysis is used to determine the numerical properties of the data
and summarizing the distribution of the data for each variable examined the study
(Cooper & Weekes, 1983). According to Dewberry (2004), descriptive statistical analysis
is useful to summarise and communicate data of each variable. Two types of descriptive
statistical measures used are measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion.
Since all the variables examined in this research are scale variables, the descriptive
statistical measures used include mean, and standard deviation. The main variables for
the research are communication satisfaction of flexible employees, employee
engagement and propensity to stay. The normality of the distribution is assessed using
Skewness. Skewness is a measure of asymmetry. Data is said to be normally distributed
when the value of skewness is between -1 and +1 (Bhujel, 2009). The communication
satisfaction of the flexible employees is analysed by the eight communication satisfaction
constructs and three dimensions. Communication satisfaction is the independent variable
for the research. The dependent variables for the research are employee engagement
and propensity to stay in the organization.

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A total of 38 flexible employees from SABC took part in the surveys. Table 6.1 shows the
demographic distribution of the participants who took part in the surveys.

Table 6.1 Demographic Distribution of Survey Participants.

n %

Age 25-34 10 26.3%

35-44 16 42.1%
45-54 9 23.7%
55-64 3 7.9%
Gender Male 29 76.3%
Female 9 23.7%
Department TV sport 5 13.2%
Radio Sport 20 52.6%
TV news 1 2.6%
Radio news 3 7.9%
Both TV and Radio Sport 9 23.7%
Tenure at Current Job 12 months or less 2 5.3%
2-4 years 9 23.7%
5-9 years 12 31.6%
10+ years 15 39.5%
Position in Current Job Assistant Manger 1 2.6%
Producer 11 28.9%
Anchor 1 2.6%
Commentator/Reporter 17 44.7%
Other 8 21.1%

The respondents for the survey were within the age group of 25 to 64. The majority of the
respondents were within the age group of 35 – 44 (42.1%). The least number of
respondents were within the age group of 55 to 64 (7.9%). There were an almost equal
number of respondents within the age group of 25-34 years (26.3%) and 45-54 (23.7%).
The respondents for the research were overrepresented by males (76.3%) and female
(23.7%). Majority of the respondents for the survey were working in the radio sports
division (52.6%) and the second highest number of respondents for the survey were
people working in both radio and TV sports division (23.7%). A large number of
respondents have more than 5 years’ experience. The tenure at the current job for 39.5%

74
of the respondents was for than 10 years and 31.6% of the respondents have tenure of
5-9 years. The respondents for the study include those working in the positions of
Assistant Manager, producer, anchor, commentator/ reporter. 44.7% of the respondents
were reporters.

6.1.1 Communication Satisfaction

The distribution of the responses to the eight communication satisfaction constructs of

the flexible employees of SABC who took part in the survey is presented in this section.
Table 5.2 presents the mean, standard deviation and skewness of the eight
communication satisfaction constructs and the items to measure each construct. All the
communication satisfaction constructs are measured on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 equals
extremely dissatisfied to 7 equals extremely satisfied.

Table 6.2 Descriptive statistics of communication Satisfaction constructs

N Mean SD Skewness
Your supervisor listens to you 38 3.97 2.03
Your supervisor offering guidance for solving job related problems 38 3.79 2.13
Extent to which your supervisor trusting you 38 4.82 1.77
Extent to which your Supervisor being open to ideas 38 4.34 2.02
Extent to which the amount of supervision given to me is about 38 4.29 1.81
right
Supervisor communication 38 4.24 1.74 -.141
Information about personnel news 38 3.61 1.552
Information about your departments policies and goals 38 3.66 1.665
Information about the requirements of your job 38 4.55 1.781
Information about employee benefits and pay 38 3.47 1.797
Information about your progress in your job 38 3.16 1.952
Organizational integration 38 3.71 1.541 -.139
Your meetings are well organized 38 4.16 1.896
Written reports are clear and concise 38 3.79 1.727
The attitude towards communication at SABC department is
healthy 38 3.53 1.928
Extent to which the amount of communication in the company is
about right 38 3.95 1.708
Extent to which the company's publications are interesting and
helpful 38 4.05 1.77

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Media Quality 38 3.89 1.607 -.131
Communication received through the grapevine at the SABC 38 4.03 1.652
Horizontal communication with other employees being accurate 38 4.29 1.592
Communication practices adaptable to emergencies 38 3.58 1.588
Member of workgroup being compatible to each other 38 4.29 1.575
Extent to which informal communication is active and accurate 38 4.34 1.697
Horizontal communication 38 4.11 1.448 -.193
The extent to which your subordinates are responsive to
downward directive communication 38 4.29 1.642
The extent to which your subordinates anticipate your needs for
information 38 4.13 1.563
The amount of feedback you receive from subordinates 38 4.18 1.557
The extent to which subordinates feel responsible initiating
accurate upward communication 38 4.18 1.625
Extent to which my subordinates are receptive to evaluation,
suggestions and criticisms’ 38 3.97 1.684
Subordinate Communication 38 4.18 1.504 -.281
Information on how your job compares with others 38 4.58 1.671
Information on how you are being judged 38 3.76 1.792
Recognition of your efforts 38 3.37 1.979
Reports on how problems in your job are being handled 38 3.34 1.82
Superiors understanding of the problems faced by subordinates 38 3.16 1.717
Personal feedback 38 3.71 1.45 .089
Information about company policies and goals 38 4.03 1.716
Information about government action affecting your department of
SABC 38 3.39 1.653
Information about company profits and financial standing 38 3.39 1.603
Information about accomplishment and failures of the company 38 3.24 1.46
Information about relationships with unions’ 38 3.34 1.582
Corporate Perspective 38 3.47 1.428 -.208
Extent to which company communication motivates and stimulates 38
an enthusiasm for meeting its goals 3.39 1.966
Extent to which the people in my organization have great ability as 38
communicators 3.55 1.841
Extent to which the company's communication makes me identify 38
with it or feel a vital part of it 3.53 1.827
Extent to which you receive on time the information needed to do 38
my job 4.18 1.768
Extent to which conflicts are handled appropriately through proper
communication channels 38 3.39 1.897
Communication climate 38 3.63 1.699 .093

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The descriptive statistics of communication satisfaction constructs include n, mean,
standard deviation and skewness. All the respondents who took part in the survey (38)
completed all the questions relating to communication satisfaction. The mean value for
supervisor communication, horizontal communication and subordinate communication
were slightly above 4. Values higher than 4 indicate that a higher number of respondents
were slightly satisfied with these three constructs. However, the mean value of
communication climate, corporate perspective, personal feedback, media quality and
organizational integration were below 4. This indicates there is a slight dissatisfaction
among the flexible employees on these five constructs of communication satisfaction. The
lowest mean score was corporate perspective which suggests that the flexible employees
are not provided with information relating to SABC. The skewness for all the constructs
of communications satisfaction is between -1 and +1 and hence all the constructs are
normally distributed.

The satisfaction with the communication climate is measured from three dimensions.
Table 6.3 shows the distribution of the responses about flexible employees'
communication satisfaction with the three dimensions of communication.

Table 6.3 Descriptive Statistics Dimensions of Communication Satisfaction

N Mean SD Skewness
Relational Dimension 38 4.145 1.428 -0.257
Relational/Information Dimension 38 3.874 1.4775 0.127
Information Dimension 38 3.721 1.4332 -0.309

The mean value for communication satisfaction in the relational dimension is 4.14 and is
higher than 4 which suggests a slight satisfaction with the relational dimension of
communication within SABC. The mean value for relational/information dimension and
information dimension is 3.8 and 3.7 respectively which suggests a slight dissatisfaction
with the relational/information dimension and information dimension of communication
within SABC. The skewness values for all three dimensions of communication satisfaction
are between +1 and -1 and hence these variables are normally distributed.

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6.1.2 Employee Engagement

The items to measure employee engagement was rated on a scale of 1 to 7, from 1 =

strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree. The employee engagement is measured using
three constructs namely intellectual engagement, social engagement and affective
engagement. Table 6.4 provides a descriptive statistical analysis of the three constructs
of employee engagement.

Table 6.4 Descriptive Statistics Employee Engagement

N Mean SD Skewness

I focus hard on my work 38 6.61 0.595

I concentrate on my work 38 6.63 0.541
I pay a lot of attention to my work 38 6.66 0.534
Intellectual Engagement 38 6.63 0.507 -1.0
I share the same work values as my colleagues 38 5.08 1.715
I share the same work goals as my colleagues 38 4.95 1.676
I share the same work attitudes as my colleagues 38 4.63 1.88
Social Engagement 38 4.88 1.706 -.598
I feel positive about my work 38 5.97 1.442
I feel energetic in my work 38 6.03 1.404
I am enthusiastic in my work 38 6.13 1.298
Affective Engagement 38 6.04 1.321 -1.9

The mean values for intellectual engagement and affective engagement are 6.63 and
6.04 which suggests that most the respondents agreed that they have an intellectual and
affective engagement to SABC. However, the mean value of social engagement is 4.88
which suggests that an average respondent only slightly agreed that there is social
engagement.

6.1.3 Employee Propensity to Stay

Employee propensity to stay was calculated by reverse scoring the average of the three
items to measure employee turnover intentions. The items to measure employee turnover
intentions were rated on a scale of 1 to 5, from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree.

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These items when reverse scored it became increased intention to stay within the
organisation when there is a higher score and decreased propensity to stay with a lower
score. Table 6.5 shows the descriptive statistics table from employee propensity to stay
in the organisation.

Table 6.5 Descriptive Statistics of Employee Propensity to Stay

N Mean SD Skewness

I think a lot about leaving the organization 38 2.87 2.66 .251

I am actively searching for an alternative to the organization 38 3 2 .275
As soon as it is possible, I will leave the organization 38 1.359 1.341 .388
Employee propensity to stay 38 3.26 1.267 -.190

The mean value of “I think a lot about leaving the organization” and “As soon as it is
possible, I will leave the organization” were less than 3 which indicate that flexible
employee respondents from SABC are not intending to leave the organization. However,
for the item “I am actively searching for an alternative to the organization” to measure
turnover intention the mean was 3, which suggests that the respondents are neutral about
their propensity to stay as is indicated by a mean of 3.26 on the propensity to stay.

In relation to the relational dimension of communication, there was only a slight

satisfaction among survey respondents. The communication satisfaction construct
indicates that respondents were only slightly dissatisfied with communication climate,
corporate perspective, personal feedback, media quality and organizational integration.
In relation to supervisor communication, horizontal communication and subordinate
communication, there was only a slight satisfaction reported by survey respondents.
However, the research respondents are intellectually and affectively engaged with SABC
even though they are only slightly engaged socially. In relation to the propensity to stay
in the organization, respondents remain neutral about their propensity to stay.

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6.2 Inferential Statistical Analysis – Quantitative Data

Inferential statistical analysis is essential to examine the association between variables

and generalize the findings from the research (Dewberry, 2004). There are mainly two
types of inferential statistical procedures, parametric statistical analysis and non-
parametric statistical analysis. Since the variables for the research are interval ratio level
of measurement and since the sample size is sufficient and data is normally distributed,
parametric tests are most suitable. A Pearson correlation coefficient is the parametric
statistical test to examine the influence of communication satisfaction on employee
engagement and propensity to stay in the organization. The first section of the inferential
statistical analysis presents the results of the reliability testing of the three scales used
for the study as they were adapted to the SABC context.

6.2.1 Reliability

The standardized questionnaire used for the study including the communication
satisfaction questions (Downs & Hazen, 1977), employee engagement (Soane et al.,
2012) and employee turnover intentions (Mobley, Horner & Hollingsworth, 1978) were
assessed for scale -reliability as they are applied in a South African context. Cronbach
alpha is the most preferred measure to test the internal consistency of items of a scale
(Jeffreys, 2010). Cronbach alpha coefficient greater than 0.70 is an indication of high
reliability in each group (Vonta, Nikulin & Limnios, 2008). The Cronbach's alpha
coefficient of the three scales are given in table 6.6 & the values are satisfactory. This
suggests that the scale reliability of the measures used to determine communication
satisfaction is high.

Table 6.6 Cronbach's alpha coefficient

Cronbach Alpha Coefficient

Personal Feedback 0.893
Corporate Perspective 0.92
Organizational Integration 0.91
Supervisor Communication 0.93
Communication Climate 0.94

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 Horizontal Communication 0.92
Media Quality 0.93
Subordinate Communication 0.97
Intellectual Engagement 0.90
Social Engagement 0.97
Affective Engagement 0.96
Employee Propensity to Stay 0.92

6.2.2 Pearson Correlations

Because this study is exploratory, Pearson Correlations were used to explore the
relationship between employee engagement and communication satisfaction. The results
of the Pearson correlation coefficient to assess the association between communication
satisfaction and employee engagement is given in table 6.7.

Table 6.7 Pearson Correlation Communication Satisfaction and Employee Engagement

Intellectual Engagement Social Engagement Affective Engagement
Correlation Sig (2- Correlation Sig (2- Correlation Sig (2-
Coefficient tailed) Coefficient tailed) Coefficient tailed)

Communication climate -0.104 0.534 .540** 0.000 0.268 0.103

Supervisor communication -0.132 0.429 .431** 0.007 0.057 0.736
Organisational integration -0.087 0.602 .437** 0.006 .369* 0.023
Media Quality -0.014 0.933 .465** 0.003 .327* 0.045
Horizontal communication 0.032 0.85 .480** 0.002 0.287 0.08
corporate perspective -0.03 0.856 0.31 0.058 0.185 0.265
subordinate communication 0.115 0.49 .525** 0.001 .328* 0.045
Personal feedback -0.214 0.197 .427** 0.007 0.214 0.197
Relational Dimension 0.077 0.646 .520** 0.001 0.318 0.052
Relational/Information
Dimension -0.164 0.326 .516** 0.001 0.193 0.246
Information Dimension -0.047 0.779 .429** 0.007 0.307 0.061

The influence of communication satisfaction and employee engagement is assessed

using the correlation between each of the construct of communication satisfaction and

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dimension of communication satisfaction with three of the constructs of employee
engagement. The variables that have statistically significant correlation are given in table
5.19. The results indicate that the social engagement which was identified to be one of
the least among the three types of engagement in an average SABC flexible employee
(Table 5.16) is statistically significantly related to communication climate, supervisor
communication, organizational integration, media quality, horizontal communication,
corporate perspective, subordinate communication, personal feedback, relational
dimension, relational/information dimension and information dimension of
communication.

The Pearson correlation coefficient for all these significant associations is above .4. This
suggests that these seven constructs of communication satisfaction and three dimensions
of communication satisfaction have a statistically significant medium positive association
with social engagement. This suggests that better the communication climate, supervisor
communication, organizational integration, media quality, horizontal communication,
subordinate communication and personal feedback higher will be the social engagement
of flexible employees in SABC as the sig value for all the association is less than 0.05
and Pearson correlation coefficient is positive. Similarly, higher the satisfaction with the
relational dimension, information/relational dimension and information dimension higher
will be the social engagement.

The affective engagement of flexible employees has been identified to be influenced by

organizational integration, media quality and subordinate communication. The Pearson
correlation for all three associations was positive. This suggests that there is a statistically
significant positive association between affective engagement and the three constructs
of communication satisfaction namely organizational integration, media quality and
subordinate communication. This suggests that an increase in the satisfaction with the
three dimensions increases the affective engagement of flexible employees in SABC.
Thus the results suggest that communication satisfaction has a statistically significant
influence on the engagement of flexible employees in SABC.

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A Pearson Correlation coefficient was also used to examine the association between
communication satisfaction and flexible employees’ propensity to stay in the organization.
The results of the Pearson Correlation are given in table 6.8.

Table 6.8 Pearson Correlation Communication Satisfaction and Propensity to Stay

Propensity to Stay
Correlation Coefficient Sig (2-tailed)
Communication climate .574** 0.000
Supervisor communication 0.284 0.084
Organisational integration .705** 0.000
Media Quality .612** 0.000
Horizontal communication .500** 0.001
corporate perspective .512** 0.001
subordinate communication .541** 0.000
Personal feedback .574** 0.000
Relational Dimension .539** 0.000
Relational/Information
Dimension .528** 0.001
Information Dimension .640** 0.000

The results in table 6.8 suggest that communication satisfaction has a statistically
significant relationship with the propensity to stay in the organisation. The Pearson
correlation coefficient of seven constructs of communication satisfaction and three
dimensions of communication satisfaction with the propensity to stay is positive and
greater than 0.5. This suggests that there is a statistically significant strong positive
association between communication satisfaction and propensity to stay in the
organisation. This suggests that improving the constructs of communication satisfaction
namely communication climate, organisational integration, media quality, horizontal
communication, corporate perspective, subordinate communication and personal
feedback increases the flexible employees' propensity to stay in the organisation.
Similarly improving communication satisfaction in the relational dimension,
relational/information dimension and information dimension increases the flexible
employees' propensity to stay in SABC. Thus, communication satisfaction of flexible
employees can significantly improve the propensity to stay in the organisation.

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6.3 Thematic Analysis

The data obtained from the qualitative interviews with six flexible employees working in
SABC were thematically coded and analysed. The demographic distribution of the
participants who took part in the interviews is given in table 6.9. The interviews with the
flexible employees at SABC resulted in the identification of nine main themes related to
communication satisfaction, employee engagement and propensity to stay. This section
presents the nine themes emerged from the thematic analysis.

Table 6.9 Demographic Distribution of Interview participants

Number of Participants

Position Title Analyst 2

Commentator 2
Producer 1
Anchor 1
Years of Experience in Position 4-5 years 3

9 years 1
15 years 1

20 years 1
Agency/Client organisation SABC 3
SABC Sport 3
Reporting Line Exec Producer 6

The participants who took part in the interviews consisted of flexible employees in four
different positions, but with the same reporting line. The participants for the interviews
included people who work as Analysts, Commentators, Producers or Anchors. The
participants included those working in SABC and SABC sport. division, There was an
equal distribution of participants working in SABC and SABC sports division. The
experience of each of the participant in their respective positions ranged from 4 to 20
years. There were 3 participants with 4 to 5 years of experience and one participant each
with 9 years, 15 years and 20 years of experience.

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6.3.1 Dissatisfaction with Communication Climate

Overall there is a general level of dissatisfaction among the flexible employees about the
communication climate at SABC. All the six participants who took part in the interviews
classified the current communication climate as ‘poor’ or ‘average’. The responses of the
participants in relation to the current communication climate are given in table 6.10

Table 6.10 Dissatisfaction with communication Climate

Participant 1 “Poor communication. We expect open ended communication. People

take questions personally. There’s last minute communication”.
Participant 2 “The communication climate is average. There are hardly answers to
the questions we have.”
Participant 3 “Poor, we do not get told things on time. I am doing work for other
broadcasters, I already know what I will be doing next year; but here I
do not even know what I am doing next month. Sometimes you find
other people know of things that others do not know of, communication
channels are not open to all.”
Participant 4 “No communication; low communication if anything.”
Participant 5 “Not enough, we hear things via the grapevine. There is no official
communication.”
Participant 6 “It is really poor. There is not much communication.”

The flexible employees at SABC are dissatisfied with the current level of communication
the organisation maintains with employees. Communication does not seem to be part of
priority at SABC. The lack of openness of communication is a major issue with the
communication at SABC. One participant who works for another broadcaster noted that
the lack of organisation communication with employees is only part of SABC as other
broadcasters inform flexible employees about their tasks and responsibilities for even a
year while SABC does not inform flexible employees about the jobs that have to be

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performed for even a month. The responses of the flexible employees in relation to the
communication in their organisation is given in table 6.11.

Table 6.11 Lack of Sufficient Organisational Communication within SABC

Participant 1 “I am informed about the functioning of the SABC but this is self-research.
There is no information from SABC.
Participant 2 “I am well informed, it is from reading and media but not from SABC itself.”
Participant 3 “. I am doing work for other broadcasters, I already know what I will be
doing next year; but here I do not even know what I am doing next month.
Sometimes you find other people know of things that others do not know
of, communication channels are not open to all.”
I am well informed. I do my own research. There is very little information
provided by SABC.

Participant 4 “Not well informed. There is lack of information and understanding our own
department.”
Participant 5 “Not much informed. We find out issues in the newspapers. We don’t know
where the organisation is going.”
Participant 6 “I am well informed because my other interest is news. I am self-reliant in
obtaining information.”

6.3.2 Inadequate Communication with Supervisor

The communication with the supervisor was identified to be unsatisfactory by the majority
of the participants. Four out of six participants stated that they are dissatisfied by the
communication by the supervisor. The main responses in relation to communication with
supervisors are given in table 6.12.

Table 6.12 Quality Issues with Supervisor Communication

Participant 1 “Communication with immediate line manager is excellent, we speak

regularly.

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 Participant 2 “Poor communication. There is no direction and no immediate answers /
communication.”
Participant 3 “It is dire sometimes; it’s easier if they call me. Sometimes I do not see
emails or they go to “SPAM” and no one follows up with a call’
Participant 4 “Very poor. You hardly communicate. No engagements”
Participant 5 “It is good with immediate supervisor. They provide feedback and listen.”
Participant 6 “It is quite transactional and it is as when there is work required.”

Only two participants stated that their communication with the immediate supervisor is
satisfactory. These participants who stated that they have excellent communication with
supervisor have regular conversations and provides feedback and listen to the
employees. However, this is not the case with the majority of the participants.

The responses from the participants indicate that they expect the supervisors to provide
directions and support to perform their work. Majority of the participants noted that their
supervisor fails to respond to their queries and does not provide adequate feedback.
However, two participants had an excellent relationship with their immediate supervisors
even when they were dissatisfied with the overall communication climate within their
organisation. The responses of the participants in relation to the recommendations to
improve the communication behaviour of supervisors at SABC are given in table 6.13.

Table 6.13 Recommendations to improve Supervisor communication Behaviour

Participant 2 “To be more open and to communicate frequently. To create an all-

encompassing environment.”
Participant 3 “To be lot more open and honest; people feel like they are being lied to.
They must communicate immediately; treat people with respect. People are
not treated as assets here.”
Participant 4 “We need more meetings, we also need to use social media to constantly
inform colleagues.”

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 Participant 5 “Equal and Uniform communication. They must share information with all
equally and only their favourites.”
Participant 6 “Honest communication; frequent communication; communicate openly;
deal with my concerns/questions without intimidation”

The responses from the participants indicate that supervisors need to communicate
frequently with flexible employees. Furthermore, flexible employees not only want
frequent communication but also the communication has to be open and honest. Majority
of the participants indicated that the perceived communication was dishonest. Another
issue that was reported in relation to supervisor communication was the lack of equality
in communication relationships due to favouritism exhibited by supervisors. Participants
suggested that supervisors should adopt communication behaviour that ensures equal
and uniform relationships with flexible employees.

6.3.3 Need to Improve Co-worker Communication

The responses from the participants on their satisfaction with co-worker communication
reflect that there is a perceived need for opportunities to improve co-worker
communication. Only two participants stated that there is good co-worker communication.
Two other participants were satisfied with the co-worker communication, but one
participant noted that they hardly meet one another in person. Three remaining
participants noted that they meet co-workers at work where conversations are either
purely transactional or advisory or social because they are friends. The remaining
participant indicated that co-worker communication is better than supervisor
communication. The current nature of communication with co-workers is purely
transactional and co-workers meet rarely. The responses of the participants in relation to
co-worker communication are given in table 6.14.

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Table 6.14 Transactional Nature of Co-worker Communication

Participant 1 “Communication with co-workers could be better. It’s a professional

relationship, only meet at work.”
Participant 2 “We only communicate when we meet at the games unless if we are
friends.”
Participant 3 “Not much with co-workers but that’s because I am a prvate person. When
it happens, it is transactional; business-like; advisory format.”
Participant 4 “Ok with co-workers; better than supervisors.”
Participant 5 “It is good with colleagues. We communicate at work.”
Participant 6 “It is good. We communicate more, although we hardly see each other.”

6.3.4 Satisfactory Informal Communication

Informal communication was the only type of communication; the maximum number of
participants was seemed to be satisfied with. The responses from the participants indicate
that informal communication is the main source of information for flexible employees and
this might be one reason for a large number of participants’ preferences or satisfaction
with informal communication. Four of the six participants who took part in the interviews
thought that informal communication is good. Of the four participants who stated that
informal communication is good, two flexible employees suggested that it takes place only
at work and social media. One of these four participants who have been working in SABC
for 9 years stated that informal communication has improved over the years at SABC.
The responses of the participants on their attitude towards informal communication are
given in table 6.15.

Table 6.15 Satisfactory Informal Communication

Participant 1 “There is informal communication, the interaction takes place when we are
at work… It happens only and as when something is happening. It is not
good and needs to improve.”
Participant 2 “It is informal communication, it is good… I meet with SABC Sport guys
often.”

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 Participant 3 “I do not engage much in informal communication; sometimes it’s bad
because I miss out on information. I would usually engage in a
transactional manner at the games.”
At times it comes handy but not always transpired.
Participant 4 “Informal communication is good. I enjoy it and it happens when we meet
the games… It is much better, that’s where I sometimes get my
information.”
Participant 5 “Informal communication with co-workers has improved from the first time
I arrived.”
Participant 6 “Informal communication is good especially with social media.. It is fair, it
is also by chance, it is as and when we meet with colleagues.

The responses from the participants indicate that the quality of informal communication
is mainly depended on the flexible employee and the friend circle they have. One flexible
employee stated that he meets his friends often for informal communication, while another
participant stated that poor informal communication is due to the participant’s poor
engagement with informal communication. Majority of the participants who took part in
the interviews suggested that informal communication happens when participant meet at
work, which occurs by chance and the majority of the communication is through social
media. Four participants stated that informal communication happens when the
colleagues meet at work. Two participants were not satisfied with the informal
communication stated that the informal communication can be improved as it happens
rarely, the other participant stated that informal communication is very transactional as
these participants engage in transactional communication.

6.3.5 Inappropriate Meetings

All the participants showed extreme dissatisfaction with the quality of the meetings
conducted at SABC. All the participants identified some of the aspects of meeting that
they were extremely dissatisfied about. This includes lack of preparation and inadequate
research, lack of honest and open communication and inadequate information provided.

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Table 6.16 shows the responses of the participants on their attitude towards meeting at
SABC.

Table 6.16 Inappropriate Meetings.

Participant 1 “Not satisfied. The research provided is not of high quality, it is like a waste
of time.”
Participant 2 “Not satisfied at all, the information is not adequate.”
Participant 3 “There is a sense of being lied to, no open and honest communication.
Questions are not answered.”
Participant 4 ‘“Not. There is no in depth research to prepare for meetings.”
Participant 5 “Not satisfied. Information is not improving quality of work. The standards
are low.”
Participant 6 “No. The quality could be better with the kind of work we do. We have
information usually, we just need something in depth.”

Participants are of the perception that meetings are conducted to provide in-depth
information to the employees and significant efforts need to be taken to enhance the
quality of the meeting. Two participants noted that the research conducted before
meetings are inadequate and for the same reason meetings are currently poor quality
and waste of time. The remaining four participants stated mentioned the inadequacy of
information provided at the meetings. The information is of poor quality, employees also
report that the information is not open and honest, employees’ questions are not
answered and lacks adequate and in-depth information.

6.3.6 Absence of Performance Appraisal

Flexible employees at SABC were identified to be dissatisfied with the performance

appraisal at SABC. Five out of six participants stated that there is no effective
performance appraisal system at SABC. The responses of the participant in relation to
the performance appraisal at SABC are given in table 6.17.

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Table 6.17 Absence of Performance appraisal

Participant 1 I do get feedback from immediate supervisor, it’s constructive criticism, I am

very satisfied.
Participant 2 “Not satisfied at all. There is no feedback.”
Participant 3 “No feedback at all. No basis for performance remuneration. I can’t
remember when last I received feedback.”

Participant 4 “Not at all. I don’t know if I am on the right path or not. There is no appraisal,
only when someone complains about me do they give me feedback.”
Participant 5 “Feedback is only on big projects; sometimes there is an effort but it is not
consistent.”
Participant 6 “Not at all. I hardly receive feedback except when there are changes, but I
do not get appraised.”

The responses on performance appraisal indicate that there is not a proper performance
appraisal system at SABC. Five participants who were negative or dissatisfied with the
performance appraisal at SABC suggests that they have not received or rarely received
feedbacks at work. The lack of performance appraisal also means that the performance
of employees is not valued since there is also no performance-based remuneration. Two
participants noted that there are feedbacks when there are any changes and when on a
big project. Based on the responses of these two participants, the feedback on big
projects or feedback with regard to changes rarely happen and flexible employees do not
receive feedback on their performance through performance appraisals.

6.3.7 Communication and Engagement

All the participants who took part in the interviews were excited at the idea of having
effective communication at SABC. The responses of the participants in relation to the
association of effective communication on engagement are given in table 6.18.

Table 6.18 Effective Communication Increases Engagement

Participant 1 Effective communication makes happy employees and would produce

more. You are taken into confidence and there is transparency.

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 Participant 2 “It will make me quite excited to go to work.”
Participant 3 “Open and Honest communication which leads to trust, people follow when
they trust.”
Participant 4 “It would make my work more interesting. I would provide quality service”
Participant 5 “I would be free to be more creative and thereby add quality to my work. I
would bring new ideas.”
Participant 6 “With better communication comes more information, my concerns will be
adhered to. It will be easier to prepare for work if we all informed in time.”

Research participants indicated that effective communication can increase the quality of
services provided to the organisation. Four out of six participants noted that effective
communication increases the performance, productivity and quality of service of the
employees. The responses from the participants indicate that the lack of feedback is
limiting the extent to which flexible employees can contribute to work. Two participants
noted that effective, open and honest communication makes them excited to be at work,
and increases the employees' trust with the organisation.

6.3.8 Communication Climate and Propensity to Stay

The responses from majority participants indicate that while poor communication climate
at SABC does not influence the propensity to stay it does adversely affect the
performance of the employees. The responses of the participant in relation to the
influence of communication on their propensity to stay are reflected in table 6.19

Table 6.19 Communication and Propensity to Stay

Participant 1 “Not satisfied, there is no sense of direction”

Participant 2 “It affects decisions in a negative way. The experience currently is not
good.”
Participant 3 “Negative emotion. I have to motivate myself for every game. It brings
resentment and toxic environment.”
Participant 4 I get demotivated and I do not perform at an optimal level.

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 Participant 5 “It is difficult to participate and be creative; I am not sure I can submit my
ideas and how they will be received.”
Participant 6 “It is demoralising, I just do what I have to do and leave.”

Poor communication was identified to be negatively influencing the employees even

though it does not directly lead to employees leaving the organisation. The responses
from the participants indicate that they just want to perform their work and leave.

6.3.9 Suggestions to Improve Communication Climate

Proactive, open, honest and transparent communication was the main communication
characteristics the participants identified. Their suggestions for improving communication
climate at the SABC are reflected in table 6.20.

Table 6.20 Suggestions to improve communication climate

Participant 1 “Proactive Communication, Transparency, good communication”

Participant 2 “Open communications channels, transparency and frequent
engagements.”
Participant 3 “Open and honest communication; stop lying to colleagues or provide
wrong information; treat people with respect.”
Participant 4 “More interactions and meetings. Fix the tone when addressing us. More
professional space.”
Participant 5 “We need two way communication, we need respect and no talking down
to.”
Participant 6 “Respect for others. Professionalism, equality, open and honest, 2 way
communication”

Employees expect to be treated equally and with respect. The prevalence of favouritism
and inequality that is currently pervasive in the SABC was identified by many interview
participants. This is evidenced by the poor quality of communication, non-responsiveness
to employee concerns, untruths communicated to the employees and selective
information sharing with some employees while excluding others. Research participants

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expressed a preference for open and honest communication that facilitate frequent and
fair two-way communication flow.

6.4 Interpretation of Qualitative Findings

There is a general level of dissatisfaction with the quality of communication within the
organisation. The experience of participants from different SABC departments, work
positions and with different years of experiences in their work position are similar in
relation to the communication climate. Most of the flexible employees feel that their
concerns and questions are unanswered. This is because flexible employees are not
given the opportunity to ask questions and even if they ask questions none of them gets
answered by the management of the organisation.

SABC is not adopting appropriate communication channels or methodologies to inform

its participants about the organisational plans and policies. Flexible employees in SABC
were unaware of the activities and current events at the organisation. This suggests poor
communication climate within the organisation. The organisational information provided
is considered to be lies and not transparent. The participants also identified partiality in
the information received. There are some people who have access to information at
SABC, while many are ignored from the communication channel. Many of the information
received by the flexible employees are through informal talks or external sources and it
is difficult to confirm the authenticity of the information. The responses from the flexible
employees at SABC indicate that the information about the organisation is from the media
and most of the participants reported that they are reliant on the press, newspaper and
self-research to obtain information about SABC. Thus, flexible employees have to rely on
external research or informal communication to understand about SABC.

Many of the flexible employees were dissatisfied with the lack of engagement, lack of
direction, lack of response, and inadequate feedback from the supervisor. Moreover,
some participants also seem to unaware about the jobs that they have to be performed
as the organisation does not assign the responsibilities and tasks. Supervisors are meant
to direct the flexible employees and provide regular feedback. Poor supervisor

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communication at SABC is a major flaw in the communication climate at SABC. The lack
of response to the employees need to be avoided and the supervisors should deal with
the concerns and questions of the employees. The immediate supervisor communication
and informal communication were stated to be satisfactory for a few interview
respondents

The most important issue is that there is not even adequate performance appraisal. All
the flexible employees participated in the interview stated that there is no feedback on
performance which makes employees difficult to know if they are on the right path. Lack
of performance appraisal adversely affects employee intention to contribute effectively to
the organisation. There is a lack of commitment, participation and creativity due to poor
communication. Thus, dissatisfaction with communication leads to employee
disengagement. Currently, flexible employees at SABC have a negative emotion and
attitude towards the organisation which makes them disengaged with the organisation.
The interviews found that effective communication can improve the commitment,
engagement and quality of work of employees.

All the participants were identified to be demotivated at work. The responses from the
participant indicate that they are not able to contribute their best to the organisation due
to the poor communication climate. Although inadequate and inappropriate
communication methods by the organisation is a demotivating factor for employees, it did
not affect the employees’ intention to leave the organisation. The negative impact of poor
communication is on the engagement and performance of employees at SABC.

Overall flexible employees are dissatisfied with the communication climate regardless of
their position, the number of years of experience and agency and client organisation in
SABC. An interpretive analysis of the participant response suggests that the participant
is extremely dissatisfied with the supervisor communication and co-worker
communication can be evaluated as average. Thus, the six participant’s opinion also
suggests a need for improvement. The responses of the participants suggest that co-
worker communication need to be improved. The current nature of communication with

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co-workers is purely transactional and co-workers meet rarely. This mode of
communication is not very satisfactory for flexible employees who took part in the
interview.

6.5 Summary of Findings from Quantitative and Qualitative Data

The integrated use of quantitative and qualitative research approaches is widely

promoted to address the weakness in each of these methods (Bamberger, 2000). When
a quantitative research approach provides representative data on the subject examined,
qualitative research allows obtaining an in-depth perspective of the participants about the
subject. This section integrates the findings from quantitative and qualitative data. There
are differences and similarities in the findings from qualitative and quantitative data. There
were consistencies in the employee dissatisfaction with many constructs of
communication in both qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys.

The interviews with the participants indicated that the organisation communication is poor
as the employees do not receive open and honest communication from the management
and their questions are often left unanswered. The interview participants stated that there
is no official communication to inform them about the functioning of SABC, the policies
and goals of the organisation and the company’s external association or news. These
responses are consistent with the findings from the quantitative survey. There was slight
dissatisfaction with organisational integration, media quality and corporate perspective.
One major difference was that although the participants for the survey only showed slight
dissatisfaction with these communication satisfaction constructs, the words of the
interview respondents showed more dissatisfaction and anger with the communication
climate in SABC.

The survey respondents were mainly identified to be dissatisfied with the organisational
integration, media quality, personal feedback, corporate perspective and communication
climate. The respondents were slightly dissatisfied with how they are integrated to the
organisation by communication personal news, providing department policies and goals,

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information about progress in job and personal performance and information about
employee benefits and pay. The dissatisfaction with personal feedback is mainly due to
the lack of recognition of efforts, lack of supervisor understanding of subordinate
problems and poor reporting on how problems in jobs are handled. Survey respondents
were slightly dissatisfied with the corporate perspective as they are Lack of information
about the organisation in the market, its relationship with union and company profits and
financial standing. The communication climate was also slightly dissatisfactory for the
survey respondents as the company is less effective in motivating and stimulating
employees to meet goals, lack of proper communication channel to handle conflicts and
lack of communication which prevents employees from being seen as an effective and
vital part of the organisation.

In the quantitative survey results and the qualitative interviews, the supervisor and
coworker communication has mixed responses. In the qualitative interviews, when some
of the participants were happy with the communication of their immediate supervisor,
most of the participants thought that the supervisor communication was purely
transactional with the absence of proper feedback. Interview participants needed more
open, honest, frequent, uniform and equal communication by supervisors as they stated
that there is favouritism among supervisors. In the quantitative survey, there were aspects
of supervisor communication that were slightly satisfactory and slightly dissatisfactory.
The quantitative survey results show that the supervisor communication horizontal
communication and subordinate communication were very slightly satisfactory for the
flexible employees in SABC. Although overall supervisor communication means scores
shows very slight satisfaction, the survey result indicate that the participants were slightly
dissatisfied with the supervisor guidance in solving job-related problems.

When half of the interview participants were happy with the general co-worker
communication, the remaining half hoped for improvement in co-worker communication.
However, informal communication which is the main form of horizontal communication
was identified to be satisfactory in both interview data and survey data. Grapevine

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communication is the main form of communication in SABC, and both the survey
respondents and interview participants were satisfied with this. The survey results also
showed a slight satisfaction with horizontal communication. In horizontal communication,
although the overall score suggests there is slight satisfaction with horizontal
communication the respondents seemed slightly dissatisfied with horizontal
communication in emergencies. This dissatisfaction with communication in emergencies
may be the reason why some interview participant hoped for improvement in co-worker
communication. There is consistency in the interview participants and survey respondent
perspective on horizontal or co-worker communication.

The survey respondents and interview participants were dissatisfied with the performance
appraisal or personal feedback within SABC. The interview participants complained about
the lack of a proper performance appraisal system within the organisation. There was
dissatisfaction since there was no regular feedback on their performance and no
performance appraisal for a better job or remuneration. Feedback only given when there
is a change or someone complains about the job. The survey data also identified similar
responses in relation to performance appraisal. There was dissatisfaction with the
personal feedback received by the survey respondents. The survey respondents were
dissatisfied for the lack of recognition of their efforts, information on how they are judged
and how problems are handled in the job.

The dissatisfaction with the meetings was identified in qualitative interviews. All the
interview participants had a negative opinion about the quality of the meetings. They
complained about the poor quality of meetings, lack of open and honest information
transfer during meetings and the meetings are poorly planned. However, the survey
respondents showed slight satisfaction with the way in which the meetings are organized
and conducted. However, the survey respondents were slightly dissatisfied with the
written reports. The difference in the attitude towards meetings in interview participants

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and survey respondents were the first inconsistency in the quantitative and qualitative
data.

The interview responses suggests limited engagement. Conclusive evidence on

employee engagement was not obtained when the employee engagement was examined
in interviews. The respondents for the survey agreed that they have three levels of
engagement, namely intellectual engagement, social engagement and affective
engagement. The intellectual engagement was stated to be the highest followed by
affective engagement. The social engagement was the lowest.

The primary purpose of the research was to identify the relationship between
communication satisfaction and employee engagement. The interview participants stated
that a positive communication climate increases their engagement. The survey data
statistically confirmed this finding. Their employee engagement was categorized into
three dimensions. The intellectual engagement which was identified to be the highest
among the respondents has no significant relationship with communication satisfaction.
The social engagement dimension which was identified to be the lowest among the
respondents has statistically significant relation with almost all the constructs of
communication satisfaction. The communication climate, supervisor communication,
organisational integration, media quality, horizontal communication, subordinate
communication and personal feedback has a statistically significant positive relationship
with the social engagement of the respondents. The affective engagement was positively
influenced by organisational integration, media quality and subordinate communication.
No other communication satisfaction constructs were identified to have an influence on
the affective engagement of employees.

Another research aim of this study was to examine the relationship between
communication satisfaction and the employees' propensity to stay. The quantitative
findings suggest that all the communication satisfaction constructs, except supervisor
communication, can statistically significantly predict the respondents’ propensity to stay

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in SABC. The organisational integration, media quality, communication climate and
personal feedback was identified to have the highest influence on employee propensity
to stay. However, the qualitative analysis of the interview data only identified that poor
communication leads to negative emotion and poor performance, but none of the
employees stated they would leave the job due to the dissatisfaction with communication

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 7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1 Introduction

The primary aim of this research was to examine the communication satisfaction of
flexible employees in a network type organisation and to examine the impact of
communication satisfaction on the employee engagement and propensity to stay in the
organisation. A single case study research was conducted in the South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to examine the communication satisfaction of the
flexible employees and to evaluate the impact of communication satisfaction on the
engagement and propensity to stay. A combination of qualitative and quantitative
research methods was employed to examine the flexible employees experience with
communication, their satisfaction, engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation.
This chapter presents the main findings of the research, the answers to the research
questions, the practical implications of the research, limitations of the research and the
recommendations for future research.

7.2 Recapitulation of Finings

Research Objective 1: To explore the communication satisfaction of flexible employees

in a network type organisation
The first research objective of the study was to explore the communication satisfaction of
flexible employees in SABC. The responses from the quantitative surveys and qualitative
interviews indicate that flexible employees who took part in the interviews and surveys
were generally dissatisfied with many aspects of communication. The quantitative
surveys conducted with the flexible employees identified dissatisfaction with two aspects
of supervisor communication including supervisor listening to the employees and offering
guidance to job-related problems. There was dissatisfaction with many aspects of
organisational integration including obtaining information about employee benefits and
pay, job progress and department policies and goals. There was also dissatisfaction with
the media quality due to the attitude towards communication in SABC, lack of clear and
concise written reports and inadequate information given to employees. Although most of

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the aspects of horizontal communication were satisfactory, there were concerns about
the adaptability of communication in an emergency. The personal feedback was noted as
dissatisfactory by the flexible employees who took part in the survey. The personal
feedback was unsatisfactory about the recognition of efforts, information on how the
employees are judged and how problems in the job are handled. The survey respondents
also showed dissatisfaction with many aspects of corporate perspective including
providing information to employees on the company’s financial standing and profits,
information on accomplishments and failures of the company, relationship with the unions
and information about government actions affecting the company. The overall
communication climate was classified as slightly dissatisfactory by an average
respondent for the survey. The communication climate was not effective in motivating the
employees to meet their goals, company communication did not make the employees feel
that they are a vital part of it and the conflicts are not handled through proper
communication channels.

The responses from the interviews were consistent with the survey responses about the
flexible employees' satisfaction with the communication. Both the survey responses and
the interview responses indicated dissatisfaction with the communication in SABC. The
main aspects on which the interview participants were dissatisfied with where ignoring
and not responding to employee questions, inadequate information on the company goals
and objectives, inadequate information on the activities or functions within the
organisation and inadequate information on the success and failures of the company.
About supervisor communication, the majority of interview participants were not very
satisfied. The main issue with supervisor communication identified by the interview
participants was the lack of immediate response from the supervisor. The co-worker
communication was satisfactory for some interview participant while unsatisfactory for
other interview participants. The lack of personal feedback and performance appraisal
were also reported as causes of communication dissatisfaction by the interview
participant similar to the survey respondents. Thus the evidence from the qualitative and
quantitative data analysis indicates that communication satisfaction in SABC needs
improvement. There are several elements of communication satisfaction the flexible

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employees are currently not very satisfied with. The second objective of the research was
to examine the influence of communication satisfaction on the engagement of flexible
employees.

Research Objective 2: To examine the influence of communication satisfaction on the

engagement of flexible employees in a network type organisation.

The influence o communication satisfaction on the flexible employees' engagement in

SABC was examined in interviews and surveys. The interview responses suggest that
effective communication increases the engagement of the employees. All six responses
a positive influence of communication satisfaction on employee engagement. However,
the interview responses from 6 participants are not sufficient to confirm the positive impact
of communication satisfaction on employee engagement.

The impact of communication satisfaction on employee engagement and propensity to

stay in the organisation was more accurately measured through quantitative statistical
analysis. The results from the inferential statistical analysis of the quantitative data
confirm that the communication satisfaction of employee has a statistically significant
relationship with employee engagement. The communication satisfaction of the
employees who took part in the survey was divided into eight indicators. An examination
of each of these indicators on the intellectual, social and affective engagement of the
flexible employees identified the aspects of communication satisfaction that have a
statistically significant relationship with employee engagement. The findings from the
study indicate that the communication satisfaction of flexible employees has a statistically
significant relationship with social engagement and that some aspects of communication
satisfaction have a positive relationship with affective engagement. However, this study
did not identify any statistically significant association between communication
satisfaction and intellectual engagement of flexible employees.

The social engagement of flexible employees is positively statistically significantly related

to communication climate, supervisor communication, organizational integration, media

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quality, horizontal communication, subordinate communication and personal feedback.
Communication climate and subordinate communication have the most significant
association with flexible employees’ social engagement. The affective engagement of the
employees is statistically significantly positively influenced by organizational integration,
media quality and subordinate communication.

Thus, the results of the study indicate that satisfaction with communication positively
influences employee engagement in SABC. If SABC needs to improve employee
engagement, adopting measures to enhance the communication satisfaction of flexible
employees is one available measure.

Research Objective 3: To determine how communication satisfaction is related to the

propensity to stay through employee engagement.

The results from the study indicate that the communication satisfaction of flexible
employees has a positive influence on the employees’ propensity to stay in the
organisation. The satisfaction with all the aspects of communication satisfaction except
supervisor communication satisfaction has a statistically significant positive association
with the employees’ propensity to stay in the organisation. The aspects of communication
satisfaction that influence the employees’ propensity to stay in the organisation are
communication climate, organisational integration, media quality, horizontal
communication, corporate perspective, subordinate communication and personal
feedback. All these aspects have a strong positive correlation with the propensity to stay
in the organisation. The strongest statistically positive correlation with the propensity to
stay in the organisation was for the indicators organisational integration and media
quality. The interview responses were inconclusive on the influence of communication
satisfaction on the employee propensity to stay in the organisation. Although the interview
responses indicated dissatisfaction, none of the participants indicated how it will affect
their propensity to stay in the organisation. This could be due to the lack of an option to

105
explain the sentiments or thoughts of the respondents in a survey. Survey require the
respondents to select a from a predetermined set of options.

The survey data offer greater accuracy on the association between communication
satisfaction and propensity to stay in the organisation. Thus, there is a positive relation
between communication satisfaction and flexible employees’ propensity to stay in the
organisation. The findings indicate that communication satisfaction increases the flexible
employees’ propensity to stay in the organisation. Network organisations that are trying
to reduce the employee turnover need to ensure there is good communication climate,
organisational integration, media quality, horizontal communication, corporate
perspective, subordinate communication and personal feedback. Improving these seven
elements of communication satisfaction increases the chances of employees staying in
the organisation.

7.3 Managerial implications

The main practical implications of the research are to improve the communication climate
at SABC. The dissatisfaction of flexible employees with communication can adversely
affect their engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation. The current
dissatisfaction with communication is adversely affecting the engagement of employees.
The immediate improvement meets that can be implemented is providing employees’ with
relevant feedback and better integration of the employees into the organisation through
communicating department policies and goals, personal news, progress in the job and
employee benefits and pay. The communication climate in SABC needs to be improved
so that the flexible employees feel that they are a vital part of the organisation and become
motivated employees that are willing to contribute to the company performance. Any
measures to enhance the employee engagement or employees’ propensity to stay in the
organisation need to focus enhance on the eight indicators of communication satisfaction
that are positively associated with employee engagement.

106
7.4 Limitations of the Research

The methods employed for the research has several limitations. Firstly, the sample size
for the research was limited. A limited sample size limits the generalisability of the findings
(Lopez, 2017). The participants who took part in the interviews were more forthcoming
about the reasons for communication dissatisfaction which assisted the researcher to
gain a better understanding of the extent of frustration with the communication climate.
On the other hand, the responses obtained from the surveys were more moderate. This
could be because the survey does not allow respondents to share qualitative responses.
However, the validity and reliability of the measurement were confirmed from other
research results. To ensure the trustworthiness of the interview findings measures of
quality were adhered to in one to one interviews that were conducted at a place that was
comfortable for the participants so that they could feel free to communicate their
sentiments.

7.5 Recommendations for Future Research

The methodology employed for the research has several limitations as discussed in the
previous section. To overcome the weaknesses of lower sample size and limited
generalization of findings future research should be conducted with a larger sample size
of flexible employees. One major barrier to increasing the sample size in the SABC was
the reluctance of the flexible employees to participate in the survey. Future research
conducted to examine the communication satisfaction of flexible employees should
devise strategies to enhance the employees’ confidence in the confidentiality of the
research process.

The quantitative surveys allowed the researcher to examine the employees experience
on different indicators of communication satisfaction, while the qualitative interviews
allowed the researcher to obtain an understanding about the indicators of communication
satisfaction that deeply affected or valued by the employees. By collecting both
quantitative and qualitative data the researcher was able to triangulate the findings and

107
verify the validity of findings. It is suggested that future research on employee
engagement and communication should utilize a mixed methods research design. It is
also suggested that the relationship between communication satisfaction and propensity
to stay be further investigated, since respondents may not have responded accurately to
survey questions for fear of reprisal.

108
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Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire

Questionnaire for Flexible Employees

The aim of this research is to examine the communication satisfaction on the employee
engagement and the employees’ propensity to stay in the organisation. This research
conducted as part of the master s degree and not for organisational purposes. Complete
and honest responses to the questions for this survey can make significant contributions
to improving the communication satisfaction and engagement of employees in network
organisations and reduce turnover of flexible employees. Please select the options that
best explains your situation or attitude. All the responses provided will be completely
confidential and participant anonymity is assured. No personal details are collected as
part of the survey and only the completely analysed responses will be made available in
the report. Furthermore, all the completed responses will be entered into excel and the
stored in a password protected USB. Participation in the survey is voluntary and you may
withdraw from the survey without prior notice. Please take 5 minutes to complete the
survey.

Communication Satisfaction
(The communication satisfaction scale measures the extent to which you are satisfied
with the successfully communicating to someone or in successfully being communicated
with (Downs and Adrian, 2012).
Please use the following rating scale to answer the following questions
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Dissatisfied Somewhat Neutral Somewhat Satisfied Extremely
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Satisfied Satisfied

How satisfied are you about:

Personal Feedback
Information on how your job compares with others----------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information on how you are being judged----------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Recognition of your efforts------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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Information about my progress in my job’-------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Feedback on how problem in your jobs are being handled-------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
superiors understanding about the problems faced by
subordinates-------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Organisational Perspective
Information about company policies and goals------------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information about government action affecting the radio
department of SABC and Flexible employees------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information about company profits and financial standing---------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information about accomplishment and failures of the company---1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information about relations with unions’ --------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Organisational Integration
Information about personnel news---------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information about SABC’s radio departments policies and goals- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information about the requirements of your job------------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Information about employee benefits------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extent to which company communication motivates and stimulates an enthusiasm for
meeting its goals’----------------------------------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extent to which the company's publications are interesting and helpful------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Relationship with Supervisor

Your supervisor listens to you--------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your supervisor offering guidance for solving job related
Problems------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Supervisor trusting you-------------------------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Supervisor being open to ideas-------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extent to which the amount of supervision given to me is about right---------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Communication Climate

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People in SABC’s radio department has great ability as
Communicators---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
SABC’s flexible employee communication make you identify
with the organisation---------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Receive information needed to do job on time-------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Conflict handles appropriately through proper communication
Channels--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Horizontal Communication
Communication received through the grapevine at the SABC-------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Horizontal communication with other employees being accurate----- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Communication practices adaptable to emergencies-------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Member of workgroup being compatible to each other------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
‘Extent to which informal communication is active and accurate----—1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Media Quality
Your meeting being well organised------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Written reports being clear and concise------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The attitude towards communication at SABC radio department
basically healthy-------------------------------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The amount of communication------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Relationship with Subordinates

The extent to which your subordinates are responsive
to downward directive communication--------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The extent to which your subordinates anticipate your
needs for information------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The amount of feedback you receive from subordinates---------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The extent to which subordinates feel responsible initiating
Accurate upward communication-----------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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Extent to which my subordinates are receptive to evaluation, suggestions and criticisms’-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Employee Engagement
Employee engagement measure the extent to which the employees are committed and
motivating to achieving the goals and values to achieve organisational success and to
enhance their own sense of wellbeing (Bridger, 2015).

Please rate the following items on a scale using the following rating scale.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Strongly Disagree Slightly Neutral Slightly Agree Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

Intellectual Engagement
I focus hard on my work ----------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I concentrate on my work----------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I pay a lot of attention to my work------------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Social Engagement
I share the same work values as my colleagues------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I share the same work goals as my colleagues--------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I share the same work attitudes as my colleagues----------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Affective Engagement
I feel positive about my work------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I feel energetic in my work--------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am enthusiastic in my work------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Turnover intentions Explain

Please rate the following items using the following rating scale.

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 1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

I think a lot about leaving the organization---------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5

I am actively searching for an alternative to the organization----------------- 1 2 3 4 5
As soon as it is possible, I will leave the organization-------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5

Demographic Information

Age: 18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55 and older

Gender: Male
Female

Radio Station: Commercial Radio Station

Public Broadcaster Radio station

Position:

Tenure in position _____Give options plus other_________________________

Basis of employment Permanent / fixed contract / flexible contract /casual?

Are you interested in taking part in an interview? 1. Yes

2. No

134
If yes, please e-mail to brunoletsogo@gmail.com.

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Appendix B: Interview Questions

Research Overview
The purpose of this research is to investigate the communication satisfaction of flexible
employees on their engagement and propensity to stay in SABC. SABC is currently
running is currently making significant financial losses and it is crucial to identify and
resolve the factors that lead to consistent loss in the company. Understanding the effect
of communication satisfaction on employee engagement and employee retention can be
useful to develop suitable strategies to enhance organisational performance.

This research aims to determine the communication satisfaction of flexible employees in

the South African Broadcasting Corporation and its impact on employee engagement and
propensity to stay in the organisation. This research is conducted as part of the
completion of the Master’s Degree in the University of Johannesburg.

Your voluntary participation in this survey is important to ensure reliable and valid findings
about the communication satisfaction of flexible employees in the SABC sports division.
The survey should take no more than 30 -60 minutes to complete.

This research is being conducted under supervision of Prof Sonja Verwey, Head: School
of Communication, University of Johannesburg. Your have been selected for this study
because you are a communication professional working within the broader SA
communication industry. Your participation in this process is highly valued. All responses
are confidential and no respondents will be identified in the reporting of results. Should
you have any concerns about any aspect of the research process you are welcome to
contact Prof Sonja Verwey at sverwey@uj.ac.za or 011 559 4070

Impact of Communication Satisfaction on Employee Engagement and propensity

to stay

136
Position title:

Time in position

Agency/client organization:

Reporting line:

Interview Questions

1. How would you describe the communication climate at the SABC? Why?

2. How would you describe your communication relationship with your immediate
supervisor? Why?

3. How do you experience your communication relationships with your co-workers?

4. How informed are you about the organisation, and its functioning? Why/ why not?

5. How do you experience informal communication in your work group? Please

explain reasons for your answer

6. What changes would you suggest in the communication behaviour of your

supervisor to make you more engaged in the task?

7. What is your experience with the informal communication within your department?
Give reasons for your answer.

8. How is the meeting in the organisation organised? Are you satisfied with the
information and communication provided about the meetings and directives?
Why?

137
9. What do you think about the information provided about the way in which
performance are appraised? Are you satisfied with the communication? Why?

10. How does proper communication for flexible employees influence your decision to
stay with SABC?

11. Do you think proper communication influence you to work harder in your job? Why?

12. From all the above what are the main improvements in the communication you
would need in your organisation?

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Appendix C Participant Information Sheet

You are invited to take part in the research to examine the communication satisfaction of
flexible employees in SABC and its influence on employee engagement and propensity
to stay in the organisation. Please taken the time to read through the information and take
your time to decide whether or not to participate in this research.

1. Research Project Title

Communication Satisfaction on Flexible Employees : A Case on SABC

2. Purpose of the project.

The purpose of this research project to examine communication satisfaction among

flexible employees in SABC, and the influence of communication satisfaction on the
flexible employees’ engagement and propensity to stay in the organisation.

3. Participant Selection

You are invitied to participate in this research since you are a flexible employee in SABC
and have personal experience with the communication structure with in SABC. You
personal experience with the communication structure in SABC is crucial to reach main
conclusions in this study.

4. Decision to Participate

You are free to decide whether or not to participate in this research. If you willing to take
part in this research you need to agree this by signing the consent form. You can
withdraw from the interview at any point without giving any reason.

5. What to do?

You need to answer honestly and freely answer the questions asked. You are free to
remain silent on any questions you do not want to answer.

6. Any disadvantages?

There are no disadvantages or discomfort anticipated in participating in this research.

7. Benefits of taking part.

Understanding the influence of communication structure on the flexible employees’

engagement and propensity to stay is likely to motivate employers to maintain a good
communication climate within the organsiation. This study is anticipated to motivate the
management of SABC to improve any flaws in the communication structure within the
organisation if identified.

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 8. Confidentiality of information.

All the information collected during the interviews will be strictly confidential. No
personal details of the participants will be given in the research report. Data collected
are stored and shared in anonymized form.

9. Recording interview.

You will be only recorded with your permission. Recording allows to ensure that the
information provided by the participant is accurately represented in the research project.
No personal details that identifies the participant is collected during the interview.

10. Types of Questions Asked

All the questions asked for the itnerviews are limited to understanding your experience
and opinion with the communication structure within SABC. There are also questions to
measure the influence of communication satisfaction on your engagement and
propensity to stay in the organisation.

11. Ethical Clearance.

Ethical clearance for this research has been obtained from the Universtiy of
Johannesburg

12. Resuls of the Research Project

THe results of the research project will be published and none of the participants will be
identified in the report or publication. Since the case study is about SABC, the name of
SABC will be mentioned in the report. If you want to obtain a copy of the research
report. Please contact in the following email.

You can contact brunoletsogo@gmail.com for further information.

140
Appendix D Informed Consent.

This informed consent form is for the flexible employees of SABC, willing to participate in
the interviews to examine the communication satisfaction of flexible employees at SABC.

I have read and clearly understood the information provided in the participant information
sheet. I was given the opportunity to ask any questions and concenrs about the interviews
and have obtained answers to my satisfaction. I voluntarily give consent to participate in
this research.

Name of Participant: ___________________

Signature of Participant: _________________

Date:________________________

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