Influencing Employees’ Predisposition Toward Taking Communication Responsibility Through Internal Communication

Contemporary management increasingly acknowledges that employees have an important responsibility for communication. In employees’ interactions with supervisors, colleagues, and external stakeholders, they actively participate in the co-construction of everything from the organization’s internal communication climate, to the brand and reputation of the organization. This case encourages students to reflect upon, discuss, and provide possible solutions for how to make employees aware of their communication roles and their communication responsibility. The case stimulates students to consider holistically the intricate relationship between the internal and external communication of an organization. At first, making employees aware of their communication role and responsibilities might seem like a fairly simple task, as explicating communicative role expectations in policies and other texts aimed towards employees may appear to be a straightforward solution. However, employees’ communication role and responsibility might be more complex than initially assumed. Therefore, this case also invites students to reflect upon the multifaceted nature of employees’ communication role and communication responsibility.