Employee Communication

In our post-industrial knowledge society, employees are a central stakeholder group in organizations. They contribute to the achievement of goals and the creation of value. In the information age, the knowledge, skills and experience of all employees are valuable intangible assets. Employee communication comprises the internal communication of the organization’s top management – or of their mandated communication representatives – with all employees, as well as communication of leaders and managers with their co-workers and the informal internal communication among peers. It also includes the organization's communication with potential employees and the communication by employees outside of communications with external stakeholders and recipients on organization-related topics (Einwiller et al., 2021).

In our research, we are interested in the effects of internal communication on employees, especially on critical variables like percived appreciation, inclusion, psychological safety and job engagement. Studying the antecedents of internal communication like transparent communication, appreciative signals and DEI communication helps us to also derive implications for communication practice.

For an introduction to employee communication see:

  • Einwiller, S., Sackmann, S. A., & Zerfass, A. (2021). Mitarbeiterkommunikation: Gegenstand, Bedeutung und Entwicklung (Employee communication: Theme, significance and development). In S. Einwiller, S. Sackmann & A. Zerfass (Hrsg.), Handbuch Mitarbeiterkommunikation. Interne Kommunikation in Unternehmen (Handbook employee communication. Internal communication in companies) (S. 3-26). Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.

 

Communicating about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

While diversity aims to open organizations to people from all backgrounds, equity refers to the fair treatment of all employees. However, the success of DEI initiatives depends not only on promoting diversity and equity, but above all on creating an inclusive work environment. Internal communication plays a key role in shaping an inclusive climate in which all employees feel a sense of belonging. In our DEI research, we examine how communication within organizations can foster inclusion and, in turn, generate positive outcomes for both employees and organizations. We focus on communication about specific aspects of diversity as well as on diversity as a broader concept. In our most recent study, we compare DEI communication in the German and U.S. contexts.

The project Comparison of DEI communication in Germany and the US is funded by the Academic Society for Management & Communication in 2025

Contact: Ingrid Wahl

Publications:

  • Wahl, I., Einwiller, S., & Bartels, J. (2025). Fostering employees’ organizational identification and organizational citizenship behavior through diversity communication. Management Communication Quarterly.
  • Einwiller, S. A., & Wahl, I. (2025). Introduction to the special issue: ‘Diversity in corporate and marketing communications.’ Journal of Marketing Communications, 31(5), 515–519.
  • Wahl, I., Siegel, M., & Einwiller, S. (2024). Blind Spots in Employee Communication Research Regarding LGBT+ and Guidance for Future Research: A Scoping Review of Quantitative Research. International Journal of Business Communication. Ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884241255620

Psychological Safety and Internal Communication

Psychological safety describes the feeling of employees that they are allowed to express their personality and opinions within their organisation and their team, to articulate criticism of team members and superiors, and to suggest creative and unorthodox solutions. Studies in the field of organisational psychology have demonstrated various positive effects of psychological safety – on the commitment and dedication of individual employees as well as on the performance, innovation, and learning ability of the company as a whole. The research project will examine psychological safety from a communications perspective and show in which communicative settings employees feel psychologically safe and how strategic internal organisational communication can contribute to such a working climate. Problem-centred interviews with employees, expert interviews with communication managers, and a quantitative online survey of employees are conducted to address these questions.

The project is funded by the Academic Society for Management & Communication, an initiative of the Guenter Thiele Foundation for Communication & Management. 

The project is led by Principal Investigators Sabine Einwiller and Jens Hagelstein and supported by Jeannine Huber and Raphaela Stibor. 

Contact: Jens Hagelstein

Publications:

  • Hagelstein, J., Huber, J., Wahl, I., & Einwiller, S. (2025, September 24–27). Psychological safety and internal communication: Employees' perceptions of psychologically safe communication settings in the workplace [Paper presentation]. Annual Congress of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA). Lund, Sweden.

Communicating Appreciation in Organizational Environments

Communication plays a crucial role in expressing appreciation toward employees. Even simple actions, such as saying “thank you,” can have a significant positive impact and benefit the organization as a whole. Internal communicators, together with HR, share the responsibility of identifying effective ways to communicate appreciation and fostering a culture of appreciation within their organizations.

The research project initially focused on the forms and channels through which appreciation is conveyed and how these influence employees. In the next phase, we examined the perceived importance and experience of appreciation across various work-related tasks and behaviors, also comparing the German and U.S. contexts. Currently, we are developing a scale to measure the organizational climate for appreciation, which will be used to further explore how communication by the organization, managers, and coworkers shapes this climate.

The project on Forms of Appreciation in Internal Communication was funded by the Academic Society for Management & Communication in 2022/23.

Contact: Ingrid Wahl

Publications:

  • Hagelstein, J., Wahl, I., Stranzl, J., Einwiller, S., & Ruppel, C. (2025) Communication appreciation in the workplace: Importance and perception of appreciation from managers and co-workers and its effects on organisational citizenship behaviour. Journal of Communication Management, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-10-2024-0214
  • Ruppel, C., Stranzl, J., Einwiller, S., Hagelstein, J., Wahl, I., & Berger, K. (2024). Employee appreciation. The value of valuing people. (Communication Insights, Issue 21). Academic Society for Management & Communication.
  • Hagelstein, J., Wahl, I., Stranzl, J., Einwiller, S., & Ruppel, C. (2024, September 11–14). Communicating appreciation in the workplace: First insights from an employee survey on sources and reasons of appreciation [Paper presentation]. Annual Congress of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), Bucharest, Romania.
  • Hagelstein, J., Wahl, I., Stranzl., J., & Einwiller, S. (2024, March 26–27). Importance, occurrence, and effects of appreciation in the workplace: First insights from an employee survey [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Corporate and Marketing Communications (CMC). Vienna, Austria.

Virtual Collaboration and Communication

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global crisis that is having a profound impact on almost all areas of society, the economy, and the way we live and work together. The pandemic boosted mobile working and changed work dynamics, which in turn generated new challenges for internal communication. While task- and work-related information services can be provided relatively quickly and easily with digital tools, broader employee communication is much more difficult in a highly virtual work context. In our research, we address the question of how employees, who do not work in the office every day, can be encouraged to work responsibly and with strong commitment to their organization. In particular, internal communication experts are challenged to develop new concepts when planning and implementing community and identity-building measures. Overall, it can be assumed that in virtual collaboration and communication environments, central goals of employee communication such as relationship building, identity formation and motivation require adapted and possibly novel strategies and practices.

The project on Employee Engagement in Times of Virtual Collaboration was funded by the Academic Society for Management & Communication in 2021.

Contact: Sabine Einwiller, Ingrid Wahl

Publications:

  • Wahl, I., Wolfgruber, D., & Einwiller, S. (2024). Mitigating teleworkers' perceived technological complexity and work strains through supportive team communication. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 29(3), 329-345. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-05-2023-0061 
  • Stranzl, J., Ruppel, C., & Einwiller, S. (2024). Staying emotionally connected while being physically apart – exploring what teleworkers need to stay committed and how internal communication can contribute. In Journal of Communication Management, 28(2), 272-293. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-02-2023-0023
  • Einwiller, S., Stranzl, J., & Wahl, I. (2022). Hybride Arbeitssettings. Die Rolle der Mitarbeiterkommunikation (Hybrid work arrangements. The role of employee communication). prmagazin, 52(8), E1-E6.
  • Einwiller, S. (2022). Emotionale Bindung durch Mitarbeiterkommunikation in Zeiten von Virtualisierung. PERSONALquarterly – Wissenschaftsjournal für die Personalpraxis, 03/2022, 24-27.
  • Stranzl, J., Wolfgruber, D., Einwiller, S., & Brockhaus, J. (2021). Keeping up the spirit. Internal communication in an increasingly virtual work environment. Communication Insights, Issue 13. Leipzig, Germany: Academic Society for Management & Communication.

Communicating with Employees in Times of Crises

An organizational crisis can trigger various negative feelings such as uncertainty, anger, anxiety and stress among employees, which highlights the importance to address this stakeholder group communicatively during a crisis. In our research, we analyze the effects of different forms of crisis communication on employees’ cognitive and affective reactions during organizational crisis situations. In particular, we are interested in the role of communication to maintain job engagement and protect against job disengagement, which is a self-protective response associated with low work productivity, dissatisfaction, and turnover. Our research argues for a socio-emotional crisis communication approach that puts employees and their uncertainty at the center of analysis.

Contact: Sabine Einwiller

Publications:

  • Ruppel, C., Stranzl, J., & Einwiller, S. (2022). Employee-centric perspective on organizational crisis: how organizational transparency and support help to mitigate employees’ uncertainty, negative emotions and job disengagement. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 27(5), 1-22.
  • Stranzl, J., Ruppel, C., & Einwiller, S. (2021). Examining the role of transparent organizational communication for employees’ job engagement and disengagement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, 4(2), 271-308. (open access)
  • Einwiller, S., Ruppel, C., & Stranzl, J. (2021). Achieving employee support during the COVID-19 pandemic – The role of relational and informational crisis communication in Austrian organizations. Journal of Communication Management, 25(3), 233-255. (open access)
  • Stranzl, J. (2021). Sozioemotionale Krisenkommunikation in der COVID-19-Pandemie. Eine Untersuchung der Wahrnehmung von Arbeitnehmenden in österreichischen Organisationen. Medienjournal, 45(2), 73-90.
  • Ruppel, C., Stranzl, J., & Einwiller, S. (2021). Employees’ personal crisis within an organizational crisis: When a lack of transparency and support causes job frustration and disengagement. Paper presented at the 22nd EUPRERA Congress, Oct. 7-9, Pamplona, Spain. (received Emerald Professional Impact Award)
  • Einwiller, S., & Ruppel, C. (2020). Interne Unternehmenskommunikation in der Krise - Ergebnisse einer Befragung unter Arbeitnehmenden während der Corona-Krise. prmagazin, 7-2020, 64-71.

Employees as Ambassadors and Activists

Employees without a communication or representation function are particularly credible communicators for their organizations, as they are seen as insiders and as rather independent in their commentaries. Thus, their communication towards external audiences can have a considerable influence on how the organization is perceived. The main focus of our research is on employee activism, which is a form of proactive, direct employee participation, where employees personally initiate or participate in protest actions. Cases of employee activism at Google, Amazon or Salesforce have demonstrated that employee activists engage in socially relevant causes like climate change, discrimination or human rights. It shows that employees are increasingly taking a stand against their companies with regard to business decisions and company policies. Employees take this stand collectively and in public, while also—to a considerable extent—organizing and communicating through social media. Hence, through employee activism the discussion about employees’ strategic role as communicators and their active participation in corporate affairs is taking on a new dimension.

Contact: Ingrid Wahl

Publications:

  • Ninova-Solovykh, N., Wahl, I., & Einwiller, S. (2025). Who speaks matters: The effect of insider versus outsider activism on consumer responses to company-directed activism. International Journal of Communication, 19(2025), 2779-2803. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc7article7view/24076
  • Ninova-Solovykh, N., Wahl, I., & Einwiller, S. (2023). A situational perspective on employee activism: Examining the role of symmetrical internal communication. Paper presented at the EUPRERA 24th Annual Congress, Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Ninova-Solovykh, N. (2023). Employee activism: When employees speak out publicly against their employer (pp. 139-160). In N. Rodriguez-Salcedo, N., A. Moreno, S. Einwiller & M. Recalde (2023), (Re)discovering the human element in public relations and communication management in unpredictable times. Emerald, Bingley, UK.
  • Ninova-Solovykh, N., & Einwiller, S. (2021). Employee activism – When employees speak out publicly against their employer. Paper presented at the 22nd EUPRERA Congress, Oct. 7-9, Pamplona, Spain.
  • Ninova-Solovykh, N., & Einwiller, S. (2021). Mitarbeitende als Botschafter von Unternehmen. In S. Einwiller, S. Sackmann & A. Zerfass (Hrsg.), Handbuch Mitarbeiterkommunikation (S. 463-486). Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.