An intern, a dissertation and a request

I have a guest post for you today written by a third year university student who needs our help.

Please take a few moments to compete his survey to aid his dissertation once you’ve read his thoughts. I’ll hand you over to Adam…

In all walks of life, across both the human and animal kingdoms, communication is a fundamental tool. It can be the sharp difference between success and failure. Within the highly competitive modern business ecosystem, internal communication is of paramount significance.

Yet internal communication, as we know it, is dying.

My name is Adam Eaglefield, @adameaglefield, and I am currently writing my dissertation.

Not the big, scary dissertation you are likely familiar with. This isn’t 20,000 words on a micro-specific topic, this is a much more manageable 5,000 words.

I’m going through my third year of university at the moment, studying at Loughborough which is ranked 6th on the 2018 Guardian League Tables (hoorah!) on a degree named Retailing, Marketing and Management.

This is a funnily but aptly titled ‘sandwich degree’ which means the first two years are in study, the third is a year out to study abroad or undertake a 12-month placement in industry, and the fourth/final year is back to studying at Loughborough.

I chose to undertake a 12-month placement, working full-time from the beginning of last July until the end of this July to gain valuable, hands-on experience in the world of business and incredibly fast-paced IT industry.

My chosen dissertation topic is an investigation into the evolving role of internal communication under the influence of digital technologies and other drivers, and what this means about the art of employee collaboration.

I chose this topic because my internship is based in internal communications across Europe, the Middle-East and Africa.

Exploring internal communication
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this role and think that internal communication is a fantastic area to work within. Therefore, the opportunity to explore it further through this interesting topic, taking internal communication through the lens of digital (and some other drivers) is brilliant. I’m enjoying writing it and researching for it already.

After all, we currently live in a remarkable time where the world of work is experiencing an unprecedented transformation driven by technology.

Digital platforms have encouraged a shift from hierarchical communication to a networked stream of information and provided a multitude of challenges and opportunities alike.

Basic top-down, one-way internal communication is a relic of the past in the new fast-paced, high-tech work environment.

Now, the lines between internal and external are blurred and the linear stream of knowledge has evolved into multiple streams that are similarly blurred and un-sequential.

Through my research I seek to learn more about how digital technology and other factors have re-written the role of internal communication in contemporary organisations.

How you can help
However, I need some assistance here. If you work or have worked in internal communication then I please ask that you take a few minutes (no more than five) to complete a short online survey to support my research.

Or, encourage an employee who works in communication to take it. It would mean a lot to me, and provide me very current, real-world insight into the perspectives of communication employees on how the likes of social media and the rise of digital technologies such as intranet sites and utilising video in internal communication has affected this very critical business function.

At the end of the day, the organisational function of internal communication as an employee-enabling mechanism cannot be underestimated since employees are what makes a company successful.

Thank you in advance for completing my survey.

Adam.

Post author: Adam Eaglefield

Best of luck with your studies Adam, do keep us posted with how you get on. Particularly keen to know the reason behind your view internal comms is dying.

Get help this weekend
If you’re in the UK like me, you may be benefitting from a long Bank Holiday weekend.

If your task list includes finding a new comms job, I can help. Search the All Things IC Jobs page to view the latest vacancies, which are updated regularly.

Thank you to the companies including the V&A Museum, London Ambulance Service and scarlettabbott who have chosen to place their roles with me over the past few weeks. Ads cost just £50+VAT per role per week and the majority are directly with the companies who are hiring, not via recruitment agencies.

I’ve updated the page and have more roles going live over the next few days, so do keep an eye out.

Good luck if you’re job hunting.

Want to raise your profile? You’re welcome to sit in my #questionofcomms hot seat – here’s the questions you need to answer.

The latest comms pro to sit in the seat is Janice Fitzgerald, Group Communications Manager at The Clancy Group. Discover the best career advice she’s been told, what she thinks comms pros should read and much more.

You can also find hundreds of articles on my blog offering career advice including:

How to communicate your personal brand
How communicators learn about comms
Listen to the history of internal communication
All you need to know to develop your comms career
How to write an internal communication strategy
How to carry out internal comms audits
How comedy can prepare you for internal comms
Welcome to internal communication – a guide if you’re starting out
Mastering communication through education.

Good luck,

Rachel Miller.

First published on the All Things IC blog 27 May 2017.

Comments

  1. Alison Marks says:

    Hi Rachel and Adam

    Just tried to do the survey but the numbered answers in 6 and 7 don’t play ball, they aren’t staying put when you select them and therefore I can’t submit the form. Maybe just my pc but worth looking into!

    Ali

  2. Thank you very much Alison, I’ve just let Adam know.

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