Objectives and difficulties in the evaluation of internal communication in Spanish companies

Abstract

Recent studies confirm that business leaders are increasingly interested in internal communication (IC). However, in order for IC to continue evolving, the ability to demonstrate its impact on the income statement through the measurement and the evaluation of its actions is essential. This work analyses the objectives evaluated by the IC departments, the evaluation procedures and the barriers to measuring effectiveness in a study carried out with 118 IC leaders in Spain. The results show that evaluation focuses on the employees and their reactions, and that the main obstacle in measuring is the lack of appropriate tools. In addition, evaluation largely depends on the type of company and how the department is organized.