Exploratory Research on Employee Publications

Abstract

Employee publications are used extensively in organizations, but relatively little research has been conducted on the nature and impact of these unique communication tools. This rationale provided the impetus for this research project, which involved analyzing the results of a questionnaire sent to the editors of300 employee publications . Respondents were also asked to include a copy of their employee publication and 53 editors did so. The basic analysis consisted of examining the survey responses and critically analyzing the actual publications. A theoretical orientation to the unique dynamics faced by editors is presented and five basic conclusions were reached in the study. First, the results of this study were similar to past research on the characteristics of the "typical publication." Second, there appears to be some congruency between the stated purpose and the type of articles actually contained in the publications. Third, there was little evidence that employee publications were formally evaluated. Fourth, the major purpose and focus of employee publications appears to be employee recognition. Fifth, the evidence suggests that many editors appear to be leaning towards the "trivialization" strategy.