Abstract
In May 2021, Diamond Glass Works, an established glass manufacturing company located in Mumbai, India, faced challenges in informal communication due to a strong emphasis on promoting a professional culture among the employees. Misinterpretations during lockdowns due to the usage of e-mails and other official tools created tensions. Failure to communicate informally led to misunderstandings, escalated tensions during lockdown periods and the realization that the current communication structure did not meet the company’s needs. This problem was noticed earlier in 2018 when Husain identified that people are not engaged much in informal communication due to overemphasized task performance. Understanding that stronger internal connections and engagement are required, Husain created the Internal Communication and Engagement (ICE) programme.
As a part of the ICE programme, ‘GlassyConnect’ was established as an intranet social media platform through which employees could freely communicate, collaborate and socially interact. Despite these possibilities, the programme faced many challenges in its implementation. The employees complained that switching between the different platforms was complex, and they could not understand why there was a need for GlassyConnect when alternatives such as e-mail were available. By early 2019, the use of the programme had begun to decrease. When the pandemic aggravated the communication issues in 2021, Husain considered bringing back the ICE programme. He considered that GlassyConnect could now play a crucial role in enhancing interconnectedness. However, he was curious to know the factors that led to the programme’s failure in the first place. In response to these challenges, Husain pondered how to bridge the widening communication divide, relaunch the ICE programme or opt for other possibilities to boost employee engagement at Diamond Glass Works.
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