Internal communication with mobile workers: the cabin crew perspective
Lempiäinen, Petra (2016)
Lempiäinen, Petra
Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016120619211
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016120619211
Tiivistelmä
This study took an employee-centric approach to investigating the issues related to internal organisational communication in a mobile work setting. The study explored what and how employees want their organisation to communicate. Cabin crew work has unique characteristics and mobility patterns, offering an interesting and underresearched context for studying mobility and communication. The study was conducted in cooperation with the Inflight Customer Service department of the case company “The Airline”, one of the leading Nordic airlines. In 2015, The Airline employed approximately 1500 cabin crew members based in Helsinki (Helsinki airport, HEL/EFHK).
The purpose of the study was to discover how internal communication is perceived at the Inflight Customer Service department at The Airline. The study aimed at mapping out and improving the current state of internal communication. The effectiveness of internal communication channels at the case company (The Airline) was investigated in terms of employee (cabin crew) preferences. The research questions were:
- What are the mobile workers’ preferences for channel and content?
- How is internal communication perceived and how could it be improved?
The study reviewed literature on mobile work and internal communication for creating a framework for analysing internal communication in a mobile work setting. The case study method was chosen as the most appropriate research method for this study. The body of the empirical data was collected through a survey questionnaire (n=196), complemented with document review and participant observation including informal discussions. The survey, conducted in January-February 2015, gathered data on communication technology, communication channels, information flow, and interaction in the work community.
The results indicate that the cabin crew members are well equipped with a variety ICT devices, and that the crew members spend significant amount of time (approximately 100 hours/year) e-working and following formal communication channels. The major development areas were:
- functionality and accessibility of communication channels
- organisation of information and communication channel roles
- feedback receptiveness and responsiveness
- interaction within the organisation
- speed and proactivity of communication and understanding the receiver.
The needs for a 24/7 formal support channel and understanding of the mobile nature of the work were highlighted in the results. Cabin crew preferences for channels, effective communication and an ideally communicating organisation were discovered. The results serve as a starting point for developing internal communication towards fulfilling various mobile employee needs.
The purpose of the study was to discover how internal communication is perceived at the Inflight Customer Service department at The Airline. The study aimed at mapping out and improving the current state of internal communication. The effectiveness of internal communication channels at the case company (The Airline) was investigated in terms of employee (cabin crew) preferences. The research questions were:
- What are the mobile workers’ preferences for channel and content?
- How is internal communication perceived and how could it be improved?
The study reviewed literature on mobile work and internal communication for creating a framework for analysing internal communication in a mobile work setting. The case study method was chosen as the most appropriate research method for this study. The body of the empirical data was collected through a survey questionnaire (n=196), complemented with document review and participant observation including informal discussions. The survey, conducted in January-February 2015, gathered data on communication technology, communication channels, information flow, and interaction in the work community.
The results indicate that the cabin crew members are well equipped with a variety ICT devices, and that the crew members spend significant amount of time (approximately 100 hours/year) e-working and following formal communication channels. The major development areas were:
- functionality and accessibility of communication channels
- organisation of information and communication channel roles
- feedback receptiveness and responsiveness
- interaction within the organisation
- speed and proactivity of communication and understanding the receiver.
The needs for a 24/7 formal support channel and understanding of the mobile nature of the work were highlighted in the results. Cabin crew preferences for channels, effective communication and an ideally communicating organisation were discovered. The results serve as a starting point for developing internal communication towards fulfilling various mobile employee needs.