Article,

Status of Internal Communication Research in Public Relations: An Analysis of Published Articles in Nine Scholarly Journals from 1970 to 2019

, and .
Public Relations Review, 46 (3): 101906 (2020)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101906

Abstract

This study aims to examine the trends of internal communication research through a quantitative content analysis of published articles in public relations and other communication journals. Research topics, theoretical frameworks, methodology, and authorship information were analyzed using 223 articles. Results indicate that internal communication research in public relations scholarships has exponentially increased since 2011. Research topics on internal communication have diversified since 2000, from descriptive studies illustrating internal communication practices to a variety of relevant phenomena on employee and organizational outcomes. Public relations theories, such as organization–public relationship and symmetrical communication, have been frequently applied in internal communication research. In terms of methodology and sample, quantitative and qualitative methods have been equally utilized, and employees from multiple organizations were frequently used as a type of sample in a large portion of research works. The most productive researchers and institutions of internal communication research in public relations were also identified. Implications for ongoing internal communication research in public relations disciplines are discussed. To address the limitations of the current study, future studies should incorporate an interdisciplinary and a global perspective.

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