Impact of communication on employee performance in a Retail Chain’s Head Office in Cape Town

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of communication on employee performance in a Retail chain’s head office in Cape Town. It examines the  communication strategies used in the organisation and how it affects work performance. The investigation is guided by the fact that employees’ performance is influenced by the motivation they get from management and how the information within the organisation is communicated to them. This paper is underpinned by motivational and communication theories of Colquitt, LePone, and Wesson (2009) and Semren (2017). A qualitative research method is used with a case study design placed within the interpretive paradigm. The data collected is analysed by using  qualitative content analysis. The findings from the study suggest that communication is a critical component within the organisation but is currently deteriorating. However, the participants showed interest in receiving information relating to their functions regularly. The findings also revealed that a combination of top-down and bottom-up communication is best suited as this allows both management and staff to collaborate efficiently. The study concludes that the employees are well informed and are communicated too, but there is room for improvement. Most of the staff have adopted the industry's best practices such as emails to communicate. However, this is not always the preferred method of communication nor the
best approach given its limitations. Based on this, it is recommended that the organization should try to know its audience to select the correct tools when trying to relay a message. Although it is not always possible in the fast-paced working world to have one-on-one conversations, a balance is needed to project that sense of belonging with the employees when having a real conversation.

Key words: Communication, communication strategies, motivation strategies, communication channels, organisational performance