Delport, Mardi Christina
English: Effective internal communication is important to the success of any organisation, whether it be a corporate company or an organisation that does not function in a corporate environment, such as an institution of higher education. Although many corporate organisations realise the importance of investing in their internal communication strategies in order to address external competitiveness, the researcher regards internal communication and its optimal use a neglected feature in the higher education environment. Higher education institutions are often referred to as “professional bureaucracies”; “leave us alone” and “ivory-tower” institutions. Some authors even mention that higher education institutions do not enjoy a reputation for good management of resources and that they are seen as extravagant and “unbusinesslike”. Research has confirmed that alliances, lack of motivation, high individualism, inadequate exchange of scientific knowledge, competition, and criticism are seen as factors negatively influencing communication at the university. Higher education institutions are academic institutions with a complex and bureaucratic nature. They are not only large in structure, but consist of complex and diverse systems and multiple operations where the organisational structure and extensive vertical hierarchy consist of numerous staff members. These institutions are governed by law and have numerous policies and procedures that need to be followed in the execution of operations. The new higher education dispensation brought on by the mergers and incorporations a few years ago challenges South African higher education institutions to revisit their internal communication practices to communicate effectively with a more diverse internal community. Many of these institutions are diverse in terms of post levels, organisational hierarchy, qualifications, language and culture. They also vary in nature and now have different identities, for example “technikons” that changed to “universities of technology”. Many of these institutions transformed into multi-campus universities which comprise different campuses, some of which are located in geographical areas removed from the main campus. The aim of the study was to undertake research that would direct the development of an effective internal communication model for the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) as a multi-campus institution (with possible application to other multi-campus universities in South Africa). Thus, aspects such as the academic and bureaucratic nature of universities are discussed, whilst the importance of internal communication in a higher education environment is spelt out. In proposing an effective internal communication model for the CUT, theoretical models, such as the early linear models, as well as various recent internal communication models are outlined. The type of research carried out in this study is of an applied nature and it fits the description of evaluation research. The investigation can be categorised as an improvement-oriented evaluation, which is formative in nature (in other words, dealing with a concern of improving a programme or practice). The particular practice in question refers to internal communication at multi-campus universities in South Africa. The empirical investigation entailed three phases, namely a questionnaire survey regarding internal communication at the CUT; an interview-type survey regarding internal communication at seven multi-campus universities in South Africa; and an inter-institutional evaluation and refinement of the draft communication framework that was developed to improve the effectiveness of internal communication at the CUT. Through the use of combined qualitative and quantitative research methods, the aim of the study was achieved. The model is based on various internal practices following national and international communication tendencies and corporate communication models that have successfully been employed by corporate companies in South Africa. The model also boasts features which are based on the recommendations of communication executives from seven multi-campus universities in South Africa. An action plan for improving upward, downward and horizontal communication at the CUT is included.
Afrikaans: Effektiewe interne kommunikasie is belangrik vir die sukses van enige organisasie – korporatiewe maatskappye sowel as organisasies wat nie in ’n korporatiewe omgewing funksioneer nie, soos byvoorbeeld ’n hoëronderwysinstelling. Alhoewel baie korporatiewe organisasies besef hoe belangrik dit is om in hul interne kommunikasiestrategieë te belê om sodoende ekstern kompeterend te wees, beskou die navorser interne kommunikasie as ‘n faset wat nie tot sy volle potensiaal in die hoëronderwysomgewing ontgin word nie. Daar word dikwels na hoëronderwysinstellings as “professionele burokrasieë”; “laat ons alleen” en “ivoortoring”-instellings verwys. Sommige skrywers maak selfs melding daarvan dat hoëronderwysinstellings nie ’n goeie reputasie vir die effektiewe bestuur van hulpbronne geniet nie en dat hulle as buitensporig of “niebesigheidsgeöriënteerd” beskou word. Navorsing bevestig dat ‘n verskeidenheid faktore kommunikasie aan ‘n universiteit negatief kan beïnvloed, soos byvoorbeeld vennootskappe, ’n gebrek aan motivering, individualistiese neigings, onvoldoende uitruil van wetenskaplike kennis, kompetisie en kritiek. Hoëronderwysinstellings is akademiese instellings met ’n komplekse en burokratiese karakter. Nie alleenlik is hulle groot met betrekking tot hulle struktuur nie, maar hulle bestaan ook uit komplekse en diverse sisteme en veelvuldige bedrywighede met ’n organisatoriese struktuur en uitgebreide vertikale hiërargieë met baie personeellede. Hierdie tipe instellings word deur die reg beheer en talle beleide en prosedures moet gevolg word in die uitvoering van aktiwiteite. Die nuwe hoëronderwyslandskap wat deur die samesmeltings en inkorporerings ’n paar jaar gelede teweeggebring is, bied ’n uitdaging aan Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysinstellings om weer te kyk na hul interne kommunikasiepraktyke en om uiteindelik meer effektief binne ’n meer diverse interne gemeenskap te kommunikeer. Baie van hierdie instellings het uiteenlopende posvlakke, organisatoriese hiërargieë, kwalifikasies, taal en kulture. Hulle verskil ook in aard en het nou nuwe identiteite, byvoorbeeld “technikons” wat verander het na “universiteite vir tegnologie”. Baie van hierdie instellings het verander na multikampusuniversiteite wat uit ‘n verskeidenheid kampusse, waarvan sommige in geografiese gebiede ver van die hoofkampus geleë is, bestaan. Die doel van die studie was om navorsing te onderneem wat sou aanleiding gee tot die ontwikkeling van ’n effektiewe interne kommunikasiemodel vir die Sentrale Universiteit vir Tegnologie, Vrystaat (SUT) as ’n multi-kampusinstelling (met moontlike toepassing op ander multi-kampusuniversiteite in Suid-Afrika). Aspekte soos die akademiese en burokratiese aard van universiteite word bespreek, terwyl die belangrikheid van interne kommunikasie in ’n hoëronderwysomgewing uitgelig word. Ten einde ’n effektiewe interne kommunikasiemodel vir die SUT voor te lê, word teoretiese modelle, soos die vroeë lineêre modelle, sowel as verskeie hedendaagse interne kommunikasiemodelle bespreek. Die tipe navorsing wat in die studie onderneem word, is van ’n toegepaste aard en val binne die kader van evalueringsnavorsing. Die ondersoek kan geklassifiseer word as ’n verbeterings-geöriënteerde evaluering van ’n formatiewe aard. Met ander woorde, dit het te make met ’n aangeleentheid om ’n bepaalde gebruik te verbeter. Die spesifieke gebruik in die studie verwys na interne kommunikasie aan multikampusuniversiteite in Suid-Afrika. Die empiriese ondersoek het drie fases behels, naamlik ‘n vraelysopname oor interne kommunikasie aan die SUT; ’n onderhoud-tipe opname oor interne kommunikasie aan sewe multi-kampusuniversiteite in Suid-Afrika; en ’n inter-institusionele evaluering en verfyning van die voorlopige kommunikasieraamwerk wat ontwikkel is om die effektiwiteit van interne kommunikasie aan die SUT te verbeter. Deur die gebruik van gekombineerde kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodes, is die doel van die studie bereik. Die model is gebaseer op verskeie interne gebruike wat gegrond is op nasionale en internasionale kommunikasietendense, asook korporatiewe modelle wat suksesvol deur korporatiewe maatskappye in Suid-Afrika geïmplementeer is. Die model inkorporeer die eienskappe wat gebaseer is op die aanbevelings van kommunikasiekundiges van sewe multi-kampusuniversiteite in Suid-Afrika. ’n Aksieplan om opwaartse, afwaartse en horisontale kommunikasie aan die SUT te verbeter, is ingesluit.