Internal communication to manage employer-employee relationships at the South African Medical Association (SAMA)

Abstract

The focus of this study is the South African Medical Association (SAMA), a non-statutory, nonprofit professional organisation representing medical practitioners in both the public and private healthcare sectors in South Africa. The study investigates internal communication as a means of managing internal relationships between the employer and employees following organisational change and restructuring in 2022. The research was informed by the following theoretical guidelines: strategic communication, grounded in two-way symmetrical communication and stakeholder relationship management theories, to foster and maintain long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial between management and employees. These theoretical guidelines formed the literature review of the study. The purpose of the study is to determine how SAMA utilises internal communication to build internal relationships between management and employees. A qualitative approach was applied using semi-structured interviews and focus groups for data collection. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted; five interviews with top-level management and eleven interviews with middle management of SAMA. Five focus group interviews were conducted with SAMA employees from various departments. The purpose was to gauge the perceptions of both management and employees on the nature of internal communication to manage employer-employee relationships at SAMA. After gathering data from participants, it was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings reflect mixed perceptions of internal communication and relationship satisfaction, with only a minority of employees indicating satisfaction with their relationship with the organisation. The majority of employees expressed feelings of low morale and demotivation that negatively affected their work relationships. Although inconsistency in participants' perception was pointed out, the overall result from the study shows that internal communication serves as a strategic tool to build strong and good employer-employee relationships. To successfully build relationships between employer and employees requires effective communication. In summary, it was found that efforts are made by SAMA to foster good relationships between management and employees through effective relationship-building strategies. The finding shows that there is an improvement in open communication with management and prioritising employees' well-being, particularly after the restructuring of the organisation. Open communication channels reflect openness, disclosure, trust, positivity and access as a strategy to build and maintain relationships. However, the results reflect mixed perceptions on the successful application of these strategies. Currently, the internal relationships at SAMA between management and employees are unbalanced with opportunities for improvement. The research findings reflect the need for more effective strategic communication practices with employees to foster good internal relationships. Therefore, internal communication should be executed according to the theoretical guidelines of strategic communication, two-way symmetrical communication, and stakeholder relationship management to foster long term relationships.