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Internal Communication

Code: 104780 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2503868 Communication in Organisations OB 2

Contact

Name:
María José Recoder Sellarés
Email:
mariajosep.recoder@uab.cat

Teachers

Aida Casas Gutierrez

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

As it is a second year subject, it is assumed that the student must be able to express himself / herself in writing and orally in his / her own languages. They must have initiative and the ability to learn, and they must be aware of current issues.
 
They must have knowledge of English, because some reading may be in this language.
 
Students will need to check the official email and the Moodle Classrooms because they will be the ways for communication tools between faculty, teachers and students throughout the semester.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The objectives of the subject are the following:
 
  • Learn the systems of diffusion of the internal information and the Communication Offices and to dominate the techniques (writing, preparation of acts, creation of agenda, etc.).
  • Know the elements to take into account for the elaboration of an internal communication plan of an organization, in function of its characteristics.
  • To have elements of judgment to know how to manage the informative crises that can generate or affect the workers of the organization.
  • Assess the ethics of communication, journalistic ethics and professional relations between the Communication Offices and their internal audiences.

Competences

  • Act within one's own area of knowledge, evaluating sex/gender-based inequalities.
  • Analyse communication in the organisation and draw up a communication plan that includes internal, external and crisis communication.
  • Devise, plan and execute communication projects about the organisation on all types of media and for both internal and external audiences.
  • Display the ability to lead, negotiate and work in a team.
  • Establish communication objectives, and design and apply optimal strategies for communication between organisations and their employees, clients and users, and society in general.
  • Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  • Manage time efficiently and plan for short-, medium- and long-term tasks.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Work in compliance with professional codes of conduct.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Adapt to new situations in a constantly changing work environment.
  2. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  3. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  4. Apply a SWOT analysis to the characteristics of the different types of organisation, taking account of geographical location, products or services offered, target audience, number of employees, etc.
  5. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  6. Communicate with journalists, members of the organisation and external audiences.
  7. Devise and develop communication mechanisms of different kinds taking into account the characteristics of the organisation.
  8. Generate creative ideas in the workplace.
  9. Identify and describe organisations' communicative objectives in order to gain a competitive advantage regarding their internal and external audiences.
  10. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  11. Organise the activities of communication departments in the short, medium and long term.
  12. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  13. Respect the different religions, ethnic groups, cultures, sexual identities, etc. of the persons belonging to the organisation.
  14. Set up mechanisms for an organisation and the members of its communication departments to explain the organisation's objectives, functions and business idea to audiences of all types.
  15. Show initiative and leadership skills.
  16. Work independently to solve problems and take strategic decisions on the basis of the knowledge acquired.

Content

The syllabus of the subject consists of the following units:
 
 

1. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

  • Definitions
  • History and usefulness
  • The role and position of IC in organizations
  • Segmentation of internal audiences
  • Organizational culture
  • Internal communication flows


2. THE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

  • Research
  • Planning
  • Execution
  • Evaluation

3. TOOLS FOR DISSEMINATING INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Channels, tools and instruments of IC. What should I take into account?

Examples:

  • Intranet
  • Internal events (CODIR and Board of Directors meetings, Family Day, Conventions, etc.).
  • In-house publications: magazines, newsletters, welcome manual, style manual, etc.
  • Corporate signage and displays
  • Electronic mailings
  • E-mail, etc.

4. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND BUSINESS STRATEGY

  • Corporate brand and business
  • Elements of business communication
  • Communication in organizations
  • Internal communication and teleworking
  • Internal communication and onboarding
  • Employer Branding
  • Internal communication and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

5. MANAGEMENT AND ELEMENTS OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

  • Professional profiles of communicators
  • The relationship between the communication office and other departments of the organization
  • Crisis management
  • Professional ethics
 
All these topics will enter the evaluations to be performed at any given time (theory and practice). If a session could not be given for reasons beyond the control of the teachers, its content will be given as taught and will be evaluated based on specific bibliography, the detailed script of the syllabus, etc.
 

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theory classes, student oral presentations, debate, case study 27 1.08 2, 5, 14, 9, 10, 12
Type: Supervised      
Individual and group tutoring 15 0.6 3, 15, 8
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous study and preparation of exercises 70 2.8 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16

There will be a detailed presentation in the classroom of the theoretical contents of the syllabus, which is what will allow the development of practical teaching and the achievement of the competencies defined for this subject.
 
Master classes should encourage reflection and joint debate, and are a necessary element in encouraging students' self-learning.
 
Practical teaching allows the student to assess the evolution of their learning and place it in front of the simulation of real cases. The internships are complemented by tutorial consultations that have the basic goal of providing training, personal and professional guidance, and especially guidance for doing group work.
 
The basis of the teaching methodology will be to achieve an autonomous learning by the students. The academic activity supervised by the teaching staff, with a constant and active participation of the students, will allow them to assume the generic and specific competencies that will be raised in the subject, thus achieving the objectives set.
 
The subject is divided into a series of master classes, seminars and / or conferences and / or specific days that provide the theoretical and methodological basis and serve as a link and guide to perform the learning activities (practical classes) and self-learning that are essential. in the design of the subject. Theoretical classes and learning activities will allow students to assume the purposes of the subject.
 
 
Tutorials are considered a fundamental aspect for the guidance and growth of student learning. These tutorials can be individual, group, face-to-face orvirtual, depending on the development of the course.
 
The detailed calendar with the content of the different sessions will be exposed the day of presentation of the subject. It will also be posted on the Virtual Campus where students canfind a detailed description of the exercises and practices, the various teaching materials and any information necessary for the proper follow-up of the subject. This detailed planning may be subject to change due to unforeseen reasons beyond the control of the teaching staff (for example, the call for strikes affecting teaching).
 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Course Work 25% 12 0.48 4, 14, 8, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16
Exam 25% 3 0.12 2, 4, 9
Participation 10% 3 0.12 5, 15, 16
Practical Exercises 40% 20 0.8 1, 3, 4, 6, 14, 8, 7, 10, 11, 12, 16

This subject doesn't provide for the single assessment system.
 
As this is a subject with continuous assessment, it is mandatory to attend the classroom. And to pass the subject it is mandatory to take all the activities. The course consists of the following assessment activities:
 
Activity A (25% on the final grade). Exam: It is a theoretical test of content control. It will include the theoretical contents taught and the bibliographic material indicated by the teachers.
 
Activity B (25% on the final grade). Course work. Autonomous group activity with teacher supervision. Creation of an internal communication plan for an organisation based on a case study to be provided by the teachers. 5% of the grade will correspond to the oral presentation to teachers and students. 20% of the grade will be for the written content of the work.
 
Activity C (40% on the final grade) Practical exercises, usually individual or in groups. From 5 to 7 tests in the classroom, directed and supervised. Each test will be worth between 5 and 10% depending on its difficulty and will be explained in the document of teaching planning of the subject, which also indicates the detailed schedule of activities to be carried out throughout the semester and which is posted in the Moodle Classroom at the beginning of the semester.
 
Activity D (10% on the final grade). Knowledge control tests in the theory classroom, without prior notice, based on what was explained in the session. There can be a debate or answer or reflect on an issue presented in the classroom both in person and virtually from the Virtual Campus Forum.
 
To pass the course and make the average grade proportional, each of the parts must be passed (minimum of 5 pointsout of 10 in each of the 4 blocks of activities). The result will be:
 
A (25%) + B (25%) + C (40%) + D (10%) = 100% final gradeof the subject.
 
Recovery System:
 
Students will be entitled to the recovery of the subject if they have been assessed for the set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade of the subject.
 
Since the course has a continuous evaluation system, the activities that are excluded from the recovery process are the B (coursework) and the whole of the C (individual exercises). In the case of having failed an exercise of part C or not having handed in any of them on time, it will not be possible to recover it and it will be averaged with the rest of the exercises.
 
Second Registration:
 
If someone enrolls in Internal Communication for the second time, they can take a synthesis test. It is necessary to notify it to  the  professor  Recoder during the first two weeks of the course.
 
Plagiarism
 
The student who commits any irregularity (copying, plagiarism, impersonation ...) will be graded with 0 this evaluation activity. In case of several irregularities, the final grade of the subject will be 0.
 
 

Bibliography

 

Specific bibliography for each topic will be provided

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berceruelo, Benito (coord.) (2011). Comunicación interna en la empresa. Claves y desafíos. Vizcaya: Aedipe. ISBN: 978 84 87670 98 5

Berceruelo, Benito. (2014). Nueva Comunicación Interna en la empresa. Madrid: Estudio de Comunicación.

Caldevilla Domínguez, David. (2010) La cara interna de la comunicación en la empresa. Ed. Visión Libros. Madrid. –

Cuenca-Fontbona, Joan; Verazzi, Laura (2018). Guía fundamental de la comunicación interna. Barcelona: Editorial UOC. ISBN: 978 84 91802723 (mandatory)

D’Almeida, Nicole; Libaert, Thierry (2018). La communication interne des entreprises. Malakoff: Dunod, 8ª éd. ISBN: 978 2 10 077484 5

FUTHER READING

Argenti, Paul A. (2014). Comunicación estratégica y su contribución a la reputación. Madrid: LID editorial.

Barroso, María Belén ; Castillo-Esparcia, Antonio ; Ruiz-Mora, Isabel (2023). "La dimensión medioambiental y los ODS en la comunicación estratégica de las empresas de triple impacto". Estudios sobre el mensaje periodístico, Vol.29 (1), p.27-42.

Carrillo-Durán, María-Victoria (2016). “Importancia del profesional de la información en la dirección de comunicación de las organizaciones”. El profesional de la información, v. 25, n. 2, pp. 272-278. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2016.mar.14

De-las-Heras-Pedrosa, Carlos; Ruiz-Mora, Isabel; Paniagua-Rojano, Francisco-Javier (2018). Gestión de la comunicación en las instituciones. Madrid: Pearson. ISBN: 978 1787268616

Field, Jenni (2021). Influential Internal Communication: Streamline Your Corporate CEd. KIogan Page.

Ingelmo, Marta María. (2015). Utilización delas nuevas tecnologías en comunicación interna. Análisis del uso de los Social Media en la comunicación interna de las empresas españolas. Valladolid: Universidad de Valladolid.

Karanges, Emma; Johnston, Kim; Beatson, Amanda; Lings, Ian (2015). “The influence of internal communication on employee engagement: Apilot study”. Public relations review, v. 41, n. 1, pp. 129-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.12.003

Lucotti, Francisco. Pulso CI. Escucha activa: clave para la comunicación interna (2016) [Artículo en línea] Disponible en: http://www.pulsoci.bwcomunicacion.com/escucha-activa-clave-para-la-comunicacion-interna/

Medina-Aguerrebere, Pablo (2012). “El valor estratégico de la comunicación”. Revista de comunicación y salud, v. 2, n. 1, pp. 19-28. https://doi.org/10.35669/revistadecomunicacionysalud.2012.2(1).19-28

Miquel-Segarra, Susana; Aced, Cristina (2019). “El perfil de los responsables de comunicación interna en España”. Revista de la Asociación Española de Investigación de la Comunicación, v. 6, n. 11, pp. 99-118. http://revistaeic.eu/index.php/raeic/article/view/184

Mimoso, Marta. Los empleados, los portavoces más creíbles [Artículo en línea] Disponible en: http://www.estudiodecomunicacion.com/extranet/los-empleados-losportavoces-mas-creibles/

Morales, Francisca.RedDirCom. La comunicación interna. Herramienta estratégica de gestión para las empresas. [Artículo en línia] Disponible en: http://www.reddircom.org/textos/f-serrano.pdf  3p. -

Muñiz, Rafael. Marketing XXI. La comunicación interna. [Artículo en línea] Disponible en: http://www.marketing-xxi.com/la-comunicacion-interna-119.htm

Penalba, Francisco. Confinem.Comunicación interna empresarial: Los canales de omunicación. [Artículo en línea] Disponible en: http://www.mirelasolucion.es/blog/comunicacion-interna-canales/

Sales, Xavier. EADA Bussiness School. La importancia de los activos intangibles en la empresa. [Artículo en línea] Disponible en: http://blogs.eada.edu/2016/06/14/activos-intangibles-en-la-empresa/

Verghese, Aniisu K. (2015). Internal Communications: insights, practices and models. London: Sage.

Vilanova-Giralt, Núria (2016). Micropoderes. Comunicación interna para empresas con futuro. 4ª ed. Barcelona: Plataforma Editorial. ISBN: 978 84 15750673

 COURSERA

On the Coursera platform you will find the online course "Internal Communication Management" (in Spanish) conducted by professors Recoder and Casas. There are many videos and exercises on the subject. It is a free course for UAB students entering the platform with the university's institutional email. 


Software

No specialsoftware is required. Use of Word and Powerpoint for exercices and oral presentations.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 71 Catalan second semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 72 Catalan second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 7 Catalan second semester afternoon