Exploring internal organisational communication dynamics in the professional football industry

Purpose: Relative to the increasing focus on organisations’ outward communication consistency and coherency, the internal communication taking place between different organisational functions is under-explored. The study addresses two research questions: (1) What form does cross-functional communication take within organisations? (2) How do features of the communication work climate influence the form of cross-functional communication?
Design: The study draws on qualitative data generated from semi-structured interviews with media and marketing managers from 33 professional football organisations operating in the English Premier League.
Findings: Thematic patterns between internal communication practices and different communication climates lead to the development of a new internal organisational communications typology, comprising: Type 1: Collaborative symmetrical communication (Cohesive climate); Type 2: Unstructured informal communication (Friendly climate); and, Type 3: Cross-functional silos (Divisive climate).
Originality/value: Internal organisational communication practices are deemed fundamental to organisational success, yet there remains limited empirical evidence of the form such practices take or how they interact with features of an organisation’s communication climate. The study introduces a new internal organisational communications typology to develop and extend the theory and practice of internal marketing communications.