The impact of information technology on internal communication

This study explored the impact of information technology on internal communication at a tertiary education institution. An employee survey was distributed to determine the current impact of information technology on internal communication, and to explore the possible impact of two further information technology based communication systems. The survey found that despite a preference for face-to-face communication, respondents were better informed, more willing to communicate and exchanged more job-related information since the introduction of e-mail, voice mail and Wordview (policy and academic documents available on the network). The survey explored the possibility of introducing an electronic meeting system with 50% of respondents willing to try such a system. As the majority of respondents spend minimal time travelling and freely give their opinions at meetings, however, it is unlikely that such a system would result in further improvements in internal communication. Survey findings indicate the need for respondents to be better informed about the information available on their computers and how to access the information. The findings also indicate that there may be potential improvements in internal communication if an intranet is established. © 1998 IFIP, published by Chapman & Hall Ltd.