Lost in Communication in Higher Education

Abstract

The bureaucratic and academic nature of higher education institutions (HEIs), coupled with their complex organisational structures, extensive vertical hierarchies and large numbers of staff in need of communication, are believed to often hamper their internal communication processes. This is, to a great extent, also the case in the South African higher education arena. This article reports on a study that aimed to undertake research that would direct the development of a framework for improving internal communication at South African multi-campus universities. The framework would not only boast of features which are regarded as good practice by companies in the corporate sector, but also features based on the recommendations and suggestions of communication executives from seven multi-campus universities in South Africa. A mixed methods research design was employed. The research indicates that communication should be established as a core business value, and be advocated on all levels. The findings also suggest that management should be evaluated on their communication skills; regular monitoring of the effectiveness of communication at main and distance campuses should take place; whilst communication channels for feedback should be established. The internal communication framework outlined in the article may aid multi-campus universities to attain higher levels of excellence, which will subsequently result in greater business impact and more funding opportunities.