Internal Communication in an MNC

Abstract

Internal communication is a major constituent in any organization, and it can actually be seen as the lifeblood of the organization. In the multinational corporation, MNC, the importance of well-functioning internal communication is even more vital than in the domestic company, due to the fact that, among other things, its units are dispersed across national borders. At the same time as the complexity of the MNC requires an effective internal communication, it is the complexity that makes it difficult to accomplish. The purpose of this thesis is to describe and explain aspects within an MNC that create barriers to an effective internal communication. The case company, MODUL Service AB, has operations in Sweden, Slovakia and China and is, therefore, suitable to study when trying to find out how an MNC can achieve an effective internal communication. From the study, we have found that the main barriers to an effective internal communication within the MNC are related to the natural characteristics of the MNC, as well as that the barriers have consequences that to a large extent are interrelated. One possibility for diminishing the identified barriers and its consequences is to establish a communication strategy, that takes into consideration the essential parameters of by whom, how, when, and what information is to be communicated.