The role of communication on employees’ psychological well-being

Abstract

Increasing workplace complexity has been regarded as a significant issue that might influence the psychological well-being of employees. Whilst occupational health research has often tried to explore this well-being, there is a lack of research investigating the issue from the communication perspective. Hence this study aims to find out how communication relates to employees‘ psychological well-being and how the issue is being communicated in the workplace. For that purpose, six in-depth interviews with employees of an academic organization were conducted. The interviewees consisted of 2 academic staff members, 2 PhD students, an administrative employee and a technical staff member. The interview results were transcribed and analyzed with a mix of inductive and deductive methods. The study reveals that communication aspects such as social interaction, positive appreciation and feedback are embedded in the psychological well-being of work dimensions. The study also suggests dual roles of communication in employees‘ psychological well-being: as a challenge in achieving psychological well-being and as a solution for workplace-related problem. Lastly, the study addresses the lack of discussio on workplace well-being among the employees.