One Message, Many Meanings: The Role of Managers in Intercultural Internal Communication
(2025) SKDK11 20251Department of Strategic Communication
- Abstract
- As workplaces become increasingly global and digital, managers in multinational organizations face the challenge of adapting internal communication to both cultural diversity and digital platforms. This study explores how managers of a Swedish multinational company experience and adjust their internal communication when working with multicultural teams across regions. Anchored in the field of strategic communication, the study examines how internal communication practices are shaped in a cross-cultural context and how communication is used to build alignment, trust, and inclusion. The theoretical foundation draws on perspectives that view communication as a meaning-making process, influenced by cultural context, organizational norms, and... (More)
- As workplaces become increasingly global and digital, managers in multinational organizations face the challenge of adapting internal communication to both cultural diversity and digital platforms. This study explores how managers of a Swedish multinational company experience and adjust their internal communication when working with multicultural teams across regions. Anchored in the field of strategic communication, the study examines how internal communication practices are shaped in a cross-cultural context and how communication is used to build alignment, trust, and inclusion. The theoretical foundation draws on perspectives that view communication as a meaning-making process, influenced by cultural context, organizational norms, and individual interpretation. It also considers how people adopt and make sense of digital tools in relation to their perceived usefulness, ease of use, and local relevance. Using a qualitative content analysis of eight semi-structured interviews with managers across Europe and Africa, three main themes emerged: the strategic use of communication channels, the unifying role of corporate culture, and the value of continuous communication training. The findings show that effective internal communication requires cultural sensitivity, clarity, and adaptability. The managers play a crucial role as both communicators and cultural mediators, balancing global organizational standards with local needs. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9192772
- author
- Dimitrijevic, Natalie LU and Martinsson, Oliver
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SKDK11 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- internal communication, intercultural communication, multinational organizations, digital communication platforms, sensemaking, corporate culture, cultural diversity, managerial communication
- language
- English
- id
- 9192772
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-17 09:45:00
- date last changed
- 2025-06-17 09:45:00
@misc{9192772,
abstract = {{As workplaces become increasingly global and digital, managers in multinational organizations face the challenge of adapting internal communication to both cultural diversity and digital platforms. This study explores how managers of a Swedish multinational company experience and adjust their internal communication when working with multicultural teams across regions. Anchored in the field of strategic communication, the study examines how internal communication practices are shaped in a cross-cultural context and how communication is used to build alignment, trust, and inclusion. The theoretical foundation draws on perspectives that view communication as a meaning-making process, influenced by cultural context, organizational norms, and individual interpretation. It also considers how people adopt and make sense of digital tools in relation to their perceived usefulness, ease of use, and local relevance. Using a qualitative content analysis of eight semi-structured interviews with managers across Europe and Africa, three main themes emerged: the strategic use of communication channels, the unifying role of corporate culture, and the value of continuous communication training. The findings show that effective internal communication requires cultural sensitivity, clarity, and adaptability. The managers play a crucial role as both communicators and cultural mediators, balancing global organizational standards with local needs.}},
author = {{Dimitrijevic, Natalie and Martinsson, Oliver}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{One Message, Many Meanings: The Role of Managers in Intercultural Internal Communication}},
year = {{2025}},
}