Internal communication in cooperatives: the perception of working people about listening and information

Abstract

The main objective of this research is to discover the perceptions of internal communication of the work force of a cooperative company, member of the MONDRAGON Group. Our focus was two-fold, first, on exploring workers’ perceptions of the information transmitted to them by the cooperative; and second, on their perceptions of how well managers and supervisors listen to frontline workers' expressions of concerns and expectations. Furthermore, in order to identify possible specific relationship between communication and other key factors, the study controls for the following variables: governance/management body membership, type of workforce (white collar and blue collar), type of contract (member or employee), and place of work. To carry out this case study, the authors used both qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire, and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews. The results of the research suggest that, in general, the workers of the cooperative feel informed, but they perceive that their concerns and expectation are scarcely heard. We also examine interesting differences uncovered by holding constant the specific variables mentioned.