Abstract
Internal communication in organizations is one of the fundamental pillars for their correct development. Forms of communication were very scarce until the incorporation of ICTs in the labor market, but the rise of remote work has meant a new opening towards new forms of communication although also the emergence of new risks and problems that can have a very negative impact and that, as of today, have not been eradicated. Communication between the company's interest groups can have many benefits and translate into a large competitive advantage, but these new communication channels have also turned into a new tool through which new forms of harassment can be carried out (cyberbullying). In Spain, as all around the world, there are more and more cases of cyberbullying and very little existing legislation, leading to it becoming a serious problem that still has not been given sufficient visibility.
TopIntroduction
Organizations, whatever their size, are composed of a series of pillars that are absolutely necessary for such an organization to be able to grow prosperously in the medium/long term: the mission (what the organization wants), the vision (where it is heading) and the values (what are the ideological characteristics of the organization's human capital). These three pillars make up what is known as the organizational culture and are the raison d'être of the organization (Santander Universidades, 2022).
On the other hand, organizations are made up of stakeholders (managers, employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, government, society...). Personal identification and acceptance of the human capital that makes up the organization's stakeholders with the corporate culture is one of the key points for the correct functioning and growth of the organization (González Masip, 2018).
It is logical to think that the purpose of the creation of a for-profit organization is to achieve the greatest economic gain and the greatest possible growth and expansion, however, the practices carried out throughout its history to achieve these objectives are key to achieving stability over time and market leadership.
Financing methods, production processes, technology, management style, geographic location, market niche... are strategies that, with greater or lesser difficulty, can be copied by other organizations. The difference that can turn into a true competitive advantage with respect to others is its human capital and, in order to attract and retain the best human capital, human resources practices must be implemented that are adapted both to the organizational culture and to the main characteristics and demands that arise or may arise from the people that make up the organization (Danvila-del Valle & Sastre-Castillo, 2007, pp. 145-187).
In order to be able to interweave all these variables and be able to anticipate problems or new developments that may arise, one of the most important things that must exist at all levels (both stakeholders and departments in the organization) is communication. Organizations are “living organisms” that need a constant relationship with their stakeholders.
Communication in an organization can be external (mainly aimed at reinforcing and projecting its image with external stakeholders such as: suppliers, customers, investors...) or internal (as its name suggests, it takes place within the company through both formal and informal channels) and that will be the form of communication on which we will focus in this chapter.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many organizations were forced to introduce teleworking as a temporary measure - there were already organizations that applied this form of work, but the percentage was very small. The eradication of physical presence in the workplace meant that the forms and channels of communication had to be adapted to this new way of working and, therefore, it was necessary to resort to the use of ICTs in order to have the most efficient communication channels (Pérez Pérez et al., 2004, pp. 11-28).
This research project will carry out a study on internal communication, specifically on certain negative practices (cyberbullying) that have arisen as a result of the increased use of ICTs as the main means of communication, with a special increase during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the post-pandemic period.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Communication: It is the set of processes carried out by an organization in order to transmit its corporate information both internally and externally.
Big Data: Data sets or combinations of datasets whose size (volume), complexity (variability), and speed of growth (velocity) make it difficult to capture, manage, process, or analyze them using conventional technologies and tools, such as relational databases and conventional statistics or visualization packages, within the time necessary to make them useful.
UN: The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after World War II by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, fostering friendly relations among nations, and promoting social progress, better standards of living and human rights. Today it has 193 member countries.
ICTs: Information and Communication Technologies are the resources and tools used for the processing, administration, and distribution of information through technological elements, such as computers, telephones, televisions, etc.
Spanish Data Protection Agency: Is the independent control authority that ensures compliance with data protection regulations and guarantees and protects the fundamental right to the protection of personal data.
Stakeholders: All those groups that are directly or indirectly affected by the development of the business activity, and therefore also have the capacity to affect its development directly or indirectly.
Organization: An orderly structure where people with different roles, responsibilities or positions coexist and interact to achieve a particular objective.
ILO: International Labour Organization, is the specialized agency of the UN that deals with labor-related issues in the world.