The study, titled The Impact of Internal Communication Transparency and Top Management Support on Employee Performance: A Study at FAST Coffee & Bikewash, provides practical evidence for managers in hospitality, retail, and other customer-facing industries. In competitive service environments, employee performance directly affects service quality, customer satisfaction, and business sustainability.
Why Communication and Leadership Matter
Service businesses depend on speed, accuracy, and teamwork. Miscommunication can lead to delayed service, operational errors, and dissatisfied customers. At the same time, weak leadership support can reduce motivation and lower productivity.
Diva Naja and her colleagues at Universitas Dr. Soetomo highlight that many previous studies examined communication and leadership separately. Their research integrates both factors into a single analytical model, demonstrating how transparent communication and top management support work together to strengthen employee performance.
In practical terms, transparent internal communication means:
- Clear and consistent work instructions
- Open sharing of organizational policies
- Timely updates about operational changes
- Accessible channels for feedback
Top management support includes:
- Direct leadership involvement
- Provision of adequate resources
- Supportive workplace policies
- Attention to employee needs and welfare
How the Study Was Conducted
The research used a quantitative explanatory design. All 38 employees of FAST Coffee & Bikewash participated in the study, making it a full-population survey rather than a sample-based estimate.
Data were collected through structured questionnaires distributed on-site. The researchers then applied multiple linear regression analysis to measure how internal communication transparency and top management support influenced employee performance.
Employee performance was assessed through:
- Work productivity
- Quality of output
- Timeliness in completing tasks
- Teamwork capability
Statistical testing confirmed that the research instruments were valid and reliable. The regression model met standard analytical assumptions, ensuring the robustness of the findings.
Key Findings: Two Factors Explain 57.9% of Performance
The results are clear and statistically significant.
1. Internal Communication Transparency Improves Performance
- Significance level: 0.008 (below 0.05 threshold)
- Positive regression coefficient: 0.379
Employees who receive clear, open, and consistent information perform better. Transparent communication reduces role ambiguity, minimizes operational errors, and strengthens coordination between team members.
2. Top Management Support Has an Even Stronger Effect
- Significance level: 0.005
- Positive regression coefficient: 0.439
Top management support emerged as the most dominant factor. Employees who perceive strong leadership backing demonstrate higher motivation, stronger commitment, and improved task completion.
3. Combined Effect Is Highly Significant
- F-test significance: 0.000
- Adjusted R Square: 0.579
Together, internal communication transparency and top management support explain 57.9 percent of the variation in employee performance. The remaining 42.1 percent is influenced by other factors such as organizational culture, leadership style, compensation, or work environment.
The regression equation shows that improvements in both communication transparency and leadership support directly increase performance levels. Notably, leadership support has a slightly stronger impact than communication transparency.
Real-World Implications for Businesses
The findings have direct implications for small and medium enterprises, especially in service industries where customer experience is central.
For managers, the message is practical and actionable:
- Establish structured communication systems with regular briefings.
- Provide clear documentation of work procedures.
- Ensure leadership visibility in daily operations.
- Offer training and professional development support.
- Create open channels for employee feedback.
Diva Naja and her colleagues from Universitas Dr. Soetomo emphasize that performance improvement is not achieved through communication reform alone. Leadership involvement must reinforce transparency. When both elements operate together, they create a supportive organizational climate that enhances both task performance and contextual performance, such as teamwork and proactive behavior.
In customer-driven businesses like FAST Coffee & Bikewash, these improvements can translate into faster service, fewer errors, higher customer satisfaction, and stronger brand reputation.
Academic Insight from the Authors
According to Diva Naja of Universitas Dr. Soetomo, employee performance is shaped by integrated organizational factors rather than a single variable. The research shows that “the simultaneous presence of transparent communication and strong managerial support creates a synergistic environment that enhances both task and contextual performance.”
This integrated perspective expands human resource management literature by demonstrating the measurable combined effect of communication systems and executive support in a real service setting.
Limitations and Future Research
The study was conducted in one organization with 38 employees, which may limit generalization to larger corporations. The researchers recommend future studies involving multiple organizations and additional variables such as job satisfaction, motivation, and organizational culture.
They also suggest longitudinal research designs to examine how communication and leadership practices influence performance over time.
Author Profiles
Source
This study reinforces a central lesson for modern service businesses: transparent communication and active leadership are not optional management tools. They are measurable drivers of employee performance and organizational success.
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