Intranets vs. printed publications as effective employee communication tools

Intranets, driven by time and cost-efficiencies, recently emerged as a major corporate communication tool. However, do employees want their company news delivered via an Intranet or do they prefer reading traditional printed publications? This study\u27s purpose is to determine employees\u27 preferences and constraints concerning Intranet internal news delivery and content. These findings will guide communication managers in delivering effective Intranet content, design and programming. This study surveyed 100 employees in a self-select method from the Philadelphia area who read company news on an Intranet for at least six months. The survey probed attitude and behavior toward reading an Intranet vs. reading printed publications. The study also tested for reader preferences/constraints concerning story content, length and graphic presentation. Demographics, including age, gender, and education, were cross-referenced with preferences/constraints. Rowan University\u27s Communication Institute used SPSS (Statistical Packaging for the Social Sciences) software to tabulate and analyze the data. This study found that most employees feel positive and prefer reading their Intranet over print-based publications for internal news. This research also revealed employee age as a significant constraint in Intranet use. The study confirmed that employees won\u27t read lengthy stories online and that males, more than females, prefer reading the Intranet for internal news