Identification and Elucidation of the Causal Drivers and Strategic Priorities of Internal Communications Based on Employee Engagement and Employer Branding: A Case Study of South Pars Oil and Gas Company
Keywords:
Internal Communications, Employee Engagement, Employer Branding, Fuzzy Analytic Network Process, DEMATEL, South Pars Oil and Gas CompanyAbstract
This study aimed to design, explain, and prioritize a model of the causal drivers of internal communications based on employee engagement and employer branding at South Pars Oil and Gas Company. This applied-developmental study employed an exploratory mixed-methods design. During the qualitative phase, the relevant dimensions and components were identified through a systematic review of the literature and structured interviews with experts and were subsequently organized using open, axial, and selective coding. In the quantitative phase, 20 managers and specialists with substantial experience in the oil and gas industry were recruited through purposive, judgmental, and snowball sampling. Expert judgments were collected using a pairwise comparison questionnaire and analyzed through the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory technique, and the DEMATEL-based Analytic Network Process. Consistency ratios for all three principal dimensions were below the acceptable threshold of 0.10. Within the employee engagement dimension, organizational culture (weight = 0.190), leadership and management (weight = 0.157), and communication and feedback (weight = 0.140) received the highest priorities. Within employer branding, promoting a strong and positive culture (weight = 0.154), corporate reputation and credibility (weight = 0.136), and internal communications and external marketing (weight = 0.113) ranked highest. Regarding internal communications, interpersonal interactions (weight = 0.173), communication culture (weight = 0.166), and digital technologies and tools (weight = 0.147) were the most important components. The DEMATEL analysis identified digital technologies and tools (net influence = 0.244), interpersonal interactions (0.210), and communication leadership and management (0.185) as the strongest causal drivers. Sustainable improvement in internal communications within oil and gas organizations requires the integration of digital infrastructure, interpersonal relationships, communication-oriented leadership, and organizational culture. Strengthening these drivers can activate employee engagement, enhance the employee experience, and transform employer branding into a strategic organizational asset.
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