Communication climate: a factor in assessing organizational conditions for corporate communications in fitness-organizations

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose. The purpose of the study is to diagnose the current state of the communication climate in fitness organizations and to assess its impact on the organizational conditions for ensuring the effectiveness of internal communication. Methods. The methods of systemic and comparative analysis of scientific literature, as well as a quantitative data collection method — a questionnaire survey — were used. 106 respondents—employees of fitness organizations—participated in the empirical study. The obtained data were processed using methods of mathematical statistics, with the calculation of the frequency distribution of responses. Results. It was found that the overall communication climate is assessed by the majority of respondents as "Good" (36.8%), but a number of critical areas have been identified. In particular, the biggest problems were recorded in the area of the neutral impact of internal communication on motivation (34.9%) and the closed nature of managers (38.7% chose "Sometimes closed"). The majority of employees (71.7%) receive timely and clear information, confirming the functionality of communication channels. However, only 33.0% feel that they can mostly express their opinion, and 32.1% experience difficulty communicating with other departments. The results indicate a gap between the formal effectiveness of information transfer and the psychological component of the communication climate, especially in the context of two-way communication and trust. Conclusions. The communication climate in the studied organizations is rather satisfactory with a positive dynamic in functional aspects (timeliness, completeness of information), but requires significant improvement in socio-psychological parameters (managerial openness, feedback culture, motivational impact). To increase the effectiveness of internal communication, it is necessary to implement strategies aimed at cultivating trust and encouraging two-way, open communication, which will directly affect employee engagement (as confirmed by 73.6% of respondents) and loyalty. Further research should focus on studying specific leadership practices that contribute to creating a favourable climate. Keywords: internal communication, communication climate, organizational conditions, effectiveness, fitness industry, employee engagement, feedback.