Exploring the strategic potential of internal communication in international non-governmental organisations

• We conducted five case studies to determine how internal communication functioned within INGOs.
• We found that internal communication within INGOs plays a managerial/tactical role, not a strategic one.
• Lack of knowledge and limited resources contribute to the lack of strategic internal communication in INGOs.
• The lack of strategic internal communication means there is a high potential for poor strategic alignment in INGOs.

The role and importance of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) has increased with globalization and the growth of global institutions. Despite this growth, academic research into INGO management remains limited and, due to their unique characteristics, management theories developed for for-profit organisations cannot be applied as is to INGOs. Internal communication is a critical area of management that has been proven to have a major impact on an organisation's effectiveness, particularly when managed strategically. Therefore this article explores the strategic management of internal communication within the INGO context. This study synthesised the current literature on this topic and included five case studies to understand the current state of internal communication within INGOs. It was determined that INGOs do not manage internal communication strategically. However, there is evidence that the implementation of strategic internal communication could help INGOs address several of their challenges and have an impact on their overall effectiveness. This study is exploratory and further research to identify the process for strategic internal communication in INGOs is needed.