The internal communication role of the chief executive officer: Communication channels, style, and effectiveness

•This study explores the internal communication role of CEOs by examining their communication channels, style, and quality, as well as their influence on employee–organization relational outcomes.•A web survey was conducted with 545 employees from a variety of corporations in the United States.•Results showed that CEOs most frequently use email and face-to-face channels to communicate with employees.•The social media presence of CEOs strongly correlates with their perceived communication responsiveness and quality, as well as employee–organization relational outcomes.•The responsive communication style of CEOs positively influences the quality of CEO communication, which subsequently affects employee relational outcomes.

This study explores the internal communication role of chief executive officers (CEOs) by examining their communication channels, style, and quality, as well as their influence on employee–organization relational outcomes. Results showed that CEOs most frequently use email and face-to-face channels to communicate with employees. The social media presence of CEOs positively and strongly correlates with their communication responsiveness and quality, as well as employee–organization relational outcomes. The responsive communication style of CEOs positively influences the quality of CEO communication, which subsequently affects employee relational outcomes. The assertive communication style of CEOs demonstrates a small significant positive effect on the quality of employee–organization relationships but nonsignificant effect on the quality of CEO communication. The significant theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.