Internal communication satisfaction, engagement, and life satisfaction : a process model

Tkalac Verčič, Ana (author), Verčič, Dejan (author)

We develop and test a process model of internal communication in which digital communication acceptance, perceived organizational support, and psychological contract fulfillment predict internal communication satisfaction, which in turn relates to employee engagement and life satisfaction. Using three-wave survey data from employees in Croatia, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and Italy (N = 1,458), the model shows consistent structural patterns across countries while controlling for personality and cultural orientation. Results show that acceptance of digital tools, perceived organizational support, and fulfilled obligations are strongly associated with higher satisfaction. The findings advance internal communication theory by positioning communication satisfaction as a central mechanism linking organizational and technological factors to engagement and life satisfaction.

• Language: English
• Keywords: digital communication acceptance, employee engagement, internal communication satisfaction, life satisfaction, psychological contract fulfillment
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 157-174
• Numbering: Vol. 38, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183774
• UDC: 659.4
• ISSN on article: 1062-726X
• DOI: 10.1080/1062726X.2026.2630048
• COBISS.SI-ID: 269383427
• Publication date in RUL: 18.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of public relations research
• Shortened title: J. public relat. res.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1062-726X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 743189

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: sprejemanje v digitalni komunikaciji, angažiranost zaposlenih, zadovoljstvo z življenjem, zadovoljstvo z notranjo komunikacijo, izpolnjevanje psihološke pogodbe, odnosi z javnostmi

Projects

• Funder: HRZZ - Croatian Science Foundation
• Project number: IPS-2022-02-4542
• Name: Učinak digitalizacije interne komunikacije na zadovoljstvo internom komunikacijom, angažiranost zaposlenika i, posljedično, percipirano zadovoljstvo životom

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J5-4584
• Name: KAKO DIGITALIZACIJA INTERNEGA KOMUNICIRANJA VPLIVA NA ZAVZETOST ZAPOSLENIH IN POSLEDIČNO NA NJIHOVO ZAZNAVANJE KAKOVOSTI ŽIVLJENJA