The Relationship between Internal Communication and Team Performance in Event Management within the Hospitality Sector of Australia

This research examines the interrelated dynamics of internal communication, managing events, and performance among teams within the hospitality sector in Australia. It aims to address a gap in existing research evaluating the unique relationship between these elements in Australia’s hotel sector and provides worthwhile insights on enhancing team performance through improved communication and event management strategies. Existing studies have primarily examined how internal communication independently affects team performance. However, there's a scarcity of research exploring the interplay between these elements specifically within the realm of event management in Australia's hotel sector. The study's importance stems from its relevance to the rapidly changing hospitality sector, especially considering teamwork efficiency impact on the organisational performance and the need for resilience and efficiency in hotel operations, particularly post-COVID-19. This study provides an in-depth examination concerning internal communication, event management, and teamwork efficiency. By doing so, it contributes to the field providing valuable insights into these complex relationships, enhancing the understanding of these dynamics specifically within the Australian hotel industry context and addressing a critical knowledge gap in current hospitality management research. The theoretical focus of this research is grounded in the multi-team systems framework, which explores the coordination and communication dynamics within multiple interrelated teams pursuing shared objectives, which was found to be particularly relevant to complex settings like hotel event management. The research expands existing theory by applying multi-team systems principles to event management in hospitality and providing a more nuanced comprehension of team interactions and communication specific to this industry. This new application of the theory offers fresh insights into the complexities of team dynamics and communication within the unique context of the hospitality sector. This study utilized a mixed-method design that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to enhance the understanding of team communication and its effects on different facets of team performance in the event management industry at Australian hotels. Quantitative analysis sought to validate findings across a larger sample, while qualitative investigation revealed deeper insights into the complexity of internal communication. The use of this comprehensive methodological framework was predicated on its ability to provide a holistic grasp of the subject matter, effectively utilizing the strengths of both research paradigms. Data were gathered from multiple sources, including an online survey (n = 345) with hotel employees and one-on-one interviews (n = 27) with hotel executives and managers. The study technique combined a dual approach to data analysis whereby linear regression and ANOVA tests handled quantitative data while qualitative material underwent theme analysis. The combination of these several data sources helped the researchers to develop a more thorough knowledge of the topic, where the results of quantitative data analysis showed team communication forecasts of the working environment, teamwork efficacy, and interdepartmental cooperation. In contrast, effective internal communication exhibited a positive correlation with overall team performance, signifying a robust interrelationship between communication and overall effectiveness, while clarity of team roles proved to be a vital element in decision-making, problem-solving, and interdepartmental collaboration, underscoring the significance of internal communication in hotel event management. The combination of both methods yielded comprehensive understanding of the teams’ communication complex dynamics within Australian hospitality and event management sector, where quantitative research showed relationships between team performance and communication effectiveness, while qualitative research gave contextual depth and showed the ways in which communication shapes organisational success. Using the multi-team systems paradigm, this mixed-methods approach revealed that strategic internal communication enhances clarity and cross-functional synergy in demanding, multi-team environments. Beyond accepted knowledge of internal communication, the results of the research reveal special operational dynamics particular to event management and synthesize quantitative correlations with qualitative insights, so advancing theoretical frameworks in hotel management and organisational communication especially in the context of complex, multi-team systems in the Australian hotel events sector.

本研究聚焦澳大利亚酒店业内部团队的内部沟通、活动管理与绩效三者间的关联动态。本研究旨在填补现有研究的空白：现有研究尚未针对澳大利亚酒店业中这三者间的独特关联展开系统评估，同时可为通过优化沟通与活动管理策略提升团队绩效提供宝贵洞见。既往研究多聚焦于内部沟通对团队绩效的独立影响，但针对澳大利亚酒店业活动管理场景下这三者间交互作用的专项研究仍较为匮乏。本研究的重要性契合快速变革的酒店业发展需求：尤其考虑到团队协作效率对组织绩效的影响，以及后新冠疫情时代酒店运营对韧性与效率的迫切诉求。本研究针对内部沟通、活动管理与团队协作效率三者展开深入探讨，借此为该领域贡献有关这些复杂关系的宝贵洞见，深化对澳大利亚酒店业特定场景下此类动态机制的理解，并填补当前酒店管理研究中的关键知识缺口。本研究的理论基础为多团队系统框架（multi-team systems framework），该框架聚焦于追求共同目标的多个互相关联的团队间的协调与沟通动态，其被证实与酒店活动管理这类复杂场景高度适配。本研究将多团队系统原则应用于酒店业活动管理，拓展了现有理论边界，并为理解该行业特有的团队交互与沟通模式提供了更为细致的视角。该理论的创新性应用，为解读酒店业独特场景下的团队动态与沟通复杂性提供了全新洞见。本研究采用混合方法设计（mixed-method design），结合定量与定性研究手段，以深化对澳大利亚酒店活动管理行业中团队沟通及其对团队绩效多维度影响的认知。定量分析旨在通过更大样本量验证研究发现，而定性探究则可揭示内部沟通复杂性的深层内涵。选用这一综合性方法论框架，是因其能够兼顾两种研究范式的优势，实现对研究主题的整体把握。研究数据来源于多渠道：针对酒店员工开展的线上问卷调查（n=345），以及针对酒店高管与经理开展的一对一访谈（n=27）。数据分析采用双重路径：对定量数据采用线性回归（linear regression）与方差分析（ANOVA），对定性资料则开展主题分析。多种数据来源的结合，帮助研究者更全面地理解研究主题。定量数据分析结果显示，团队沟通可对工作环境、团队协作效能与跨部门协作进行有效预测；高效的内部沟通与整体团队绩效呈显著正相关，表明沟通与整体组织效能间存在强关联；而清晰的团队角色界定则在决策制定、问题解决与跨部门协作中发挥关键作用，凸显了内部沟通在酒店活动管理中的核心重要性。两种方法的结合使研究者得以全面理解澳大利亚酒店与活动管理行业中团队沟通的复杂动态：定量研究揭示了团队绩效与沟通有效性间的量化关联，而定性研究则提供了情境化深度，并阐明了沟通如何塑造组织成功。基于多团队系统范式，本混合方法研究揭示，在高要求的多团队协作环境中，战略性内部沟通可显著提升团队清晰度与跨职能协同效能。除了已被广泛认知的内部沟通价值外，本研究结果还揭示了活动管理领域特有的专属运营动态，并将定量相关性与定性洞见进行了系统性整合，从而推进了酒店管理与组织沟通领域的理论框架发展，尤其是针对澳大利亚酒店活动部门复杂多团队系统的相关研究。