Upward communication as a vehicle for enhancing effective communication at South African petroleum retail service stations

Simangele Mkhize and Emmanuel Mutambara
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Simangele Mkhize: University of KwaZulu-Natal Academics
Emmanuel Mutambara: KwaZulu-Natal, University Rd, Westville, 3630. South Africa.

International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), 2024, vol. 13, issue 8, 130-138

Abstract: The study evaluates the role that upward communication plays in enhancing effective communication. It is however vital for petroleum retail service stations, and the petroleum industry as a whole to prevent the occurrence of accidents and to ensure safety. Upward communication in an organisation underline the significance of employee feedback in improving organisational performance and shaping decision-making. It promotes a culture of transparency and trust, encouraging employees to share suggestions, ideas, and concerns with management. The study is conducted in the petroleum sector and focuses on the selected petroleum retail service stations in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative approach to address the objectives and prove the hypothesis. The data was collected from 740 retail service station employees in South Africa. The data collection method that was utilised for the study was closed-ended questionnaires that were personally administered. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 25) and includes both inferential and descriptive statistics. The result of the study proves that there is a relationship between upward communication and effective communication in the South African petroleum sector. The manner in which top-level employees communicate impacts on how effective communication is in sites. The conclusion drawn from the study have shown that upward communication have a positive and significant association with effective communication. The study recommends that there should be various options for communication media, also accommodating technological advances. The study also recommends the creation of an open communication environment where barriers to communication are minimised. This be in need of accessible feedback, manager training, clear communication in the daily operation to promote continuous improvement, transparency, and trust. Key Words:Communication, effective communication, upward communication, petroleum sector, petroleum retail service stations.

Date: 2024
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