How age and organizational tenure shape perceptions of internal communication: evidence from a higher education institution

In contemporary organizations characterized by the coexistence of multiple generations and diverse professional backgrounds, internal communication has established itself as a key strategic function for fostering organizational cohesion and alignment. Although the literature has extensively analyzed its strategic and relational dimensions, there is still limited empirical evidence on how temporal and sociodemographic variables—especially age and organizational tenure—shape the internal communication experience. This research examines whether age and tenure are associated with satisfaction regarding eight theoretically based dimensions of internal communication. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used, involving a structured survey of 249 employees using the Internal Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (ICSQ). Since the data did not follow a normal distribution, nonparametric tests were applied (Kruskal–Wallis with Bonferroni post hoc comparisons). The results partially confirm the influence of age and suggest that tenure plays a significant role in several dimensions. Age and tenure are found to be complementary, though not redundant, variables associated with distinct dimensions of the internal communication experience. Furthermore, a descriptive non-monotonic pattern is observed across tenure groups, which is compatible with interpretations derived from organizational socialization theory. However, given the cross-sectional design and the bivariate nature of the analyses, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory associations. The independent effects of age and organizational tenure cannot be fully isolated without multivariable modelling.