Organisational Communication and Employee Performance in Taraba State University

This study examines the relationship between organisational communication practices and employee performance at Taraba State University, located in Taraba State, Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone. Effective communication is widely regarded as a foundational management function, directly influencing information flow, role clarity, decision-making quality, and interpersonal relationships within academic institutions. This research adopts a survey research design, administering structured questionnaires to 120 academic and administrative staff. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. The study evaluates four communication dimensions: vertical communication clarity, horizontal communication frequency, feedback mechanism quality, and informal communication management. Results reveal that vertical communication clarity and feedback mechanism quality exhibit the strongest positive correlations with staff performance indicators including task quality, punctuality, and initiative demonstration. Horizontal communication frequency was associated with better collaborative task outcomes among academic staff. The study further identifies excessive bureaucracy and inadequate digital communication infrastructure as key barriers to efficient organisational communication at the university. Poor feedback on staff performance was rated as the most significant communication deficiency by respondents. Recommendations include implementing structured communication policies, investing in digital communication tools, and training line managers on effective feedback delivery. This research contributes to the management literature on communication in Nigerian state universities. Keywords: organisational communication, employee performance, university management, Taraba State, feedback.