Internal Corporate Communication Quality and Organisational Commitment in Nigerian Conglomerates: The Mediating Role of Organisational Trust

This study examines the relationship between internal corporate communication quality and organisational commitment in Nigerian conglomerates, proposing organisational trust as a mediating variable. Large Nigerian conglomerates, including diversified groups operating across manufacturing, real estate, energy, and financial services, present complex internal communication environments where information quality directly shapes employee perceptions and commitment. The study draws on a sample of 235 middle and senior-level employees from three major Nigerian conglomerates across Lagos and Abuja, using stratified random sampling. A validated Internal Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Organisational Trust Inventory, and Allen and Meyer's Organisational Commitment Scale provide the measurement framework. The Social Exchange Theory and Communication Accommodation Theory jointly provide the theoretical orientation. Bootstrap mediation analysis using PLS-SEM is employed. Findings confirm that communication quality positively and significantly predicts all three commitment dimensions, with affective commitment demonstrating the strongest association. Organisational trust fully mediates the communication-continuance commitment path and partially mediates the communication-affective commitment path, confirming that trust is the central psychological mechanism translating communication quality into commitment outcomes. The study also identifies communication during organisational crises as the dimension with the most pronounced trust and commitment consequences. Recommendations include developing structured internal communication protocols for change and crisis periods, establishing leadership communication effectiveness as a performance criterion, and implementing regular communication quality audits. Keywords: Internal Communication, Organisational Commitment, Organisational Trust, Conglomerates, Nigeria.