Empirical Study of Communication Satisfaction and Employee Retention in Nigerian Media Organisations

Employee retention in Nigerian media organisations is significantly affected by communication climate factors, and the specific relationship between communication satisfaction and turnover intention among Nigerian media workers has not been empirically investigated in the literature. This study empirically examined the relationship between communication satisfaction and employee retention intention in Nigerian media organisations. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 240 employees from eight media organisations across Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Enugu, stratified by organisation type (print, broadcast, online). Communication satisfaction was measured using the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire adapted for the Nigerian media context, covering supervisor communication quality, information adequacy, communication climate, and interpersonal communication. Retention intention was measured using a validated three-item scale. Multiple regression and path analysis were employed. Results showed that communication satisfaction was a significant positive predictor of retention intention (beta = 0.49; p < 0.001). Communication climate was the strongest communication satisfaction predictor of retention (beta = 0.53), followed by supervisor communication quality (beta = 0.41). Salary dissatisfaction was the strongest competing predictor of turnover intention (beta = -0.38; p < 0.001) but communication satisfaction remained a significant independent predictor even after controlling for salary. Online media employees showed the lowest communication satisfaction scores. The study fills an empirical gap in Nigerian media human resources research, providing evidence that communication climate investment is a cost-effective retention strategy for Nigerian media organisations facing talent competition from advertising and public relations sectors. Keywords: communication satisfaction, employee retention, Nigerian media, organisational communication, media workers